Coaches

Coaches

Not only are all of our coaches experienced professionals in the field of hockey, but all of them had to go through rigorous testing before being employed as part of our team. Therefore, we can guarantee you that you will receive only the best coaches that truly know how to pass on all of the skills needed to become a successful hockey player.

We praise ourselves in paying great attention to every player’s individual weakness and then acting upon it. We are of course aware that hockey is a team sport but we also know that a team is only as strong as its weakest link and in some cases it is only the individual attention of a coach to a specific player that can help a player become just as skilled as the rest of the group.

Below you will find a list of our steady coaches which has been constantly increasing over the years and in some cases gets supplemented by other experienced coaches from the Czech Republic and sometimes also from other successful hockey countries such as Finland, America or Sweden.

Lukas Tramba

Lukas Tramba completed his Masters degree at Charles University, in Prague, at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, where he received the internationally recognized "A" license in ice hockey coaching. He then went to work in the USA, working as an assistant coach with the Utah Golden Eagles and as a coach at the Heartland ice hockey camp. Since returning to the Czech Republic, he has trained Junior Extra league teams and assisted in the Nike International Hockey Camp. Since 2003 he has been the Head Coach of the Czech International Hockey Camp.

Lukas speaks Czech, English and Russian.

Martin Novak

Martin Novak reached the top of his playing career at HC Novy Jicin and HK Lev Slany in the Czech National Ice Hockey League 2nd Division. He graduated from Charles University in Prague where he received his Master degree of Physical Education and Sport in Pedagogy and Ice Hockey Coaching. There he also obtained the internationally recognized "A" coaching license. His coaching experience is based on his work with the HC Novy Jicin, HC Hvezda Praha, HC Benatky nad Jizerou and HK Lev Slany ice hockey teams, where he worked in both the youth and senior divisions. In 2006, his team of Sparta Prague (U-10, U-11), finished 3rd in the Czech Championship. Martin has been working for HC Ambri-Piotta (Switzerland) in his position as a youth coach and power skating coach for all categories, including the professional men’s team since 2009.

Martin speaks Czech, English, German, and Italian

Jan Brychta

In 2007 Jan Brychta became a chief youth coach in the prestigious Czech club of HC Energie Karlovy Vary. He holds a Masters degree in Pedagogy and Ice Hockey Coaching from Charles University in Prague, and the internationally recognized "A" coaching license. He has assisted with the Czech International Hockey Camp since 2000. Jan Brychta spent seasons 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2010/11 in his position as a head coach of the Kuwaiti National Team with his assistant coach Tomas Mahovsky, another coach from the Czech International Hockey Camp.

Currently he acts as the head coach of the Cold Play Stars Mechelen in Belgium. Jan speaks: English, Russian

Tomas Mahovsky

Tomas Mahovsky has been part of the Czech International Hockey Camp since 2006. He spent six years as a coach of the youth teams, TJ Viktoria Marianske Lazne and HC GRATO Marianske Lazne. In 2004 he became the sport manager and head coach of HC Marianske Lazne. Tomas studied at the Faculty of Physical Education, Palacky University in Olomouc, where he graduated in 2005. He holds the internationally recognized license "B" in ice hockey coaching and is presently studying for the category "A" tennis-coaching license. . He began working as a PE and Geography teacher at a primary school in Prague from 2006 until 2010, at which time he became an assistant coach of the Kuwaiti national team and moved for one year to Kuwait City with another of our coaches Jan Brychta. He currently is the head coach for the Italian based ice hockey club ASV PRAD.

Tomas Mahovsky speaks German, English and French.

Jakub Petr

Jakub began his professional playing career with HC Havirov and HC Vitkovice in the Czech Junior and Midget Extra league. In 1998 he played in the US Amateur league and WPHL and then two years later he played in the Australian AIHL for the Sydney Bears. Nevertheless, very early on he was drawn to the coaching aspect of the game. His coaching career began in 1995 when he became a coach of Mites and Squirts in the Czech clubs of HC Havirov and HC Praha. Later, he spent one year as a coach in the youth divisions of the Development League in the USA (Seven Bridges and area). In 2003 he began coaching in Australia, first as a coach of Sydney Bears (Development League and Youth teams), then as an assistant coach of Sydney Bears Senior Team (AIHL) and finally in 2004 he became assistant coach of Australian National U-18 Team that qualified for the Division 2 World Championship. After his return things went very fast and not only is he currently the coach of the U20 national team but he also is the manager of the Extraliga team of HC Vitkovice.

