Czechoslovaks in Flyers Uniform – Petr Hubacek

By Filip Strych
Posted on 01/21/2013 at 12:00 pm

It’s been a while since we’ve discussed Czechs and Slovaks in the Flyers’ system. Today, we’re going to talk about Petr Hubacek, who played only six games with the Flyers but is well known in Europe and has a bit of success with various teams during his career, including the Czech national team. Petr Hubacek was born in Brno and started his career in 1998 with HC Vitkovice, one of the best Extraliga teams during the 90’s. He played there only for two seasons, recording 27 points (11 goals and 16 assists) during a 73-game span. The Flyers selected him …

NHL lockout from a European Perspective

By Filip Strych
Posted on 01/02/2013 at 11:30 am

Obviously, every NHL fan wants a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, but what about hockey fans in Europe? It probably comes as no surprise, but many hockey fans on the continent are satisfied with the “all-quiet-on-NHL-front“ status. As a Flyers fan in the Czech Republic, I can attest to this very thing. On September 15 the old CBA expired and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman ordered a lockout. At the time, a lot of European born players started seeking a “short-term“ solution back at their respective home countries. They went back to Finland, Sweden, Russia, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and the Slovak …

European Updates – Kladno lost to Plzen, Lev experiencing crisis

By Filip Strych
Posted on 10/15/2012 at 9:00 am

Kris Beech started his season with HC Pardubice. He was supposed to be a star, but was unable to live up those expectations and had to wait 11 games for his first goal. Finally, Beech scored against HC Kometa Brno, the leading team of the Extraliga. He was glad to have scored, because the slow start was familiar to him. Slow starts without a goal, that’s the old story every season for Kris. Now he hopes that he can be better in the upcoming games and he can produce more. One more fact about Kris: his linemate is a former …

European Updates: Voracek injures knee, Simmonds fights

By Filip Strych
Posted on 10/09/2012 at 8:30 am

Extraliga Martin Ruzicka isn’t well-known in the NHL but he’s a hell of a forward in the Czech Extraliga as well as in the KHL where he spent his previous season. This season Martin returned to Trinec and he has scored in the first 9 games of the Extraliga. In the 10th game he had no goals and Ocelari Trinec (Trinec Steelers) lost to Zlin 2:3. Trinec is now 3rd behind last year’s finalist Kometa Brno (Comet Brno) and PSG Zlin (PSG is a plastic window manufacturer and head sponsor of Zlin). Jagr’s Kladno is in fifth, one point behind HC Skoda …

European Updates: Giroux, Lev and Rytiri

By Filip Strych
Posted on 10/02/2012 at 4:45 pm

There is a lot of ground to cover in today’s European Updates. The Extraliga as well as HC Lev Praha has remained important for this week, but today, something special happened – news broke that Claude Giroux has been thinking about signing with HC Rytiri Kladno. Let’s start from the beginning. Tuukka Rask came to HC Skoda Plzen. The Boston Bruins goaltender signed with Plzen last week and played his first game against struggling Sparta. It wasn’t an easy match for Rask’s new team. They were leading 4-1 when David Koci and Ryan Hollweg started to fight. (You can watch …

Jaromir Jagr is Superman

By Filip Strych
Posted on 04/30/2012 at 2:30 pm

Jagr became Superman in his latest TV spot for Sazka. He caught a thief who stole a handbag from an old lady. More precisely he shot him with a puck and a stick. There’s nothing to more to say, just watch the 20-second video.

Jaromir Jagr discusses the playoff battle against the Pittsburgh Penguins

By Filip Strych
Posted on 04/17/2012 at 2:21 pm

Below, is a translation of an article originally posted on iSport.cz by Jaromir Jagr. I’m glad that we’re leading 3-0 against the Pittsburght Penguins. But I’ve experienced many things in the playoffs so it’s over when it’s really over… So we have to gain the one point. And am I surprised with the number of goals? I have no illusions about the playoffs. I don’t care if I was wrong or not with my guess when it’s over. I take it as a fact. And I experience it without emotions. I try to avoid provoking. It’s not good to be too …

European Updates #6

By Filip Strych
Posted on 04/04/2012 at 2:00 pm

After a short break I’m back with the European Updates. Today it’s gonna be about the Czech Extraliga and its playoffs and also about one famous Czechoslovak player who spent three season with Philadelphia. Do you remember who eliminated Kladno in the Ceska Pojistovna Playoff? HC Kometa Brno. They also beat the regular season winner Sparta Prague and lastly they ran over HC Plzen 1929 led by Martin Straka along with Jaroslav Modry and Frantisek Kaberle or Jakub Kovar’s brother Jan (who plays defense, too). Modry was only a rental who played 12 games in the regular season and he …

European Updates #5

By Filip Strych
Posted on 03/15/2012 at 1:00 pm

Where do we start? The most important thing about European prospects is the playoff matchup between Bili Tygri Liberec and HC Mountfield Ceske Budejovice where Petr Nedved and Jakub Kovar trying to beat each other. To be honest, Nedved has the edge now with Liberec leading 3-1 in the series. Kovar allowed 11 goals in 4 games (4, 4, 1, 2) but Ceske Budejovice were unable to score more than one goal in two games. It reminds me of the Flyers offensive woes with Roman Cechmanek in net against Ottawa in the 2002 playoffs. Kovar saved Budejovice many times in …

European Updates #4

By Filip Strych
Posted on 03/01/2012 at 11:02 am

Nedved vs. Kovar As predicted, two former Flyers, Petr Nedved and Jakub Kovar will face each other when their respective teams start their series next week. It will be an interesting and highly-anticipated matchup. For those who wants to watch, follow me on Twitter for broadcasting links. Mike York Former Flyer Mike York, who suited up in the 2006-07 season, broke his leg during practice. He underwent surgery and will be out for the remainder of the season. York plays for Iserlohn in Germany. He recorded 33 points in 47 games, which places him fourth on the team in scoring. Jaromir …

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