Hockey great Josef Černý dies at 85

Czech hockey legend Josef Černý has died at 85. He won seven league titles with Kometa Brno and helped Czechoslovakia earn three Olympic medals and ten World Championship honors. Kometa Brno announced his passing on Thursday on their official website.

Černý played 20 seasons with Kometa, serving as captain and becoming the club’s all-time leader in goals, assists, and points. He was the first player in the league to score over 400 goals and tallied 483 in total, including national team matches.

He played 210 games for Czechoslovakia, scoring 75 goals. After retiring, he coached in Europe and returned to Kometa in the 2000s. Černý was inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Czech Hockey Hall of Fame a year later.