Czechoslovak ice hockey player Miloslav Blažek had a long career with HC Vítkovice where he represented the team from 1949 until 1960. Blažek had his best success with Vítkovice in his early days of playing for them when they won the league title in the 1951–52 season. He also represented the Czechoslovakia national team, playing 23 matches and scoring 15 goals. At the 1952 Oslo Olympics Czechoslovakia finished fourth, which resulted in the team also winning silver in the European Ice Hockey Championships, with the Olympic Games serving as both the World and European championships simultaneously. Blažek was quite outspoken and critical of the government and the power the Soviet Bloc had over his country. This resulted in him having a travel ban imposed during the mid-1950s, restricting him from competing in matches outside of Czechoslovakia.
Czechoslovakia
Czechia