Jiri Novotny: I am joining team with rich history

Vacation with kids, talk with Vladimir Vujtek, 2014 Gagarin Cup finals

Jiri, we are happy to have you here in Traktor. How is your vacation going along?
I already started preparing for the upcoming season; I have been getting into shape for five weeks now. For now, it’s two-hour training session in the gym or outside, but in two weeks I will hit the ice. I know that training sessions in Traktor start in early July, then we are heading to Finland for the summer camp. The KHL regular season is rather long, so I need to get into the best shape possible.

This past season you got injured a lot.
Yes, this was my first time during my KHL career that I got injured three or four times in a year. The most unpleasant thing was the concussion. However, now I am well rested; for the first time in ten years I did not participate in the World Championship because I needed to completely heal.

How did you explain this decision to national team’s head coach Vladimir Vujtek?
We had a conversation and decided that I should take some time off, even though I had decent playoffs. The wear of a tough schedule started to get to me, and I was drained psychologically.

My daughter has recently turned eight months, and I only had a chance to see her for a couple of days. Same thing with my eight year old son; I saw him only a handful of times during the past season. I enjoy spending time with my kids, and sometimes I have to take a break from hockey, especially seeing as how I was in the national team for the better part of ten years. Don’t get me wrong – I love playing for the national team, but I prefer going there when I have 100% to give.

Your former team, Lokomotiv, had a decent regular season. What happened in the playoffs?
New coaching staff put together a new team, and we were looking really good throughout the regular season. We faced off against SKA in the first round of playoffs and took game 1 in the overtime, but then the Shipachyov line made their presence felt. Of course, everyone in the team was disappointed, but hey, what can you do…

You played against Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the 2014 Gagarin Cup finals. How much did it mean for your then team Lev, and for hockey in Czech Republic in general?
It was huge. We were and still are the only foreign team to get to the Cup finals. The series was very close; each game was close too and ended with a difference of one or two pucks. The last game broke the trend though – we lost three seven. However, even back then we realized how big of an achievement it was.

Lev’s CEO Rashid Khabibulin and head coach Kari Jalonen had only positive things to say about you.
Rashid put this team together; even then he was one of the best CEOs in the league. As for Jalonen, he is also a very experienced and strong coach. He was very strict yet very fair to everyone in the team. He absolutely deserved his chance to work with the national team.

Bulis’ recommendations, 2016 World Championship, leading role

When did you first find out about Traktor’s interest?
It was a couple of months ago. I also had several offers from other KHL team as well as from Swiss league. I feel that I still have something to prove here, so I decided to stay in KHL.

A lot also depended on whether the city would be comfortable for my wife and kids. I talked to Jan Bulis and decided to go to Traktor. Jan still remembers Chelyabinsk; he says everything about the city was great. His opinion played a key role in my decision.

How is Jan doing, by the way?
He is fine, rides his bike all the time and drinks beer (laughs). He is now retired from hockey. Him and I are very good friends, as are our wives. Recently both my and his families went to Dubai for a vacation, and we talked a lot about Traktor and Chelyabinsk. When I was in Atlant, he helped me a great deal; we have been friends since then.

Did you have a talk with other compatriots before signing with Traktor?
I know Pavel Francouz, but I haven’t talked to him, because I don’t want to distract him – he is kind of busy right now, with the World Championship and all that. By the way, my national team is doing great, and I hope I will be invited to the gold medal party (laughs).

Share with us your opinion about the tournament.
I am not sure who is going to win, but I know for sure that Russian players are under tremendous pressure. I think that now that Ovechkin and company joined team Russia, it is only going to get stronger and stronger as the tournament is going along.

The next season will be your eighth in KHL. Do you notice any kind of progress the league has made in all these years?
The gap between the teams is closer than ever. Back in the day, it was safe to say that this or that team is or is not going to get to the playoffs, but it is not the same anymore. Of course, there are examples of teams winning the regular season and not getting the Cup, but it’s what the playoffs are all about – unpredictability.

Once you angered Dynamo Moscow’s general manager Andrei Safronov so much so that he directed some choice words towards you. Do you remember that story?
I don’t read Russian newspapers or websites, so I don’t understand what they write about me. But I do remember that story; it happened in the playoffs when everything should be used in your team’s advantage. Mister Safronov is one of the best general managers in KHL; Leo Komarov was one of Dynamo’s leaders back then, and everyone always tries to leave the key players of the opposition out of action. But hey, if it works, then why wouldn’t I do that?

How would you describe your style on the ice?
I am a typical two-way forward who is good in the faceoff circle and in shorthanded play. I often play centers of the top or the second line. I am used to being a leader; I also can give advice to young players.

When you say Chelyabinsk or Traktor, what springs to mind first?
Traktor Arena and the fans. I know that their support is always overwhelming. I also know that Chelyabinsk has one of the best hockey schools in the league, just like Yaroslavl. I heard that many talented KHL and NHL players were born in Chelyabinsk. I can’t wait to play here.