Milan Kužela

“The players traveled everywhere. We could say that our team played in every ice hockey country. However, there was a system of the travel permits. I have a good story on one of those, too. I always had such a bad timing. We came, I guess it was from Finland, and immediately behind the customs we were supposed to hand in the travel permits to our boss. I gave him mine too, but about a month later, I was called to Prague to be questioned why I hadn’t handed in the permit. I said I gave it to the boss like all other players, but they had already prepared a special scenario for me again. To say the truth, I had to endure quite a few of such iniquities.”

“Originally, my father was a partisan and he was wounded during the war, too. After the war he joined the Party, but he was a member only for about three months, because once he stated that they preach water, but drink wine. I think, I have this trait after my father. I didn’t see any sense in such membership, although the members were better, they could have done whatever they wanted. Many used to steal at the trips and they were pardoned everything. Moreover, I was even excluded from the pioneership. I remember we had some celebration and before that we played soccer in the school yard. My teacher told me I had dirty shoes. Since I didn’t have any napkin, I took down my pioneer scarf, I cleaned my shoes, and tied it back on my neck. It resulted in worsened mark from behavior due to dishonoring the pioneer scarf.”