[EagleBelfour]

Jiri Bubla



Height: 5'11''
Weight: 200 lbs
Position: Defense
Shoots: Right
Date of Birth: January 27th, 1950
Place of Birth: Usti nad Labem , Czech Republic


WEC-A Gold Medalist (1972, 1976, 1977)
WEC-A Silver Medalist (1971, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979)
WEC-A Bronze Medalist (1973)
WEC-A All-Star Team (1978, 1979)
WEC-A Best Defenceman Award (1979)
Olympics Silver Medalist (1976)
Olympics Bronze Medalist (1972)
Czechoslovakian League All-Star Team (1977)
Best Defenseman Izvestia Tournament (1978*)
Assitant Captain (___)
Czechoslovakia Hockey Hall of Fame (2010)

*Izvestia Tournament: Sponsored by the Izvestia Daily newspaper in Russia, the Izvestia Cup was an anual international tournament held in late December. The first Cup took place in 1967. Due to its popularity, the Izvestia Cup soon became known as a "mini World Championship" played between the top national teams. By many accounts, it was called a "winter rehearsal" for the World Championship in the spring.
Because of financial difficulties, the tournament changed its sponsorship and became the Baltica Cup in 1997.


Czechoslovakian Hockey League:

Seasons	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
13	520	92	190	282	111

No Data:
Penalty minutes: 1968-1977

Top-10 Scoring (5th, 12th)
Top-10 Assist (2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 4th, 9th)

Top-5 Scoring Among Defenceman (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd, 3rd)
Top-5 Goalscoring Among Defenceman (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 3rd)
Top-5 Assist Among Defenceman (1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th)


National Hockey League:

Seasons	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
5	256	17	101	118	202

World and European Championship & Olympic:

Seasons	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
11	97	13	29	42	54

Top-10 Assist (8th)

Top-5 Scoring Among Defenceman (1st, 3rd, 4th, 4th)
Top-5 Goalscoring Among Defenceman (3rd, 4th)
Top-5 Assist Among Defenceman (1st, 2nd, 2nd, 5th)


Canada Cup:

Seasons	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
1	7	3	2	5	4

Top-10 Goalscoring (9th)

Top-5 Scoring Among Defenceman (4th)
Top-5 Goalscoring Among Defenceman (2nd)


Awards Nomination:

Golden Hockey Stick

1976:
1. Vladimír Martinec (Tesla Pardubice)
2. Jirí Holecek (Sparta Praha)
3. Milan Nový (SONP Kladno)
4. Ivan Hlinka (CHZ Litvínov)
5. František Pospíšil (SONP Kladno)
6. Jirí Novák (Tesla Pardubice)
7. Oldrich Machac (ZKL Brno)
8. Jirí Holík (Dukla Jihlava)
9. Vladimír Dzurilla (ZKL Brno)
10. Jirí Bubla (CHZ Litvínov)

1977:
1. Milan Nový (Poldi SONP Kladno)
2. Ivan Hlinka (CHZ Litvínov)
3. František Pospíšil (Poldi SONP Kladno)
4. Vladimír Martinec (Tesla Pardubice)
5. Marián Štastný (Slovan Bratislava)
6. Vladimír Dzurilla (Zetor Brno)
7. Jirí Bubla (CHZ Litvínov)
8. Jirí Holecek (Sparta Praha)
9. Bohuslav Ebermann (Škoda Plzen)
10. Jirí Holík (Dukla Jihlava)

1978:
1. Ivan Hlinka (CHZ Litvínov)
2. Jirí Holecek (Sparta CKD Praha)
3. Jirí Bubla (CHZ Litvínov)
4. Milan Nový (Poldi SONP Kladno)
5. Jaroslav Pouzar (Motor Ceské Budejovice)
6. František Pospíšil (Poldi SONP Kladno)
7. Vladimír Martinec (Tesla Pardubice)
8. Marián Štastný (Slovan Bratislava)
9. Bohuslav Ebermann (Škoda Plzen)
10. Miroslav Dvorák (Motor Ceské Budejovice)

