Podcast highlights: Jan Mysak
The Rocket forward was a guest of Marc Dumont on the History in the Making podcast
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The Litvinov, Czech Republic native recently joined Marc Dumont to discuss his decision to leave his home country, his impressions of Montreal and life in North America, his desire to get better each day, and his determination to turn his dream of playing in the NHL into reality.
Read on for a few highlights from Mysak's discussion with Dumont, which is available in its entirety wherever you get your podcasts.
MARC DUMONT:Growing up, who was your biggest influence hockey-wise? Who really got you involved in the game?
JAN MYSAK: There are two people. My older brother, Josef. He's three years older than me and he was the first one in our family to play hockey. I always liked to watch his games and practices. The second person is Jiri Slegr. He's a legend from my hometown and my country. He was the general manager of my team back in the Czech Republic. He helped me a lot. He was kind of my favorite role model.
MD: When did you start playing hockey? Who got you to put skates on?
JM: I started when I was three years old. I hated to put the gear on. It was so heavy. But, I had a good deal with my parents. They told me that if I went to practice, they would buy me a hot dog. That was my thing. That's what I wanted.
MD: Former Canadiens defenseman Petr Svoboda showed you around Montreal at some point, right?
JM: I was here in Montreal two years ago and I spent a week with him. He showed me around the city. I was on the ice with his brother. He's a skills coach. My brother and I had a really good time here. I was in shock when I came here for the first time. I'm from a town of 26,000 people, so it's kind of small. When I got here, I thought it was a city from out of a movie. I wanted to go to the grocery store, buy some candy and see what you had here. I was impressed.
MD: What was the reaction back home when you decided to move to North America?
JM:They understood. It was my big decision. I'm really happy with it. I spent 17 years there. I just realized that it was important to leave my comfort zone, try something new and move closer to my dream, which is to play in the NHL. I just wanted to play in Canada, in North America, and I'm really happy that I made this decision.
MD:Have you tried poutine yet?
JM: When I was 13 years old, I was in Quebec for the Pee-Wee Tournament, and I always wanted to try a corn dog. I never knew what it was called, so I went to the shop to buy it, but I didn't know what to do. I saw that they had poutine and hot dogs. I asked them what a corn dog was called here, but I ended up getting a poutine, which is completely different. I didn't like it.
MD: You have an insatiable desire to improve. Where does that come from?
JM: I just have it inside me to get better every day. That's what Alex Burrows told me here. It's good advice. The goal is to be better every day. That's what I'm trying to do. I also spent some time with pros in the Czech Republic and I saw how they worked. That kind of inspired me.
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MD: What's been the biggest shock on the ice so far in the pros?
JM:The biggest shock was probably the physicality. It was something different. The fights. Back in the Czech Republic, I saw maybe one fight during my career. Here, there's maybe one fight per game. I was pretty shocked when I saw it. But, I like it. It's important to protect our guys. I love it. The hockey is also so quick.
MD: When you were in Hamilton, you got to the rink three hours before practice, right?
JM:I like to be prepared. I like to do my things. I always have a lot of things to do at the rink. I always like to hang out with the guys just to talk. Why should I spend time at home in my room when I can be at the rink doing what brings me joy? I always need more time there.
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