Bojovnik

The tabloid press in the Russian capital was awash with photographs of Moscow Menace defenceman Jan Hlozek on Sunday, after what appeared to be a heated traffic stop involving the Moscow Menace blueliner. Hlozek, who has seen before driving through Moscow’s historic capital in a black German sedan, was stopped by traffic police in the Khoroshevskii district of the Russian capital, an area in which many of the Menace players are thought to live. Bystanders who recognized Hlozek began to film the event on their telephones, and the Moscow Menace #81 appeared to get very heated when the officers at the stop asked him to present his documents. Hlozek was not detained by the police for his outburst, but the local Ministry of Internal Affairs branch issued the following statement. “On Sunday April 24, Moscow Traffic Police of the Khoroshevskii District asked a Czech citizen, male, 31 years of age, to present his documents. The officers who actioned the traffic stop acted in a professional manner in light of the foreigner’s erratic behavior,” the statement read. Hlozek and his agent were contacted for comment, although both declined to reply. The Moscow Menace also refused to comment on the incident.

MOSCOW, April 24 (HockeyCZ) – It’s a good time to be a Moscow Menace fan. The pride of the Russian capital are currently the form team in the VHL, having won five games in a row and having won 10 of 11 to start the season. It’s difficult to pinpoint where the Menace are having success. Their offense has sometimes failed to show up on nights, and they have far from the best defensive statistics in the league. However, the Menace have been able to edge those close games, showing the quality the team has in the clutch. Czech defenceman Jan Hlozek has been what some may say a pleasant surprise this season. Of course, Hlozek joined the Menace on the back of a career season with the LA Stars in which he scored 89 points in 72 games, but the Topolna native has continued his fine form, racking up 14 points in his first 11 games in Moscow, with a +8 rating. “It’s been a great start to the season. I can’t remember having been on a leading team before, so to be surrounded by guys who are this talented is something I’m really enjoying,” Hlozek told HockeyCZ after Moscow’s 4-0 win against HC Davos Dynamo on Sunday. In that game, Hlozek had just one assist, but the Czech blueliner said that he was happy to contribute however he can. “I’m not too interested in my points totals this season. For me, individual honours don’t mean much. Having been in the VHL for five seasons now, and not having made it to the Continental Cup final, the most important thing for me is that the team has success. Whether that’s through my scoring, or whether when I’m locking it down on the back end, that’s what I want to provide,” Hlozek remarked. Speaking about the mood in the camp, Hlozek said that the Menace players were a tight-knit group, which could explain their early season success. “I know that there was a lot of changes here during the offseason. I know that I came in and I had large shoes to fill. But the veteran players here who have been here for a few seasons now have really shown me the ropes and they have been a massive help. There’s a reason why a lot of players want to stay in Moscow for a number of seasons. And for me, it’s kind of a shame that I have come here when I know I only have a couple more goes around in this league before my career comes to an end,” he stated. The Menace continue their early-season schedule with two games against the Helsinki Titans on Monday. The Finnish side sit just above 0.500, and Hlozek predicted that the Menace could face some difficulties against their neighbors. “Games against Helsinki are always tough. They’re a hard-working team who bring it every night. We know that we have what it takes to win both of those games, but it won’t be easy that’s for sure,” he concluded.

G - Tobias Reinhart

1. Getting used to life in Moscow. It's been good so far 2. I'm in the best shape of my career. Most of all, I want to make sure I hit the ground running and contribute for my team 3. There always is. I've always been a slow starter, with most of my points coming in the back end of the season. I want to change that this time round 4. It has to be cup or bust 5. I already know that my role is to anchor the second defensive pairing, and I relish that opportunity 6. To be the best I can be.

