“Litvínov Ice Hockey Team’s Cinderella Story: A historic championship win with coach Radim Rulík”

“A fairy tale about a black and yellow Cinderella has a happy ending.” These were the exact words used by Litvín’s well-known commentator Robert Záruba. In the spring of 2015, Litvín’s ice hockey players achieved the much-desired triumph that only the most optimists expected before the season. the composition of the cabin helped. She suddenly felt the chance,” recalls Rulík.

Experienced players Jiří Šlégr, Martin Ručinský, Viktor Hübl and František Lukeš could also pamper themselves with the championship trophy. “It was these experienced players who knew that they suddenly had a chance at something that had eluded them over the years. They worked and played in the playoffs all those years in Litvínov. In short, it fell into place,” continues the fifty-seven-year-old former hockey player.

The final series against Třinec was really balanced. It was only the last duel on the Ocelarů ice that was decided, where Litvínov won 2:0. “The seventh game can go either way. Finished 1-0, then into an empty net and a disallowed foot goal. It’s the millimeters that matter. Now we lost with Pardubice by one goal, Rulík reminds of Pardubice’s semi-final collapse this year. “In Pardubice, there was a lack of such a prominent personality as, for example, Ručinský was in Litvínov.”

It was the first big trophy for Rulík. “I never dreamed that I would have such a career,” recounts Rulík. “That time we went to Litvínov with Miloš Hořava and I had a great time working with him. Already in the first season, the team was on the rise and in the second it was a great ride,” he evaluates a native of Ostrava, who himself ended active hockey due to injuries at the age of twenty.

At the same time, the successful coach reminds us of the importance of the legendary Martin Ručinský staying, who played a large part in the historic title. “He decided at the last minute to try again. We started the preparation in July and he showed up at our place in the second week of August. We didn’t push him. But he already said after the first week that he would go for it,” explains the importance of the former manager of the Czech national hockey team in the team.

You can see what else was heard in the hockey program Příklep with renowned coach Radim Rulík in the video.