1979:
1. Vladimír Martinec (Tesla Pardubice, Dukla Jihlava)
2. Marián Štastný (Slovan Bratislava)
3. Jirí Bubla (CHZ Litvínov)
4. Jirí Králík (Dukla Jihlava)
5. Marcel Sakác (Slovan Bratislava)
6. Peter Štastný (Slovan Bratislava)
7. Ivan Hlinka (CHZ Litvínov, Dukla Trencín)
8. Bohuslav Ebermann (Škoda Plzen)
9. Jirí Novák (Tesla Pardubice)
10. Miroslav Frycer (TJ Vítkovice)

Originally Posted by chidlovski.com

One of the toughest blueliners of his time, was a good skater. Played exceptionally well offensively, famous for his powerful shot.

Originally Posted by Legends of Hockey

Defenceman Jiri Bubla spent five years with the Vancouver Canucks in the 1980s after a stellar decade on the Czechoslovakian national squad. He used his mobility and hockey sense effectively at both ends of the ice and was a solid point man on the power play.

Born in Usti nad Labem, Czechoslovakia, Bubla became one of the best-known national team players in 1970s. His alert play in his own end and crisp passes were crucial to his country's exemplary transition game.

Originally Posted by Greatest Hockey Legends

Jiri Bubla was a legendary defenseman in his native Czechoslovakia during the 1970's and 80's.

When Jiri played in Litvinov much of the attention was on him and forward Ivan Hlinka. They were the stars of their club team and had a remarkably similar playing career. They were born one day apart. They both became world champions on three occasions. They both started playing in the Litvinov system in 1959. They both played in two Olympics. They both played in the 1976 Canada Cup. And they both played for Vancouver Canucks in the early 1980's.

Ultimately he chose hockey though, another sport that came naturally to him. On the European stage he was known as a tough, strong and a hard hitter who handled the puck very well. Blessed with mobility and hockey sense, he was extremely good at quick transitions from defense to offense. His sharp outlet passes created many scoring opportunities for streaking forwards that caught opposition defenders a step behind.

Originally Posted by Euroreport.com

If the doors of opportunity had ever opened, Jiri Bubla might have shone for Czechoslovakia in the NHL of the 1970’s as Borje Salming did for Sweden. Instead, the 5-11, 200-pound native of Usti nad Labern kept his talents on the other side of the Atlantic, combining solid defense and offensive savvy for HC Litvinov.

Originally Posted by Tony Gallagher; The Province

There were times in his life when Jiri Slegr probably never much cared whether he ever saw his father Jiri Bubla. But there they were last Sunday night here quietly having dinner together, the Vancouver Canucks newest defenceman and a man once generally considered to be the best defenceman in the world together again, and it was a heartwarming sight.

Originally Posted by ceskatelevize.cz

Interview with Robert Záruba 2010:
Q: In Your opinion, which Czechoslovak hockey players are the very best ever?
A: I'd have to mention at least 40 players, so I am just going to mention the best from my favourite era - Jiří Holeček, Jiří Bubla, Ivan Hlinka, Vladimír Martinec.

Originally Posted by hokej.idnes.cz

Interview with Jiri Bubla - 18th October, 2006
Jiri Bubla – a defenseman surrounded by legends; Bubla was rarely seen off the ice, it seemed like he had two pairs of lungs, and was impervious to pain.

Q: Have you ever thought about the possibility to play in the NHL when you were younger?
A: Of course. I think I'd have had a good chance to succeed. But it was illegal to leave for the NHL at that time. And I couldn't risk losing my family.

Q: But you were given the chance to go to the NHL later.
A: Yes, but I was 10 years older, and past my prime. Unfortunately, I broke my ankle in the first year in the NHL. We didn't have a good team. It was hard. I hate losing.

