Former Chelsea legend Petr Cech returns to sport in hockey

Petr Cech and Haringey Huskies general manager Lee Mercer / Photo: Instagram/@haringeyhuskies

The legendary former Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has resumed his hockey career. The ex-footballer signed with Haringey Huskies — an ice-hockey club playing in the NIHL 2 South East Division, which is effectively the fourth tier of the National Ice Hockey League in the U.K.

«I am absolutely delighted to announce the signing of Petr Cech! He’s a top-class ice-hockey goalie with valuable experience on the ice with the Belfast Giants, as well as a cabinet full of major football honors. We’re confident he is going to raise standards across the entire club. His elite winning mentality will be huge for our young squad and give us a rock-solid foundation at the back,» said Lee Mercer, the club’s general manager and coach.

After signing the contract, Cech emphasized that he intends to contribute towards achieving the team’s goals.

«I was contacted by Haringey about the possibility of joining the Huskies, and after further discussions about the future and ambitions of the organization and the team, I decided to be part of the journey. I’m really looking forward to helping the team reach their goals!» the 43-year-old goalie said.

Haringey is the fifth club in Cech’s hockey career, which began in fall 2019 after he ended his football career. He previously played for Guildford Phoenix (NIHL 2), Chelmsford Chieftains (NIHL 1), Oxford City Stars (NIHL 1) and Belfast Giants (EIHL). The last time Cech was on the ice was in the 2023-24 season.

In his football career, Cech played for Rennes, Chelsea and Arsenal. He is a four-time English champion, five-time winner of the FA Cup and four-time winner of the FA Community Shield; he also won the Champions League (2012) and the Europa League (2013). Over his club career, Cech played 785 matches, 342 of which ended with clean sheets.

Cech made his debut for the Czechia’s national team in February 2002. A bronze runner-up at the UEFA Euro 2004, he kept 57 clean sheets in 124 matches for the national team.