David Pastrňák spends his summers in Europe – he, his Swedish wife and their daughter split their time between Sweden and his home country in Czechia.

Over the past few years, Pastrňák has played an increasing role on a Boston Bruins team that was a perennial contender, although the Stanley Cup has been elusive. Now, following a year where the Bruins missed the playoffs, the 29-year-old winger finds himself the lone superstar on a team with a lot of question marks.

In an interview with Hokej.cz’s Dominik Dubovči, Pastrňák was asked about his summer and the upcoming Olympics, but the first question was about the Bruins’ lack of a top-line center to play with him.

“Well, that’s a pretty good first question,” Pastrňák laughed. “I don’t really think about it. I’m just focusing on being ready for the season. We’ve signed a lot of experienced players who will help us on the ice and in the locker room with leadership. It’s been a long summer, so I’m looking forward to it starting up again.”

What is your summer schedule like?
“I was in Prague all of July and we’ll spend all of August in Sweden. Then we’ll be flying to America at the end of August – a little earlier this year because we need to arrange a lot of things, settle in with our little daughter and get used to the time difference.”

Semifinal vs Sweden a family affair for David Pastrňák Pastrňák couldn’t hide how happy he was for Boston Bruins teammate Pavel Zacha, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/its-official-pastrnak-zacha-will-both-join-czechia">who flew overseas with him this week to play in his first World Championship</a>.

How’s it been with the family?
“We’ve had a relaxing summer. We haven’t gone to the seaside or anything – we spent our whole vacation traveling around Sweden. For my family, the greatest gift is when I’m home. So we made it as relaxing as possible. We didn’t even feel like going anywhere, we were more focused on our daughter.”

What do you like about Sweden?
“The landscape is beautiful there. In the summer there’s 18 hours of daylight, so you put your daughter to bed and you can go golfing at 7:30 p.m. … Which of course takes a while to play, but the days are long and the summer is nice there. We spend a lot of time on the water, on the boat. It’s so peaceful and quiet there.”

William Nylander Says Winning Swedish Award 'A Very Special Feeling' This past weekend, William Nylander was awarded the <i>GuldPucken</i>, or Golden Puck, as the best hockey player in the world from Sweden. He then did an interview with Swedish media where he spoke about the award, the recent season with the <a href="http://thn.com/toronto">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> and his future both on and off the ice.&nbsp;

How’s your summer training going?
“It can always be better, but this summer’s the same as always. We’re getting into it, going out on the ice often is tiring, and spending a lot of time in the gym. But I’m fine and I’m glad that my health is holding up somehow. I’m trying to do my best to be ready.”

Are you thinking about the Olympics yet?
“Well, I’m very happy that the NHL is allowing us to do it, of course. I’m really looking forward to it, but I’m not thinking about it that much. After all, it’s still more than halfway through the season. I’m more concerned about what will happen tomorrow, what will happen next week.”

Czechs have lots of options for 2026 Olympics It's often difficult to know what to expect from the Czechs, who can produce wildly different results depending on which players are in their lineup. They surely have some elite talent and then a lot of rather mediocre depth players on both sides of the Atlantic that almost seem interchangeable. For that reason, predicting their roster is a bit of a guessing game. If Radim Rulík remains head coach through the 2026 Winter Olympics, he might stick with the team that gelled very nicely at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and won gold on home ice, especially with the Olympics on a wider European ice surface.

What do the Bruins need to do better?
“Last season was a huge disappointment for all of us. Everyone who was there is even more motivated to turn it around next year. That’s why we play hockey, it’s special for every player. That will be our goal.”

What do you think about the arrival of another Czech teammate, Matěj Blümel?
“I’m very happy to have another Czech. He had an excellent season in the AHL, his numbers last year were really great (72 points in 67 games), so I hope he can continue that. We’re in touch and I can see how hard he’s working. I’m definitely looking forward to all of us being there together. Let’s hope he seizes the opportunity and we become teammates.”

Have you been in touch with Brad Marchand over the summer?
“Of course, I wrote him congratulations on the Cup. We played a big part of our careers together and our wives are also great friends. The bond is there, so of course it was difficult to see him leave. I’m not happy about the Stanley Cup for Florida, but I am happy for Marchand. Then when he signed a big contract, I kind of let him know that I would make the first game against us a little difficult for him. I am looking forward to it. We always had tough battles together, even in practise.”

Jakub Lauko Returns Home To Czechia On Multi-Year Deal Czech forward Jakub Lauko, 25, has signed a three-year contract with Dynamo Pardubice, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Friday.

Now that he’s gone, you didn’t get the captain’s C, as many predicted. How will it be with no permanent captain and only alternates?
“Nothing changes. It wouldn’t change if I had the C or Charlie McAvoy. We’re all in this together, we still have guys in the locker room who’ve won the Stanley Cup. I know I’m a leader and Boston’s game will depend on me. We have to continue to work together, improve and help the young guys.”

So, one last topic for a lighthearted read. How did your mom manage to represent you at the Zlatá hokejka awards?
“Perfectly, of course,” he smiled. “I’m proud of her, it suited her. I hope you didn’t bother her too much there.”

Photo: © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

David Pastrňák’s mother steals the show after accepting his award On Sunday in Prague, David Pastrňák won the Golden Hockey Stick, or Zlatá hokejka – as named <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/international/latest-news/david-pastrnak-wins-zlata-hokejka-as-czech-player-of-the-year-for-the-7th-time">top Czech male hockey player of the year for the seventh time in eight years</a>. Pasta wasn’t in town to collect the award, however. Instead, his mother, Marcela Ziembová, accepted the award on his behalf.