Jan Starsi was a legend as a player and even more as a coach in Slovakia.
photo: IIHF Archive
IIHF Hall of Fame member Jan Starsi passed away on Saturday after long illness. He was 85 years old.
The Slovak legend was a long-time player and head coach of the Czechoslovak national team. He was born on 17 October 1933 in Sokolce in the Zilina region and spent most of his career as a player with Slovan Bratislava. He won five silver medals in the national competition and was the goal scoring leader of the Czechoslovak league in 1960.
He represented Czechoslovakia in the 1960 Olympic Winter Games and in four IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships winning one silver medals and two bronze.
But Starsi became even more successful as a coach. He first went to Germany to coach the ice hockey team of FC Bayern Munchen before becoming head coach of his former team Slovan Bratislava.
For most of the ‘70s he was the co-coach of the Czechoslovak national team together with Karel Gut. During this period he won World Championship gold in 1976 and 1977, silver in 1974, 1975 and 1979, Olympic silver in 1976 and led the Czechoslovaks to second place at the 1976 Canada Cup. He then had another stint with SC Riessersee Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany but later returned to coach the national team from 1986 to 1988. After that we was again working in Germany an led SB Rosenheim to the German championship in 1989.
Starsi was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame as builder in 1999 and was later also inducted into the Slovak and German Hall of Fames.
The Slovak legend was a long-time player and head coach of the Czechoslovak national team. He was born on 17 October 1933 in Sokolce in the Zilina region and spent most of his career as a player with Slovan Bratislava. He won five silver medals in the national competition and was the goal scoring leader of the Czechoslovak league in 1960.
He represented Czechoslovakia in the 1960 Olympic Winter Games and in four IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships winning one silver medals and two bronze.
But Starsi became even more successful as a coach. He first went to Germany to coach the ice hockey team of FC Bayern Munchen before becoming head coach of his former team Slovan Bratislava.
For most of the ‘70s he was the co-coach of the Czechoslovak national team together with Karel Gut. During this period he won World Championship gold in 1976 and 1977, silver in 1974, 1975 and 1979, Olympic silver in 1976 and led the Czechoslovaks to second place at the 1976 Canada Cup. He then had another stint with SC Riessersee Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany but later returned to coach the national team from 1986 to 1988. After that we was again working in Germany an led SB Rosenheim to the German championship in 1989.
Starsi was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame as builder in 1999 and was later also inducted into the Slovak and German Hall of Fames.