Czech and Czechoslovak Hockey Legends

The series of the Czech Mint "Legends of Czechoslovak Hockey" grows wider. Vladimir Ruzicka got his own gold commemorative coin.

Central striker, longtime Czechoslovak and Czech ice hockey national team member and player in the overseas NHL, club and national team coach and official, triple world champion, silver medal winner from Sarajevo – Vladimir Ruzicka won all these titles during his ice hockey career. In sport history, however, he came first as a captain of golden boys from Nagano. Coach Ivan Hlinka chose him for his experience and he wanted him to give a lead to young team at the Olympics. At that time, "Růža" was 34 years old and was perceived as a veteran whose career is coming to the end. And that's what the hockey player convinced to accept the coaching offer. "Because nobody really believed me, I tried it. I thought it would be great to play at the end of the Olympics career with such players," remembers Vladimir Ruzicka. And the central striker with the captain "c" did not disappoint and lead the Czech national team to the gold medals.

The reverse side of the coin made by the academic sculptor Jan Lukas presents a faithful portrait of the captain, supplemented by his number 97 and an inscription VLADIMIR RUZICKA, NAGANO 1998, COACH OF WORLD MASTERS 2005 2010, MEMBER OF CZECH HOCKEY´S HALL OF FAME. The coins of the Czech Mint are issued under the license of the foreign issuer which is the state of Samoa, and their obverse side therefore bears the necessary details of this foreign issuer - the name and the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the national emblem, the year of the issue 2019, together with the nominal value of 25 DOLLARS (WST).

Coins that come in mere 200 pieces can be stored in a stylish collector's etui in the form of a puck.