Brno expresses interest in Palffy

HC Kometa Brno has told website hokej.cz that they are interested in acquiring the services of veteran Slovak star Žigmund Palffy for the 2011-12 Extraliga season.

Photo: Kaiser Matais.

"From our side, we are definitely interested," said Kometa general Manager Jaroslav Medlík. "I contacted Žigmund and some negotiations have taken place. But he was waiting for a lucrative offer from the Russian KHL, so it is now stalled."

For his part, Palffy seems to be eyeing a comeback, and has said there has been some interest from Czech teams, but didn't specifically mention Kometa. "A few people from Russia have called me, but nothing concrete ever came of it. Currently, there are only two applicants from the Czech Extraliga; one even came with a specific and serious offer." 

The 39-year-old Palffy hasn't played the past two seasons. His most recent team was his hometown Skalica HK 36, where he played from 2007 to 2009. Prior to that, he played 12 seasons in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Los Angeles Kings, and Pittsburgh Penguins, where he amassed 713 points in 684 games. His best season was 1996-97, when he had 48 goals and 90 points with the Isles. He also has experience playing in the Czech Republic, as he played with Slavia Praha during the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

Internationally, he won a bronze medal with Czechoslovakia at the 1992 Winter Olympics and a gold medal with Slovakia at the 2002 World Championships. 

Whether it's Brno or elsewhere, Palffy seems intent on playing: "I want to play hockey as long as it still fulfills the sense of satisfaction that comes from being with the boys on the team. I don't look at age. Age is indeed important, but just look at Dominik Hašek, who is 46 and still enjoying it. The key is always hunger. When a man enjoys hockey and doing it well, there is nothing to worry about. Once he discovers that the team is not so beneficial, it's time to stop."

And clearly, Medlík thinks that Palffy and his team can mutually benefit from each other: "We'll see how it evolves. Our party is obviously still interested, so it will only depend on the decision of the player. We are ready to go again at any time to act."