The Czech Warrior | FEATURE

If there is one thing the Tampa Bay Lightning players miss more than the player Ondrej Palat, it's the person Ondrej Palat.
"I'm sure you've heard it all but he was he was an amazing teammate, an amazing friend," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said in the very first words of our interview. "the ultimate, ultimate teammate in terms of willing to do whatever it took, whether it was blocking a shot, taking a hit, giving a hit, scoring big goals. He just did it all."
No one knows Palat better than his former teammates in Tampa Bay. He was part of the core team that won two Stanley Cups and appeared in three straight Stanley Cup Finals, he spent 10 years in Tampa playing alongside Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Victor Hedman. All three are delighted that Palat has found a new home in New Jersey, but that doesn't make his loss as a teammate any easier.
"When he came up as a young kid, we didn't really know what to expect but him and (Tyler Johnsson) showed right away, they fit right into our team and to the NHL," Hedman shared. "We've been together for a very, very long time and we've gone through ups and downs and four Finals together, so it's been a lot of fun and a lot of memories."
Palat, 31, joined the Lightning when he was 21 years old during the 2012-13 NHL season, Stamkos and Hedman were already on the roster, and in 2016-17 Point would join the team, all four are synonymous with the Lightning franchise.
"Obviously he's a guy we still wish we had on our team," Stamkos said, "but you know, New Jersey is really lucky to have him."
And no one knows more than Stamkos, Hedman and Point just how lucky New Jersey is.

"We always called him the Czech Warrior," Stamkos grinned, "We kind of mocked him about that warrior mentality because the coaches always used him as the example, the right example, but he was a warrior in every sense of the word. In terms of battling through whatever it was that he had to battle through to get the job done."
It's a sentiment echoed by all those asked what kind of teammate Palat was.
"He's a guy that's just he's willing to do the hard things," Point responded, "You know, he's willing to block shots, he's willing to take hits to make plays, he's willing to forecheck and hit and he's got a great engine. He works. He works so hard."
"He's just a warrior on the ice," Hedman added, "playing through anything, he goes to work for each and every one of his teammates. He makes his teammates better (...) he's physical, he blocks shots, he's all over the place. His tenacity is something that stands out for me, is one of his biggest traits that he has, he can shoot, good shot, playmaker, so overall it's just a great teammate to have."

It is those qualities as a person and player that if he cannot be their teammate, his former teammates see him as a perfect fit in New Jersey with what the Devils franchise is building and on the cusp of. Palat is one of just four players on the Devils' roster who is 30 years or older. He is also the lone Cup winner.
"They probably saw the pedigree of the player that he was," shared Stamkos, "the leader that he was, the experience he had, the championship qualities that he brings. (New Jersey) obviously, have a very good young team here. Extremely young, and those are the kinds of guys you want to bring into the room and try to create that winning culture."
"He was once one of those guys coming in and now he's one of the veteran guys on that team," Hedman chimed in, "He will probably help guide the young players and come with some advice when the big game starts. He'll try to be there for his teammates with the ups and downs because that's what it's going to be, it's not going to be straight. It's a lot of time, it's a lot of work, and a little bit of luck to reach it all the way. It's just about keeping your feet on the ground and be humble, and I think Pally is absolutely the right guy to guide them towards that."

With the Devils on the cusp of their first playoff berth since 2018 and a season setting multiple team records, the time could not be more perfect for a player like Palat to join the fold. He has a breadth of experience, from Stanley Cups to the incredible disappointment of a first-round sweep exit from the playoffs, they are experiences that shape a player. Palat has the wisdom and first-hand experience he can bestow on his new teammates, going through it for the first time.
"For guys that just haven't had the experience yet, they're really good players, takes time in this league to fully grasp and understand what it takes to win during the toughest part of the season, which is the playoffs," Stamkos continued, "I think this is where they'll start to lean on him even more, going into this final stretch and into the playoffs where they gain that experience. He's been there and done that and knows what it takes."
"He just kind of brings that experience of what it takes to win in the playoffs to try to make a deep run so," Point said, echoing Stamkos's thoughts. "I think he can be a great leader forthem.He's a great guy to every day just kind of watch and see how he does it because he's a really good pro and he takes it serious and he's just a responsible guy. I think for a team like Jersey, that's extremely talented, he's a great fit."
Palat played 138 playoff games with the Lightning, the most in franchise history. He left the franchise with the second-most post-season goals (48) and points (94) in Lightning history. He leads the franchise in playoff game-winning goals with 12. It can only be surmised, then, that no one raises their game in the playoffs quite like the Czech Warrior.
"It's a big stage, and he's kind of a shy guy, will probably not get the biggest news articles written about him, but inside the locker room, you know exactly what we're gonna get from him when the playoffs start," Hedman imparted, "It's just unbelievable. He's been so consistent, and so good for so many years and was instrumental for all our runs, the two Cups we were able to win, we'll forever be in history together, but for now we still miss him as a teammate."

All players understand the business side of the game they play. Some players do eventually come and go.
But that doesn't mean their presence isn't missed.
"We miss him," Stamkos said, "He was a core piece of this team for a long time and you know, he'll be a legend in Tampa forever."