I keep asking Dads about the Comet, says Zábranský. So far, however, his goal remains the NHL
Brno and the name Zábranský? Definitely a lifelong bond. A few years ago, Dad Libor himself put the whole hockey town on its feet, and his son is now embarking on a long journey, which he would like to end at home in the South Moravian metropolis. “One day I want to come back here as a finished player,” said the 21-year-old defender.
During his career, he listened to his name because of his name. When he returned from visiting in Karlovy Vary, he immediately felt the pressure that awaited him in Brno. “It’s something that will probably never go away and will be here forever,” he shrugs. There is only one dream ahead of him now: to prove to all people that he has your last name for it. And actually one more. Follow in his father’s footsteps and play the famous NHL.
When you found yourself at such a small crossroads, Finland finally won. But were there other offers on the table?
It started with the end of my one-year hosting in Vary, so it was a bit anticipated that I would return home and join in preparation with Kometa. After that, however, I was called up to the national team, where I mostly tried to get involved only with myself and put my future on the sidelines a bit. And just during the camps I received an offer from Finland. I thought about it a lot, but after about a week of deciding, I came to the conclusion that going to Yukurit would be the best option.
Didn’t it tempt you to fight for a place in the cabin of the Brno Comet?
Of course it attracted. These were actually two variants of my future. Either fight for a place at home or go to Finland. I definitely wanted to fight for my place here, especially a successful position in Karlovy Vary. But when I talked to the coaches in Yukurit, they felt like I wanted to give me room to constantly improve, and that was exactly what I needed. After all, I’m still twenty-one, and that’s the age when a player is still evolving in hockey.
Allusions to the name? It will probably still be here
Did the father himself play a role when going abroad? Didn’t he persuade you to stay home?
No, he was the first to tell me not to hesitate for a moment and go (laughs). I really got a lot of support from my family and loved ones in this. As I say, such a chance would never have to be repeated, and I don’t think every player is lucky enough to play Finland’s top competition at such a young age.
Do you still encounter allusions to your name? During your time in Brno you had to have as daily bread…
Now that you are a little farther from the action, you are not listening, but of course it is not a forgotten thing. It’s something that will probably be here forever, but it’s hard to do anything about it. And that was one of the reasons why I went to Finland to show everyone that I have what it takes and that one day I will be able to return to Brno as a finished player.
When you and Kometa, as a teenager, went without maturity for the championship title, it must have been a pleasant satisfaction, wasn’t it?
Exactly. For me, as a boy of less than seventeen, it was perhaps the best hockey year of my life. We did well in the junior, where we reached the third place, I trained with the A-team and peeked into the extra league a few times. I was extremely happy with every substitution I got and the fact that it was embellished into a championship title, however, is such a icing on the cake, which, however, is hardly surpassed in a hockey career.
How do you view Brno hockey today? Will your father be missing on the A-team bench?
Interesting question. In Brno, the staff underwent a relatively large change before the season, there were changes not only in the players, but also in coaching positions. However, it will be time to see if it was a shift towards the better. The boys have now started to win, which is only good for them and the whole city. And I really support them. I have always been Brňák and I always will be. I also watch the comet from a distance here in Finland, I didn’t miss a single match (laughs).
Even without a proposal, you can win the Stanley Cup
Overseas, you have replaced five clubs in just three years. Do you like to travel?
(laughs) It looks stupid, I know. But looking back, I certainly wouldn’t change. Thanks to several stations, I met some great people, new cities, I had the opportunity to watch how each organization works and I think that’s what moved me personally a lot. And mostly they weren’t even forced to move. Only in Kelowna, where I ended up by mutual agreement with the management. And paradoxically, I still consider this trade to be perhaps key in my American chapter.
What did the Canadian-American junior school give you in hockey and personal life?
She definitely taught me patience. You know, when you play junior with us and stand out, you get space almost everywhere and all the time. But then when you go somewhere in the world, all of a sudden, in the end, that the competition is bigger than you thought, and that can punish you a lot over time. And the same thing happened to me. I had a regular point for the match in Brno, but when I arrived overseas, seven suddenly of the same quality guys were standing next to me and I had to fight hard for my place. It’s about learning to work with patience and at the same time being able to wait for your chance.
It worked. Fans have already predicted your position in the NHL draft, but then came a severe blow. How much did they open your eyes?
To be completely honest, it was one of the hardest evenings of my life. I was counting on it a bit, because I succeeded before the draft, I also had a successful youth championship behind me and everything went according to plan. I was really done that night, but over time the pain went away. I discussed it with my family, and finally came to the conclusion that it was probably supposed to be.