D - Poopy Peepants D - Hari Singh Nalwa @Doomsday

As the VHL’s teams closed out their pre-season slates on Tuesday evening, one question emerged. Are the London United the kryptonite for the impressive Moscow Menace? The team from the Russian capital jumped out to a 5-0 pre-season record over the first week of play, recording dominant wins over HC Davos Dynamo, Helsinki Titans, and Malmo Nighthawks. As expected, star players Duncan Idaho, Hard Markinson, and goaltender Papa Emeritus led the line for the Menace, but there was much to say about the performance of the team’s newest defenceman Jan Hlozek. The Czech native was acquired from the Los Angeles Stars in the offseason, and Hlozek has appeared to fit into the team perfectly, scoring at well over a point-per-game during the pre-season. The Menace’s chances of a perfect offseason were shattered with two losses to the London United in the final day of play. “It’s been great to make a contribution throughout pre-season. I feel really good with how my game is right now, I feel like I’m in the best shape of my career so far, so I’m excited to see what I can do, and most importantly, what the team can do,” Hlozek, who will wear #81 for the Menace, said.

MOSCOW, April 19 (HockeyCZ) – Many people are aware of Moscow’s beauty. Whether it be the Kremlin or St. Basil’s Cathedral, the major sites of the Russian capital are known to all. But it’s a city that attracts few tourists, and few know what life is really like in the city of 15 million people. Luckily, new Moscow Menace defenceman Jan Hlozek told HockeyCZ all about what life is like in his new surroundings, having moved over the old Iron Curtain this off-season in what could be a shrewd move by the club and player alike. “What you need to understand about Moscow is that life moves here at 200 km/h. Everyone is always in a rush. People always have somewhere to be. That gives the place a real energy that cannot be replicated anywhere else. Maybe only in New York I guess, but I haven’t spent much time there,” Hlozek remarked. The Czech blueliner, a native of Topolna, a small village settlement in eastern Czech Republic, said that he liked the bright lights of the city, making a comparison with his country’s capital, Prague. “Moscow is a totally different city to Prague. Maybe you can say that Prague has nicer architecture, but the city is like ten times smaller. Also, Prague is full of drunk tourists, while you don’t get that in Moscow. The only problem is that in Moscow, it’s difficult to walk from place to place because the city is so big. It’s not like the Old Town we have in Prague where you can easily do everything on foot,” Hlozek said. The diminutive two-way defenceman, who is about to enter his sixth season in the VHL, said that he was happy to swap the warm weather of Los Angeles for the colder climate of the city on the river bearing the same name. “I didn’t like the weather in LA. It was too hot for me honestly. I like the cold. I mean, I play hockey, we’re used to playing outdoors or on cold rinks. For me, going to the arena when it’s like 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside just didn’t make sense to me. It was harder for me to adapt,” Hlozek stated. Despite his discomfort, Hlozek had two career years with the Los Angeles Stars, scoring 173 points in 144 games. On the Stars, Hlozek was seen as the #2 defenceman behind Tui Sova, and in Moscow, that will likely be the case again, with the Czech star slotting in on the second pairing behind Hard Markinson. “I know what my role is on this team. The management has let me know what they expect of me, and I’m hoping to deliver that. They showed a lot of trust in me by trading an asset for my free agency rights, and it’s always nice to have your role outlined by your team,” “I feel really comfortable on the team so far. We just finished pre-season, and it was great to jump out to a 5-0 record, although the losses against London showed us that we still have work to do. We’re all pulling on the same rope, so I’m sure good things will happen,” Hlozek stated. So where should tourists go should they end up in Moscow? “I think Moscow is a city that you truly have to dive in with both feet. There’s so many amazing pieces of architecture to see. I mean, even places like the State Library here are stunning. You have to see the Metro, with stations such as Mayakovskaya and Rimskaya being my two personal favourites. Also, there are so many parks, such as Park Gorkogo and Zaradye, which you must see,” Moscow’s new #81 said.

