Fife Flyers Ice Hockey Club are excited to announce the addition of speedy forward Martin Látal for the 2024/25 season. No stranger to the Elite Ice Hockey League, Látal iced for 2 seasons with current league champions Sheffield Steelers from 2021 to 2023.
Prior to his move to Yorkshire the 36 year old, 5’10” Czechia native spent 14 years in the Czech Extraliga, most recently in Litvinov, but spent over five seasons in Mladá Boleslav where his father was part of the management team.
Martin played his junior hockey in Kladno, the home of Jaromír Jágr and was drafted in the 5th round of the NHL entry draft by the Phoenix Coyotes in 2006. He then spent the next two seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with the Prince Edward Island Rockets where he played alongside Dylan Quaile who would also go on to ice for the Flyers.
He stepped into professional hockey in 2008 with Sparta Praha going on to play 645 Extraliga games where he clocked up 63 goals and 109 assists. During that time he also made appearances in the Champions Hockey League and the Spengler Cup.
In his first season with the Steelers, Martin would finish third in points with almost a point per game with 22 goals and 28 assists in 52 games and followed that up with 41 points in his second term in Yorkshire. Last season, Martin played in the Polska Hokej Liga for Cracovia Krakow where he put up 31 points in 32 games before making a January move to the Ligue Magnus to finish the term with Grenoble. Martin is the 11th Czechia native to play for the Flyers and joins Frantisek Bakrlik, Michal Gutwald, David Turon and Jan Kloz who have all iced during the EIHL era.
On signing with the club Latál stated “We had a very good interview with the Coach, right after the interview I made up my mind – it was very fast. I am looking forward to our cooperation and I believe in the Coach that the team will be even better than last year and we will play good hockey. My family is very happy to come!”
Coach Tom Coolen added “Martin Latal will bring his experience , speed and skill to Fife. He has shown his capabilities in a world class league like the Czech Extraliga. He was a key member and scorer for the Sheffield Steelers for two seasons. He is a welcome addition.”
