Click here to subscribe today or Login.
For the first time in his four-year AHL career, Dominik Uher will have a teammate he can relate to on a different level.
Uher and his new teammate can hold conversations in their native language, enjoy dishes unique to their home country and understand what it’s like to leave your family, home and country at a very young age and travel to a different continent to start a new career.
That’s why it’s no surprise the Uher and Dominik Simon have stalls near each other inside the locker room of the Toyota Sportsplex. The Czech Republic natives have only been teammates for a few weeks, but a bond has quickly formed.
“When you can have a conversation in your language with someone, share some Czech jokes and maybe cook up a nice Czech dish, it’s nice,” Uher said. “The best thing is you can talk and chirp the other guys in your language.”
Still, there’s a bigger similarity that’s bonded Uher and Simon – they both know what it’s like to go out on your own at an early age.
Uher left his home in Ostrava – an industrial city along the eastern border, when he was 13 to play in the Czech U-18 teams. When Uher was 17, he left his country to start his hockey career in North America, joining the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL.
Simon left the Czech Republic this summer to join the Pittsburgh organization, who drafted him in the 5th round of the 2015 draft. Unlike Uher, Simon was 20 when he arrived in North America, but it was still a major step.
“It wasn’t easy to leave my family and home, but I was looking forward to it,” Simon said. “I was faced with a choice. I could go to Russia to the KHL, or here. I wanted to come here and make the NHL and I’m happy with my choice.”
While coming to America meant starting a new life in a new country, Simon was pretty familiar with the Pittsburgh organization.
His agent is Michal Sivek, who spent parts of two seasons with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and Pittsburgh after being acquired from Washington in the Jaromir Jagr trade in 2001. Sivek told Simon what it’s like to play in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and a few other people told him what to expect being a member of the Pittsburgh organization.
Among them was Martin Straka, a Czech native who is the general manager of Simon’s pro team back home, Plzen HC. Like Simon, Straka was also drafted by Pittsburgh and he went on to spend 10 seasons with the Penguins.
“We talked about it and he wanted me to stay,” Simon said. “But he helped me and supported my decision and told me I’ll like Pittsburgh.”
Lastly, there was Jagr, Simon’s linemate at the 2015 IIHF World Championships held in the Czech Republic. The two talked – mostly about hockey, but a little bit about what Simon can expect coming to North America.
“Jagr was one of several players that came over here from the Czech Republic a real long time ago, and I always looked up to them as examples,” Simon said.
And now there’s Uher, who is helping his new Czech teammate adjust to life, and hockey, in North America.
“It’s great when you can speak Czech with someone. I’m really glad he’s here,” Simon said. “He helps me a lot.”
Head coach Mike Sullivan said Simon is a good playmaker with great hands who sees the ice well. Adjusting to the smaller ice surface in North America will take some time, Sullivan said, but it will happen.
“He’s a real cerebral player. He’s a smart enough guy that he’ll adapt,” Sullivan said.
What about adapting to his new country also?
“It’s a big adjustment for a kid to come over to North America and just adjust to the culture, never-mind the hockey,” Sullivan said. “Dominik needs time for that adjustment process both on and off the ice. We’re going to try to help him through that process.”
In the meantime, Simon won’t have to worry about being homesick as long as Uher is around to share the Czech dialogue and cook up a Czech meal on occasion.
“I heard he’s good at potatoes and schnitzel,” Simon said. “It’s really good stuff so we’ll do that for sure.”
