Hlozek to Retire at Season’s End

[Bojovnik 487]

MOSCOW, July 25, 2022 (CZHockey) – Moscow Menace defenceman Jan Hlozek announced on Monday morning that the current season will be his last as a professional hockey player, as the Topolna native calls time on a highly successful career.

 

Hlozek called a press conference in Moscow ahead of the VHL S84 Trade Deadline to announce his plans.

 

“It’s been a good run, and there’s still a way to go yet, but I wanted to get this out there in public ahead of the playoffs to ensure that there are as few distractions as possible,” Hlozek remarked.

 

The diminutive, puck-moving defenceman was drafted eighth overall by the Riga Reign in S77, but elected to spend a second full season in the VHLM. His final season in the minors saw Hlozek walk away with a Founder’s Cup title as a member of the Miami Marauders, along with gold at the World Junior Championships.

 

Hlozek made his VHL debut in S78, registering a respectable 50 points from the team’s second pairing. His scoring would continue to increase throughout his time in the Latvian capital, as Hlozek finished his spell with 176 regular season points over his three seasons in Riga, but the Czech blueliner was left disillusioned with the team after they missed the S80 playoffs.

 

As a result, he tested free agency, and eventually signed with the Los Angeles Stars in the NA Conference. In California, Hlozek truly broke out as a top tier offensive defenceman, racking up 173 points in 144 regular season games, with his final season on the West Coast seeing the Stars make their way to the NA Conference Finals.

 

A rebuild was on the cards for the Stars, and Hlozek made the team aware that he would not be returning for S83. This prompted the team’s management to trade Hlozek’s rights to the Moscow Menace in return for a middle round pick.

 

“First of all, it’s been an honour and a privilege to play in the VHL for so many seasons. Of course, I believed in myself that I could be a contributor at this level, but to leave the league as one of the greatest Czech players in the VHL’s history is something that I’m super proud of,” Hlozek said.

 

“I want to thank all the people that helped get my career to where it was at this stage. That includes the management of Saskatoon @Doomsday, my first team in the VHLM, who introduced me to the league and let me know what it would take to be successful here. And then Riga for taking a chance on a relatively unknown prospect such as myself, @hedgehog337 the former Los Angeles management @rory for their trust in me as an elite offensive producer, and last but not least, Moscow @Spartan for taking a chance on an old guy such as myself,” he continued.

 

Despite Hlozek’s announcement, the Czech defenceman still has something to play for. The Menace currently sit atop of the European Conference after mounting a miraculous 14-game winning streak.

 

Hlozek has yet to taste Continental Cup glory, and the Czech blueliner said that nothing will change knowing that this is his last go around.

 

“I’ve still got a lot of work to do. Getting to the Continental Cup finals last season and losing was even more motivation for me to finally lift that trophy. We have a great team, and we’re on a roll right now. The most important thing is to not get complacent,” he concluded.

 

 

Edited July 25, 2022 by Bojovnik

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