Petr Mrazek gave an interview to iDnes.cz's Robert Sara, and here's a very, very rough translation thereof, and it's a pretty weird article in that it suggests that one report and one Wings beat writer were "at fault" for perpetuating a rumor that Mrazek is cocky--which just isn't the case.

Up till now. In an interview with MF Dnes and iDNES.cz, he returns to the critical words: "I don't do that, because those who know me--the boys in the locker room, the coaches--know who I am."

It's been four weeks since MLive.com, an overseas website, hit Petr Mrazek hard. Detroit reporter Ansar Khan wrote, "Mrazek has always been full of confidence, which the team's leadership was grateful for. Sometimes, however, he became overconfident, and that hurt him. Besides, it's not easy to coach him now." The goalkeeper was silent and did not respond.

At the same time, the 25-year-old Mrazek does not conceal his self-confidence and self-confidence in himself. He also tries to reach the young goaltenders who are attending his camp in Ostrava. "To be self-confident is somewhat necessary."

Where did your self-confidence come from? "I was pumped up when I came to juniors in Ottawa. Canadians confidently shine, they follow the belief that even if something happens, nothing happens, it just goes on. I remember a game in which one rookie made two terrible plays on defense and I thought: 'He's not going to take it any more.' The coach, however, kept going, supported him and continued to play him. I came to Canada at seventeen and saw the coach, the owner and the people in the club shine with self-confidence. They were never angry, so you take that in."

Did that feature get you to the NHL? "Yes. At 20, they sent me to the ECHL to start somewhere with professional hockey. And there was a coach of goaltenders who kept repeating to me that if I would be confident I could get to Grand Rapids and then to the NHL. I think self-confidence isn't a bad thing. Just don't overdo it, especially if it fails. But goaltenders are clear--to be out of the question, a goaltender must be self-confident, as I now teach young boys. If they have confidence, it will move them."

In America, it's an admirable feature; in the Czech Republic, self-esteem is often associated with bickering, posterity. Have you ever encountered that? "Sure, you get that. I've heard about myelf, that I'm on a pear and that I don't think about myself. But the people who know me know I can discard these critiques and be 'normal.' I have self-reflection. One thing is professional hockey, and the second is normal life. In the Czech Republic, the perception is also given by the fact that if the player deosn't succeed on the ice, he won't play any more. That's not the case in America.

Even the Detroit journalist writes that you are already exaggerated with self-confidence... "It started by saying that Ken (general manager Ken Holland) told him he wouldn't discuss who he was protecting for the Las Vegas expansion draft and who he would not. Suddenly, the article, which was widely translated in the Czech Republic, came out. I didn't take a look at it, because those who know me--the boys in the locker room coaches--know who I am. The journalist probably wanted to write something, maybe he wanted to provoke me--but it would have been better if he asked someone and wrote something from that."

Do you ever feel that people in the team feel your behavior? "If so, I'd definitely be sitting with the coaches, the GM, who'd tell me to my face. Not that I learned from journalists."

I would remind you that the text came out before the expansion draft, before which Detroit protected your eternal competitor Jimmy Howard, but Las Vegas could take you. Doesn't that suggest something about the future? "Nothing changes for me. I had interviews with agents, and it was almost clear that from the middle of the season that Fleury from Pittsburgh would be going to Vegas. And when he went there, Vegas wouldn't take me. So we'll go to Detroit again with Howie and Ken has been saying after the season that whoever is better in offseson preparation will play the first game. And then it gets back to the old tracks. When one fails in the game, one will be replaced for the next one.

The traditional saga. "As long as I'm going to be in Detroit, we'll still be wondering who is the one and who is not and who should play. I came there twice at the age of 21, and since then, it's always been in the paper that I have a good game or a bad one. It's the same, I'm 25 years old and twice I've played 50 games in the NHL. That's the reason why this is being solved. If I'd played in 25, it wouldn't be talked about because Howie would be number one. And I'd only play when he got hurt. That's how it stretches with a person and I have to deal with it mentally and physically. How many times a day before the game you don't know if you're going to play."

Won't the Red Wings try to trade one of you? "I think we will stay together for another year and see after the next season. I've never had any hint that they want to trade me. It never happened that Kenny called me and said, "You're going to go!" But when I look at it in general, so many Detroit players were not. They build a philosophy of bringing the team together. So success is to be born. But it's a business when you never know where you'll be the next day. Even if I had to be elsewhere, I'd still try to perform my best, whether I'm happy and the people who make up the team."

How do you be happy after an unsuccessful season? "I know what a season it was. Not only from my point of view, but also from the whole team--it was hard and didn't go as we wanted. We have to work, to be better. I learned from it. In addition, there's everyday motivation to play in the NHL. This is the dream of every kid and you have to work hard every day to get that chance."

How did you learn? "We don't 'eat' in the autumn. Then it comes with you, trying to catch on in games as best you can, but you are under pressure. So I try to go the same way as when I do well. I don't look at anything and do things that I believe can move me on."

For 25 years Detroit did not miss the playoffs in the NHL. The successful series ended this spring. Because of this, Petr Mrazek could come to the World Championship.

The $4 million the Czech goalie will earn in the upcoming season is just like last year's contract. Then it ends.

But how do they learn to keep you away from cheap goals like the pervious season? After all, the Czech coach Jandac spoke of them. "There's no way to learn lessons. The goalie gets the ball to stop delicate shots. I know I can't repeat it. I have to focus on every shot. No matter if we win 4-2 and I let in a bad goal. Or the goal will come in a balanced game and can be seen."

Like the World Championship game against Switzerland. "Yes, we lost 1-0, the shot went by and I couldn't get it. I wanted to interrupt the game, but it happened. The goal was not me. I understand the anger of fans who say, 'He has to catch it.' But without a mistake the goals would not fall."

What impression does the championship really leave upon you? "I was disappointed to see hockey in Paris. It wasn't like the hockey in Germany. The Czechs in the auditorium were great, but there wasn't much else. The atmoshpere reminded me of a friend who didn't have the spirit of the World Championship. My girlfriend went to a game and the taxi driver asked what today's concert was. And we were playing against Canada."

And what about the sport? "Also disappointing. We wanted another result. We wanted a medal."

Isn't it like the quarterfinals are a realistic picture of Czech hockey, given the number of players who were in the NHL? "It's not like we used to build two teams from the NHL for the championship. But we still have enough boys and younger ones on the farm teams that will make the NHL soon. I think the quarterfinals were 50-50. Look at the NHL--where every team can beat the rest. The same applies to the World Championship."

By the way, the people have asked: 'Who is the one?' "I have to say that I have a good relationship with Pavel Francouz and Dominik Furch. We're friends off the ice. We didn't figure out who would catch pucks, and we both respected Pavel."

He wants to go to the NHL for one year. Is he good enough for that league? "I wish he can try it out. It's another hockey game than it is in Europe. However, it depends on a lot of things. Which goaltenders are on the team, what general manager, what goalie coach. But he has an NHL future."