Pavol Regenda recently signed a contract extension with the San Jose Sharks, but apparently he could have signed a more lucrative deal elsewhere. The 25-year-old Slovak right winger signed a two-way deal worth $775,000 US if he plays in the NHL or $350,000 in the AHL, with a guarantee of $400,000, as per PuckPedia.

Shortly before signing, he appeared on a Slovak podcast(P)opičí Biznis, where he spoke about why he chose not to play in Russia. He also spoke about the trade that moved him from the beach in San Diego to San Jose, living on an AHL salary in a major U.S. city, and the trouble with attracting NHL players to the Slovak national team.

The translations are from written versions that appeared in a recent Hokej.cz article written by Dominik Dubovči.

“There were various offers from Europe,” Regenda said. “Even from Russia, but I wouldn’t go there right now. I know what it’s like for the guys who are there now. And I don't want to be a dick, because people automatically take it that you support the war and go to work for blood money.

“Meanwhile, my teammate, who just went to Russia, has a million dollars net for the season! If a Slovak received such an offer, 99.9% of people would leave their families at home and go. But if you go there as a hockey player, you automatically support the war.”

“Sports and politics are not related at all, but I know that there are guys out there who get threats and hate messages. So I said no to Russia. There will be offers from the KHL in the future. Maybe when the war’s over, I might go there.”

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Regenda was acquired by San Jose in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 22 in exchange for Justin Bailey. In the podcast, Regenda recounted that experience and, while doing so, oddly compared San Jose to his hometown of Michalovce, a town of 35,000 in eastern Slovakia near the Ukrainian border.

“Right after training in the gym, the general manager told me that I’d been traded. I don’t like changes, but I had to pack up and get on a plane within an hour. It was quite a shock, I played a game that very day! It was challenging. I went from the most beautiful city in America to San Jose. A new environment... It’s like comparing Bratislava and Michalovce. The sea was further away, there wasn’t much to do, while San Diego was excellent in this regard. But I was doing well in hockey after the trade. Plus, we were much higher in the standings.”

Regenda explained what it’s like living in a major U.S. city with an AHL salary.

“I had 90,000 after taxes, and 23,000 of that went towards rent. Everyone in Europe thinks that if we play in America, we’re automatically rich, but the expenses are massive. In Slovakia, for example, I can buy food for a week for 60 euros (approx $70 US or $95 CDN). In the USA, you spend twice, three times that much. I prefer to cook at home, I don’t like going out to eat very often, but some guys were in restaurants all the time. That’s $100 right away.”

Pavol Regenda: “I think I can play in the NHL and I know what I have to do to be there” With his flowing sandy-blond hair, Pavol Regenda looks like he could be a surfer and seems quite at home in Southern California after two hockey seasons there.

Regenda also spoke about the Slovak national team. At the Olympic qualifyers last August, Regenda played on an effective line with Martin and Kristián Pospišil – part of a balanced attack on a Slovak team that included Tomáš Tatar, Adam Sýkora and Šimon Nemec.

At the recent IIHF World Championship, however, no full-time NHL players went and, with 19 career games, Regenda was by far the most NHL-experienced player on the team. Slovakia failed to qualify for the quarterfinals and the team received plenty of criticism at home.

“The young guys – Slafkovský, Nemec, Černák – don’t want to go to the World Championships because, in my opinion, they’re pissed off with the whole system, how it works in Slovakia...

“You come to the national team and you look like an idiot in front of people. One person says that you don’t even try, another person's (betting) ticket is ruined...

“Nothing works in Slovakia, so why should sports work?”

Photo © Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images: Anaheim Ducks forward Pavol Regenda (40) passes the puck from behind the net against the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2023-24 NHL season. 

Hockey Slovakia President Miroslav Šatan: ‘The Door To The National Team Is Still Open to Juraj Slafkovský’ Back in October, Montreal Canadiens right winger Juraj Slafkovský heaped heavy criticism on the Slovak Ice Hockey Association and Hockey Slovakia fired back, dismissing the remarks as “ill-considered statements of a young player.”