“I’m satisfied with Kometa’s performance so far. You can’t avoid mistakes and there were some nerves, but the loss to the tip is minimal. Kometa has an experienced team, which is one of the prerequisites that the difficult situation will endure,” says five-time Czechoslovak champion with Kometa Meixner for Sport.cz.
Probably the biggest ruckus was caused in the south of Moravia by the unexpected October comeback of star American sniper Peter Mueller, who returned to Brno after two and a half years. The 36-year-old from Bloomington, Minnesota has so far maintained a record of more than a point per game, collecting six in five duels.
“He scores goals, but his skating shows that he is not the Mueller we were used to. But so far he is not doing what he did before, when he was dragging out the substitutions and stinking there long after he was supposed to substitute. The question is whether it is related to a change in attitude, or whether he is not yet in such a physical condition to handle longer rotations,” reflects Meixner.
Photo: Václav Šálek, CTK
Jaromír Meixner with hockey players Martin Zaťovič (left) and Radek Smoleňák in 2023 in Brno
A few days after Mueller, Kometa should have announced a stellar addition to the defense. But the club’s apprentice Jakub Zbořil eventually chose a more lucrative offer from Pardubice, despite the fact that he and the Brno team also toured the emerging new arena at the exhibition grounds.
“He is an ass, he made fools of Libor Zábranský (owner and general manager of Kometa – editor’s note) and all of Kometa. It was certainly not the case that he suddenly decided to go to Pardubice, he certainly knew how much he was being offered there and was waiting to see what Libor would say. From a human point of view, I understand that he went after the money, the career is not eternal, but he should have said it bluntly,” points out the two-time silver medalist from the 1965 and 1966 world championships.
Round 18: Olomouc – Comet
3:14
CHANGE: HC Olomouc vs. HC Kometa Brno 3:2 sn
Photo: Sport.cz
0:27
Olomouc – Brno 0:1 (8. A. Zboril)
Photo: Sport.cz
0:24
Olomouc – Brno, Cingeľ from Brno failed to tap the puck for Machovský more than twice
Photo: Sport.cz
0:26
Olomouc – Brno 1:1 (26. Orsava)
Photo: Sport.cz
0:23
Olomouc – Brno 1:2 (27th Cingeľ)
Photo: Sport.cz
0:24
Olomouc – Brno, uncalled foul by Rutar from Olomouc on Rachůnk
Photo: Sport.cz
0:25
Olomouc – Brno 2:2 (50th Doctor)
Photo: Sport.cz
0:25
Olomouc – Brno 3:2 sn (dec. raid Fridrich)
Photo: Sport.cz
The situation of captain Martin Zaťovič, who will celebrate his fortieth birthday in January, is also discussed this year. One of the last Mohicans of the golden party of the Brno club from 2017 and 2018, he collected only two points in seventeen duels and last week he did not even fit into the lineup during the match against Třinec.
“That he dropped out of the team as captain surprised me a little, I took it as a little disrespect, but it’s also a bit of courage from the coaching staff, because Zaťa is an icon. You can’t stop age, the only exception is Jaromír Jágr. But the son-in-law has his role in Komet and will finish the season just fine. He is still useful in the defensive phase, in the weakenings, and even in the power play he will get what is needed, even if it does not fall yet,” convinces Meixner.
While Zaťovič remains in Kometa, the club said goodbye to struggling forward Robert Říčka, who left for Vítkovice, and young forward Maroš Jedlička, who, according to TV Markíza, is returning overseas to the Colorado Avalanche farm.
“As for Říčka, it was the right decision. It’s hard to say why it didn’t suit him. With Maroš, it is more complicated. It’s a young guy who hasn’t played in a year, so who knows if he’ll start,” Meixner concludes.
Photo: Václav Šálek, CTK
Martin Žaťovič from Kometa Brno in a picture from October 2024
