The home hockey world championship ended as best as it could for the Czech Republic. Hockey players under the leadership of Radim Rulík won gold medals after 14 years, and according to the chief commentator of the sports editorial office of Czech Television, Robert Záruba, reinforcements from the NHL have a big part in this. “I think it would have been much more difficult without them,” he assesses in an interview with Svetlana Witowska.
According to Záruba, the arrival of the attacking duo from Boston – David Pastrňák and Pavel Zacha – had the biggest contribution to the overall mood of the team. The first-named came to help the hockey team despite the fact that he was not completely healthy after the end of the overseas NHL season. “He arrived with a sore hip and I don’t think he passed the medical examination in Boston. Nevertheless, he made it clear that he wanted to go. That will of course give the boys a huge kick,” explains the ČT commentator David Pastrňák’s benefits, which are also evident off the ice.
In the interview, Robert Záruba also highlights the work of not only the implementation team led by coach Radim Rulík, but also the work of the general manager of the Czech hockey national team, Petr Nedvěd, which, according to him, was absolutely precise. “He did an incredible job in communicating with those players, for example Pavel Zacha arrived thanks to him,” Záruba explains the circumstances surrounding the arrival of the Boston forward, who has avoided the national team until now. “Suddenly he’s wondering when he’s going to go again, because of course he’s hooked,” he adds in Spotlight.
And according to Záruba, can this championship be compared to any other achievements of the hockey team? The chief commentator of ČT thinks that it is difficult, because it would be difficult to find parallels with the circumstances in which the Czech team went all the way to victory in the final in the history of Czech hockey.
“Ever since the playoff system has been played, we have always been burned at home. In 1992, it was bronze and it was disappointing. In my opinion, the 2004 team was the best and we did not even advance to the semi-finals. In 2015, we advanced, but we also they didn’t have a medal,” Záruba lists the failures at the domestic championships. “Now here was a team that we didn’t expect at all,” he concludes.
You can watch the entire interview in the video below or listen to it in your favorite podcast app. What were its main themes?
00:08-04:32 What does Záruba say about the new commentator star Jakub Voráček? When did he most surprise or amuse him during the WC? Did Voráčka ever have to be tamed? What was going through Zárub’s head when his “brain fell out”?
04:32-11:31 What was the strongest moment for Záruba during the championship? Why is hockey such a phenomenon in the Czech Republic? How important is support from fans for hockey players? And how did the hockey players enjoy meeting the fans on the Old Town Square?
11:31-17:19 Can this event be compared to any similar world sporting event? How did other representatives perceive the atmosphere? Did Záruba trust the national team to succeed at home? What was the strength of this year’s national team?
17:19-22:25 Does Záruba see something of Ivan Hlinka in coach Rulík? What is Radim Rulík like when he is not on the switchboard? How important is this win for the future of Czech hockey? Is a new hockey generation growing up here?
22:25-26:30 How important were the reinforcements from the NHL? Would hockey players be able to do what they did with Pastrňák, with Zacha and others? Can this victory on home soil be compared to anything?
26:30-33:16 Would Záruba bet that the Czech Republic will face Switzerland in the final? How much different would the championship be if the Russians also entered? Is Záruba upset that ČT is losing live broadcasts of some sports? And can Záruba imagine that he would comment on commercial television?
Spotlight Aktuálně.cz – Robert Záruba | Video: Team Spotlight
