Even so, the seven players and coaches arrived home in a good mood, which they confirmed at the press conference.
“It was very adventurous. One of the coaches was very pessimistic and claimed that we wouldn’t even fly home,” said team manager Otakar Černý.
The head coach Patrik Augusta, sitting next to him, immediately admitted that it was him. “I said Air Canada booked our tickets,” he said with a smile. Canada was eliminated by the Czech team at the Junior World Cup for the third time in a row in the playoffs, this year they defeated them in the semifinals.
But neither the players nor the implementation team were bored in Minnesota. Hockey players went to NBA basketball or team dinner. But the players working overseas flew to their clubs immediately after the final.
“We enjoyed it. I’ve never been to the NBA before and it was great,” said defender Tomáš Galvas, who returned home with six other teammates, led by captain Petr Sikora.
Augusta also found positives in traffic complications.
“Maybe the extra two days helped us. In the first moment (after losing the final), it was a sad silver medal. But over time, we turned it into a cheerful one, just like the previous two bronze medals,” said Augusta, under whose leadership the Czech team won three valuable metals at the top event in a row.
The fifty-six-year-old coach refused personal credit for the success of the junior teams in Prague as well as at the venue of the tournament.
“I don’t think I would have won the medals. I wasn’t on the ice, the credit goes to the players. I’m happy that I could be part of the implementation team. It was a great ride and I believe we’ll meet again,” said Augusta, who ends the season at the age of 20.
He is not yet going to balance his achievements with the junior national team.
“I’m still young for that. Maybe sometime in the future with grandchildren. It’s not written anywhere that it’s the last season (in the 20s). But I will definitely not be with the team next time,” said Augusta.
He would like his assistants Robert Reichel and Pavel Trnka to take over the team. “I am not in a position to determine a successor. But I would like the boys to continue without me,” he said.
The president of the Czech Ice Hockey Association, Alois Hadamczik, already told ČTK on Tuesday that he would like to have clarity about August’s successor by the end of January. Everything will be solved by the executive committee of the union. Hadamczik should meet with the current coaches next week.
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