Jan Suchý

Jan Suchý (10 October 1944 – 24 August 2021[1]) was an ice hockey player from Německý Brod, Czechoslovakia.[2] He was sometimes referred to as the "European Bobby Orr".

Jan Suchý
Suchý in 2018
Born	(1944-10-10)10 October 1944 Německý Brod, Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia
Died	24 August 2021(2021-08-24) (aged 76)
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	170 lb (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Left
Played for	Dukla Jihlava
National team	Czechoslovakia
Playing career	1961–1982
Medal record Representing  Czechoslovakia Men's ice hockey Olympic Games 1968 Grenoble Team World Championships 1965 Tampere Team 1966 Ljubljana Team 1971 Bern/Geneva Team 1974 Helsinki Team 1969 Stockholm Team 1970 Stockholm Team 1973 Moscow Team

From the ages of 8 to 19, Suchý played for a local team, Jiskra Havlíčkův Brod. He then played for the Czechoslovakian army team Dukla Jihlava from 1963 to 1979, during which time he helped them win seven Czechoslovakian league titles. By his last season he had scored more goals than any defenceman in league history. He then continued to play in Austria and Germany until 1984.

He played in the Czechoslovakia national team in the world championships of 1965, 1966, 1968[lower-alpha 1]–71, 1973 and 1974, scoring 22 goals in 68 games, and winning four silver medals and three bronze medals. He also played in the ice hockey tournament of the 1968 Winter Olympics,[lower-alpha 1] winning a silver medal with his team.

Suchý won the first two Golden Hockey Stick awards as Czechoslovakia's best player in 1969 and 1970. He was named the best defenceman at the ice hockey world championships in 1969 and 1971.

He was also the first European to be placed on an NHL protected list (by the Boston Bruins).