Probably, one of our most inspiring coaches who since 2001 has been a steady part of the Czech International Hockey Camp team.

Petr Prajsler

Petr started to play ice hockey in 1972 in his hometown Hradec Kralove. He was a member of the U17, U18, U20 Czech national team and also the senior B national team. In 1984 he started to play for Pardubice in the Czech extraliga, where in the 1986/87 season he won the extraliga championship title with Tesla Pardubice. In the same year he also won the bronze medal at the U18 European Championship and the silver medal at the U20 World Championship. In 1987 he defected and signed a contract with the Los Angeles Kings and then later with the Boston Bruins as a free agent in the 1991/92 season, in total Petr played in 48 NHL games. He retired from his active player career in 94 and since the year 2000 he has been a full time coach, first coaching at clubs in the Czech Republic and currently he is the head coach of Viry de Chatillon in France.

In any free moment Petr comes to coach at the Czech International Hockey Camp where he not only share his experiences as a past player but our campers also benefit from his immense coaching knowledge.

Pavol Skripko

Pavol Skripko is currently an undergraduate student of Masters program at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University in Prague, specializing in Pedagogy and Ice Hockey Coaching. He holds the internationally recognized "B" coaching license and this year he is studying for level "A". Pavol started his playing career in youth categories with HK Presov (Slovakia), later he played the midget and junior Slovak Extra league with the same club. During his university studies he joined the team of UHK Lev Slany in the Czech 2nd Division. Pavol was also a member of the winning Charles University team at the Winter Czech University Championship in 2007-11. His coaching experience has come through his work with youth categories of HC Hvezda Praha.

Pavol speaks Slovak, Czech, English and German.

Josef Reigl

Josef Reigl started his ice hockey playing career in youth categories, and later the midget and junior leagues, of HC Sparta Praha. He also played in the Czech 2nd division with Pro Hockey HC Hvezda Praha, Benatky nad Jizerou and HC Pribram. He obtained his coaching qualifications at Charles University in Prague specializing in Pedagogy and Ice Hockey Coaching. Josef has a Masters in Physical Education and Sport and holds the internationally recognized "A" ice hockey coaching license. His coaching experience has come through his work with youth categories of HC Hvezda Praha. Josef Reigl has been coaching in Lillehammer hockey club in Norway since 2010.

Josef speaks Czech, English and German.

Martin Frolik

Martin is one of our top goalie coaches, constantly keeping up to date with the newest trends and news as to also improve his own skills continuously. He has been a goalie for over twenty years. He has started his goalie career in HC Cernosice and quickly moved on other clubs in Prague and at the age of 16 he was selected to goal tend for the Czech National Team. He is still an active goal tender but constantly coaching the youth programs in all of the clubs he as ever played in. When not coaching for the Czech International Hockey Camp, he is head coach of the goalie program at HC Cernosice. He is a very patient yet strict coach not shying away from any challenges that he is confronted with.

Jaroslav Brazdil

Jaroslav belongs to the elite of Goalie Coaches at our Camp; he not only has extensive experience on a goalie level but he has dedicated several years of his life to the intense study of goalie coaching techniques. He has played for HC Nymburk, but was later drafted to play in Germany in the German 2nd league team of the Lausitzer Fuechse , upon his return he was picked up by the Czech extraliga team of Mlada Boleslav where he acted as second goalie and assistant coach to the youth program. Currently, he is back in Nymburk both actively playing and heading the youth goalie program. While not on the ice Jaroslav dedicates himself to his second hobby and field of study robotics and cybernetics, so there is not telling with what he is going to surprise us next.