PRAGUE, 17 August 2004 — Czech ice hockey coach Ivan Hlinka has died from injuries sustained in a car accident yesterday.
Hlinka, 54, who guided the Czech Republic to Olympic ice hockey gold at Nagano in 1998 and won three world titles as a player with the Czechoslovakia team in the 1970s, only returned to coach the national team in May.
“A truck crashed into Hlinka’s car. We are investigating the accident,” a police official said. Local media reported that the truck had technical problems.
Hlinka was returning from the spa town of Karlovy Vary yesterday after gaining reassurances from Jaromir Jagr that the New York Rangers’ winger would take part in the World Cup tournament starting later this month.
Hlinka was a player on the Czechoslovakia team that won world titles in 1972, 1976 and 1977 and played several seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), one of the first Czechs to do so.
He was also among the first European coaches in the NHL, when he led Pittsburgh Penguins in 2000-01. Hlinka began his professional career in 1969 with CHZ Litvinov in the Czechoslovak domestic league, and quickly became one of his country’s top players.
He played almost exclusively with Litvinov until the 1980-81 season, recording 848 points in 469 games.
The robust centre and team leader played 256 matches for the former Czechoslovakia and scored 132 goals before leaving for the Vancouver Canucks in 1981.
Hlinka had heart trouble in 2003, prompting him to quit coaching. But he could not resist a call to try and revive the Czechs again after their disappointing world championship in May.
