Plekanec enjoying new career path as Czechia Olympic assistant coach

MILAN -- Tomas Plekanec hasn't changed. Even after his playing days have come to an end, he still sports his famous turtleneck collar on his tracksuit.

Plekanec will represent Czechia for the third time at the Olympic Games, but for the first time as a coach. At the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the former Montreal Canadiens forward will be behind the Czechia bench as an assistant to coach Radim Rulik.

"It's always a special feeling to take part in the Olympics," Plekanec said Tuesday. "I'd say that this Olympic tournament is ever more special with the return of the NHL players."

The last time NHL players took part in the Olympics, in Sochi 2014, Plekanec was captain. In Vancouver in 2010, he was one of the centers for a team led by star forwards Jaromir Jagr and Patrik Elias.

"I'm discovering another side of hockey, that of a coach," Plekanec said. "It's a different position. I have different responsibilities than from my time as a player. But it's still the Olympics. It means a great deal to me. I want to help my country."

Plekanec always has shown an immense pride toward his homeland. Besides his two Olympics appearances, he donned the Czech jersey at the IIHF World Championship 11 times.

"We never had the opportunity to go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final during my time with the Canadiens, so I had the chance to represent Czechia quite a few times at the Worlds," he said. "I love playing hockey. I'd always say yes when I got the invitation. I never had any reason to say no."

Plekanec not only has the Czech coat of arms tattooed on his heart, but also the logo of the Canadiens, for whom he played 984 of his 1,001 regular-season NHL games.

In 15 seasons with the Canadiens, Plekanec played under coaches Claude Julien and Michel Therrien, each in two separate stints, but also under Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Randy Cunneyworth and Jacques Martin. And during his brief 17-game stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the end of the 2017-18 season, Mike Babcock was the coach.

When asked what lessons he gleaned from his former coaches, Plekanec smiled for a few seconds before offering his response.

"The players would probably be better at answering that for me," he said. "But I'll offer you a cliche. I picked up aspects from all of my coaches. I kept the good parts from a Michel Therrien or a Claude Julien, for example."

Karel Vejmelka, one of the three Czech goalies in Milan, first crossed paths with Plekanec well before this Olympic adventure. The two players had shared the same locker room for two seasons between 2018-20 with Brno in Extraliga, the top professional league in Czechia.

"I've known him for a very long time. I played with him in Czechia and now I have the chance to have him as my coach," Vejmelka said. "He's a great guy and he was a heck of a player. I'd say that he's a legend in our country.

"He has a ton of influence on our team thanks to his experience. He has his say on how the penalty kill runs and he also advises our centers on face-offs."

Vejmelka described Plekanec as a player's assistant coach.

"I wouldn't say he's hard on his players," Vejmelka said. "He always remains pleasant, but he gets his message across. If he needs to yell at a player, he will. I'm saying that, but I honestly can't remember a single time he's done that. He doesn't have too many reasons to chew a guy out."

Czechia will begin play in the men's Olympic tournament against Canada on Thursday (10:40 a.m. ET; Peacock, USA, CBC Gem, CBC).

Before receiving his invitation to join Czechia's coaching staff in Milano Cortina, Plekanec had the opportunity to learn the tools of the trade.

Late in December, he was promoted to coach of Rytiri Kladno, the Extraliga team with whom he had finished his playing career in 2023-24 and with whom he had served as sporting director since the beginning of this season.

"It's a new challenge for me," he said. "We now have a new owner in Kladno. He's changed the environment around the team and the organization. Now I have to help in the construction of the roster. I agreed to take on the challenge by becoming head coach, but I like this challenge. Hopefully it will be a positive experience and the team will climb up in the standings."

Now 53 years old, Jagr has played six of Kladno's 47 games this season. Just like Plekanec, Jagr is a Kladno native. And just like his idol Mario Lemieux had once done with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jagr occupied the role of player and owner at the same time, having purchased majority ownership of Rytiri Kladno from his father in 2011. In January 2025, Jagr announced that he was selling the majority of his shares of the team to businessman Tomas Drastil.

"Jaromir hasn't played since I took over as coach," Plekanec said. "I don't know if he's coming back to play. We'll see. With him, you never know."

In regard to another question about the future, Plekanec was more matter of fact. In the short term, he does not foresee starting a second career in the NHL as a coach.

"I've got a family with young kids," he said. "The coaching life is tough. In the NHL you're working practically 24/7. I missed time with my kids. A job in the NHL just isn't a priority for me. I've done enough traveling over the course of my career. I'd need a pretty special opportunity to go back to North America, and there are few European coaches in the NHL."