Story Summary
Jan Košťálek will miss Pardubice‘s home game against unbeaten Tipsport Extraliga leaders Třinec after receiving a two-game suspension for pushing linesman Pavel Blažek during Friday’s game in Vítkovice.
The disciplinary commission chairman, Radim Bičánek, also imposed a fine of 10 per cent on Košťálek. The Pardubice defenceman was assessed a game misconduct late in the third period after an incident involving Vítkovice player Macias.
Košťálek had earlier scored the winning goal in Ostrava, but he was ejected with just under 10 minutes left in the third period. Pardubice assistant coach Václav Kočí said the player understood that he had crossed a line, while suggesting Košťálek may have been trying to retrieve a stick underneath the official.
The ban also rules Košťálek out of Pardubice’s game in Olomouc next Sunday. He can return on 23 October, when Pardubice are due to visit Kladno.
Team-mate Jiří Smejkal was also disciplined following the Vítkovice game, although he remains available against Třinec. Smejkal was fined 10 per cent of his monthly salary after the commission concluded that he had embellished a high-stick incident involving Vítkovice forward Cienciala.
Key Facts
- Jan Košťálek received a two-game suspension and a fine of 10 per cent for pushing linesman Pavel Blažek during Friday’s game in Vítkovice.
- Košťálek is Pardubice’s leading-scoring defenceman and will miss the home fixture against Třinec as well as next Sunday’s game in Olomouc.
- Košťálek scored the winning goal in Vítkovice before receiving a game misconduct with just under 10 minutes remaining in the third period.
- Radim Bičánek said Košťálek deliberately pushed the official with both hands after the linesman intervened following contact between Košťálek and Macias.
- Bičánek noted that Košťálek had been disciplined repeatedly in the recent period.
- Košťálek is eligible to return on 23 October away to Kladno.
- Jiří Smejkal was fined 10 per cent of his monthly salary for embellishment but is available to play against Třinec.
- The disciplinary ruling found that Smejkal theatrically reacted to a light stick contact around the visor area from Vítkovice’s Cienciala, who was assessed a two-minute high-sticking penalty.
IHM Discussion
The immediate consequence for Pardubice is clear: a prominent contributor from the blue line will not be available for two league fixtures at a demanding point in the schedule. Třinec arrive in Pardubice as the unbeaten league leaders, while Pardubice sit second, making the first game of Košťálek’s suspension a meeting between the competition’s top two sides.
Košťálek’s dismissal came after a sequence that had already included his decisive goal. However, the disciplinary decision was based on his subsequent contact with Blažek, rather than his earlier contribution to the result. Bičánek’s explanation was explicit that the linesman had moved to prevent further action after the Košťálek-Macias confrontation and that Košťálek then pushed him with both hands.
Kočí did not dispute that the conduct was unacceptable. His explanation that Košťálek may have been attempting to collect a stick from beneath the official provides the player’s possible immediate intention, but it does not alter the sanction or the fact that the assistant coach said Košťálek had gone too far.
Smejkal’s case is separate in both sanction and availability. He has not been suspended, so he can play against Třinec, but the fine records the commission’s conclusion that his fall was not an unavoidable consequence of the contact. The original on-ice call had penalised Cienciala for high-sticking; the later disciplinary ruling instead focused on Smejkal’s reaction to that contact.
Why It Matters
Pardubice will face Třinec without their most productive defenceman, a material absence for a team preparing to host the undefeated leaders. The suspension then extends through the following league game in Olomouc, giving the ruling an effect beyond a single match.
The cases also underline the distinction between an in-game penalty and subsequent discipline. Košťálek’s game misconduct was followed by a two-game ban and fine, while Smejkal’s on-ice incident resulted in a later financial penalty despite his remaining eligible to play. In both rulings, the commission addressed conduct after reviewing the incidents rather than simply restating the original calls on the ice.
Mini Q&A
Why was Jan Košťálek suspended?
Košťálek was suspended for two games after the disciplinary commission found that he deliberately pushed linesman Pavel Blažek with both hands during Friday’s game in Vítkovice.
When can Košťálek play again for Pardubice?
He can return on 23 October, when Pardubice are scheduled to play away to Kladno.
Will Jiří Smejkal miss the Třinec game?
No. Smejkal was fined 10 per cent of his monthly salary for embellishment, but he remains available against Třinec.
What Comes Next
Pardubice host Třinec on Sunday evening in the 10th round of the Tipsport Extraliga, with Košťálek unavailable under the first game of his suspension. He will also miss the following game in Olomouc next Sunday and can return on 23 October at Kladno.
IHM Final View
Košťálek’s winning goal in Vítkovice did not prevent a costly disciplinary outcome. Pardubice must now negotiate two league games without their leading-scoring defenceman, beginning with the visit of unbeaten Třinec, while Smejkal remains available after receiving a financial penalty of his own.