Felix Gavars, a 24-year-old Latvian forward, has collected 10 points — four goals and six assists — in 17 games during his first professional season in the Czech Extraliga with Mlada Boleslav, tying him as the team’s leading scorer, Sportazinas.com reported.
Mlada Boleslav sits 12th in the 14-team league standings with 17 points in 17 games.
Ten points in 17 games for Mlada Boleslav
Gavars shared his impressions of his first season abroad in an interview with the “Faceoff” podcast, describing a start in the Czech Extraliga that has exceeded a typical rookie campaign. Across 17 appearances, his four goals and six assists have made him Mlada Boleslav’s co-leading point producer, according to Sportazinas.com.
A league packed tight below the elite
Gavars said the league is closely balanced below its top clubs. From fifth place to the bottom of the table, he said, the teams are similar, while the top sides show in games why they are top sides. The lower group, he added, comes down to which team has its day.
Drums drown out the music in Czech arenas
The forward also described the atmosphere in Czech halls, where fans chant actively and drums thunder through the entire game. During breaks, songs sometimes play, he said, but they are inaudible over the percussion — and at times he wishes the drumming would ease up. Latvian fans, he noted, are better at knowing the moments when the drums should play.
The team covers most costs — but firsts carry fines
Gavars said the club covers most of his expenses; he pays only for food and gasoline, plus various dues within the team. Those dues include fines for milestones — his first game, his first point, his first goal. As he put it, he basically played that first game for free.
Worth a look
