Question for Czech league fans - HC Slavia Praha - Vladimir Sobotka Huge Hit

[JamieG]

Sorry for the random question, but I don't know where else to go with the possibility of finding someone who knows.

As a fan of Vladimir Sobotka, now with the St. Louis Blues of course, I was doing some searches about him.

To my surprise, I found out that back in 2006, while playing for Slavia Praha in a playoff game, he was leveled with a devastating hit - was knocked unconscious for several minutes and suffered a severe concussion. The player who hit him was Thomas Frola with Trinec.

I was able to find some articles about the incident on some Czech sites and translated those. And I found some still pictures of the hit - or at least Sobotka on the ice unconscious. But there seemed to be a dispute about whether the hit was clean or not.

I've been trying in vain to find an actual video of the hit to see how bad it was. It's difficult because probably the only sites that would still have it are Czech sites and because of the language barrier, sometimes searches don't bring up anything.

Any chance that any of you have the video or know where to find it?

I guess obviously Sobotka got over it, but I found it a bit surprising that he had suffered such a serious head injury - especially considering the way he hits and the number of fights he gets in. Usually after a player suffers such a serious concussion, it doesn't take much to get another one and another one after that.

I'd really appreciate any help finding the video of this hit.

Click to read more...

 

[smitty10]

Interesting thread topic. I've personally never heard about this at all, however there are some very knowledgeable Czech posters on these boards (Czechexpert is one) who would likely know about something like this.

Good luck. I hope to learn more about it as well.

 

[JamieG]

Smitty, thank you very much.

This was the first article I found about it. I have to say that I prefer European interviews compared to North American -- they certainly get more detailed.

Sobotka looks like he almost got beaten to death with a baseball bat! One of the reasons why I want to see the video is that Frola sounds remorseful and apologized, but Vladimir refused to accept the apology. Another article I found, had a comment from, I believe the opposing coach. I guess the hit was when the game was almost over. Someone said that hockey is a 60 minute game and you need to be aware for every second or else you'll end up knocked out cold like Sobotka.

http://hc-slavia.cz/clanek.asp?id=Z-tech-fotek-v-novinach-mi-nebylo-moc-dobre-rika-Vladimir-Sobotka-2344

By the end of the second quarterfinal match lacked less than a minute and the result of the match was de facto decision. You founded the attack, penetrated into the offensive zone and passed the Long Radek. At the moment you started right defender Tomáš Frolo. Did you know that close to you?

No, not at all, I wanted tall (R. Dlouhy) record and go help him into the corner. Then there came the morning, after which I woke up in the cabin when me, I think sew eyebrows.

Thomas Frola surgery on you was evaluated as malicious foul, although here and there emerged the idea that it was not a foul. How do you look at the surgery now, with hindsight, you yourself?

's hard to do anything I can say I'm the surgery had not even seen it, but based on what I have seen and read in the newspapers and what I was told acquaintances so it was a direct blow to the head. Today I learned that Thomas Frolo received by the disciplinary committee stop for five matches, so it probably was a foul Frolo may ultimately be glad that remained in those five games, he did not get more.

By the way, do you know with Thomas Frolich something more? Have you ever gathered together in the past?

No, not at all.

Have you heard and apologized to you?

Oh yes, when I left Sazka Arena in hospital, so for me, climbed into the ambulance and told me that I'm sorry that he's very sorry. Even today (on Tuesday, 14 3rd) called me on the phone and said the same thing. So I asked him if he did not think it was unnecessary, and he reiterated that he was sorry that it was probably unnecessary. I really did not want to talk with him.

I see that you have a number of bed today's newspapers. What is it like to look at you? Watching is not his own unconscious body?

Oh, it's terrible. When I saw some of the photos, so I was not much of it good.

And while the photos can not convey the horror of that moment, they can not capture that moment when you fell limply to the ground. When you here now you see the pictures, you never want to view the video?

Oh yes, definitely like to see.

But back to the more unlucky 60th minute. Remember therefore a blow to the head and then infirmary, where you stitch the wound in the face

I woke up in the cabin when my doctor stitched the wound and then remember another departure to the hospital.

When you fell limply to the ice, you ran for the doctor and took Pacovský you first set language. Have you loaded onto a stretcher, you drove off the ice surface. At that time you are around oblivious?

No, I really do not remember.

So do not even know that the substitute bench Třinecké to myself some players out?

Now I know you told me, but I had, of course, did not know.

How ever long you were unconscious?

do not know, but maybe four or five minutes.

When you brought the ice, what happened then?

They brought me into the dressing room, rear, where we have a massage table, there I lay down and my doctor began to sew and only at that moment I actually woke up. I remember even then the ambulance came back, stripped of my outfit and went into the ambulance.

So you were fully conscious, when you could go into the ambulance?

That is the question. The guys told me that I was with them during the normally entertained that he allegedly made ​​fun of me, but I do not remember. Mainly, it turned out that way at least.

Do you feel at this moment any pain?
Nope, I got a pain-killing injection. Yesterday evening me but quite a headache, but otherwise good.

How many visits did you have today?

came to me such as Dominik Graňák, Vladimir Ruzicka, five, six journalists from the sport, lightning and arrows, there were a lot of friends and acquaintances for a while to come yet dad.

Do you think that you are the kind of injury notes, for example, that it will not be so strong in the personal duel?

No, I do not think so.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 15 March morning, you go home from the hospital on Thursday Slavia plays in Trinec, there probably still nenastoupíte?

No, certainly (smile) I have to be at least seven days in peace and then we'll see.

 

[JamieG]

Hard to believe he's the same guy: