This past match week half the teams in the league won all of their games, but there was on players who destroyed the score sheet in the two games that he played. With his seven point in two games and zero penalty minutes Patrik Kiss beat out Tamás Részegh for this week’s Player of the Week award.
Patrik Kiss started his hockey career playing for Zalaegerszeg before moving to Székesfehérvár to play at the Gábor Ocskay Jr. Ice Hockey Academy. He came up through the academy teams starting at the age of 12 and making his pro debut with the Titánok during the 2015-15 season. The following season he played 29 games for the Titánok and played one game in the EBEL for Fehérvár AV19. This year under the hands of the Titánok head coach Dávid Kiss, Patrik has developed into an integral part of the Titánok offense. This season he has 12 points in 11 games played.
At the national team level Kiss has represented Hungary at the U18 and U20 World Championships.
In the past few games the goal scoring has picked up for not just you but for the team as well, what has been the key to this offensive outburst?
I think as we have been saying all season is that we are a young team and it will only be a matter of time before we would pick up the pace of the league and and things come together.
This is the first season that Dávid Kiss is coaching the Titánok, but he had been your coach in the U18 and U20, how much does it help that you and the younger guys know him well and he knows you guys?
Everyone has a great relationship with him and he understands his players. Yes we know him and he knows us, he knows where everyone should be playing to fully use their talents. He does a good job in making changes and when to leave things the way they are. This has been working well so far.
This is your fourth season in the ERSTE Liga, do you feel that you have grown up to the level of the league?
My first season was a great learning experience, I did not get as much playing time. Last year I played a lot but I think I could have taken on a larger role within the team. This year I have been playing a lot and I think that I have taken advantage of this so far.
You have played a few games in the EBEL, what you still have to work on to permanently play in that league?
What I know and the coaches have told me is that my lack of speed is something that I need to work on. This offseason I worked on this and I feel that I have improved on this. This is something that I need to work on if I want to make the jump to the next level and staying in the EBEL.
People might not know that you are not from Fehérvár but from the Zalaegerszeg area, what does it mean to you that you are the first pro hockey player from that area?
This is a great feeling for me personally, however there are not that many people that really deal with hockey from my village, Zalastentiván. It does feel great someone can make it big even from a small place like that.