Vojtech Zimlicka skated on ice for the first time at 3 years old. A year later, the Prague, Czech Republic native, suited up and played hockey for the first time.
The 28-year-old is still on the ice, still involved in hockey, but now calls Roanoke, Virginia, home.
Zimlicka, better known as Coach Zemmy, has taken the reins for the Blue Ridge Bobcats, picking and running the Wytheville-based hockey team.
Zimlicka has worked with youth previously, at Virginia Hockey Lab in Roanoke, but even that experience didn’t prepare him for the turnout at a recent youth event held at the Apex Center in Wytheville, where a ton of kids showed up to learn about the sport, despite the ice not even being ready yet. He said the turnout, which he called surprising, assured Bobcats officials that bringing a hockey club to Southwest Virginia’s mountains was a smart decision.
Zimlicka said that getting youth into hockey is important, allowing them to be passionate about the game.
Over the course of five seasons, Zimlicka has played in 195 professional games for 10 different teams. He said every hockey player wants to play in Virginia, especially this end of the state where a bounty of outdoor adventures await. Proof of that is the interest in becoming a Blue Ridge Bobcat. Zimlicka said so far round 40 players, a good portion of them from Canada and Europe, are packing their bags for Wytheville, hoping to be one of the 19 or 20 chosen for the team’s inaugural season. The puck drops on that season on Oct. 20.
For those brand new to the sport, Zimlicka explains that it takes in a lot of elements of other sports, pointing out it is fast-paced, physical and skilled entertainment. He also points out that it’s a high-scoring game.
Zimlicka will continue living in Roanoke through the week, but stay in Wythe County over the weekends, where he’ll be reviewing film, coaching and taking care of Bobcat business.
Zimlicka noticed, too, that in this part of the state, everything is family oriented, making hockey a perfect fit. The players, too, will mesh into that culture, becoming involved in the community and supporting local business. He hopes that the community will embrace the team, too, becoming the sixth man.
The stadium at the Apex Center will seat 3,000.
