Believe it or not, hockey season is already starting in some countries. That includes the Czech Republic, where, as you may have heard, David Krejci is playing this season.
The longtime Bruin wasted little time getting on the scoresheet in his return to his home country, as he scored HC Olomouc's first goal of the season in Friday's season-opener.
Krejci banged in a rebound early in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. Olomouc, who finished last season 12th out of 14 teams in the Czech Extraliga, went on to beat Mlada Boleslav 3-2 in overtime.
Krejci has said he will play the whole season in the Czech Republic and isn't planning to return to the Bruins in the spring. The Bruins, meanwhile, have continued to leave the door open in case things change, with Patrice Bergeron saying just this week that, "We'll be in contact, and hopefully we'll see him back."
Without Krejci, Charlie Coyle is expected to get the first crack at the No. 2 center job, playing between Taylor Hall and Craig Smith. Coyle underwent a knee procedure after this past season to fix an issue that had lingered for a couple years, but said this week that he feels good and should be 100% by the start of the season in October.
Watch Krejci's goal here: