“It’s still a big dream. I think that is the most that a hockey player can achieve,” explains Ticháček. “I watched the championship every year, and the fact that I had the chance to fight for it now is special for me,” adds the Kladno schoolboy.
The promising full-back completed the final part of the training in Slovakia and the tournament in Brno, he lasted in the national team until the last cut. “It was a great experience. I was able to get to know NHL players better even off the ice, I believe it will move me forward,” hopes the 175-centimeter-tall defender, who also tried to catch something from the hulking Radek Gudas. “The hardness is unbelievable. I watched him work on the ice.”
In the defensive ranks, Ticháček also met the same age David Špaček in the preparation, who finally got priority over the Kladno defender in the final nomination. “We had a lot of fun together, we were probably the closest, we spent a lot of time together. We thought it would be nice if we were both there,” Ticháček smiles.
The 21-year-old full-back joined the national team just a day after he helped save Kladno in the play-off. “The difference was quite big. I mainly tried to set my head, the high-tempo training helped me a lot,” says Ticháček, who tried to find out what he needs to improve in order not to miss out on the next nomination. “I talked a lot about it with Marko Židlický, he told me his opinion, we talked about things that I should improve.”
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Law
Defenseman Jiří Ticháček during training of the hockey team.
The young back will probably wear the Knights jersey next season as well. “So far it looks like Kladno. If an offer came, we would certainly discuss it,” Ticháček admits his ambition to leave the extra-league club and reveals that owner Jaromír Jágr has probably already found a coach for his team. “But I’ll keep it to myself,” he concludes mysteriously.
In a special interview, Ticháček also spoke about a group of older and younger players in the same team or about how he experiences the matches of the Czech team as a fan. There was also talk of the defensive players of Sweden and Switzerland and the tip of the Czech team’s position in the domestic championship.
WC in hockey 2024
The 87th edition of the Ice Hockey World Championship takes place from 10 to 26 May 2024 in the Czech Republic, the tournament is hosted by the cities of Prague and Ostrava.
2024-05-14 13:54:36
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