Pouzar plans to build an ice stadium in České Budějovice

photo: Bukolsky architects

České Budějovice - Former hockey representative, world champion and Stanley Cup winner Jaroslav Pouzar wants to build a modern ice rink in České Budějovice and run a youth club there. The construction of the hall will cost approximately 160 million crowns. Pouzar announced it to journalists.
    The city of České Budějovice, with a population of one hundred thousand, currently has two ice surfaces available. However, they are mostly utilized by the extraleague club HC Mountfield České Budějovice.
    The facility, which is set to be built on Evžen Rošický Street in České Budějovice, is expected to start construction probably in January next year. "We have a valid building permit, we have the land, we are still waiting to see if we will get a grant for the construction, but we believe that after the New Year we will actually start," Pouzar stated.
    His company, in cooperation with other firms, has applied for support from European Union funds. The grant amounts to 49.9 percent of the total amount. "We already have the remaining half of the funds available," Pouzar said.

photo: Bukolsky architects

    The new hockey center could start operating in mid-2012. Pouzar plans that it will primarily operate the club České Budějovičtí lvi. They aim to focus solely on the development of young hockey players. "We would like to have 11 teams from the 1st grade up to juniors. In ten years, we would like to play in the junior extraleague," Pouzar stated.
    In relation to the senior categories, the former Czechoslovak representative does not count on it. According to him, working with youth is more important. "I am not interested in adult hockey. We will not be operating that," he stated clearly. Players that the České Budějovičtí lvi develop will subsequently move to other clubs in senior categories. Pouzar believes it would be ideal for players to go to the extraleague HC České Budějovice if they are interested in them.
    The new club, České Budějovičtí lvi, intends to support young hockey players from socially weaker families. For them, they already have, for example, 30 sets of equipment. They obtained it from the NHL players' association, which reportedly supports this project. "We want to give a chance to those players whose parents cannot afford to pay, besides the contributions, additional tens of thousands for equipment," explained Pouzar.
    The growth of young hockey players in the club České Budějovičtí lvi will be taken care of by seven professional coaches. "We believe that this project can sustain itself financially from its own income," said Pouzar. He expects that the new ice rink, which will operate all year round, will also be used for various camps by young hockey players from abroad.
    Fifty-eight-year-old Jaroslav Pouzar was among the famous Czechoslovak hockey players in the last century. In 1976 and 1977, he became a world champion, and he also won three silver medals at world championships. He also played in the NHL, where he triumphed three times in the Stanley Cup with the Edmonton Oilers (1983, 1985, and 1987). In Edmonton, he also played alongside the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky.