The Czech Mates: A Tale of Beer and Brotherhood
By Mark Darling
![Czech David Sklenicka, Radek Faksa, Michal Moravcik, Radko Gudas, Libor Sulak, Pavel Francouz celebrate their victory at the end of the group A match France vs Czech Republic of the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 13, 2018. - Czech Republic won 6-0. (Photo by Lars Moeller / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Lars Moeller has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [adding DENMARK OUT]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read LARS MOELLER/AFP/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fbf34576187ebe3fe0bf27fc3ddf64ddb219af2bfcfa0d47ce7a6cf1e4ed43a8c.jpg "Czech David Sklenicka, Radek Faksa, Michal Moravcik, Radko Gudas, Libor Sulak, Pavel Francouz celebrate their victory at the end of the group A match France vs Czech Republic of the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 13, 2018. - Czech Republic won 6-0. (Photo by Lars Moeller / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Lars Moeller has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [adding DENMARK OUT]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read LARS MOELLER/AFP/Getty Images)")
Montreal Canadiens prospects Michal Moravcik and David Sklenicka’s whirlwind year of hockey from Plzen of the Czech league to the Laval Rocket of the AHL.
When Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin went looking for defensive help over the off-season, he spent much of the summer touring the European countryside looking for the next Mark Streit or Raphael Diaz. Parched after scouring the continent in search of hidden gems, Bergevin decided to stop in the quaint city of Plzen, in the Czech Republic, to rest his weary feet and quench his traveler’s thirst.
Luckily for Marc, he chose the right place to stop, as Plzen just so happens to be the birthplace of Pilsner beer, created in Plzen by a transplanted Bavarian named Josef Groll in 1842.
It also happens to be the home of the HC Skoda Plzen hockey team, another well-known local icon. Established way back in 1929, HC Plezn has dressed some notable players over the years, including goalie Tuukka Rask, forwards Martin Straka and Petr Sykora as well as defenceman Jaroslav Spacek, who played for the Canadiens from 2009 until 2012 and now serves as an assistant coach on Plzen.
Perhaps it was Spacek’s sage advice, or perhaps it was the beer, but either way, Bergevin was seeing double that day and decided to take not one, but two fliers on a pair of promising, young Plzen blueliners named Michal Moravcik and David Sklenicka. A matching set of Czech mates, if you will.