Luděk Bukač

As both a player and a coach Luděk Bukač had a lengthy ice hockey career, becoming one of the best coaches in Europe. Bukač began playing in the 1940s as a youngster, before making more than 330 senior league appearances, scoring 153 goals. During this time he also represented Czechoslovakia in 30 matches, scoring 11 goals. Following his retirement as a player Bukač worked as a coach for several domestic teams in Czechoslovakia before becoming the national coach in 1979. Two years later he led the team to bronze at the World Championships, before winning silver in 1982 and 1983.

In 1984 Bukač was in charge of the Czechoslovakia team at the Sarajevo Olympics, where they won silver after losing to the Soviet Union in the final round. The following year the team made up for their disappointment at missing out on Olympic gold by winning the World Championships in front of a home crowd in Praha.

Bukač then took charge of the Austrian national team, with them finishing ninth at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary. This was followed by a stint as the head coach of the German team, with them competing at the 1992 and 1994 Olympics under Bukač’s leadership. He returned to coach the Czech national side in 1996, with the team winning the World Championships that same year. Bukač was later inducted into the Czech Hockey Hall of Fame and the IIHF Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to coaching.