Jirik, first Czech in NHL, dies in crash

Jaroslav Jirik, the first Czechoslovakian player to reach the NHL, died in a light aircraft crash near his hometown Monday, the CTK news agency reported. CTK confirmed Jirik, 71, was killed when a sport aircraft he was piloting went down in the vicinity of Brno, where he was a hockey legend. Jirik played in the NHL during the 1969-70 season for the expansion St. Louis Blues. Coach Scotty Bowman called up the left winger up for three games, during which he played well but didn't collect any points. Jirik was allowed to leave Czechoslovakia because he was 30 years old at the time and considered expendable to the national program, the International Ice Hockey Federation said. He was described as a fierce competitor -- especially against the Soviet Union -- who played without a helmet and was at his best in the mid-1960s. He recorded 12 points (eight goals, four assists) while leading the Czechoslovak team to a silver medal at the 1965 IIHF World Championships in Finland. Jirik also compiled eight points in six games at the 1967 Worlds in Vienna and was a dominating player at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, France.