Even before Pardubice compete for the championship title in the playoffs, they will enjoy great fame in connection with the club’s legendary gunner Petr Sýkora. He scored almost four hundred goals in the colors of Pardubice during 900 games, and celebrated two championship titles in the Pardubice jersey. That is also why on January 26, before the extra-league duel with Plzeň, he will be among the club’s legends and his jersey with the number 37 will go up to the ceiling of the hall next to the jerseys of Janecký, Martinec and Hašek.
“When the name Petr Sýkora is mentioned, I remember that he was a goal-scoring machine in Pardubice,” admits Martin Kézr, editor-in-chief of the sports editorial office of Práva and Sport.cz. He regrets that the great hockey player was unable to confirm this on the international stage. I also saw him at the World Cup, where he had an excellent start, but then he faded away and did not confirm his reputation as a scorer. He was probably stressed from the international scene, goals were expected from him. In Pardubice, he was in a different role, everyone there knew that he was a scorer and he bet the goals,” he explains. “He was the number one scorer in the extra league.”
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The owner of the Pardubice club speaks of Petar Sýkor as a legend. “He deserves an award for what he has done for the club. Moreover, he continues to work for him and I really enjoy working with him. It will be an honor for him and for us that we can display his jersey,” says businessman Petr Dědek in a statement.
In the NHL, it is always about great fame and a highly watched event that costs a lot of money. Dědek also came across this. “I was told that if we are to be the best in the Czech Republic, it will cost so much and so much. I replied that we have to be as good as in the NHL. But I was told that it definitely won’t be,” he comments on the events connected with the upcoming event.
“I think it will be nice, the ceremony is being prepared for almost half an hour, it will be broadcast on television. I hope that people will come so that it will be full, Petr Sýkora deserves it,” convinces the owner of the Pardubice club. The East Bohemian club is preparing advertising jerseys for the duel with Plzeň. “It will be a nice event, I believe that good hockey will also be seen,” he adds Dędek said that the club has not yet decided if and when the club would make a similar gesture towards another player. “For 2023, it will be Petr Sýkora.”
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Journalist Martin Kézr acknowledges that the custom associated with hanging up the jerseys of club legends managed to reach the Czech Republic as well. “It’s one of the things I like. It’s always an emotional affair, for the person on the ice and everyone around. There are more jerseys hanging in Pardubice, it proves the club’s famous history. Pardubice is a bastion, famous generations have passed through the club. Even the club’s spawn look up to them,” he says enthusiastically in Příklep on Sport.cz.
The head of hockey Pardubice claims that he values the club’s century-old history. “We issued stamps as the first hockey club, it got a huge response. On Tuesday, we opened an exhibition at the castle in Pardubice. We’ve been working on it for a long time, we have a gala evening, it’s keeping us busy,” Dědek explains, and it’s clear that he cares about the club celebrating its round jubilee with dignity. “History needs to be written, that was also my motivation to connect with Dynamo. I appreciate it when something works here for a hundred years,” he adds, noting that he himself has been in business for thirty years and has a great desire for Pardubice to celebrate the hundredth by winning the title.
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“We never hid. We would like to make a title for the centenary. We want to win, I will be happy if we succeed. But it’s a sport. We are not arrogant, we do not underestimate anything. We’re doing our best, and if we’re a little lucky, it might just jingle. And if not, it could ring for another year,” adds Dědek.