Q: So how come you made it to the Stanley Cup final in 1982?
A: We were lucky. All season long Calgary gave us trouble, but then we swept them. In addition, Los Angeles surprisingly beat Edmonton, we beat LA, then we got on roll and played against Chicago.

Q: You played against Edmonton and Gretzky at their best, how was it?
A: All five guys on the ice had to defend. If there was a better system in place, such as today's Detroit, it would be harder for Gretzky. But I was perhaps the first guy who hit him really hard.

Q: Really?
A: He fell on his butt. The whole arena was shocked. Mr. Semenko immediately went after me, but I told him “I don't fight.”. In the end, nothing happened. I didn't go after Gretzky, it wasn't personal. I always played that way. Kharlamov always asked me: “Jiri, why do you always hit me?”. It had nothing to do with the Soviet occupation in 1968, I just had to find a way to stop him.

Quotes:

- ''He really took a gamble and faugth against the establishment to go to Czech Republic and get Ivan Hlinka and Jiri Bubla, who at that time were two of the world best hockey player and were very prominent in Europe.'' - Jim Robson

- ''Bubla was at the end of his career, but a very good player. Smart, good passer, strong as a bull in front of the net.'' - Jim Robson


Signing, Trades & Injuries:
- On May 28th, 1981, Bubla was selected by the Colorado Rockies in Special Czechoslovakian Entry Draft
- On July 15th 1981, his NHL rights were obtained by the Vancouver Canucks from the Colorado Rockies as part of a three-team deal that saw the Vancover Canucks trade Brent Ashton and a 1982 fourth round draft choice to the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg then traded Ashton and a 1982 third round draft choice to Colorado for Lucien DeBlois
- Bubla broke his leg after 23 games of his first season with the Vancouver Canucks, missing the team to the Stanley Cup Final


Fun & Interesting Facts:
- Bubla is the father of defenceman Jiří Šlégr
- Younger, Bubla was an excellent soccer player some said he could have made it all the way to the national team if he had pursued that sport
- In 1986, Bubla became a Canadian citizen
- Bubla currently own a café and shipping (trucks) business in the Vancouver area


Miscellaneous:
- April 1987: What do Jiri Bubla have in common with former NHL'ers like Greg Carroll, Jacques Richard, Steve Durbano or Kevin McCarthy ? Well if your guess is drug smuggling then you're correct. Bubla was arrested while scouting for the Canucks at the world championships in Vienna (Austria). Bubla was convicted of smuggling four kilograms of heroin out of Pakistan and into Canada via Austria while he was playing for the Canucks between 1983 and 1986.He recieved a five-year sentence in an Austrian prison for his involvement in that international heroin smuggling ring. He was released from the Graz jail (Austria) after four years.
- Bubla and his second wife raised two sons in Vancouver, but Bubla had a son from his first marriage back in Czechoslovakia. Jiri Jr. changed his name to his step-father's name, partly because he had no contact with his father and partly because of his father's prison sentence. His name was changed to Jiri Slegr - the same Jiri Slegr who would one day too make it to the Vancouver Canucks and the NHL. Bubla and Slegr were able to get to know each other during Slegr's early days in the NHL, and now maintain a healthy relationship that was lacking during Slegr's upbringing.


Abbreviation:
IIHF: International Ice Hockey Federation
WEC-A: World and European Championship - Pool A


Other Videos:
http://video.canucks.nhl.com/videoce...sole?id=100036


Internet Sites:
http://www.sihrhockey.org/member_pla...TOKEN=66980676
http://internationalhockeylegends.bl...iri-bubla.html
http://www.legendsofhockey.net/Legen...p?player=12136
http://hockeyadventure.com/2007/08/1...th-jiri-bubla/
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/1...ertem-zarubou/
http://hokej.idnes.cz/bubla-byl-jsem...eprezentace_ot





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