Release from 14.09.2024

János Hári: “Székesfehérvár is my home now”

Short text 431 CharactersPlain text

This summer, 32-year-old János Hári extended his contract with Hydro Fehérvár AV19 until 2029. A vote of confidence in the club and the city that the Budapest native now considers home. In sporting terms, the forward is expecting an exciting season with numerous teams at eye level. The fact that things have not yet gone according to plan for Fehérvár in preseason and the Champions Hockey League is no cause for concern for Hári.

Press release 3094 CharactersPlain text

János Hári has played for Hydro Fehérvár AV19 almost continuously since the 2017/18 season. It was only in the 2019/20 season that the now 32-year-old went to Finland to join the Pelicans and later to finish the campaign in Salzburg. Hári has been on the ice for Fehérvár in 333 win2day ICE Hockey League games so far, scoring 341 points (116G / 225A). The upcoming season will definitely not be his last in Székesfehérvár. In the offseason, the left winger extended his contract until 2029. “Székesfehérvár has become my home. My family enjoys life here and in sporting terms we have a very strong team every year with which we can be successful,” said Hári, explaining his decision to extend his contract for the long term.

Last season, he and Fehérvár lost to Pustertal in the quarter-finals. However, thanks to their strong Regular Season, they qualified for the Champions Hockey League for the second time. In addition, his home country Hungary was represented in the final round of the Olympic qualifiers, which is why the preseason preparation was short and not successful in sporting terms, with just one win. “The preseason was a bit weird because many players went to the national team. That meant we had less time to prepare. We currently have the CHL games, so there's hardly any time to try things out in training. But we've already played games against very good opponents, which of course makes me very proud. We're trying to get better every day and the preparation doesn't end with the preseason,” says Hári.

With regard to the upcoming season in the win2day ICE Hockey League, the forward is expecting a very exciting and balanced championship: “I think the league is getting better and better. Very good players are coming into the ICE Hockey League and the teams are getting better and better as a result. If I think back, at the beginning of my time here there were only a few teams at the top. This season, I expect eight to nine teams to be more or less on a par.”

Hydro Fehérvár AV19 will promptly go on a road trip on the opening weekend. On Friday, September 20, the Hungarians play at Pustertal (7:45 p.m.) and the next day they face the Pioneers Vorarlberg (7:30 p.m.) away from home. Watch both games in the livestream on www.live.ice.hockey.

Preseason interview with János Hári:


Interview questions:
  • You have extended your contract for the long term - what was the deciding factor in this decision?
  • The preseason was different this time due to the Olympic qualification - how satisfied are you with the preparation for the new season?
  • The Champions Hockey League provides a "positive double burden" - how do you personally deal with the busy schedule early in the season?
  • You played your first league season in 2017/18 - how do you see the sporting development of the league since then?
  • Internationality is an important factor in the success of the win2day ICE Hockey League - how do you rate the cross-border matches?
  • Which highlight in the regular season are you particularly looking forward to?