The defense of Liberec is experiencing an earthquake. North Bohemia has already been strengthened by Ian McCoshen and Vojtěch Budík. Now the White Tigers have introduced another new face. He is an experienced representative defender.
The Liberec hockey team is experiencing an earthquake. In addition to captain Petr Jelínek, Michael Frolík and Jan Ordoš, goalkeeper Petr Kváča is also leaving the North Bohemian team. The White Tigers also said goodbye to three defenders. Ondřej Vitásek, Uvis Balinskis and Jan Štibingr do not continue under Ještěd. And new faces? The beasts’ defense was strengthened by American Ian McCoshen, who comes from Finland’s Ässät Pori, and Vojtěch Budík, who last worked in Pilsen. But that’s not all.
The pawn is excited
Now the White Tigers have released another name. National defender Ronald Knot is heading to Liberec from overseas. “I am very happy that we have agreed on a three-year cooperation. Ronald went abroad through our organization and even played in the Olympics. With its size, it meets the typology of the player we were looking for. Holding the stick on the right is also an advantage in the mosaic of our defense. Part of the contract is a mutual agreement that we will not prevent Rony from a possible foreign engagement after the season,” coach Filip Pešán, who is returning to Liberec after three years, told the club’s website.
Ronald Knot has worn the Liberec jersey in the past. In 2021, he moved from under Ještěd to the KHL, where he worked for one year in Nižněkamsk. After that, the 28-year-old defender decided to head for the Atlantic Ocean. He signed a one-year contract with Arizona. It has now expired. „I spoke with Arizona and there is no follow up from her side yet. Honestly, I don’t really care about America anymore. I’m more looking to Europe. I don’t want to say that the season was a disappointment for me. More like sobering up. A lot of things aren’t for me anymore.” said the bek for the newspaper Sport.
A step away from the NHL
And how do you rate the year abroad? “Great experience. Although I didn’t get a chance at the top, I only evaluate it positively. I’m glad I experienced it and tried it. There are many aspects that affect whether you will be called up to the NHL. Perhaps even the length of the contract. I only had it for a year. The politics there are very strict and unrelenting about this. When they already know that they are not counting on you for the next season, you are not interesting to them.” explained Ronald Knot, who played 66 games on the Coyotes farm last season.
After returning from overseas, he denied that he was headed to the KHL. “At all! That’s already closed for me.” he resolutely rejected this option and admitted that he would not be opposed to working in the Tipsport extraliga. Eventually the White Tigers threw him the lasso and the deal was soon in the works. Ronald Knot signed a contract with Liberec for three years.
Knot eats on MS
Now the lanky defender is concentrating on playing for the national team. In the preparatory camp, he won a place on the roster for the World Cup. “I haven’t played under Jalonen yet. It’s new to me. Last year I didn’t have the chance to fight for the championship due to an injury. I had troubles during this season as well, but I managed to pull myself together and now I feel great. I didn’t care at all that I didn’t have a contract. I want to work up a little appetite,” added Ronald Knot. After the Olympic Games, he will also play in the World Championship.