F - Brendan Telker F - Baby Bob @Doomsday

F - Duncan Idaho @Doomsday

It’s better to keep politics out of sport. This is the line that Czech defenceman and one of the newest members of the Moscow Menace told reporters on Sunday. Despite all of what is happening in the world, Jan Hlozek said that he was happy to have made the move to the Russian capital following a whirlwind off-season that saw the Topolna native swap the beaches of California for the snowy streets of Moscow. “Look, Moscow is a beautiful city. I spent time here before and I’m super happy to be living here and to make it my new home,” Hlozek said. The Menace are set to hit the ice today for the first day of training camp, and Hlozek said that the facilities in the Moscow capital were the envy of the league. “I always enjoyed travelling to Moscow for games when I was in Riga. The arena is amazing, the locker rooms are amazing, and the fan support here is some of the best in the league. I’m super ready to make an impression on the fanbase here and hopefully bring them the cup win that they deserve,” Hlozek, who will wear #81 during his time in the Russian capital, concluded.

MOSCOW, April 11 – (HockeyCZ): Jan Hlozek is well aware of the fact that his career is entering its twilight. For many VHL players, they only get seven, maybe eight if they’re lucky, attempts at winning the Continental Cup. With five seasons at the top level of world hockey under his belt already, the Czech defenceman knows that he only has a handful of opportunity lefts before he is no longer able to play at the world’s highest stage. All hockey players dream of taking the so-called triple crown. The VHL title, the VHLM title, and World Cup of Hockey gold. Hlozek so far has one of these three – a VHLM title won with the Miami Marauders in his final season before turning pro – but success in the VHL has so far eluded him. Hlozek was a core part of a Riga Reign that flattered to deceive during his first three years in the league, with this lack of team success prompting him to look for a team that was ready to win. This choice was the Los Angeles Stars – a perennial contender who could, it appeared to seem, mount a challenge to the all-conquering Vancouver Wolves. That wouldn’t be the case, as the Stars failed to make it to the Continental Cup Final during Hlozek’s two seasons in California. “It was certainly a bitter pill to swallow. I think we had every chance of overcoming Vancouver, but for whatever reason, they were just too strong for us. I don’t really feel that I’m in the right place to comment on why they were better than us, however, it’s a fact that they were over the past two seasons,” Hlozek told HockeyCZ from his hotel accommodation in Moscow. A move to the Russian capital came as a surprise for Hlozek. In his words, he took some time off after the Stars NA Conference loss to the Vancouver Wolves to collect his thoughts and draw up his plans for the rest of his career. “I was away in the Caribbean, taking some time to rest up and plan my next steps. I tried my best to keep away all the distractions, so I didn’t take my phone, any mobile devices. The next thing I know, I’ve got the hotel reception knocking on my door saying that I’ve got a phone call from my agent, who broke the news to me that my rights had been traded to Moscow,” the Topolna native said. Hlozek underlined that he was surprised that the Moscow Menace took a chance on the aging defenceman, especially considering their status as one of the strongest teams in the VHL. “I know that Moscow were a super strong team over the past three years. They had some of the best players in the VHL, so I know that I have massive shoes to fill. It’s nice to have such a strong team show that much interest in you, and now it comes down to me to repay this faith that they put in me. As a result, it’s Continental Cup or bust,” Hlozek concluded.

In

After five seasons in the VHL and two seasons in the VHLM, Jan Hlozek knows something about moving around. After two seasons in North America in the minors, and now a recent spell in California, the Czech defenceman is familiar with the difficulties of uprooting suddenly and completely changing your way of life. Heading into S83, Hlozek will swap the beaches of California for the slightly cooler landscapes of the Russian capital, Moscow. For Hlozek, who hails from eastern Czech Republic, the change in climate shouldn’t be difficult to adapt to. “It’s going to be interesting to change from what it was like in California to how it will be Moscow. However, the winters in the Czech Republic are super cold, so it will be nothing I haven’t seen before,” Hlozek told VHLRussia in a brief interview. When asked what he will look forward to the most in Russia, Hlozek said that it would be great to see the sights of the Russian capital once again. “I played a few times in Russia as a junior player, and I was always super impressed with how the city looked, the architecture, the history that is there. As a result, to get the opportunity to live there will be super interesting and I’m looking forward to it,” he stated.

