Mini hockey stick signed by Czechoslovak World Ice Hockey Champions from 1972
Recently, the museum purchased an interesting artefact - a mini hockey stick bearing the signatures of Czechoslovak hockey players from the golden Prague championship in April 1972. There, our national team ended nine years of Soviet domination and won their first gold medals since 1949. Six teams took part in the tournament and played two matches against each other. The highlight for our colours was naturally the matches against the Soviet "Red Machine", and not only in terms of sport. It was an imaginary revenge for the Soviet tanks of August 1968 and their permanent stay, albeit camouflaged with the word temporary. The first sporting battle ended in a 3-3 draw, the second in a sweet 3-2 triumph. In goal shone "Fakir" Jiří Holeček, the winning goal was scored symbolically by Jaroslav Holík, who always had a soft spot for the Soviet occupiers. The roster of the victorious Czechoslovak team was full of legends of our hockey - Jiří Holeček and Vladimír Dzurilla in goal, the team's captain František Pospíšil, "Master of Points" Oldřich Machač or Jiří Bubla in defence, the Holík brothers, Václav Nedomanský, Vladimír Martinec or the then still young Ivan Hlinka in attack.
