The most efficient European within the historical past of the NHL, Jágr first talked regarding Ivan Hlinka in his acceptance speech and reminded that it is going to be twenty years for the reason that former captain and later coach of the nationwide staff died. “I keep in mind when he was teaching me in Pittsburgh, he instructed me: ‘If you wish to be participant, you must know the historical past of this sport,'” remembers the member of the Triple Gold Membership, which brings collectively the winners of the Stanley Cup, the World Cup and the Olympic Video games.
On the finish, Jágr additionally thanked his mother and father. “They sacrificed themselves for my profession. I do know my dad is up there watching me and he can be pleased with this second,” he stated of his father, who died final November.
The previous striker Pouzar received six medals from the World Cup in his profession, together with two gold ones, he additionally has a silver medal from the 1976 Olympic Video games in Innsbruck. On the age of thirty, he then headed to the NHL, the place he received the Stanley Cup 3 times with Edmonton.
“I am nervous and I really feel like the primary time I received a World Cup, an Olympic medal, a Stanley Cup or the primary Canada Cup ultimate in 1976 in opposition to Canada,” the 72-year-old Pouzar stated in his acceptance speech.
With Jágr and Pouzar, the variety of Czech representatives within the IIHF Corridor of Fame rose to 26. To date, the final to be inducted into it had been the Olympic winners from Nagano, Dominik Hašek and Robert Reichel, in 2015 on the earlier WC in Prague.
Along with a pair of Czech strikers and Liba, Swede Kenny Jönsson, Petteri Nummelin from Finland, Canadian Ryan Smyth, American Natalie Darwitz and Canadian coach Mel Davidson had been inducted into the Corridor of Fame.
On Saturday, the Czech nationwide staff additionally acquired a particular award, which in 1998 dominated the primary Olympic match in Nagano with the participation of gamers from the NHL. The staff led by captain Vladimír Růžička received the so-called “Milestone Award”.
