Translations by Tomas Jandik
Jan Hrdina interview - "Blesk" daily - 2-Jul-02
http://www.blesk.cz/clanek10063.htm

(The interview was published on May 5th, 2002)

JAGR USED TO CALL HIM "TEDDY BEAR"

[Jan Hrdina] lives his life in Pittsburgh, where he plays in the NHL, as a ‘lone wolf’. Unlike many others, he doesn’t have that ‘loved one’ in his life. So far.

It’s individual. Being alone works for some, doesn’t work for others. I don’t complain.

…

You sure don’t have a reputation as a womanizer. Don’t you have time to chase after girls?

The lack of time is an issue. We travel almost constantly with Pittsburgh. Often, we get home at 2 AM, and one is just too tired to go anywhere. And I am not even that type who would spend too much time in bars. I prefer to sleep. Like Jarda Jagr, he also sleeps all the time. {laughter}

And what about when your teammates and their significant others go for a dinner. Do you go just by yourself?

Yep, I don’t mind. Or I go with Milan Kraft, he also lived in Pittsburgh just by himself. But it’s not like we go to such dinners often. Usually just after the game – and that’s just the players. I have one favorite restaurant downtown, and then one pub where we go to drink beer. They have Pilsner Urquell over there, which is good.

And what if you want to see a movie?

I have a few friends outside the club. So I call them.

Don’t your teammates laugh at you that you haven’t found anybody yet.

Not much. Just Jagr used to joke about it before. But he jokes about everything.

In fact, he allegedly used to call you “Teddy Bear” one time…

That was a long time ago. One newspaper wrote that I sent one girl a teddy bear for Christmas.

… and he laughed that you might not had been making much, but definitely more than just to buy just such a toy.

Seriously, that was a such a long time ago. Fortunately, those jokes are gone by now.

Who takes care of your place in Pittsburgh?

I don’t have any big house, just a small apartment. I manage to take care of it just by myself, and three or four times a year, my parents come to visit me.

Rostislav Klesla talked about how many letters and gifts from his female fans he’s been getting. Is that your experience, too?

Every player gets letters. Even I do. They want an autograph, a picture. A few love letters were there, too. But I don’t take it very seriously. As Rosta Klesla said – it’s usually 13-year old girls who don’t know anything about life.

Were you ever intrigued by any letter?

It happened. I have answered a few of such letters.

And did anything happen because of that?

I can’t say. Czech girls would be mad. {laughter}.

Tomas Jandik is the resident Czech on LetsGoPens.com and is a man who unifies all the goodies of the American dream - meaning, of course, being a Pitt graduate, a Razorback, and a Penguins fan.

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