On defence is where the biggest changes have been made, with four new players: Canadians Jérémie Blain and Steven Delisle, Slovene Blaž Gregorc and Czech Jan Košťálek.
Jeremie Blain, 27, and Steven Delisle, 26, both come from the province of Quebec where they played junior hockey, and both played in the AHL and ECHL.
They are not new to European hockey, as Blain has spent the last two seasons in Austria with Villach and Innsbruck, while Delisle played last season in Slovakia, helping Banská Bystrica win their second straight title.
“I want to help the team and become one of the leaders,” Blain said of the role he wants to play with Sparta. “I’ll try to play a good two-way game and bring some chippiness.”
As for Steven Delisle, he said: “I try to be a good defender who plays well in his own zone, but at the same time I can shoot hard. I’ll try to block as many shots as I can and play physically.”
Gregorc, 28, is from Slovenia but is no stranger to Czech hockey, having spent the last five seasons in the Extraliga, first in Dynamo Pardubice and then in Hradec Králové. He is a mainstay on the Slovenian national team, having played in eight World Championships and two Olympics, including this past February in PyeongChang.
“I wanted to make a change and Sparta made an offer to me,” said Blaž Gregorc. “It’s such a well-respected club throughout Europe, so when you get an offer from Sparta, it’s tough to say no.”
Košťálek, meanwhile, is a Prague native and Sparta youth product who went to Canada to play junior hockey at age 17. After three years in the QMJHL and three seasons in the AHL, he is now back home at age 23.
“I didn´t even think about other clubs in the Czech Republic. I was clear that if I was going to come back, it would only be Sparta. They´ve brought me here, I´m committed to them, and I´m so glad to be coming back,” Jan Košťálek explained. As for familiar faces, he said: “Miroslav Forman, and I know Daniel Přibyl from junior.”
Like Košťálek, Přibyl is another homecoming Sparta product, a member of the club from age 16 to 23, including over 200 Extraliga games.
After a season with the AHL’s Stockton Heat and then missing all of last season with an injury, the 25-year-old Daniel Přibyl is anxious to play again.
“I´m looking forward to playing again with the guys I know and in an environment I know. I believe we will do well again as we did in the season when I left,” he said.
Another forward with overseas experience is Matěj Beran. Except this 24-year-old left winger has played his entire professional career in the Czech Republic, in Plzeň and Pardubice, before signing with Sparta.
“I’m a strong forward who likes to skate in front of the net and get shots from in close. I try to use my body and make life unpleasant for opposing players,” explained Matěj Beran.
In goal, 24-year-old Machovský comes back to the Czech Republic after splitting last season between the AHL and ECHL. He played junior hockey in the OHL and then played in Plzeň for four seasons. Although he’s never played for Sparta before, he has some attachment to the name.
“I have Sparta rooted in my head because my uncle played football for Sparta, so when I was young, I was with my aunt in Prague for the holidays,” said Matěj Machovský. “That´s why Sparta means something to me. In the Czech Republic playing Sparta means something. When Sparta visits other cities, it’s an event.”
