Martin Ruzicka in hunting mode

The city of three bears

How did you become a hockey player?
It was my father’s idea. When I was 4, he brought me to a local hockey school in my hometown of Beroun. My father was a hockey player himself, but had to finish his career because he had to choose between hockey and education. He chose the latter.

Is the Beroun local hockey school strong?
The city is not that big, but we have some hockey traditions. Players like Radko Gudas from Tampa Bay Lightning and former Red Wings D-man Jiri Fischer began their career in Beroun. Nonetheless, I believe if you have aspirations, you have to move to bigger cities, just like I did. When I was 10, I moved to Prague.

What are the places to visit in Beroun?
There are several old squares, and we also have the bear park located on the hill in the downtown. Three bears live there, and everyone can come up and feed under the guards’ supervision.

Fights and becoming friends with Ivan Baranka

You went to play in the WHL rather early. Did you adapt quickly to the North American style of hockey?
It’s hard to go to another country when you are only 17 years old. I was lucky Ivan Baranka, currently playing in Slovan of KHL, was there too. Ivan and I tried to stick together.

Junior North American leagues are known for their aggressiveness. Did you get into fights there?
I did several times. I won one, another was declared a tie. There also was a third one that ended much worse; I did not want to drop the gloves, but my opponent jumped me, so I had to defend myself.

Did you live alone?
No. My club found me a host family so I could learn English quicker. They were huge hockey and traveling fans. We still exchange e-mails from time to time.

You didn’t stay long in North America and returned to Czech Republic a couple years later. Why?
I had two options: either play in the juniors until 20 or try my fare in adult hockey in Sparta. A year ago my agent talked to several NHL teams, but we could not come to an agreement. Well, I feel comfortable in Europe anyway.

Fishing in Florida

You usually prepare yourself for an upcoming season in Montreal. Why?
I like the summer hockey player camp organized by Petr Svoboda’s brother. There, you can hone your shooting, skating and stick handling skills. In just one month, you become an overall better hockey player. The fee paid is 2500 dollars a month that includes coaching services, rink rent and gym. This year, however, I could not make it because I had little time due to my participation in this year’s IIHF World Championships and signing with Traktor.

Where do you spend your vacation?
If I participate in the summer camp, I go to Florida to play golf. I love golf, by the way. Florida also has beautiful beaches and places for fishing. I often go out in the open sea with a professional fishing instructor. He does all the preparatory work. If I catch a big one, I take a photo with it and then let it back into the water.

An injury that has changed everything

You debuted in KHL back in 2011 but only played one season in Amur. Why did they decide not to prolong your contract?
I hurt my shoulder during the summer training camp. This was my first serious injury, and I had to go through surgery. I returned in November, and it’s always difficult to show your A-game if you miss the summer training camp. I played 30 games in Amur and scored 10 goals. Decent result, but I expected more from myself. I thought I was going to score and assist a lot, but one collision changed it all. Another reason I left Khabarovsk was because I had an active contract in Czech Republic.

Is the Czech league different from KHL?
We have our stars in Martin Straka and Petr Nedved, but other than that, KHL boasts quicker pace, more skilled players, some of whom got there from NHL. Anyhow, I hope this time around I will be much more successful.

Are you going to live alone here in Chelyabinsk?
No. My girlfriend is arriving to Chelyabinsk in September. She will make my быт comfortable, and she will also study in university online.

What does Martin Ruzicka love besides hockey and his girlfriend?
I love a good dinner with my friends as well as watching movies. I love Breaking Bad – it’s good stuff.

Photo by Vitaly Gubin, Valery Zvonarev