There were a lot of reasons Petr Cech shouldn’t have been playing goalie in Martin Havlat’s retirement hockey game in the Czech Republic two years ago.



For one, Cech faced the defending champs of the Czech Extraliga, HC Kometa Brno. Even in an exhibition game, the competition level was high. Cech was also scheduled to play in his own pro team’s season opener just a few days later. And most importantly, Cech was a celebrated professional soccer goalie — not a hockey goaltender.



Havlat initially had those concerns. Until Cech sent him video of him playing hockey.



“If I didn’t see it, I’d be scared to put him in because it was basically my team playing against the champions of the Czech league, my hometown team,” Havlat said. “It was still a great level. I saw the videos he was sending me on how he looks like on the ice. If I wouldn’t know it’s him, you couldn’t tell. You couldn’t...