Jiří Holeček

Jiří Holeček (born March 18, 1944) is a Czech professional ice hockey coach and former player. Holeček played in the Czechoslovak Elite League from 1964 to 1979, and on the Czechoslovak national team for many years.[1]

Jiří Holeček
Born (1944-03-18) March 18, 1944
Prague, Bohemia and Moravia
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 163 lb (74 kg; 11 st 9 lb)
Position Goaltender
Played for HC Košice
HC Sparta Praha
National team  Czechoslovakia
Playing career 1964–1981
Medal record
Men's ice hockey
Representing  Czechoslovakia
Olympic Games
1976 Innsbruck Team
1972 Sapporo Team

After joining the military he participated in the hockey camp of Dukla Jihlava, but coming from an insignificant Slávia team at the time, he did not make it higher than the number three goaltender and was loaned to HC Košice in the eastern part of the country. After starting his career on the Košice team in 1963–64, Holecek played there for 10 years until he joined Sparta Prague for the 1973/1974 season. Holecek played 488 league games, and despite being awarded the Czechoslovak Golden Hockey Stick award for the best player in 1974, he never won the league title.

Holecek played 164 games for the national team, including ten World Championships (leading the team to gold in 1972, 1976, and 1977), being named the best goaltender five times. He played at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics[1][2][3] and the 1976 Canada Cup.

Holecek finished his playing career in 1981 in Germany. In 1980s he worked as a coach of the Czechoslovak national ice hockey team goaltenders. He was inducted into the IIHF hall of fame in 1998. Currently, he is working as goalie coach for one of the Prague junior hockey teams, HC Hvězda Praha.

References
  1. "Czechoslovakia 1972: Players' Info". chidlovski.com. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  2. "Innsbruck '76 : Epic Finale / USSR vs CSSR". goironpigs.com. Retrieved November 9, 2010.
  3. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Jiří Holeček". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on December 4, 2016.
Awards
Preceded by
Vladimír Martinec		 Golden Hockey Stick
1974		 Succeeded by
Vladimír Martinec
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