Coach Pleky? It could happen

MONTREAL - Tomas Plekanec won't necessarily be hanging up his skates in retirement.

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He's seriously considering a career in coaching when his playing days in his native Czech Republic are done.
The 38-year-old former Canadiens forward shared the news during a recent appearance on The Alumni Lounge podcast, presented by
ScotiaAdvice+
, with host Patrice Brisebois and co-host Chantal Desjardins.
Having played nearly 1,100 games between Montreal and Toronto during his 15-year NHL tenure, Plekanec certainly understands the intricacies of the sport at hockey's highest level.
His mentorship of current and ex-Habs is also well-documented, so he understands the importance of good communication and helping players feel at ease.
Could you envision Plekanec behind a bench someday? We definitely can.
"The more towards the end of my career, I'm watching the coaches. I'm kind of seeing how they react on the bench. I'm kind of paying attention to the system of the other teams. I'm trying to think as a coach right now. The older I am, I'm trying to get into that thinking a little bit," said Plekanec, who retired from the NHL in November 2018. "I don't know if I'll do it. Right now, I feel like I want to, but who knows what's going to happen."
If an opportunity presents itself at some point and he's up for the challenge, Plekanec insists that he'll be a "player's coach" in every conceivable way.
Piecing together the full extent of his coaching style, however, will take some time.
"That's a tricky question because as a player your thinking is so much different. You need that coaching experience under your belt and you need to see how players react. It's hard to say right now," admitted Plekanec. "If I ever coach, I'll try to take the best out of the coaches I had, combine my own coaching style and go from there."

Keep in mind that the father of three remains focused on playing for his hometown Rytíři Kladno in the Chance Liga, the second-highest pro league in the country.
He registered 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 33 regular season games as captain this year, and boasts 12 points (4 goals, 8 assists) in nine contests during the club's current playoff run.
On April 7, Plekanec even scored the overtime-winner to send his squad to the final against HC Dukla Jihlava where a coveted spot in the Czech Extraliga is on the line.
While the two-time Olympian's numbers have been good and the team has enjoyed success, plying his trade in empty rinks has been tough for Plekanec, which is why he wants to play at least one more season.
"It's so hard with COVID and everything. If we win the playoffs, we're going to advance to the Extraliga. It's pretty good quality. I still want to enjoy that year," insisted Plekanec. "When you get used to playing in front of 20,000 fans at the Bell Centre, you don't want to retire in front of an empty building during a COVID season, so we'll see."

It's safe to say that the veteran centreman can still deliver the goods.
Being a gym rat and avoiding injury are big reasons why, along with his incredible passion for competition, even under less-than-ideal conditions.
"To get motivated for those games where there are no people in the stands and you play just 34 regular season games, it's hard. But the positive thing is that we can still go to the rink, practice and enjoy playing. I still love to play the game, so that's what matters," said Plekanec. "I want to enjoy playing in front of the fans again and be able to retire at least in front of a full building."
Thank you, Lucie!
Make no mistake about it, Plekanec also owes his success to his better half, Lucie Safarova.
She's a former WTA star who helps him stay in shape with frequent workouts on the court.
"Sometimes, we play together. It's great practice and it's great training for me. It's great cardio," explained Plekanec. "I'm still active during the days off. It's fun for me. It's not as much fun for her, but she's still doing it for me."

As good as Plekanec might be at tennis, though, he says his skills pale in comparison to hers.
Safarova won seven singles crowns and fifteen doubles titles, so her resume speaks for itself.
Longtime professionals in their respective disciplines, there's a unique understanding between them that adds a special dimension to their relationship.
"We have our careers behind us. I'm close to it, but she has it behind her. She knows what we're going through, and I know what she went through during her career. We find it very similar. We went through a lot. It's been hard for us," confided Plekanec. "We enjoy talking about it a little bit, but sometimes we want to stay off the sports subject at home and just enjoy the family time."
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Speaking of family, the couple welcomed their baby daughter, Lea, in December 2019.
Trying to keep up with her isn't easy, but he's relishing every second of it.
"She's so active. I have never seen a little kid like this being so active. She never wants to sleep and she's always up on her feet and walking around. It's just crazy," joked Plekanec. "Sometimes, I'm happy going to practice or going to a game. I'm fresher coming back from a game and practices than being at home. But, it's fun. We love it. We enjoy it."
The Alumni Lounge and Le Salon des Anciens podcasts feature in-depth interviews with some of the organization's most popular players of the past.
The inaugural season of the pod will include 10 episodes, which will alternate languages each week under two separate titles in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and other podcast hosting platforms.
They will also be available as full video episodes on the Canadiens' YouTube channel.