EDMONTON | We’ll never know exactly what was said in the Czech Republic dressing room ahead of their surprise win over the Americans in the World Juniors quarterfinals. What we do know, however, is that captain Jan Mysak’s speech lit a fire that didn’t seem to have died down in his team-mates even after the game.
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The Montreal Canadiens’ hope is the undisputed leader of the Czechs. He spoke before Wednesday night’s game. We know this because all the players mentioned it. But what was said remained a state secret.
“I said many things,” Mysak said, smiling.
Defense attorney David Spacek was probably the closest to revealing to the media what the captain had said.
“Jan is probably the best leader I’ve ever played with. In the dressing room, he’s the guy everyone wants to follow and he motivates everyone. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but it meant that if we believe in ourselves, we will always get where we want to be. »
“That was a very motivating speech. Everyone had fire in their eyes afterwards and we all wanted to win. He’d given speeches before, but this one was special. »
like a father
Unlike the other three surviving teams at the World Juniors, the Czechs have a relatively young squad with only six 19-year-old junior players. [nés en 2002]compared to 18 in Finland and 14 in Canada and Sweden.
Mysak’s contribution is therefore even more crucial internally.
“I’m not in the dressing room all the time, but he’s a leader. He helped the coaches make sure everything fit and clicked. It’s a bit like a father to the other players! He helps young people mature by showing them what it takes to be successful,” praised coach Radim Rulik.
The Latvian Lesson
Admittedly, few expected the Czechs to defeat the USA in the quarterfinals. The team finished fourth in Group A after a humiliating 5-2 loss to the surprising Latvians and finished the preliminary round with a record of one win and three losses, including a penalty shoot-out against Finland.
“It wasn’t a good moment when we lost to Latvia,” added Mysak. We heard bad comments and people in our country were angry. If we lose, they’re angry. We wanted to pull ourselves together and show them that we have a good team.
“If we play like we did against the United States, we have a chance to beat anyone. The message is simple: if you believe in something and make an effort, it can happen. »