Jérábek is looking forward to the fourth Winter Games. A huge experience for everyone, hopefully the weather will work out, he wishes

“It’s a huge experience for everyone, but a lot depends on the weather. I remember it was about minus seventeen degrees in Ottawa. Back then, we used to put such warm pads in our gloves, and some even stuffed them in our skates,” smiles Jeřábek, remembering his overseas experience.

“There is no danger now, it should be above zero. Hopefully it won’t rain or the wind will blow, which is the worst. When the weather is bad, it has little to do with hockey. You need to play simply,” reminds the Třinec defenseman of the pitfalls of hockey outside the winter stadium.

Before this season, when returning from abroad, Jeřábek chose champion Třinec instead of his mother Pilsen and will thus play against Kometa on the football field for the second time in his career. Seven years ago, the game was played at the now-orphaned Zbrojovka Za Lužánky stadium, now the Steelers will face the Brno team at Tehelné polí in Bratislava, with a capacity for more than 22,000 fans, where Slovan Bratislava is home.

“What I remember most about that match in Brno is that the boys and I were really looking forward to it. Even for training, which was the day before. It was something new for us. There was a great atmosphere at the match, but the conditions there were a bit combative. But that had to be taken into account,” says the 31-year-old Pilsen native.

“We changed in the main hall, then we went straight to the stadium dressed in our jerseys. I don’t remember much about the weather, but it was cold. It was definitely below zero. I think it was quite windy and the ice wasn’t quite ideal. And as far as I remember, we lost (2:5),” Jeřábek recalls.

Despite the possible pitfalls, they are once again looking forward to their fourth Winter Classic, which is being held on the occasion of one hundred years of hockey Slovan Bratislava. “Especially for the Slovak boys, of whom we have a lot in the team, it will be special,” Jeřábek reminded that there are eight Slovaks working in Třinec, four in Brno. “It’s not far to Bratislava, I believe that a lot of people will come, both from us and from Brno. Kometa has great fans, it will definitely be a great backdrop,” he adds.

Today’s match is the end of the 18th extra league round. In the role of home team, Třinečtí will take to the ice. They will thus lose the advantage of the home environment. “It probably won’t play a role in this match. It will also be new for Brno. I believe that both teams will be cheered and the auditorium will be colored a nice red and blue.”

Overseas, Winter Classic matches are accompanied by a rich cultural program. It will be similar in Bratislava, where the match between Třinec and Brno will be preceded by a concert by Slovak singer Lukáš Adamec and Dominika Mirgová will sing during the match. “After the second third of the performance in Ottawa, the singer Bryan Adams had a performance,” recalls Jeřábek. “But the greatest experience was that we were able to bring families to the event, which will be the same now. That was very nice,” says Jeřábek.

Třinec and Brno will not be the only Czech club that will present themselves at the Winter Games 2023 in Bratislava. On Sunday from 2 p.m., hockey legends Sparta Praha will face home Slovan.