Modrý finished in Brno a week ago. He arrived early from overseas, where his wife and children live, to inform the Comet management that he was returning to the US for family reasons. With the Thunderbirds, he will be part of an all-new execution team with head coach Steve Konowalchuk and fellow assistant Chad Wiseman.
V conversation he explained to iSport.cz that he returned overseas because his wife’s parents are seriously ill. “After the season, we flew back to the States and I saw how my wife’s mom and dad were doing. I’ve been mulling it over for a month. My wife told me it was very difficult. I’ve been going back and forth on it. I wanted to continue in Brno. I built a position there, a relationship with the players. It started to go in the right direction. I felt we could bounce back from that. But there are other things as well…,” said Modrý, stating that he wants to be close to his wife.
The native of České Budějovice also stated that he only started looking for a new job after he finished his work in Brno. “I also have to work, provide for my family. I can’t just sit at home,” said Modrý, adding that his wife’s parents live in Albany, which is an hour’s drive from Springfield.
Modrý, who played over 700 games in the NHL in six different clubs, already worked in the AHL between 2017 and 2020 as an assistant in the Ontario Reighn team. He spent the last three seasons in the highest Czech competition, first in České Budějovice as head coach, he came to Brno after his dismissal at the end of 2022. He was originally an assistant to Patrik Martinec and after his resignation at the end of last season, he first jumped in as head coach, before being on November 8 confirmed in function.
