The championship at home is not only an opportunity to return to a higher division, but also an opportunity to see Tad Kumeliauskas, who contributed greatly to the team’s biggest victories in recent times, on the ice for the last time in the national team shirt.
Farewell to the national team in the home championship
The championship held at home always inspires national team ice hockey players to prepare even more responsibly for the upcoming battles in the national team, and sometimes it encouraged them to extend their careers for one more year.
The 2018 championships in Kaunas were pivotal, after which more than one ice hockey player who had dedicated more than a decade to the national team announced the end of his career. This year’s championship will not be complete without farewells to the national team. One of the best ice hockey players of recent times – Tadas Kumeliauskas – will help the national team for the last time.
The forward from Elektrėnai joined the Lithuanian national team as soon as he started his career and made his debut there before he reached adulthood. Together with Povilas Verenis, he participated in the 2009 World Championship in Vilnius, where a completely different generation of ice hockey players played in the Lithuanian national team, being the youngest representatives of the national team at that time.
Now these players are already the oldest players of the national team. Comparing his performance in the national team 15 years ago and his current role in the team, T. Kumeliauskas revealed that it is necessary to play in a completely different way.
“When you’re young, you just try to give your energy, run everywhere, fight and be good for the team. Now that I’m older, nearing the end of my career, I play smarter, try to make smart decisions to help the team. Maybe you don’t run somewhere anymore, but you try to perform a smart action, make a smarter pass and compensate for the fact that you don’t have the speed you used to have.”, said the striker after the victory over Estonia.
Since 2008, T. Kumeliauskas has not only shared the locker room with several generations of hockey players, but has also been trained by more than one coach.
For an experienced player, it was possible to closely observe how the hockey team is changing and introducing more and more innovations.
According to Tad, the biggest difference can be felt in the training of the national team. Players are now prepared for all possible scenarios, paying attention to even the smallest details. “Not only the composition of the national team changed, but also its game.
Now we are very well prepared tactically, we all know our roles, we have a clear system according to which we have to play.
Of course, absolutely everything cannot be planned, but we prepare for all situations. Hockey is changing, its understanding is also changing: before, such small details were not paid so much attention.”
Lessons on how professionals work in Finland
This tournament is already the last for the player who became the Lithuanian champion with Elektrėnai “Airwell Energija” this season. Having returned to his homeland after a long professional career abroad, the forward helped the national team more than once, until he finally made the decision to say goodbye to the national team after the championships in Vilnius.
Coming to the national team was not so simple for him. Tad had to combine work with the training process, so he had to live a busy schedule for the last month. Getting up at 5 in the morning and going to work between training sessions, he returned home late in the evening.
Despite this, the striker gave his all in every training session without asking for rest days or special conditions.
The professionalism of the experienced player and the example shown are also felt among the younger players of the national team. During his career, T. Kumeliauskas had to test the level of one of the strongest in Europe – the Finnish hockey league and become the first Lithuanian to play in the Champions League. Speaking about how to reach such a level, the member of the Lithuanian national team has only one piece of advice for young people – hard work.
According to him, he only realized how hard a top-level professional has to work after going to Finland. “You can only reach this level with a lot of work. Until I went to Finland, I thought that I was preparing well for the season in the summer.
I used to go to the gym, lift weights, run in Elektrėnai to the second forest, which is about three kilometers, and I thought that this was a good job. However, when I went there and saw how top level athletes take care of their bodies, my thinking and understanding changed. Even those players who are 38 years old are constantly taking care of themselves, working and keeping in great shape.”
It is not uncommon for many young and highly talented ice hockey players to fail to successfully integrate into adult ice hockey. According to T. Kumeliauskas, it is necessary to work with your body, and team training alone will not bring great results.
“Young guys have to understand that what you do with the team is not enough. You have to work extra with your body.
I have also seen less talented players achieve much more simply because they work hard and give their all. With their desire and dedication, they compete with much more talented players.”
Although after three years in Finland, T. Kumeliauskas, who was suffering from injuries at the time, had to think about the end of his career at one point, and later had to allow himself to play at a slightly lower level, he was always one of the most important players in the national team.
In 2018, Tadas scored the first goal of the Lithuanian national team in the “Žalgiris” arena, after which the national team’s engine started and swept all the opponents off the road.
T. Kumeliauskas’ goal also brought victory against Romania in 2022, when the triumphant Lithuanians won the bronze of Division I Group A and achieved the best achievement of all time in the history of independent Lithuania.
Driven by high goals, he joined the national team this year as well, and already in the first match it was Tadas who scored the national team’s first goal, when the excited national team could not break through the Spanish defense for a long time.
Playing in Lithuania in front of full stands is a lifelong memory for the members of the national team. According to the 33-year-old hockey player, the spectators not only create an unforgettable atmosphere, but also add strength when their players are starting to lack.
In order to win the “2024 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championship Division I, Group B” tournament, the Lithuanian national team will do everything, but according to T. Kumeliauskas, the first step towards triumph would have already been taken if the stands were full of spectators.
“Viewer support is extremely important to us. We do our best, but support is always felt.
Playing in a full arena gives you chills – it adds extra energy. Running out of energy, you run to the defense and hear 10,000 people scream and get an extra burst of energy at the same time. If we could get a full arena, that would really be a huge help.”
The Lithuanian national team will continue the “2024 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championship Division I, Group B” tournament already on Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m. match against the Netherlands.
Tags: Kumeliauskas goodbye national team final match World Championship Vilnius
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