Last night EV Zug forward Jan Kovář faced his former side HC Pilsen for the first time since moving to Switzerland nearly four months ago, “It was difficult for me. I know all the guys from Pilsen – it wasn’t an easy game for me emotionally”, said Kovář when interviewed after the match that his new team Zug won 5-2 to go top of their group. Despite not scoring any points, he played a big role in Zug’s hard-fought win and surprising turnaround in the second period.
As a noted powerplay specialist, the Czech native was on the ice for more than one goal but whilst his teammates celebrated, Kovář always seemed to vanish and it was as if he would take a step back, “It’s just different. It feels weird watching Pilsen concede goals whilst being on the other side”, he said.
“It took me a while before I could start enjoying the game. As a team we didn’t have the best start [going 2-0 down] but once we turned it around and scored a couple of goals, I was able to enjoy the game properly”, said the 29-year-old who has spent nice seasons with Pilsen since moving to the club as a 15-year-old back in 2005. As a talented young forward, he quickly rose through the youth ranks to eventually break into the senior squad in 2009 and win the Czech Extraliga in 2013 with the club. His career has seen him play in the KHL, AHL and Swiss NL since, but as the player says best himself – “Pilsen will always be my home club”.
His game has evolved over the years but his prolific goal scoring ability has always been one of his most praised traits and it’s one of the reasons why he has been a main stay in the Czech national team over the years. He likes to hang around in front of the net and last night he was often marked by friend and former teammate Miroslav Indrák – “I bumped into Míra [Miroslav Indrák] a couple of times, but it was more fun than anything serious”, said Kovář about his time on the ice.
“I simply enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to playing in Pilsen on Tuesday”, concluded Kovář who faced Pilsen for the first time ever in his career.
EV Zug face HC Pilsen at home on Game Day 6 for their final Group Stage match. Faceoff is at 17:00 on the 15th of October.