April 19, 2024·Celebrities·Editorial·ČTK
Pavel French. (Photo: Profimedia)
Hockey goalkeeper Pavel Francouz decided to end his career at the age of 33. The 2022 Stanley Cup winner with Colorado did not catch this season due to health reasons. A participant in four world championships and the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, who helped Litvínov to the extra-league title nine years ago, announced this at today’s press conference in Prague.
“We all probably have an idea why we have gathered here. It’s something I’ve been working towards for the past year. It’s sad news. But I look at it as something new is starting,” said the Frenchman. Watching a short video with a cross-section of his career, he said, he realized how quickly everything had gone by. “It was fun. Sometimes it was hard, but it was a wonderful time and I am grateful to the sport of ice hockey for the wonderful experiences,” said the pupil of Pilsen hockey.
The Frenchman has been working overseas since 2018, but his two seasons were significantly affected by health problems. He did not participate in the 2020/21 season due to hip operations. In the next season, he helped the Avalanche triumph in the playoffs. The Frenchman’s record in the NHL thus stopped in the regular season at 73 games, in 44 of which he helped Colorado win. In the playoffs, he played in 13 games and celebrated eight victories with the Avalanche.
In the extra league, he caught for Plzeň, Třinec and Litvínov. Before the NHL, he also worked in the KHL, spending three seasons in Chelyabinsk.
