I speak with author Ethan Scheiner whose book “Freedom to Win” describes the gripping story of a group of small-town young men who would lead their underdog hockey team from Czechoslovakia against the Soviet Union, the juggernaut in their sport.

In 1968 Czechoslovakia experienced the Prague Spring, an attempt to moderate and soften communism. However, a sudden invasion by 500,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers halts the reforms.

We hear the inspiring story of how the young players of the national hockey team battle the Soviets on the ice to keep their people’s quest for freedom alive and forge a way to fight back against the authoritarian forces that sought to crush them.

0:00 Introduction and background on the episode's guest

2:51 Background on the Holik family and their struggle under the Nazi occupation

9:37 The unique situation of army teams in Czechoslovakia and the Holik brothers' involvement

15:50 Yaroslav Holik: A superhero in Czechoslovakia

23:23 The heated 1967 World Championships match between Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union

28:48 The impact of the Prague Spring on Czechoslovakia's performance in ice hockey

34:21 The Prague Spring and the World Ice Hockey Championships

40:37 The aftermath of Dubcek's negotiations with the Soviets

49:35 The 1969 World Ice Hockey Championships

1:08:08 The consequences for the hockey players

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