Roman Polak signs with HC Vitkovice for next season, will he return to the NHL for this season?
Matthew DeFranks: Google translate from a HC Vitkovice release on Roman Polak.
“However, we agreed that after fulfilling all the obligations that Roman follows from his still valid contract in the NHL, he will become a Vítkovice player.”
Sean Shapiro: (from a twitter thread) From a ISport.blesk.cz report that Dallas Stars defenseman will be signing with Vitkovice for the 2020-21 season. He would be a free agent after this season.
Polak quotes from translations from @JVitek94.
“I can’t imagine playing games after just three weeks of practicing on the ice. I need two month to prepare, othewise there is a risk of an injury.”
Polak on this season playing in Dallas.
“Sometimes, I was sitting on the bench asking myself: ‘What am I doing here? I don’t want to be here’.”
“When Stephen Johns started playing again after two-year break caused by concussions, they gave him big ice time. And told me and Andrej Sekera, that we will be rotating. I play one game, he play another game.
It was difficult to find motivation, because there doesn’t matter how well or badly I play; I won’t play next game in any case. And Andrej had the same opinion as me.”
Sean Shapiro: Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill said that this is the first he’s heard about Roman Polak not returning to the NHL next season. Nill said that he’s spoken with Polak in the past couple of weeks and it was never brought up.
Matthew DeFranks: Roman Polak’s agent Allan Walsh had declined to comment.
Stars GM Nill hasn’t heard from Polak. Nill when asked if they’d allow Polak to remain in the Czech for Phase 3 and Phase 4: “We can’t make someone come back under their wishes. If anyone wants to stay home, that is their decision.”