Story Summary
Michal Kempný, a defenceman for Rytíři Kladno, says he is committed to helping the club climb back to the levels it once enjoyed. Returning from a season in Sweden and Olympic participation, Kempný highlights lessons taken from the national team and major tournaments – especially the importance of a tight dressing-room culture, daily work habits and learning to cope with defeats – as central to Kladno’s plan to improve in the Czech Extraliga.
Key Facts
- Michal Kempný is a defenceman for Rytíři Kladno.
- Kempný said he likes the vision and direction that Kladno began to build last season and wants to help the team make a step up.
- He noted the Czech Extraliga has improved significantly, with many players returning and overall quality rising.
- Kempný played last season in Sweden, where he competed on a large ice surface.
- Before the Olympics he adapted again to the smaller rink dimensions and found that game very appealing, with little time for a defenceman and every touch of the puck important.
- He referenced lessons received from national-team coaches in Prague and at the Olympics.
- Kempný said he had experienced powerful dressing-room bonds at the World Championship in Prague and while in Washington, when ‘we’ won the Stanley Cup.
- He believes creating a strong dressing-room culture helps teams overcome the unexpected setbacks and testing moments of a season.
- Kempný said it is important for players to experience losses so the team’s character is tested and forged.
- He described enjoying his year in Sweden off the ice – living in a seaside house, positive local life, daily cold-water swims and access to a sauna.
IHM Discussion
Kempný’s comments combine personal experience with a clear leadership brief for Kladno. His season in Sweden, played on a larger ice surface, and his readjustment to narrower dimensions before the Olympics have reinforced the importance of quick decisions with the puck. That on-ice perspective sits alongside the cultural message he repeatedly returns to: habits, daily work and a connected dressing room. Kempný points to the national-team environment in Prague and Washington’s Stanley Cup-winning dressing room as examples of that bond. For a team seeking to improve, his focus is firmly on process rather than immediate results.
Why It Matters
Kempný brings recent experience from Sweden and the Olympics, along with an explicit desire to help Kladno improve. He believes the rising standard of the Czech Extraliga demands honest daily work, a close dressing room and the resilience to respond to difficult periods. His comments set out an incremental approach: progress should come through habits and collective character rather than short-term expectations.
Mini Q&A
Who is speaking about Kladno’s direction?
Michal Kempný, a defenceman for Rytíři Kladno.
What recent playing experience did Kempný mention?
He spent last season playing in Sweden on a large ice surface and then readjusted to the smaller rink before the Olympics.
What qualities does Kempný say will help Kladno improve?
A strong dressing-room culture, daily work habits, character shown in response to losses, and consistent, honest effort.
Which high-level experiences does he cite as examples of a united dressing room?
The World Championship in Prague and his time in Washington when ‘we’ won the Stanley Cup.
Did Kempný enjoy his year abroad off the ice?
Yes; he described living by the sea, enjoying local hospitality, daily cold-water swims and having access to a seaside sauna.
Coach Mark Comment
Kempný’s experience of both larger and narrower ice surfaces supports his emphasis on quicker puck decisions. For Kladno, the more important message is collective: a team’s structure is tested most when results turn against it. Daily standards and clear habits give a dressing room something dependable to fall back on during those stretches.
What Comes Next
Kempný looks ahead to the coming period at Kladno, where he expects to apply the lessons from Sweden, the national team and major tournaments as the club prepares for the Extraliga season.
IHM Final View
Michal Kempný has made clear that he wants to help Kladno move forward. In a strengthening league, he sees daily habits, unity in the dressing room and a resilient response to setbacks as the foundations for improvement.