It was a modest debut. 8 substitutions lasted 6 minutes and 6 seconds, during which the long-shot from Prague also gave away 4 hits. On the changeover, he may have been looking for his loved ones in the audience, who did not hesitate and flew to Canada to watch Klapko’s premiere directly in the Saddledome.
“They risked it and left Prague when I was called up to the first team. There is only one chance to see me play my first game in the NHL, it won’t happen again. I am very happy that they are here,” Klapka described before the match.
The Slavia protege made his first start in the best league in the world during his second year in Calgary. Meanwhile, in the AHL, he played a total of 93 games (23+23) for the Wranglers, who are at home in the same hall as the Flames.
He already heard praise from former coach Darryl Sutter. For his height of 203 cm, which makes him the tallest player in the history of the Flames (!), Klapka also possesses above-average technique and excellent coordination. This was also appreciated by current Calgary coach Ryan Huska.
But in his first minutes in the NHL, Klapka didn’t come up with any tricks. “I want to play my best hockey, that means simply and as close to the goal as possible,” planned the member of the fourth formation.
However, the Oilers are on a roll, and even though home goalkeeper Dan Vladař was struggling, they scored their thirteenth win (3:1) in a row in Calgary. “Frustrating,” the Czech goalkeeper was relieved, although his compatriot described his big day as the best of his life…
Klapek was also congratulated from afar by his teammate from Liberec, Ladislav Šmíd, who played for Edmonton and Calgary in the NHL. “There is nothing better than the Battle of Albert! (Adam) is living proof that dreams do come true if one is willing to sacrifice and work hard. I’m very proud of him,” wrote the former defender on the X network.
Many times during his career, Klapka heard jokes about his “non-hockey” figure, but he fought back and succeeded.
“Zdeno Chára, who has a somewhat similar story to mine, is a great motivation for me. As a younger man, he was overlooked for a long time. Only later did they fall in love with him and he was the best defenseman in the NHL,” explained Klapka, who signed a two-year contract with the Flames in May 2022. Now he won’t let himself be overlooked.
2024-01-21 12:51:19
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