Meszároš trains with national team

Andrej Meszároš says the idea of him training with the Slovakian national team this week came from himself. Head coach, ex-NHL coach Glen Hanlon had named a young team consisting mostly of Slovakian league players to train for a tournament in Switzerland held later in the week. When Meszároš approached him, he had nothing against adding the NHL veteran on the team to show example for the younger guys.

"Andrej asked us politely if he could come to the camp in Piešťany with us", assistant coach Ľubomír Pokovič confirms. "Of course, we're happy to have him."

"I was in Trenčín last week and went on the ice with some of these young guys on the team and I met Hanlon and the other coaches", Meszároš recalls. "They told me they have a camp in Piešťany on Monday. I asked if I could come. They had nothing against it."

"They go to Switzerland for a tournament on Wednesday, but I thought I could come to Piešťany. It's good training and it's nice to talk with the guys I know."

Meszároš says it doesn't matter that the players on the team are inexperienced.

"It's not about that at all in this case. First and foremost I take it as summer training. It's about spending a lot of time on the ice. I take it from the standpoint that it improves my preparatory period before a long season."

Meszároš says he doesn't have a Flyers jersey yet.

"No, not yet. I don't have a Flyers logo anywhere yet. I'm going to Tampa at the end of August to take all the stuff I left there and then move to Philadelphia. We'll see about it then. Now I'm still trying to enjoy the summer and train the best I can."

Ice time and team success are the goals Meszároš have set for next season.

"It depends on which pairing I will play on, but naturally I'd like to be on the ice as often as possible and that I could help the team. When the team does well, I'll be happy, too."

Source: DS