Zlín first announced the arrival of striker Pavel Makarenko from Vladivostok, Russia, on a guest visit until the end of the season. A day later, they won the French forward Valentin Claireaux and Petar Šidlík from Mladá Boleslav as part of a big deal, when defender Tomáš Hanousek and forward Oscar Flynn traveled in the opposite direction.
Kladno is now on the move. The playing owner of the Knights, Jaromír Jágr, is said to be very close to an agreement with the experienced 29-year-old Russian defender Zachar Arzamascev. The 2012 Junior World Vice-Champion has played in the KHL for the past thirteen seasons, playing 642 matches in it and even playing her Star Game in 2016/17.
However, he agreed with Ekaterinburg, for which he played 17 matches with the balance of one assist this season, to end the contract this week, and his next steps should lead to Kladno.
Jaromír Jágr at KladnoPhoto: Slavomír Kubeš, ČTK
“Almost all the clubs in Europe that I contacted were interested in Zachar. The most specific proposal came from Kladno and I and the players liked it. Zachar immediately agreed to the move, “the player’s agent Alexei Dementev told the championat.com server, noting that Jaromír Jágr played a major role in Arzamascev’s decision-making.
“Of course Jaromír Jágr helped with the transition and influenced him. This is a new challenge for Zachar himself, because not everyone is lucky enough to play in one team with a world hockey legend and a professional to the bone, “Dementev added, adding that his client could wear the Knights jersey for the first time on Sparta on Sunday.
Kladno goalkeeper Landon Bow in a duel with Olomouc.Photo: Slavomír Kubeš, ČTK
However, this would not end the Kladno strengthening. The Knights looked for a new goalkeeper to form a tandem with Canadian Landon Bow. He intervened in all matches in Kladno this season, and the Knights fear how they would deal with his absence if Bow left with a selection of Maple Leaf at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
Therefore, on Friday, Kladno caught up with the arrival of 32-year-old Slovak Jaroslav Janus. By the end of January, he was to play for the Finnish team SaiPa Lappeenranta, who had previously been injured by goalkeeper Niclas Westerholm. After his recovery, however, SaiPa agreed with the Slovak goalkeeper, who started at the World Championships three times, to end the contract prematurely.
“Landon has caught all the matches so far and now they are going very fast, so it’s good to have someone experienced just in case. In addition, we have been looking for another goalkeeper since the beginning of the season, and now this opportunity has arisen to take Jaroslav Janus, who previously caught in the extra league. Thanks to that, he will no longer be considered a foreigner, “said David Čermák, the coach and sports manager of the Knights.
The Czech Extraliga will be nothing new for Janus, in the past he wore Sparta, Liberec and Litvínov jerseys in it. He will be ready to help the Knights on Friday evening, when he will be hosting České Budějovice in Chomutov from 6 pm.
