Red Wings prospect goaltender Michal Postava spoke with iRozhlas.cz’s Adam Kodet about his rookie season in North America, and here’s a rough translation of their conversation:
From Přerov to the Red Wings. The character’s goalie has experienced a rapid rise and is now looking for his first NHL start
The hockey goalkeeper Michal Postava has risen very quickly. In the spring of 2024 he played for the first-league team in Přerov. In the next one, the Kometa of Brno secured an Extraliga title. And in the past season, he has already sat on the Red Wings’ bench in the NHL, although he did not play in the game. His transition to a new environment do not obviously cause him a problem.
“I guess I can adapt to what’s needed. It is certainly important not to try to change everything, but just to adapt in [terms of] smaller details and work on them all year. That’s what I think was doing pretty well, and I was extremely happy for that,” says Postava.
It was these details that helped Michal Postava achieve the position of the AHL’s best goalkeeper in terms of the success of save percentage, and the Harry Holmes prize for the best goalie tandem of the league. And also a promotion to the first team of the famous Detroit Red Wings, although only to the position of a back-up on the bench.
“I was very happy about it. We were in Cleveland, where we were supposed to play [an AHL] game. After the morning skate, I got on the bus back to the hotel and my coaches called to get back. At first I was afraid of what I had done, whether I’d failed. But when I got to the locker room, they told me to pack my things and call me upstairs. I just thought I wanted to enjoy it as much as possible. It was just missing the start, but I still enjoyed it there very much,” recalls Postava.
A change of environment
But the first overseas season represented a lot of changes for him. For example, half-empty stadiums in the AHL farm team competition.
“It’s definitely a different world. I think the atmosphere caught me a little bit more [off-guard]. It’s not that pure fanaticism, like at home. I was used to that from Brno. Full stadium that’s trying to chase you. It’s more like a show. I have to say Grand Rapids was a quiet city. For us absolutely super in that we lived with our teammates practically across the road from the hall in the residence. We had a gym there, a swimming pool or a terrace, like that. As the weather was nice, we grilled a lot with the Czech boys outside,” continues the Character.
He is currently preparing on the ice with the team of the first-league in Přerov, where he was still playing in spring of 2024. In less than two years, he was already on the bench of an NHL team.
“It’s certainly an incredible and unique case in this. I don’t think I can appreciate it that much yet, I don’t even admit it so much. Two years ago I was still in Přerov, and I managed to get onto the NHL team. I was just on the bench, but I think over time I will appreciate it more and more. I hope to raise it one more step. The goal is clear, it’s [playing in] the NHL. I want to jump into that fight. The rest will depend on how I work and try to be the best every day,” says the hockey goalkeeper.
Michal Postava will travel overseas in early September.
