HC Plzen vs. Kladno

Last Thursday night I went to a hockey match with another teacher, many students, and 8,000+ people from Plzen! The stadium was completely filled, as this was not just a battle of and about hockey. It was a battle between the HC Plzen Indians and HC Kladno Knights, and its two professional NHL players. (Note: for those who don’t know, the NHL is the National Hockey League, consisting of Canadian and American teams.) Two players had returned from playing in the NHL to join their original team in the Czech Republic, making them superstars. Apparently, most matches only have 5,000 fans watching. But because this night was extra special the stadium was sold out. After munching on some snacks outside, I entered the stadium and made the trek up to the top of the stadium into the standing-room-only section. That's correct, for almost three hours I stood beside students and strangers!

At first, both teams warmed up. Then the Zamboni resurfaced the rink and a man dressed in an HC Plzen Indian regalia came skating around! While I would love to talk about the irony in this, I will skip to what happened next: the teams were introduced, all the fans lit sparklers and chanted, and then the first of three periods began. This game was a nail-biter. Kladno scored in the first period and Plzen in the second! After the score all the fans whipped their scarves in the air. The tie continued in the third period causing the match to go into overtime. Finally, each team had to take five penalty shots, which resulted in a win for Plzen! The crowd went wild! Only, they had been going wild throughout the entire time. My standing section also happened to be the cheering section! Most people had HC Plzen jerseys, scarves, and hats and there were huge banners that occasionally covered the entire section! One man brought his drum and people took turns pounding it. Chants were either sung in unison with the entire stadium or call-and-repeat with different sections taking their turns. Most chants involved some kind of swearing at the referees and Kladno players. However, there were a few that sounded similar to cheers at a baseball or basketball game in the US (I have never been to an NHL game, so I can't compare). Once they sang "Olay, Olay, Olay, Olay," but added the names "Plzen" and "Škoda" at the end. Škoda is the biggest car manufacturer in the Czech Republic and biggest Czech exporter, and they also happen to have a factory in Plzen! The crowd also chanted "modrá bílá," which means "blue white" because of those are the team colors, and a song to the tune of "Oh My Darling Clementine." After every period, there were 15-minute intermissions where the HC Plzen Indian mascot would come out and play a game with different audience members. Sometimes they had to pull a canoe across the rink, run on ice, or roll dice to win prizes.

Attending this hockey game was a very engaging and fun cultural event! Hockey and soccer are the two most popular sports in Plzen! Prior to the macth, students and teachers were going nuts about this match! My students without tickets were extremely envious. The only students not excited were four students who came to my lunch table and explained that they prefer to LARP (Live Action Role Play) and CosPlay (dressing up in costumes) than watch sports. To each, his own. Sports have become a theme in my life and will be the topic for a few future posts!

Go Plzen!

My students and me (I am not actually that short! I am standing on a lower step!):

Exciting Moments: