International Ice Hockey Federation

Czechs back to the future

Czechs back to the future

Ruzicka replaces Hadamczik, again

Published 27.02.2014 13:43 GMT+4 | Author Martin Merk
Czechs back to the future
Czech national coach Vladimir Ruzicka accepts the gold medal from IIHF President Rene Fasel after winning the 2010 IIHF World Championship. Photo: Matthew Manor / HHOF-IIHF Images
The successor of Alois Hadamczik as Czech national team coach is his predecessor. Vladimir Ruzicka will take over the team.

The executive of the Czech Ice Hockey Association approved Ruzicka’s appointment on Wednesday. A contract is to be signed and will be valid until the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on home ice in Prague and Ostrava, it was announced.

Since the summer of 2004 only two head coaches have managed the Czech national team but they alternated several times. Ruzicka took over the team in the summer of 2004 and led it to World Championship gold in 2005. Then Hadamczik was coaching for three seasons, then Ruzicka for two including another world title in 2010. After that Hadamczik came back but resigned on Monday following the sixth-place finish at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi with only two wins in five games.

It is not clear yet when exactly Ruzicka will join the Czech national team. He has been under contract with Slavia Prague since 1994 – first as a player, since 2000 as head coach. In the past he doubled up as national team coach but this time he will resign from his post with Slavia Prague once the season is over and focus on national team duties. The club agreed to release the 50-year-old at the end of the season.

Slavia is currently in 11th place in the Czech Extraliga and needs to be at least 10th to make the play-offs.

Ruzicka was not only successful as a head coach with two World Championship gold medals. As a player he won Olympic gold in Nagano 1998 and silver in 1984. In 1985 he led Czechoslovakia to World Championship gold and was named to the All-Star Team. He also won a World Championship silver medal in 1983 and two bronze (1987, 1989).

 

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