Host Palat Enjoying Homecoming | FEATURE

PRAGUE, Czechia – The last time Ondrej Palat was on the ice at O2 Arena in Prague, he was celebrating with his Czechia teammates after defeating Switzerland, 2-0, to win a gold medal at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.

The victory was extra sweet on his home soil and in front of his fellow countrymen.

Palat returned to the O2 Arena ice Thursday afternoon. And although this time around it was for practice with his Devils teammates prior to opening the season Friday against Buffalo (1 p.m. ET) in the NHL Global Series, it was a still a special moment for Palat.

For one thing, the lower bowl was packed with several youth hockey teams that cheered Palat’s every movement on the ice, every drill, every pass, every shot, every score. Palat was the undisputed fan favorite amongst the youths.

“It means a lot,” the Devils forward said after practice, “especially we won the World Championship here. All of Czech Republic was watching it. A bunch of kids experienced something like that for the first time, so they’re excited. They love hockey here.”

The 33-year-old veteran has enjoyed many special moments during his 11-year NHL career. That includes that gold medal, two Stanley Cup titles while playing with Tampa Bay, 150 NHL playoff games and a Calder Cup championship.

But at one point in time, the Frydek-Mistek, Czechia native was one of those little kids in the stands screaming for his Czech heroes. Palat knows exactly how impressionable it is for those neophyte hockey players to watch practice and see one of their own heroes on the ice.

“For me, it’s special,” he said. “Just to throw them a puck, give them a stick, sign an autograph or take a picture, it goes a long way. For us, it’s a little thing. For them it’s a great experience.”

Palat knows firsthand.

“I remember when I was a kid and someone threw me a puck, I was excited,” he recalled. “And I had the puck above my bed. It’s just little things like that that make it special for the kids.

“It’s great seeing all the kids. All the fans. Kids are cheering. They’re excited. I threw them some pucks.”

Being the only Czech native on the Devils roster – he grew up about three-and-a-half hours from Prague – Palat has also been the de facto ambassador of the country to his teammates, coaches and team staff.

“We’re starting our season here in his homeland,” head coach Sheldon Keefe sadi. “Just the preparations for this, I bounced ideas off him and talked through (things). He’s been sort of the host here of players and staff and directing us to go to different places. He’s tremendous.”

Palat has taken the team out for dinners and other off-ice excursions around the city. Palat also recalls how a trip to Stockholm in 2019 with Tampa Bay helped the club to bond and become a cohesive unit.

“The trip to Stockholm was big for us,” he remembered. “We had some dinners together, we had some fun. It translated to on the ice. We played great.

Palat believes the same result can happen for his current Devils squad.

“We have some new faces on our team. We have a chance to get to know each other better,” he said. “We’ll have some fun but it’s a business trip. We need to start (well) this season.

“Everybody is very professional and excited to get going. Everybody is ready for Friday.”

Beyond being a gracious host and local idol, Palat is also a pretty good hockey player on the ice. The intensity and passion with which Palat plays is infectious throughout the locker room and on the bench. And he’s got the pedigree to back it up.

“He’s won it all. I think ‘Pally’ just knows how to win and how to be a pro,” Devils captain Nico Hischier said. “Having Pally in the room is a present. People understand what kind of guy he is, how hard he works on and off the ice. Having him as a teammate is definitely better than playing against.”

Keefe and Palat have crossed paths a lot in the past. With Keefe coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs, his team regularly went head-to-head against Palat’s Lightning in the Atlantic Division.

“To have someone like Palat with his experience and his accomplishments, I’m so familiar with his game having played in the same division in Tampa,” Keefe said, adding, “watching him in the playoff runs and playing against him in the playoffs myself with Toronto. It’s tremendous for me to have him to lean on and talk about things with, have his perspective.

“He’s an important player. Not just because of what he does off the ice and leadership he can bring, but he plays hard, he doesn’t take any shifts off and he knows what’s required to win.”

Palat is also an important player in the locker room. As one of the veterans on the roster, his voice carries weight. Though he doesn’t speak much, when the two-time Cup champion does speak, his teammates listen. He’s also someone that his teammates go to when in need.

“I think Ondrej is a guy you want to have in the locker room, not just on the ice but in the locker room as well,” Hischier said. “Me personally, I can always ask him things. It’s not his first season. It’s not his second season. He knows a lot. It’s good to have him around. He knows the game well. He knows what it takes to stay in the league a long time.”

Hischier made those comments while sitting next to Palat at a joint press conference with the media. After finishing his answer, Hischier smiled and patted Palat on the back while adding with a smirk: “I love sitting next to you Pally.”