I am saddened to learn that the Hockey world has yet again lost a coach and a good teacher. Ivan Hlinka, noted as the best Czech player in his day and the best Czech coach currently was killed in a car accident near his home in Karlovy Vary, Czech Rep. It was confirmed Monday afternoon.It is tragic to not only Czech fans.. but to American and Canadian fans who knew him as a coach in Pittsburgh (he was the second European coach in NHL) and played for the Vancouver Canucks in the early 80's (he was one of the first Czech players in the NHL).
Coach Hlinka was coming off a return to the Czech National Team preparing for the World Cup tournament and was recently voted into the IIHF Hall of Fame.
Coach Hlinka was 54.
[Via: Pittsburgh Penguins Website and the International Ice Hockey Federation Website]
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