He experienced the golden era at the turn of the millennium: Czech icon has a career everyone dreams of

PRAHA – Tomáš Vlasák, the Czech hockey player, will celebrate his 50th birthday on February 1st. His career is decorated with three World Championship titles, along with numerous other accolades, including being a Czech and Russian league champion, a junior World Champion, and a semifinalist in the World Cup.

Vlasák ended his playing career in April 2015 at the age of 40 with Slavia Prague, following a final game in the relegation playoff, where the team dropped to the first league. Afterward, he worked for nine years as the sports manager for Plzeň’s hockey team before stepping down from that role in April last year. Currently, he serves as the sports director for Mladá Boleslav.

A Prague native, Vlasák made his first appearance in the Czech Extraliga during the 1993/94 season. He played in the league for Litvínov, Slavia, and Plzeň, with whom he won the domestic title in 2013.

“Had I not won it, it would have been harder for me. Some have more, but I’m very happy with that one. Even though it was just one, the feeling was worth it,” said Vlasák. He also played in Finland, Switzerland, Russia—where he won a title with Omsk in 2004—and Sweden, and briefly in the NHL with the Los Angeles Kings.

Vlasák played 87 games for the senior national team, scoring 26 goals. With the Czech team, he won World Championship gold in 1999, 2000, and 2001. He scored 328 goals in the Czech and Czechoslovak leagues, placing him 32nd in the Hockey Scorers’ Club of the daily newspaper Sport.