Jagr talks about convincing NHL to play in Prague

I know it's all a huge NHL conspiracy to have the lowly Rangers play
abroad, instead of teams with lots of points, but it seems Jagr was a
major force behind getting the game to Prague.

Imagine if he's not a Ranger next season.

http://hokej.idnes.cz/je-to-senzacni-rika-jagr-o-nhl-v-praze-dsd-/nhl....?c=A080

"His role was crucial. He had an easy, though complicated assignment.
He had to convince the Rangers to ask for a season opener in Prague,"
said Miroslav Cernosek, the owner of Ceska sporotovni, a company that
will hold the event, of Jaromir Jagr.

Q: Jaromir, your team will start the next NHL season in Prague. What
are your thoughts?
A: If someone had asked me two years ago whether there was a chance
that the Rangers wouldll play in Prague, I'd have said hardly. It's
unreal it went through.

Q: The negotiations took 18 months.
A: It was needed to convince the NHL to play in Prague. That alone had
to be very difficult. Moreover, no one believed the Rangers would play
here.

Q: What would you lure people to?
A: Most people know the NHL just from TV. You can't compare it to the
Czech Extraleague. And I don't even want to try [to compare]. People
need to realize that the best players play in the NHL. The league is
very fast and high-quality. It is played on a smaller rink. It's a
very physical sport and there are many more scoring chances than in
the Czech league. Both Rangers and Tampa are offensive teams. They
have players who can score goals. Even though we don't show it enough
this year (smiles). I hope it gets better before next year and the
fans will have a blast.

Q: You played in the Sazka Arena on two occasions, the 2004 IIHF World
Championship and during the NHL lockout afterwards. Are you looking
forward to playing in front of the Czech crowd?
A: A lot. During the WChamps, there was a great atmosphere in Prague.
The players were looking forward to it a lot. It's a pity we didn't
win the Championship. It would've been that much better. However, a
Czech fan does appreciate a good hockey game.

Q: And what's your guess for the results?
A: The important thing is that the fans like the hockey. It will be
the first two games of the season. These are a little different,
players aren't in their routine yet. And neither are the keepers
(laughter). Hopefully, they won't be too defensive games and there
will be more offense. I expect the Rangers to win both games by a wide
margin.