‘Hollywood Hlozek’ Talks Free Agency After Moving to LA

[Bojovnik 487]

(November 26, 2021 - CZHockey) - Jan Hlozek’s future is known. Well, for one season at least.

 

The Czech defenceman, who spent three seasons in the VHL with the Riga Reign, swapped the Baltic for the Pacific coast after signing a one-season agreement with the Los Angeles Stars in the NA Conference.

 

The move came as a surprise for many, given that Hlozek had previously expressed his desire to remain in the European Conference, but the Topolna native told CZHockey that his previous plans changed after discussing his potential move with the Los Angeles Stars management.

 

“Well, I said that I wanted to play on a contending team, one that would have a shot at making a run at the Continental Cup this season, and when Los Angeles came calling, it was certainly an interesting proposition for me. They got to the conference semi-finals last year and maintained a large amount of that team. So of course, if they’re offering something, I’m going to be interested,” Hlozek said via Zoom call.

 

The diminutive defenceman, who scored at almost a point per game clip last season, didn’t appear to settle well in North America during his two seasons in the VHLM. 

 

Hlozek represented the Saskatoon Wild and Miami Marauders, winning a Founder’s Cup with the latter, during his two seasons over the pond, but expressed his delight at being drafted by Latvian club Riga Reign in S77.

 

However, with more experience and maturity under his belt, Hlozek said that he felt the time was right to make the move back over the Atlantic Ocean, even further from home.

 

“I’m older now. I know what needs to be done, and I know how to handle myself both on and off the ice. Being so far from home shouldn’t be a problem any more, and from what everyone is saying, Los Angeles is an amazing place to live. Plus, the team has been a massive help in getting adjusted with everything,” he stated.

 

It was widely reported that several other teams were interested in Hlozek’s services during the free agency period, and offers reportedly came in from the Seattle Bears, Toronto Legion, Warsaw Predators, and Prague Phantoms. 

 

In what could be considered a rare move, Hlozek spoke candidly about his negotiations with other teams, and also shone a light on what made him choose Los Angeles as his next destination.

 

“Honestly, if you had asked me where I thought I wanted to go, it would have been Prague. I would love to play in the VHL for the team that represents my country. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, I didn’t get the sense that they were too interested in having me.

 

Warsaw also was on my list, I just wasn’t sure on where they would be heading next season, and I’ve just spent three seasons on a team and not made it past the first round of the playoffs.

 

Then we move to the North American Conference. I will say that I was super close to joining Toronto. The management team there is amazing and made an amazing offer. I would love to be part of that project one day.

 

I can say the same for Seattle. The management team there tried so hard and I really respect their effort. There was just something about joining LA that felt right at this time,” Hlozek said

 

In an interesting twist of fate, Hlozek was one of the final major free agent signings to be made, putting pen to paper roughly 12 hours after free agency opened.

 

The Czech defeceman said that this was, in a large part, due to him being on holiday in the United Arab Emirates, where the time difference is +12 hours from the Pacific Coast.

 

“It was a funny experience. I started fielding calls through my agent and then free agency opens when it’s already like 2am local time. I told my agent that I would make my decision, sleep on it, and then sign in the morning when I had woken up. Of course, when I woke up, I had literally hundreds of messages on my phone. It took a while to go through them, but none of them changed my decision about signing with LA,” he said.

 

In his debut game for the Los Angeles Stars, Hlozek gave the California crowd a glimpse of what they might be able to expect this season. 

 

The Czech defenceman recorded a career-high five points as the Stars got revenge over the reigning champions, the Vancouver Wolves, in a 6-5 win.

 

“My debut couldn’t have gone better. I’ve got great teammates, and to start the season in such a way was fantastic. Credit to the guys as they worked so hard and it felt so good to get the win,” he said.

 

Despite the hot start, Hlozek has been held off the scoresheet entirely over the last three games as the Stars went 1-2 to sit at 0.500, including losses to the Calgary Wranglers and Seattle Bears.

 

“Obviously that’s not where we want to be, but I feel like we’re progressing. We have a number of defensive things that we want to work out, but the guys are fully bought in,” Hlozek concluded.

 

Along with Hlozek, the Los Angeles Stars also made a major free agency signing in net, as legendary cup-winning goaltender Rara Rasputin signed with the California club for what many might to consider to be his last run at a title.

 

Hlozek noted that having a goaltender of Rasputin’s calibre in net was a major factor in him deciding to join the team.

 

“I know that there was a lot of interest in Rara from around the league. Many of the GMs with whom I spoke during the negotiation period appeared to hint that they could be signing him. I think that says a lot about his talent and the type of person he is. I don’t want to say that I signed in LA purely after Rara signed there, but it was great to know that the team was able to convince him to come. He’s going to be a big part of our success this season,” Hlozek said.

 

 

Weeks 28/11 + 4/12
 

Edited November 26, 2021 by Bojovnik

[Enorama 1,980]

6 hours ago, Bojovnik said:

They got to the conference finals last year

 

 

:thonk:

[Bojovnik 487]

All part of my plan to get some ~~ENGAGEMENT~~

 

Also, being on Riga, why would I pay any attention to the playoffs?

 

Edited November 26, 2021 by Bojovnik

[Bojovnik 487]

Week 2