A familiar superstar from the league lay motionless on the ice – the coach made an extraordinary decision

Known from the SM-liiga, Michal Kovarcik was severely injured on Thursday during a practice match between HC Ocelari Trinec and Kometa Brno. The situation was so serious that the match was ultimately decided to be completely suspended.

Only 20 seconds remained in the first period when Kovarcik became the target of a strong tackle by Jan Scotka.

The Trinec forward remained motionless on the ice after the hit. The situation immediately halted the game, and Kovarcik was eventually transported to the hospital on a stretcher.

The forward was conscious and able to communicate with the medical staff. He was released from the hospital later that Thursday evening, but tests revealed a concussion.

Efforts were made to continue the game. The remaining seconds of the first period were played out, but after that, the teams left the rink.

Trinec’s head coach Boris Zabka stated that the atmosphere of the match changed quickly after the injury. He decided that it was not sensible to continue the game.

– The injury was not the only reason. Everyone surely noticed what kind of game it was in the shift following the injury. Such a situation would not have served the preparation for the season. And I did not want to risk the players’ health, he stated on the club’s website.

Zabka also discussed the situation with the officiating crew. According to him, the referees did not have access to sufficiently high-quality video footage for a more detailed examination of the tackle.

– It should not be possible that the referee does not have video material available for a match between two league teams played in a top-tier arena, he asserted.

Brno’s head coach Libor Zabransky, on the other hand, stated that he understood Trinec’s decision.

– We just hope that Kovarcik will be okay, he said in his club’s statement.

Kovarcik played in the SM-liiga from 2022 to 2025. He started with Jukurit and later moved to Kärpät.

The center increased his point total in each of his league seasons. Over three seasons, he collected 27, 45, and 62 points.

Scotka is also a familiar player to Finns. The world champion represented JYP during the 2021–2022 season and served as the team’s captain at that time.