PRAGUE, April 4, 2022 (HockeyCZ) – We haven’t really heard much from Jan Hlozek for the past two or three months. Hlozek made a name for himself as a breath of fresh air as a member of the Riga Reign for the first three seasons of his VHL career, although the promise shown by the Czech blueliner was not replicated in team success. With his status up in the air, Hlozek decided ahead of S81 to sign with the Los Angeles Stars in one of the major free agency coups of the offseason. During his time in California, Hlozek certainly impressed. In 144 regular season games, Hlozek tallied more than 170 points as he cemented his status as one of the premier two-way defencemen currently in the VHL. However, personal success did not correspond with team success. The Stars were dumped out of the playoffs in the wild card stage in S81, and a season of promise in S82 was curtailed in the Western Conference Finals, as the LA side were swept aside by the Vancouver Wolves. A change in management in Los Angeles has signaled the start of a major rebuild, corresponding with the retirements of many top players. As a result, Hlozek gave no indication that he would be willing to re-sign in California. Another season of free agency looked to be on the cards, before the Moscow Menace decided to spring and trade for Hlozek’s negotiation rights. Almost instantly, the two parties agreed on a one-year deal with a team option for what could be the Czech blueliner’s final season in the VHL. “It’s been a great feeling so far, I’m happy to be in Moscow,” Hlozek told HockeyCZ in his first post-trade and signing interview. “Moscow have been a team that has been successful throughout all my time in the VHL. I really like how they play the game and the atmosphere around the team. Of course, they haven’t managed to get over the line over the past three seasons, but there’s an indication that things are changing in the VHL, and that could mean that we’re in a good place to make some good things happen this season,” the Topolna native said. For now, Hlozek is plying his trade with Team Eastern Europe at the World Cup of Hockey, two seasons after he represented Team Mercenaries. The Eastern European side has had a mixed start to the tournament, but Hlozek said that he was proud to represent his region at the highest stage of world hockey. “The World Cup of Hockey truly is a best of the best tournament, and to get the opportunity to represent Eastern Europe is a proud moment for my career. There’s a lot of talent on the team but, at the end of the day, we haven’t started the tournament as successfully we would have liked. There’s still time to turn our fortunes around and it’s great to link up with some familiar faces from my time in Riga,” the Czech blueliner concluded.

1. Well, I wasn't part of last year's side but I know there's been some disappointment here. Maybe I can bring some fresh ideas to our game to get us over the hill 2. I know they were super talented guys and made a big contribution to the team. I've got big shoes to fill. 3. I've been blessed to have the welcome here. Looking forward to getting going 4. I've been on the shelf for a while after the Stars got dumped out of the playoffs. I'm eager to get going. 5. It's been a mixed bag. I haven't been playing my best hockey for Eastern Europe. 6. It'll be a joint project, but I'm looking forward to the fresh start.

I'm ready to put foot to ass for my region

Enjoyed my time in LA immensely, so thanks for bringing me in two seasons ago @rory . Enjoy non-GM life. Shout out to @Spartanfor making this move and rejuvating my interest.

D - Jaromir Lemieux G - Oskar Lindbergh @STZ

FISTED ANALLY BY A CIRCUS MONKEY

F - Pistil Stamen D - Jan Hlozek @STZ

Apologies for not getting back to all the GMs that reached out. I'm so swamped IRL rn that I didn't get time to update anyone, but I was always signing back in LA

