Czech coach Hlinka dies after accident
Canadian Press
8/16/2004
Ivan Hlinka, who was instrumental in building the Czech hockey team into a world power after his playing days were over, died Monday of injuries suffered in a car crash. He was 54.
Hlinka's car collided with a truck Sunday night. He had gone to the spa town of Karlovy Vary, about 110 kilometres west of Prague, to meet with Jaromir Jagr, who assured Hlinka he'd report to the Czech team Hlinka was to coach during the World Cup of Hockey, Aug. 30-Sept. 14.
Now, instead of reporting for the start of a training camp, players will be attending Hlinka's funeral.
``Ivan Hlinka was a tremendous ambassador for the game of hockey,'' said Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Craig Patrick, who played against Hlinka and hired him to coach the NHL club in 1990. ``He was a great hockey player, a player that many of the current Czech players idolized growing up.
``He brought a wealth of hockey knowledge and enthusiasm with him to the rink every day. His contributions to the Penguins' organization during his time in Pittsburgh will never be forgotten.''
The two-year NHL coaching stint turned out to be a mere footnote in Hlinka's biography. As a player, he helped Czechoslovakia win world titles in 1972, 1976 and 1977, Olympic bronze in 1972 and Olympic silver in 1976. He scored 132 goals in 256 international games. A big centre, he was at his best slamming home shots from the slot a la Phil Esposito, although Hlinka was the better skater.
Hlinka was named top forward in the inaugural Canada Cup tournament in 1976, when Canada sent the likes of Esposito and Guy Lafleur over the boards. Canada edged Czechoslovakia 5-4 in the title game when Darryl Sittler scored in overtime.
In 1981, Hlinka and compatriot Jiri Bubla joined the NHL's Vancouver Canucks in starting the Czech migration to the NHL.
``We got him at the tail-end of his career - too bad we didn't get him earlier,'' former Canucks teammate Tiger Williams recalled. ``He and Bubla and the Stastny brothers opened the door for Czech players like (Borje) Salming and (Inge) Hammarstrom did for Swedish players.''
Hlinka's name still appears in the Canucks' record book. sharing the club mark for most points by a rookie (60) with Pavel Bure. In his two years in the NHL, Hlinka scored 42 goals and assisted on 81 others in 137 games.
``He was a real high-quality player,'' said Williams. ``He probably never got the billing over here he should have.
``You look back on his hockey career on both sides of the pond and he had quite a resume. He co-ordinated the power play for us. He knew the game really well. Ivan was a quiet guy - a good guy.''
Hlinka returned to Europe and finished his playing career with a Swiss club in 1985 before turning to coaching. He coached national teams to two world championships and three Olympic medals in the 1990s, including 1998 Winter Games gold.
He served as associate coach of the Penguins in 1999-2000 before assuming head-coaching duties the next season. In 2000-2001, the season Mario Lemieux came out of retirement, Hlinka led the Penguins to a 42-28-9-3 record. They got all the way to the conference final but, after a 0-4 start the following season, he was fired.
His relationship with Jagr was, at times, strained. Hlinka wanted the Penguins to play some defence, which was never Jagr's specialty.
In an interview, Hlinka spoke of the pressure of coaching in the NHL.
``If you do this job, you get used to the strain,'' he said. ``The stress, the joy, mixing one with the other, that's like a drug.
``At some point, it may be beneficial if you get rid of (the strain) but you are addicted, and you will miss it in a moment.''
Hlinka's background in the sport he loved commanded respect. Thus there was an aura of reverance about him.
Hlinka, his silver grey hair making him look distinguised, was manager of the Czech team at the 2002 Olympics, and he was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame. He accepted a lucrative offer to coach in the Russian league in 2002-2003.
In a ceremony during the 2004 world championships in Prague, Hlinka was named best Czech player of all time.
Heart trouble prompted him to step away from coaching last year but, after a poor Czech showing during the world tournament last spring in Prague, he agreed to return behind the bench for the World Cup.
The organizing committee of the World Cup of Hockey released a statement expressing sadness over the sudden loss of Hlinka.
``Ivan's enthusiasm and commitment to the game will be greatly missed by the Czech Republic team as well as by the entire hockey world but his mark on the game will never be forgotten,'' it stated.
Vladimir Ruzicka, a former NHL player who was a good friend of Hlinka and who played for him at the 1998 Olympics, is a leading candidate to take the World Cup coaching job.
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