The Invicta Dynamos have announced the arrival of a former Extraliga Champion and a forward with over 240 appearances in Slovakia’s top tier to his name after completing the signing of 25 year old import Edmund Piacka.

Edmund Piacka hails from southwest Slovakia and played his junior hockey both in his home nation and the Czech Republic. His breakthrough into the senior game came in 2011/12 with HK Nitra in Slovakia’s fifth largest city. Here he dressed 20 times for the Extraliga outfit as a 19 year old whilst still featuring for the club’s under 20s where he managed 23 goals, 23 assists and so 46 points from 49 games.

In 2012/13 Piacka opted to finish his junior years in the MHL (Minor Hockey League) – a major junior ice hockey league featuring sides from across Eurasia and players up to the maximum age of 20. Teams involved included feeder clubs for top tier professional organisations in the likes of Russia, Belarus and the Ukraine. Here Piacka iced for new side Patriot Budapest in Hungary where he played 60 games and finished with 29 points – 9 of those were goals and 20 assists.

Edmund Piacka was back with HK Nitra in Slovakia’s top league come 2013/14 and he would stay in the blue and white of the Extraliga outfit for four consecutive campaigns. In the first of those the forward made 50 league appearances during which he notched his opening goals in the top division before also featuring 14 times in the postseason. His club would finish the campaign as runners-up.

The following term, HK Nitra took third with Piacka making another 47 league outings and playing a further 12 playoff games. What followed was then a highlight season for the forward and his team – Piacka claiming 8 goals and 4 assists to help the club storm to the championship in 2015/16 and become an Extraliga winner. The Slovak played 53 league outings and 17 playoff encounters in a victorious campaign.

HK Nitra were runners-up again in 2016/17 and Edmund Piacka continued to be a regular with another 43 league games and 3 playoff fixtures under his belt. However last term the forward opted for new surroundings beginning the campaign with league rivals HC Nove Zamky before switching to HC Detva in the centre of the country.

Now though he moves even further afield as he completes a move to England where he signs for the Dynamos and arrives having played in nearly 300 games for Extraliga sides.

Speaking on the signing of import forward Edmund Piacka, Head Coach Kevin Parrish enthused, “I’m absolutely delighted to have a player of Edmund’s calibre joining us for the 2018/19 campaign.”

“Edmund has over five full seasons in Slovakia’s Extraliga under his belt and not only that but with some of the division’s top sides. You don’t keep your place for that long at that level of competition unless you have something about you.”

“It’s a coup for the club to be bringing a Slovak Extraliga champion to Gillingham. He will bring a hunger, skill and great experience with him and I’m sure he’s going to be a very exciting player for the supporters to watch.”

“I believe he has the ability to be a top performer at our level and I look forward to working with him throughout the 2018/19 campaign”.

New signing Edmund Piacka spoke briefly on his move saying, “I am looking forward to the experience of coming to the UK and playing for a club that has such a strong history.”

“I hope to become a valuable part of the team, bring some experience and winning spirit and help my teammates be successful this season”.

Slovakian forward Edmund Piacka will wear the number 39 jersey for the Dynamos in the 2018/19 campaign.