“We are very happy. Last year’s experience with a break of more than forty days helped us. Many of us therefore already knew what we were getting into. We trained well in it,” Jágr claimed. According to him, the most difficult thing was to keep the team focused. “It was not easy at all when many other teams were already on vacation and the peak of the season was still waiting for us. We managed it, and I thank the players and coaches and the entire organization for the great dedication,” he said after the last duel.
After Thursday’s great 7:1 win in Zlín, he was already calm the next day. “We knew we had a three-game cushion. That made us play well. The opening match in our hall, which we also won 1:0, was probably key, but we had a significant advantage in it. Now we repeated it in Zlín. Our big advantage was that we never lost in the series. We scored the leading goal every time,” Jágr recalled.
Photo: Dalibor Glück, ČTK
The players of Kladno are happy to be saved in the extra league.
He has already thought about the next season. “Of course, it is not pleasant to save the extra league every year in the playoffs. But the question is whether we have enough financial possibilities to be able to bring in hockey players with a difference, who may not even be a difference in the end. So we have to think about which direction to go,” he reflected after his team celebrated the save with a large group of their fans.
Jágr can count on most of the players in the current squad for the next extra-league season as well. “Only Adam Kubík has signed elsewhere,” he mentioned a partner from the elite Kladno formation, who will wear the České Budějovice jersey next season. The contracts of Plekanec and Klepiš have expired. I’ll have fun with them to see if they continue,” he planned.
And if hockey fans will see him on the ice next season? “I have nothing on my mind now. Of course, I still enjoy hockey. At the same time, it is somewhat frustrating for me when I was used to performing some performances that I am understandably no longer capable of at my age. On the other hand, it’s a big plus when, as the owner, I’m still among the players and know what’s going on in the team,” says Jágr.
Photo: Dalibor Glück, ČTK
Zlín fans during the fourth play-off match.
He therefore postpones the final decision for the time being. “I need a lot of recovery and extra training, which takes up a lot of time that I could spend on other things. I am clear that I would have to jump into the preliminary matches in August. During the season, I probably wouldn’t want to jump into it again,” Jágr assumes.
