There are no effects of injuries on your performance, you are one of the best goalkeepers in the Extra League. So what is bothering you?
I feel good on the ice, but the recovery is much worse. When I get home, I need to find more time to relax. I haven’t quite gotten into it yet.
Did you think you would ever get it back?
I didn’t even know if I would move my hand. I have damaged nerves which will probably take a long time to heal after my career. But the doctors told me I should mostly be happy to be alive. I am not deciding if I will be able to play hockey. I am extremely happy to be here. Also, I can take, it’s a nice bonus. I admit that sometimes the memory crosses my head. But I don’t want to go back to this.
What’s behind Olomouc’s great start to the season? You even led the leaderboard after Friday’s round.
We couldn’t have imagined a better start. Sometimes a little luck was needed, but almost everything worked out for us. Personally I had a great catch, I was able to do it myself. The last few games have not been so ideal, but we still collect points regularly. The whole team is really fighting. The new guys fit the squad fantastically and are establishing themselves.
However, you currently suffer from extensive decay. Are you happy that Třinec has agreed to postpone the duel on Tuesday?
Hats off. They weren’t supposed to host us, so I thank them. It is much more difficult to play when seven boys are out of lineup.
On Friday, due to illness, Jan Lukáš intervened for you for the first time and took zero. How was it displayed?
Honza captured in a fantastic way. Excellent goalkeeper and knows how to take advantage of every opportunity. We complement each other perfectly for the fifth season. We get along well, but obviously he must be a little annoyed that he often has my back.
What is the collaboration with new goalkeeper coach Martin Prusek, a successful former goalkeeper who has also caught on in the NHL?
Martin is a good guy. I like the training under him. At my age I don’t change my style much anymore. But he advises me not to be afraid to climb the door a little. They say I’m still stuck there (he smiles).
After David Krejčí’s departure for the return abroad, Olomouc was waiting at the lower levels of the extra league.
We are undervalued every year. And at the same time, we’ve made it through to the playoff pre-round at least five times in a row. We want to go back. Sure, the best would be to get into the top four in the regular season, but let’s all be realistic.
What brought the Boston Bruins star to Hané?
Great interest in Olomouc. More fans came. And the young teammates were able to observe him and certainly learned a lot from him. It was an experience playing with him. He was pretty quiet in the cabin, but he could also raise his voice. I played with Miroslav Šatan in Bratislava. When you are on a team with such fighters, you enter the game feeling like you can’t lose. David was an incredible reinforcement. It was easier with him up front. Now we have to distribute the offensive tasks among multiple players, but so far it works.
What made you fall in love with Olomouc so much?
The cabin is a great group, the city is great. A second home. I didn’t expect to settle here. My family and I liked Olomouc. I have a contract until 2025. The management always communicated me on time and offered me good conditions. I had other higher bids, maybe I could join a more ambitious team, but Olomouc makes more sense to me.
Do you want to stay here when you are done with hockey?
No, we will definitely return to Nitra. I have the rest of my family there. I barely get there during the year, only for a few days during the summer. But we are all used to Olomouc, my nine year old son goes to school here, my five year old daughter goes to kindergarten.
The little one plays hockey and football. He likes them both and he doesn’t care what he chooses in the end. Above all, I want the children to move in some way.
Do you have any idea what you will do after your career ends?
As I get older, I am asked this question more and more often. But I don’t care at all. I’ll play hockey for as long as possible, then we’ll see. I have set aside so that after the end of my career I don’t have to work somewhere.
