There are no effects of injuries on your performance, you are one of the best goalkeepers in the extra league. So what’s bothering you?
I feel good on the ice, but recovery is much worse. When I come home, I have to find more time to relax. I haven’t quite gotten into it yet.
Did you believe then that you would ever catch it again?
I didn’t even know if I was going to move my hand at all. I have damaged nerves that will probably take a long time to heal after my career. But the doctors told me that I should mainly be happy to be alive. Not deciding if I’ll be able to play hockey. I am extremely glad to be here. Plus, I can catch, that’s a nice bonus. I admit that sometimes the memory flashes through my head. But I don’t want to go back to that.
What is behind Olomouc’s great start to the season? You even led the table after Friday’s round.
We couldn’t have imagined a better start. Sometimes a bit of luck was needed, but almost everything worked out for us. I personally had a great catch, I was able to do it on my own. The last matches have not been so ideal, but we still collect points regularly. The whole team is really fighting. The new guys fit into the squad fantastically and are establishing themselves.
However, you are currently suffering from extensive decay. Were you pleased that Třinec agreed to postpone Tuesday’s duel?
Hats off. They didn’t have to accommodate us, so I thank them. It’s much harder to play when seven guys are out of the lineup.
On Friday, due to illness, Jan Lukáš stepped in for you for the first time and picked up zero. How was it viewed?
Honza caught fantastically. Excellent goalkeeper and can take advantage of every chance. We complement each other perfectly for the fifth season. We get along great, but of course he must be a little annoyed that he often covers my back.
What is the cooperation with the new goalkeeper coach Martin Prusek, a former successful goalkeeper who also caught on in the NHL?
Martin is a great guy. I like the training under him. At my age, I don’t change my style much anymore. But he advises me not to be afraid to climb the goal a little. They say I’m still stuck there (smiles).
After David Krejčí’s departure back overseas, Olomouc was waiting on the lower levels of the extra league.
We are underestimated every year. And at the same time, we advanced to at least the pre-round of the playoffs five times in a row. We want to go there again. Of course, the best would be to get into the top four in the regular season, but we are all realistic.
What did the Boston Bruins star bring to Hané?
Huge interest in Olomouc. More fans came. And the young teammates could observe him and certainly learned a lot from him. It was an experience to play with him. He was rather quiet in the cabin, but he could also raise his voice. I played with Miroslav Šatan in Bratislava. When you are in a team with such fighters, you go into the match with the feeling that you cannot lose. David was an incredible reinforcement. It was easier with him in the attack. Now we have to spread the offensive tasks between more players, but so far it’s working.
What made you fall in love with Olomouc so much?
The cabin is an amazing bunch, the city is fantastic. A second home. I didn’t expect to settle here. My family and I liked Olomouc. I have a contract until 2025. The management always communicated with me on time and offered good terms. I had other, higher offers, maybe I could catch in a more ambitious team, but Olomouc makes the most sense to me.
Do you want to stay here when you’re done with hockey?
No, we will definitely return to Nitra. I have the rest of my family there. I hardly get there during the year, only for a few days during the summer. But we all got used to Olomouc, my nine-year-old son goes to school here, my five-year-old daughter goes to kindergarten.
The little one plays hockey and football. He enjoys both and I don’t care what he chooses in the end. Above all, I want the children to move somehow.
Do you have any idea what you will do after the end of your career?
As I get older, I get asked this question more and more often. But I don’t worry about it at all. I’ll play hockey as long as I can, then we’ll see. I have saved up so that after the end of my career I don’t have to work somewhere.
