Sadecky suffers fatal attack
by Andrew Podnieks|05 NOV 2021
Boris Sadecky during the 2017 IIHF World Junior Championship.
photo: Matt Zambonin / HHOF-IIHF Images
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Boris Sadecky, a Slovak forward who played in three IIHF tournaments, died 3 November after collapsing during a game in Dornbirn, Austria against the local Bulldogs. Sadecky was playing in the cross-border ICE Hockey League for the Bratislava Capitals last Friday, 29 October, when he lost consciousness during play towards the end of the first period. The game was immediately cancelled. He was transported to a local hospital but never recovered. He was just 24 years of age.

"With deep sadness and regret in our hearts we announce the death of our player Boris Sadecky. Our condolences go out to his family and friends. After consulting Boris's family, we will not publish any further information at the moment. We ask everyone to respect their privacy," Vice President and GM Dusan Pasek was quoted. In a continuation of tragic incidents at the Capitals, Pasek disappeared on Thursday evening. According to Slovak media reports on Friday, he took his life.

Sadecky played for Slovakia at the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship and the 2016 and 2017 IIHF World Junior Championships. The 6’ 185 lb. (1.83m/84 kg) centreman was a fine prospect in the hockey world, and although he was never drafted into the NHL he had a solid career with his hometown team of Dukla Trencin.

He began his career as a junior with Trencin in 2013 and turned pro with HK Orange 20 in the Slovakian senior league two years later. He also played briefly in the KHL with Slovan Bratislava in 2016-17 and played there for most of 17-18, but it was with Dukla Trencin that he had his best success, playing there from 2016-21. It was only this season that Sadecky made the move to the ICE Hockey League, the league formerly known as EBEL, which includes teams from several countries. 

Sadecky first represented his country at the U18 in Switzerland six years ago. In the team’s first game, Slovakia pulled off a major upset by defeating Sweden, 3-1, and Sadecky earned the only assist on the winning goal from Marek Hecl late in the third period. 

A year later, Sadecky made it to the World Juniors in Helsinki, playing three games, and he was back a year later when the Juniors were held in Toronto and Montreal. He earned three assists in five games playing on a line with Hecl and Oliver Pataky that year, including two against the USA and another in a win over Latvia as the country finished 8th.

Sadecky scored a hat trick only a week before his sudden attack, but he is perhaps best known for the goal of the year in the KHL in 2017-18. Although he scored only two goals in 48 games, his first, against Yaroslavl, was utterly sensational. 

Coming down the left wing, he deked defender Pavel Koledov out of his proverbial jock, then at the moment goalie Alexander Sudnitsin dove to pokecheck him, Sadecky put his stick between his legs and snapped a shot over the sprawling Sudnitsin. You would be hard pressed to find a more spectacular goal in any league in any year.