Jan Hlozek’s Tour of Moscow

[Bojovnik 487]

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.