Hlozek Discusses His Czech Hockey Heroes

[Bojovnik 487]

Jan Hlozek, a promising young defenceman for the Riga Reign, is one of the great hockey hopes for the Czech Republic. The small landlocked European country has a tradition of producing fantastically skilled players, and we sat down with the Topolna native to go through the archives and find out more about who inspired him.

 

“For me, starting my journey in the VHLM three years ago, one of the people I really looked up to was Dagmar Havlova,” Hlozek said in an interview with CZHockey.

 

Havlova was one of the most decorated VHLM graduates going into their pro career. They followed up a Founder’s Cup win in S68 with another in S69, scoring 109 points in their final season in the minors with Saskatoon.

 

A responsible two-way center, Havlova had a steady career with the Prague Phantoms before spending the final two seasons of their career in Warsaw, almost breaching the 100-point threshold in S75 and S76.

 

“It’s been a great experience to have someone like Havlova to follow. They really set the path for this next generation of Czech players, which includes myself. I remember watching Prague games when I was younger and I was always impressed with how Havlova played. A model for any young center,” Hlozek remarked.

 

Mat Tocco, another Czech native, made his VHL debut in S67 with the Moscow Menace. A small, shift forward, Tocco went on to play 503 games in the pros, racking up 435 points.

 

Most notably, Tocco was part of the Moscow Menace’s storied S70 team that lifted the Continental Cup, giving a blueprint for other Czech players to follow.

 

“It was amazing to see a Czech player lift the Continental Cup. I remember watching the finals on TV and I think everyone in the Czech Republic was rooting for Moscow in those finals. We all wanted to see a Czech player lift the cup, and it was amazing to see it actually happen,” Hlozek stated.

 

Three seasons before Tocco lifted the trophy, Shawnomir Jagr also managed to etch his name in history as part of the Vancouver Wolves S67 Continental Cup winning side.

 

Jagr was a depth player for the Wolves in that season, scoring just 31 points in 72 games, and while Jagr would not get his hands on silverware again, he played four more solid seasons for the Western Canadian side.

 

“I think when you have someone with the surname Jagr, you always know what sort of player you’re going to get. I think Shawnomir was a fantastic player. He really showed the best of the sort of skill that we have in the Czech Republic, and I’ve always tried to watch his game to see what made him so talented,” Hlozek stated.

 

Finally, moving to the net, there’s no-one who can come close to Jakab Holik’s contribution to the Czech goaltending tradition.

 

In his eight seasons in the VHL, Holik never posted a save percentage below 0.900, most notably recording a staggering 0.931 save percentage with New York in S54.

 

“Holik is a legend in the Czech Republic. I don’t think there’s anyone here that doesn’t know his name and what he managed to achieve in the VHL. He’s still an icon, and will be for decades to come,” Hlozek stated.

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by Bojovnik