Radek Smoleňák enjoyed it well in Finland, but he also saw different fates.
Radek Smoleňák enjoyed Lahti. Janne Nousiainen
Radek Smoleňák Played in Ace, Pelicans and TPS from 2011 to 2015. There were good memories of Finland and especially Lahti.
-I went well there and people admired us, says the Czech striker Seznam zpravy in an interview.
– Finland is a special place – either loves or you have to leave immediately. Or maybe you get fired because you didn’t like being there.
Smoleňák enjoyed Härmä, but he also saw playmates who did not enjoy Finnish culture and climate.
– Some of the guys were really depressed and the weather was also bad.
Smoleňák’s career in Finland ended with TPS in the 2014-2015 season.
– My wife even suggested me to move to Turku, but my career evolved in the other direction.
The 38-year-old Konkari still has friends in Finland.
– I like Finns because they are not jealous, they are not interested in matter. They love the sauna, nature and are relaxed types.
Jalonen’s call
Instead, Smoleňák’s worst hockey memory is from Russia, Nizhni Novgorod.
– I went there because coach Kari Jalonen Wanted me, the attacker remembers.
It was the NHL’s work season 2012-2013. The first game was against Magnitogorsk. There were, among other things, Yevgeni Malkin and Sergei Gontšar.
– I immediately scored in my second change. I thought everything would go well when we led 4-0, but then Malkin woke up and lost 4-5. Immediately after the game, Jalonen was fired and I was transferred to the junior team the next day.
Smoleňák did not immediately give up, but in the end there were only seven games in Novgorid before he continued through Timrå.
– Novgorod didn’t work at all.
This season Smoleňák played the Czech Main Series in Kladno Jaromir Jagrin as a club buddy. Captain Smoleňák knocked down 52 games 17+14 = 31.
53-year-old Jagr played 39 games and scored 16 (5+11) points.