As a prominent member of the Montreal Canadiens for the better part of 15 years, Czech forward Tomas Plekanec was the epitome of consistency.
And as it turns out, some things haven’t changed.
After 1,001 games in the NHL, Plekanec, a third-round pick in the 2001 NHL draft, decided not to hang up the skates for good when he left the league during the 2018-2019 season. He instead opted for a homecoming, taking his talents to Czechia.
This week, it was revealed that the centre, who will turn 41 this October, is gearing up for another season of professional hockey with his hometown club Rytiri Kladno in the Czech Extraliga (ELH).
The former Hab, who first played for Kladno 25 years ago, signed a new contract extension with the team, which is owned by none other than Jaromir Jagr, Plekanec’s close friend.
“The negotiations took a little longer, but we are happy to have finally reached an agreement and Pleky will play another season with our jersey on his back. We all know how important Pleky is to us,” Kladno general manager Jiri Burger said in a statement.
Despite his veteran status, oddly enough, Plekanec is not the oldest player on the team. From time to time, Jagr, who left the NHL in 2018, will actually partake in the team’s home games. The 51-year-old suited up in 26 games last year, netting a respectable five goals and 14 points in the process.
Plekanec doesn’t show any signs of slowing down either. He was Kladno’s captain and leading scorer last season, netting 16 goals and 33 assists for 49 points in 52 games.
Who knows? If he keeps training with Jagr, the team may be able to keep him on the ice for another decade.
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