F - Henry Tucker F - Alex Johnston @STZ

In

Week 2

DECEMBER 23 (Puck Talk) - It's Christmas time, and what is better than spending time with family? Many around the world take to the skies or the road to get back to their loved ones, but for some professions, getting the time off is difficult. That's especially the case for elite sports stars. In the NBA, games are played right on Christmas Day. In other sports, such as soccer, many teams play on Boxing Day, meaning that many players have to forgo the festivities and remain with their teams, rather than their families. So how are some of the VHL stars going to spend their Christmas period? We spoke to Jan Hlozek, defenceman for the Los Angeles Stars, about what he plans to get up this festive period. Q: Hi Jan, so tell us. What is Christmas usually like in a Czech household? Jan Hlozek: For a start, our main celebration is on December 24, not 25. As a result, we all try and get home as quickly as we can two days before in order to see our friends and family. One of the things that you have to be most aware about though, is that when you walk into the bathroom at home, there could be a carp swimming in the bath tub. Q: Seriously, a carp? JH: Yeah, we eat carp at Christmas. How it works is, the man of the family will go to some shop and buy a carp while it is still alive, maybe one week before Christmas. Then you keep it alive in your bathtub until December 24, so that you know that the meat will be as fresh as it can be. Then, on the morning of December 24, we kill the carp, butcher it, and then fry it. It tastes amazing with potato salad. That's what we go Q: And how else do Czechs celebrate Christmas? JH: Well you know that we like to drink in the Czech Republic. I'm from a small village, so we often meet with other families. The men will often sit together, drinking together. Most important, is that everyone here makes their own alcohol at home. Everyone makes these fruit brandy sort of things, so you have slivovice which is from plums, hruskovice which is from pears, etc. etc. Each guy has to bring one bottle from his collection at home, and they all sit around and try what everyone had made throughout the year. It's pretty cool. I like the tradition. Q: Is it difficult for you this year not being back at home with your family? JH: Yeah it's always tough. I've spent a lot of time away from home since coming to the VHL, and it doesn't get easier. I try and stay in touch as much as I can but it is not the same, and there aren't a lot of Czech guys around the league to spend this Christmas with. But it's all good. I'm loving my time in Los Angeles. The weather here is certainly better than it is back home at the moment, so I can't really complain. Q: What do you think about Christmas in North America? JH: It's funny being over here. We don't give that many presents in the Czech Republic, so for me it's funny to see how crazy everyone gets over them. Also, I don't get what is up with the TV adverts. Q: If you had to choose between Turkey or Ham, what would you pick? JH: I think ham. In the Czech Republic, we like to eat pork knuckle, which is like this huge piece of fatty meat. I mean, the food in the Czech Republic isn't the healthiest so that isn't a surprise, but it tastes so good. You have to be good in the kitchen to cook turkey well. Q: What do you think about Christmas films? JH: I don't watch too many films. My English isn't good enough to really understand what's going on. I don't get what is up with that Santa guy too, or guys playing like Santa. Q: How is the season going for you in general? You have already topped your season-best points total, and the Stars are well in the hunt for a playoff place. Are you still happy that you made the move to California? JH: The room is great, the guys on the team are great, and we're playing some good hockey. We have a roster that should be competing for the Continental Cup, and it's hugely important that we keep our momentum going as we get closer and closer to the playoffs. Personally, I'm really happy with where my game is at the moment. I'd like to be scoring more goals, and I don't know why I can't seem to get the puck into the neet, but I'm seeing the ice well at the moment, and I'm happy with my play in my own end. Therefore, I can say that I'm happy, and I'm delighted that my efforts appear to be complementing the team well. Q: Who do you think will be Los Angeles' biggest challengers in the postseason. JH: Vancouver for sure. They seem to be able to put it together every night. We've got a couple of wins over them throughout the season so far though, so I think that we will be ready for them come playoff time, if we indeed face them in the playoffs. Seattle and Calgary are also in the running, and they are both two good teams who are tough to beat. Q: Do you think that the Stars will be champions when the season is all said and done. JH: All we can do is try. We have the talent to be champions, we have the coaching, we have the facilities. I think this is a year where we will go into the playoffs full of confidence and ready for whatever challenges lie ahead of us. I didn't come here to be playing in the play in, or to be aiming for a first round exit. I came to win. *over 1,000 words so this week and next