Jaroslav Jiřík

Jaroslav Jiřík is best known in North American as the first Eastern European-trained player to play in the National Hockey League (NHL), although it was only three games with the St. Louis Blues during the 1969-70 season. He also played 53 games that year with their farm club, the Kansas City Blues of the American Hockey League (AHL), but then returned to Europe. Jiřík started his career in Czechoslovakia with Kladno in 1954 and led them to their first national title in 1959. He played for TJ Poldi SONP Kladno through the 1961 season and the joined TJ ZKL Brno, staying with the for the remainder of his career, which ended in 1975, and helping them win five national titles. Through 2013 he is still fourth all-time on the Brno scoring list.

Jiřík skated at left wing at three Winter Olympics (1960/64/68) winning a bronze medal in 1964 and a silver in 1968. He competed at seven World Championships – 1958-59, 1963, 1965, 1967-69 – winning a silver medal in 1965 and bronze medals in 1959, 1963, and 1969. He also played for Brno in the 1962 Ahearne Cup. Jiřík earned 134 caps for Czechoslovakia, scoring 83 international goals. After his playing career ended he coached several club teams and was Swiss national coach from 1977-80. Jiřík was an experienced pilot but died in a plane crash near Brno, while flying his own plane.