Karol Križan

Karol Križan ( born June 5, 1980 in Žilina, Czechoslovakia) is a Slovak professional ice hockey goaltender who stands since May 2013 in Tønsberg Vikings from the Norwegian GET - ligaen under contract.

Career

Križan began his career in the youth teams of MHk 32 Liptovsky Mikulas, for in the Extraliga, he made his debut in the season 1996/97. From 1998, he was then goalkeeper of MHk 32 before he moved within the league for HKm Zvolen during the 2000/ 01 season. Zvolen Slovak won the championship in the same season, Križan but was mainly used in the second team of HKm. In the summer of 2001 he returned to his home club and completed 40 games for the MHk 32 A year later, he moved again to Zvolen, where he was first-choice goalkeeper. With Zvolen he reached in subsequent years over and over again the playoffs the Extraliga and even made ​​it to the finals in 2004, winning a championship remained Zvolen but denied. Especially in the playoffs of the 2004/05 season he won with a catch rate of 93.9 % and a Gegentorschnitt of 1.88.

Due to the benefits shown, the Swedish first division side MODO Hockey Karol Križan undertake in the summer of 2005. Similarly in Sweden, he was able to continue his excellent work and led his 2006 team to the quarterfinals of the Elitserien. In the same season he was involved in a curiosity: In the game against Timrå IK in March 2006 Karol Križan scored a goal in bottom number and reached a shutout. A year later he was able to celebrate with his teammates the champion of the 2006/07 season, was involved in the Križan with a strong goalkeeper performance: He played in all 20 playoff games for MODO and reached a Gegentorschnitt of 2.19 at 92.2 % held shots.

During the 2008/ 09 season Križan joined as a replacement for the injured goalkeeper Thomas HC Ambri -Piotta Bäumle to Switzerland. Between June 2009 and January 2011, he was standing by the MHC Martin of the Slovak Extraliga under contract before he moved to the Växjö Lakers in the Swedish HockeyAllsvenskan. In summer 2011 it was announced that he returns to the Italian first division Ritten Sport in the Serie A1.

Internationally

Addition to his success at club level Karol Križan was also regularly employed in international championships. With the junior selection Slovakia he took part in the U20 World Championships in 1999 and 2000. Other operations in the Slovak national team he had at the World Championships 2004, 2006 and 2007 and the Olympic Winter Games 2006. Moreover, he belonged to the squad of the Slovaks in the World Cup in 2006 and 2008, but came to no use.

Awards and achievements

• Bronze medal at the U20 World Cup 1999
• All- Star team Extraliga 2003/ 04 and 2004/ 05
• Swedish Champion 2007