Josef Mikoláš
| Josef Mikoláš | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born |
23 January 1938 Frýdek-Místek, Czechoslovakia | ||
| Died | 20 March 2015 (aged 77) | ||
| Position | Goaltender[1] | ||
| ČSHL team |
VTŽ Chomutov | ||
| National team |
 Czechoslovakia | ||
| Playing career | 1956–1970 | ||
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Czechoslovakia
| ||
| Men's ice hockey | ||
| World Championships | ||
 |
1961 Geneva |
Ice hockey |
 |
1963 Stockholm |
Ice hockey |
Josef Mikoláš (Czech pronunciation:
Early life
Josef Mikoláš was born to a
single mother and had three younger siblings. When he was a small boy, he suffered from several serious illnesses, including pneumonia and rickets. When he was five years old, he still could not walk. Despite this he later attended a coal mining apprentice school in Ostrava and worked as a coal miner after he finished it. He lived in Ostrava and started his ice hockey career here.[3]
Ice hockey career
Josef Mikoláš started playing for ice-hockey team Pracovní zálohy Ostrava in 1956, but soon he came to another Ostrava team,
VŽKG Vítkovice, who were playing in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League, the highest league in former Czechoslovakia.[3][4] He quickly got recognition for both his goaltender's skills and courage with which he faced the shots, although he was not wearing any head protection in that time.[2][3]
In 1959 he was elected the best Czechoslovak goaltender of the season. His career culminated in 1961, when he was nominated into the
World Championships in Stockholm
, Sweden.
Injuries
Josef Mikoláš was acknowledged for his courage, with which he faced the
lower jaw and 35 sutured injuries.[3][4] As the most painful he described a shot of Karel Gut, which cost him four teeth at one moment. Altogether he had about eighty stitches all over his head. He tried wearing a goaltender mask only a short time before the end of his career.[2]
End of the career and off-ice life
Soon after the World Championships in Sweden Mikoláš's career started declining. In 1965 he got divorced and moved to
References
- ^ Josef Mikolas, EliteProspects.com
- ^ a b c d e f g h Jáchim, Václav (2008-02-08). "Josef Mikoláš poznal slávu i zatracení. Ženeva byla jen jedna, vzpomíná na životní turnaj" (in Czech). Hokej.cz. Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
- ^ ISBN 80-7200-471-9.
- ^ a b Uher, Aleš (12 December 2008). "Vítkovice v rámci oslav uctí legendy". Moravskoslezský deník (in Czech). Vltava-Labe-Press, a. s. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
- ^ "Historie českého hokeje: 1961–1971" (in Czech). Hokej.cz. Archived from the original on 2007-05-07. Retrieved 2009-09-17.
- ^ "Zemřel hokejista Josef Mikoláš, vítkovická gólmanská legenda - Sport.cz".
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
