The play off starts for you already on Sunday. What’s the mood like in the cabin before key fights?
We are already counting down the days and looking forward to flying into it on Sunday. We were happy that we managed to beat the four. We have already accumulated some scars and thanks to the break we are complete after a long time.
Did you watch the pre-round and your potential opponents?
Of course, I watched the Plzeň – Liberec series the most, I watched the others one after the other. We also got some time off, so I went to watch the matches in Pilsen on the weekend. I observed how Liberec played tactically. I don’t think he would change the powerups or weakens overnight.
Did you want Pilsen to progress?
It’s not worth saying some phrases and obfuscating. Yes, he wished. I wanted him to win. But when I saw that the series stretched to five very physically demanding matches, I thought that we were more comfortable with Liberec’s approach.
What did this series show about your opponent?
That the playoffs are not only about the players who shined in the regular season, but that the Tigers have an excellent four lines. Young guys like Rychlovský, Dlouhý or Ivan played fantastically. We can’t see if we’re up against the first or fourth formation. We need to play the full sixty minutes. Nothing easy awaits us.
Will it be an emotional quarter-final even with regard to the matches in the regular season, for example breaking Liberec’s hockey sticks on the substitution?
It will definitely be tense, and we don’t even have to go back to these situations. The shells are on both sides. We had a chat with the fans recently. And maybe you hate Liberec even more than we do. It will be interesting. I go into the series with only one wish.
Let the decision be made on the ice, and not somewhere else. But Liberec will certainly bring out the old excesses. I expect emotional outpourings in newspapers and on television. But I want to focus on us. I don’t like this whining and I won’t deal with some fan swearing at me.
Do you feel that there is less pressure on you this year than when you won the regular season last year?
The public always has some expectations. Every fan wants a title. It is essential what pressure the cabin itself can handle. Last year, when we were eliminated in the quarter-finals, it opened our eyes. We’re all on our toes. The trainings are of a great standard. We pay attention to the details that sunk us last year.
Do you have an even greater desire to succeed this year with Hradec, when it is your last season in the east of Bohemia and you are returning to your native Pilsen?
I have a huge appetite. I don’t want to say goodbye with my head down like a broken dog. I don’t have to promise anything to myself, but of course I do to the fans, so they don’t have any doubts. I like Hradec and I want to do my best for it. I experienced the final of the Champions League, the victory in the regular season, so now I would like a successful play-off at the end.
Wasn’t it unpleasant for you that the transfer was known from the middle of the season?
No. The managers asked me about it, I agreed to the publication. I have even more pressure on myself, but it helps me, gives me more motivation. I already experienced this feeling when I left Pilsen for Vítkovice. Back then, we even played with them in the preliminary round and also for five games into overtime.
And how are you looking forward to returning to your hometown?
I’m more or less coming home. I spent fifteen years of my life in Pilsen. There was no point in dragging it out and claiming that I had no idea where I was going to sign the contract. I had more offers, but I didn’t want to move again and drag my family to a new place. I’m not that type. I need a family background. I am looking forward to Pilsen. When the chance to come back presented itself, I took it. I want to play for Škoda at an age when I can be useful, not just finish the last year of my career there and gamble with my name. In addition, I have plans for the future in Pilsen.
Will you settle there permanently?
I would like to. We are solving the construction of a new bar. We would like to kick it off by the end of the year. And, of course, that is handled better when I can be right there.
What will you miss in Hradec?
Mainly a bunch of Czech guys. We all have children of the same age. After the game is won, the kindergarten meets on the ice. We also see each other outside of hockey, we go to various children’s playgrounds, on trips. It works for us in our personal lives, and that is reflected directly on the ice. Because if we didn’t sit down, we wouldn’t be best friends even in hockey.
In addition, you turned this season into a personal points record.
Yes, but it’s only one part. It mainly depends on how the team is doing. The basic part was very demanding. We had a lot of injuries, we were playing in the Champions League. It was up to us seniors to pull the team along. Sometimes it went better, sometimes worse. But we made it to the top four, so great.
And you managed to once again extend the record streak without an absence to an incredible 648 games. How do you do this?
There are no Harry Potter spells or potions involved (Laughs). I’m not changing anything. I have my routine, I take care of myself and I keep my health up. The flu or a virus hit us during the season. But I’m from the old school, I grew up next to Martin Straka, Jarda Modré, Tomáš Vlasák or Ondra Kratěna. I saw what they do for their health.
Do you ever think about how far you can push your record?
Not that I’ve already surpassed him. I don’t care if the series ends now or maybe in two years. The guys in the cabin are already telling me that no one has a chance to beat me. But we’ll see in ten years. I mean, rather for more, because my streak has been going on for ten years (smiles).
You started it during Pilsen’s championship season. That would be nice to repeat after ten years, wouldn’t it?
I don’t even dare say it out loud. But of course it would be awesome.
