Alumni Feature, Interviews, U20 World Junior Championships

World Junior Hero: Marek Schwarz

Written by Adam Kierszenblat on

 

In a recent article looking back at  Vancouver Giants World Junior tournaments, one player stood out above the rest. Marek Schwarz of the Czech Republic had one of the greatest goaltending performances in 2005, leading his team to a bronze medal with a win over the host USA. Looking back, Marek ranks the tournament as his favorite hockey moment. Marek is now playing in the Czech Republic but was able to find time to look back and talk about that incredible tournament.

2003-2004:

Before coming over to the Vancouver Giants, Marek was already thriving on the world stage. During the season, he played in the World U-18’s as well as the World Juniors. In seven games at the U18 World Championship, Marek registered a .940 save percentage and 1.29 goals-against average. He helped lead his team to a bronze medal victory over Canada and led the tournament in both goals-against average and save percentage. “Mostly I was just enjoying the time playing. I did not realize how big the tournament was. I was just there to have fun and enjoy hockey.”

Marek was also named to the World Junior team that year. During the tournament, Schwarz posted a .904 save percentage in seven games. He helped his team make it all the way to the Bronze medal but fell short to a solid Finnish team. “I was lucky they took me as the number one goalie that year. The coach we had liked me a lot and gave me a chance. The coach knew me and believed in me which was awesome.”

Time with the Giants:

Marek was drafted by the Giants after his incredible 2003-2004 season. He went 40TH overall in the import draft that year. In 56 games, Marek posted 26 wins with a .900 save percentage and a 2.67 goals-against average.

During his time in Vancouver, Marek lived with Ron Toigo and his family. This was a great experience and he has great memories of eating at White Spot and playing Mario Kart with Toigo’s children. “I enjoyed it. It was exciting. I didn’t speak English, so I had to learn and that was tough. The Toigos are awesome people. I remember playing Mario Kart with their kids. I also loved the restaurant, it was awesome. They helped me with everything so it made it a lot easier for me. There was a lot of traveling which I had not experienced in Europe. I did not realize at the time how big of an experience it was playing for the Giants. How lucky I was. My goalie coach was Bill Ranford who was an unbelievable hockey player. These are the people I learned from. Overall, the season was great.”

Don Hay and Bill Ranford:

Don Hay and Bill Ranford played an important part in Schwarz’s success throughout the tournament. These are two guys he still looks up to today.

“Don Hay was tough, but he treated everyone the same. He taught me how coaches should act. I played with his son in the Czech Republic, so we talked about him. As for Bill Ranford, you could not have had a better goalie coach. He was great to me.”

2005 World Juniors:

Marek Schwarz’s performance in the 2005 World Juniors was one of the greatest in World Junior history. When the tournament was over, Schwarz was named the Goaltender of the Tournament and helped lead his team to a bronze medal. This was also the last time the Czechs have won a medal at the World Juniors.

The NHL at that time was in a lookout year which meant the teams were stacked with talent, especially the Canadians who Schwarz played in the semi-finals. The Canadian 2005 World Junior team is considered the greatest World Junior team of all time with players like Crosby, Weber, Getzlaf, and Perry just to name a few. During that game, Schwartz held Canada to their lowest goal total of the tournament (three) and almost led his team to the Gold Medal game making 39 saves on 42 shots.

“That was an awesome team. Everyone knew how strong that team was. I think they were the strongest World Juniors team ever. We were preparing for it. It helped me that I played in Vancouver, so I understood the hockey they played. I just wanted to show that I could play against these guys. I got lucky during that game. It was my best game of the tournament.”

Bronze Medal:

In front of a sold-out crowd in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Schwarz and the Czech team beat the USA in overtime to capture the bronze medal. Schwarz had an incredible game stopping 33 of 35 shots against a team featuring Ryan Suter, Phil Kessel, and Ryan Callahan. This was the second time the Czech had beaten the US in the tournament, as they won 3-1 in the round-robin just five days prior.

“I remember there was one shot that almost beat me in overtime, but luckily someone stopped it behind me. I thought to myself oh we are done, but luckily someone stopped it behind me. When we scored it was an unbelievable moment. It was something I will never experience again. Something I will remember for the rest of my life. It was extra special as well to beat the US on their home soil.”

Coming Together as a Team:

The Czech team had been playing together for a few years, so they were able to come together as a team and build that chemistry. The team had some players who went on to play in the NHL like Schwarz, David Krejci, Michal Frolik, Roman Polak, and Ladislav Smid. “We had played together since the U-16’s so we were all friends. I still see a lot of the guys. When the team got together, everything just clicked. We didn’t have any problems or fights. Everything was just right.”

Playing Against Crosby and Ovechkin:

During the tournament, Schwarz played against two of the all-time greatest players in hockey history in Ovechkin and Crosby. Neither was able to score on Schwarz that year as he made seven saves on Crosby and three on Ovechkin. Facing them was a challenge, but Schwarz stood tall to stop them both. “I remember my first game against Ovechkin in the U-18’s and by that time we knew he was going to be a great player. As for Crosby, I don’t think I have ever seen a better player. In my head, I try to especially focus on these guys. I was always happy when I made a save against them.”

Being Named Best Goalie of the World Juniors:

Schwarz joined a prestigious list of goalies when he was named Best Goalie in the tournament. The list includes Roberto Luongo, Marc-Andre Fleury, and fellow countrymen Dominik Hašek.

“I was happy about the bronze medal and didn’t realize how big it was to be the best goalie. Looking back at it now, it’s awesome. When someone looks back at the tournament and sees your name there it’s special. Now I can show my kids as well.”

Playing for the Czech Republic:

For Schwarz, representing his country is special. “I will always feel pride in playing for my country. Marek has played over 65 games for his country from junior levels all the way to the senior team.

Career Up Until Now:

After three seasons in North America with the St. Louis Blues organization, Marek moved back to the Czech Republic where he is still playing today. He still talks about his bronze medal with former teammates like Ladislav Smid. His bronze medal is in a special box at his house where he can show it to his sons and remember his fantastic tournaments. “I like to show my sons the medal to show them I was capable of winning it.” Schwarz is also helping coach his sons as they are starting to get into minor hockey over in the Czech Republic. Marek’s advice to the kids coming up is “Just remember to have fun and enjoy. That is the most important thing.”

Although his time with the Giants was short, his tournament will live in Vancouver Giants history as the greatest performance by a Giant in World Junior history.