Jágr and others chase world title

With only days remaining to the beginning of the World Ice Hockey Championship in Switzerland April 24-May 10, hockey has been drawing the most attention in the country's sports community.

After two years of early exits from championships, the Czechs hope to recapture past their glory and a medal in Switzerland. Expectations have been boosted by the return of Czech hockey's biggest star, Jaromír Jágr, and head coach Vladimír Růžička recently took over the national team. The last time Růžička coached the squad, he guided the Czechs to the world championship, and Jágr was in the lineup at the 2005 world championship in Vienna, where the Czech Republic last captured a gold medal.

Jágr made an impressive comeback after three years when he scored one goal and one assist in the Czech team's 2-1 victory over Sweden in the Czech Hockey Games in Liberec. His strong play increased faith in the Czech team's upcoming campaign in Switzerland, although many other players from the NHL will not be playing. About a dozen players, including top goalie Tomáš Vokoun of the Florida Panthers, sent last minute apologies to Růžička, citing mostly minor injuries or fatigue after the NHL season as the reason for dropping off the team.

Jágr says the Czech side in Switzerland will still be competitive.

"It's obvious that our lineup will not be as star-studded as one may have expected, but it doesn't mean that our team will be weaker," Jágr said. He added that some other strong players from the NHL could boost the squad after the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs ends.

"Well," he then interjected, "unless faxes with apologies arrive instead of the players."

In the first group phase, the Czechs will take on Denmark (April 25), Norway (April 27) and Finland (April 29). The top three teams from the group will advance to the second round.

Plus-Minus king

Boston Bruins center David Krejčí won the NHL Plus-Minus Award for the player with the best record of goals scored and conceded by his team during his ice time in the regular season. This statistic reflects a player's ability to contribute offensively and defensively to team play. Krejčí's plus 37 rating in 82 games put him on top of the plus/minus list ahead of teammate Blake Wheeler. Krejčí is the fifth Czech player in NHL history to win the award.

Meanwhile, Krejčí's strong play throughout the season earned the 22-year-old Czech the Bruins' Seventh Player Award. Chosen by Bruins fans in an online vote, the Seventh Player Award is an annual award presented to the Bruin who goes above and beyond the call of duty and exceeds the expectations of Bruins fans during the 2008-09 season. In addition to the Seventh Player Award trophy, Krejčí was presented with a red 2009 Dodge Ram truck for winning the award, a seeming no-brainer given the 73 points he's racked up during a sensational second NHL season.

Krejčí, a native of Šternberk, tallied 22 goals and 51 assists in 82 games this season. His impressive campaign helped him become only the second-ever European born player in the Bruins' history to win the Seventh Player Award, joining fellow Czech Vladimír Růžička, who won the award in the 1991-92 season.

American assumptions

The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) is inviting bids from tennis clubs interested in hosting what the USTA perceives as a likely Fed Cup final between the U.S. women's team and Russia Nov. 7-8. However, on its Web site, the association has posted a note under the guidelines for hosting the game, which reads, "This tie will only take place if the U.S. defeats the Czech Republic and Russia defeats Italy during the Semifinal Round being played April 25-26, 2009."

In fact, this condition could turn into mission impossible for the U.S. team after the starring Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, withdrew from the lineup before the upcoming showdown in Brno. Brno will not get to see the elite sisters in action, but it will have all the more reason to hope the Czech team can advance to their First Fed Cup Final in 21 years.

"We'll do our best to achieve that goal," said team captain Petr Pála. Given the two teams' lineups, beating the Americans seems within reach of the Czech squad. Iveta Benešová, ranked No. 25 in the Womens' Tennis Association (WTA) world rankings, will lead the Czech team. World No. 45 Petra Kvitová, and No. 49 Lucie Šafářová and veteran doubles specialist Květa Peschke are also on the team. Meanwhile, the U.S. team will be lead by Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who is currently No. 38 in the world. At age 24, Mattek-Sands will be making her debut in the Fed Cup. She will be joined by Liezel Huber, the No. 1 doubles player in the world, and two teenagers:17-year-old Melanie Oudin (176th in the world) and another Fed Cup rookie, 19-year-old Alexa Glatch (112th).

The best-of-five match series begins April 25 with two singles matches and is followed by two more singles matches with players swapped, and then the doubles match April 26.

František Bouc can be reached at
fbouc@praguepost.com