Jaroslav Jiřík

Infobox Ice Hockey Player
position = Right wing
shot =
height_ft = 5
height_in = 11
weight_lb = 170
nationality = TCH
birth_date = Birth date and age|1939|12|10|mf=y
birth_place = Brno, CS
career_start = 1957
career_end = 1975
draft =
draft_year =
draft_team =
played_for = St. Louis Blues

Jaroslav Jiřík (born December 10, 1939)hockeydb|10802] is a former professional ice hockey right winger. He became the first player from an Eastern Bloc country to play in the National Hockey Leaguelegendsofhockey|13102] [http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/jaroslav-jirik.html International Hockey Legends: Jaroslav Jirik] ] when he appeared in three games with the St. Louis Blues in the 1969–70 season.

Jiřík played seventeen seasons in the Czechoslovak Extraliga, scoring 300 goals in 450 games.legendsofhockey|13102] Jiřík was named an all-star at the 1965 World Ice Hockey Championships, [ [http://slam.canoe.ca/HockeyWorldChampionships/allstarteams.html World Hockey Championships first-team all stars] ] and he was a member of the Czechoslovak national team that won the bronze medal at the 1964 Winter Olympics and the silver medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/winter02/hockey/feature?id=1300946 Olympics History - espn.com] ]

Jiřík was first noticed by St. Louis Blues assistant general manager Cliff Fletcher in 1969. Fletcher actually signed three Czechoslovak players: Jiřík, Jan Havel, and Josef Horesovský, all of whom were given permission to transfer to North America by the Czechoslovak government. However, the government changed its mind about Havel and Horesovský, because they were still in their twenties. Jiřík, 30 at the time, was the only player allowed to go. [http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/jaroslav-jirik.html International Hockey Legends: Jaroslav Jirik] ]

Jiřík spent most of the 1969–70 season with St. Louis's minor-league affiliate, the Kansas City Blues of the Central Hockey League. He played well in Kansas City, scoring 35 points in 53 games.hockeydb|10802] St. Louis called him up late in the season, and he played three games with the club, going scoreless. He was invited to remain with the organization for the 1970–71 season; however, Jiřík decided to return to Czechoslovakia instead. [http://internationalhockeylegends.blogspot.com/2007/11/jaroslav-jirik.html International Hockey Legends: Jaroslav Jirik] ]

References