Czech captain Roman Červenka returns home

It’s been rumored for a while and now it’s official – veteran Czech forward Roman Červenka is returning to his home country after signing a two-year contract to play for Dynamo Pardubice, the Extraliga club announced on Monday.

“It is a new challenge that everyone needs sometimes,” Červenka told Czech media. “I'm really looking forward to it. We’ll try to achieve the goals we have in front of us. I also spoke with Lukáš Sedlák several times, and he gave me good references. He was part of my decision.”

Červenka and Sedlák were linemates at this year’s IIHF World Championship and the results were fantastic, with the pair leading the team with 11 and 10 points, respectively, en route to the gold medal. For Pardubice, which finished first in the Extraliga regular season last year but lost to Oceláři Třinec in a heardbreaking seven-game final series, they hope this move puts them over the top.

Last month, Červenka was named IIHF Male Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season.

“Červus has long been one of the best Czech hockey players and proves it every year,” said Pardubice sports director Petr Sýkora. “He is a very experienced player, a natural leader. In short, he is a player that everyone would want on their team. At the recent World Championship, he unequivocally proved that, even at an advanced age, he still belongs to the top. I am very happy that we now have him in our jersey.”

Červenka, 38, has spent the past eight seasons in Switzerland, where he’s suited up for National League clubs Fribourg-Gottéron, ZSC Lions and, for the past five seasons, the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers, with whom he twice led the league in scoring. Overall, he recorded 402 points in 362 National League games.

Červenka only played 39 NHL games. Those game in the lockout-shortened 2013 season with the Calgary Flames, where he recorded nine goals and eight assists. He also spent five seasons in the KHL.

Originally from Prague, Červenka’s youth club, Slavia, is currently in the second tier of Czech hockey, which probably played a factor in his signing with Pardubice instead. Červenka turned pro with Slavia and played there almost exclusively until he was 25, helping the team to the national title in 2007-08.

Internationally, this year’s gold medal was Červenka’s second at the Worlds, having previously won in 2010. He’s represented Czechia at 11 World Championships – four as captain – and four Winter Olympics.