Miloslav Blažek

Miloslav Blažek (22 June 1922 in Přívoz – 19 February 1985 in Ostrava) was a Czechoslovak ice hockey player who competed in the 1952 Winter Olympics.

Career
Active in the 1940s and 1950s, Blažek played for Czeck ice hockey team HC Vitkovice. He played for the international team on various occasions, such as the 1952 Winter Olympics; the team placed 4th out of 16 and received the second most medals.

In total, Blažek played for Vitkovice from 1949 to 1960, the national team from 1949-1952, and coached at Vitkovice from 1965-1966. During his career, under Vitkovice, he won a gold metal in the Extraliga in 1952, silver in 1950, 1951, and 1953, and bronze in 1958. Working as a coach in some form until 1975, he retired from official competitive competitions in 1960 after scoring 127 league goals in 180 games.

Political issues
Blažek openly dissented to many of the repressive policies of the Soviet Bloc and its influence over Czechoslovakia. His outspokenness about the government and suspected plans to defect led to a travel ban being imposed upon him in 1953 until 1957, preventing him from competing in competitions abroad.

Legacy
Blažek has a memorial dedicated to him in the city hall of Ostrava, his hometown.