And if it weren’t for this failure, you may not be in Yukurit, Finland today.
Exactly as you say. It could all be to the detriment as well. It could have turned out that I would be drafted, fell asleep on my laurels and thought of myself as a world champion. In the end, I’m happy for that slap, because he showed me that the boys in the world are one step higher and that I have to work harder on myself. Everyone has a different path to their dream, look at Michal Kempný, for example, an ideal example. He played in Europe until he was 26 years old and still holds the Stanley Cup in his arms (smile).
I didn’t run to Var before
Did it bother you a little that your friends Filip Král and Lukáš Dostál signed newcomer contracts next to you?
Certainly not. My draft year was the two of them who made it so high, and I really wanted it. We grew up together from an early age and I dare say that they are still one of my closest friends. It was Filip when he signed his contract that I was one of the first to write to. I took it in a way that didn’t work out for me, but on the contrary, thanks to the boys, it made a great business card for Brno hockey, which is great.
In the end, as a family, you did see it when your cousin Jakub Brabenec went through the draft this year…
Yes, I was very happy for Kub’s success. After all, as for everyone else. As I say, every year I am very happy for our boys in the draft, because that is what makes a good business card for Czech hockey and we hope that it will bring the desired fruit in the future.
Did you take the subsequent move to Karlovy Vary as such a second touch in your career?
It was especially important for me that I brought a relatively decent form from overseas. The ending was not easy there, the coronavirus pandemic did not subside and travel was out of the question. That’s why I came home, I even started training with Kometa, but the pressure was really great. In addition, a couple of guys from the NHL came to the rescue, which significantly complicated my position in the team. And listening somewhere that they only play thanks to my dad, it really wasn’t worth it.
Did you take it that in the west of Bohemia you would get more space, or was it a “tactical move” on the part of your father?
I would rather say that it was really about playing. I only learned from my father that Mr. Pešout called him and offered me really great conditions in Vary. In the end, it was the best possible decision, in the west of Bohemia I got almost all the matches and got a lot of space on the ice. From a personal point of view, it was a really important and successful season for me.
After returning to Brno, your return was directly on the fall. But when the offer came from the north, there was probably nothing to think about, see?
On the contrary, I thought for a long time (laughs). Maybe it’s such a small weakness, but I’m a really big Brňák and Komeťák, I love my hometown and it was very difficult for me to leave. The vision of playing at home in front of the best fans was really tempting, but I also had to think a little about the future. And the step towards Finland was the best at the time.
Finnish stace as a springboard back to overseas?
Nevertheless, you must have imagined the beginning with Jukurit differently. How does he react to the temporary penultimate place of fans and management?
Of course, the placement looks bad at first glance, but we usually lose my matches ourselves in the finals. We play with all the teams evenly, but so far we simply have a blanket. However, there is no need to panic, it also keeps on our minds that we have to be patient and it will come. It is true that it is time to start scoring, but I believe that we will soon be able to break it.
And what about the atmosphere in the stadium? Such a small Finnish Brno?
Definitely not. I think that it is almost impossible to compare to find it with those in Brno. Here in Yukurit we have such a smaller stadium, so most of the time there are only about two thousand spectators, sometimes a little more. if you’re doing well, you feel the support, but it’s definitely not the hell what the guys on Comet are, of course.
Among other things, Šimon Stránský expanded the Czech track in the club. Do you spend some time off the ice together?
I actually met Simon only here in Finland, until then I only knew about him that he played for Comet for a while. But I have to say that we sat down fantastically. We spend time together in the cabin, we go to trainings together, we jump here and there for lunch. Yes, it’s nice to have someone here with whom you can talk when you don’t feel the best, or discuss current events in the Czech Republic.
And what about Dad, do you get any regular advice over the phone to Scandinavia?
Dad has been to see me twice before. He was looking at how it all worked here, wondering which direction they were heading in Finland. It’s not that we call each other every day, rather we chirp sometimes, he asks how I’m doing, what trainings, but rather I’m actively asking about what’s going on in the Comet, to be of course regularly in the picture (laughs).
You now have a two-year contract in Finland, what do you plan to do next?
This is a long way off. At the moment, I have a divided work for two years, during which I will try to squeeze as much as possible out of myself. It’s no secret that the biggest dream is to go back to fighting in America, so we work on it with the coaches every day. But you know, you never know what life will give you, so we’ll see what happens.