When a hockey player retires, their career is often defined by how many games they played, how many points they scored, and the number of championships they won. Yet, so much more goes into a player’s journey, well beyond statistics. For Michal Mrazik, his journey as a professional hockey player was captured in a notebook he purchased early in his career. The notebook would accompany him throughout his entire professional career, including the ups and downs, adventures, and every injury that would force him to retire at the age of 23. That same notebook is now a published book.

Mrazik was born and raised in Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia, a small town with a population of 30,000, approximately 286 km (178 miles) from Bratislava. Surrounded by mountains, the long, cold winters create ideal conditions for skating and ice hockey. Like many of his friends, Mrazik was naturally drawn to the game, lacing up his first pair of skates at just three years old, following in the footsteps of his father and older brother.

While Mrazik’s love for the game was shared amongst many, his talent set him apart. As a youth hockey player, having fun was his only focus. It wasn’t until age 14 when Mrazik seriously began pursuing a hockey career. He represented HK Liptovsky Mikulas in the Slovakia U18 league for three seasons, spending much of his third season in the Slovakia U20 league as a 16-year-old where he registered 20 points in 40 games. Those seasons with HK Liptovsky Mikulas strengthened his status as a strong prospect, ultimately leading to Mrazik earning the opportunity to represent Team Slovakia on numerous occasions, including multiple World Junior Championship tournaments between 2017 and 2021. Mrazik remembers those events as his “best core memories from hockey.” Although his team never progressed to the medal rounds, simply being on that stage was a success for Mrazik and many of his Slovak teammates.

“When I close my eyes now and think about my career, by far the best memories come from those four World Juniors,” said Mrazik.

Though he considered playing Junior in North America in either the Canadian Hockey League or USHL, he opted to remain in Europe. “I felt the North American leagues were more focused on the hockey part of the game, such as structure, systems, and team-oriented strategies.”  Although important, developing those skills could wait as Mrazik prioritized his skating, which he recalls, “was not at the level I thought was good enough,” and could be better developed in European leagues.

Mrazik got his first taste of professional hockey in Sweden, living in a team-provided apartment at just 17 years old for the first time, Mrazik felt he was living the kind of life he had only dreamed about three years prior. 

It was in Sweden as well where Mrazik purchased a notebook. He recalls not knowing why he made the purchase, only that something “spoke” to him inside the little bookshop. A simple purchase that would eventually turn into much more. When asked if he had always enjoyed writing, Mrazik laughed. “No, I haven’t,” he said. “I actually hated writing and reading when I was little because I just wanted to play hockey.” Mrazik recalls using the notebook at the beginning mainly to track his performance after games, noting statistics like shots and goals, along with brief reflections on how each game went overall. What began as a simple way to track his on-ice performance quickly evolved into something more —a personal companion that would accompany him for the next five years of his journey, never leaving his side.      

Mrazik spent three years playing professional hockey in Europe, representing various clubs, including Linköping HC, Bratislava Capitals, and HC Košice. He showcased his value as a 6-foot-4, versatile forward capable of slotting into the lineup at center or on the wing. His improved skating, combined with his long reach, made him an intriguing prospect.

Chasing an NHL dream, Mrazik left Europe to play the 2022-23 season in North America. He signed a Pro Tryout agreement with the Arizona Coyotes with the hopes of spending the season in the American Hockey League with Tucson, the Coyotes’ affiliate. The Coyotes were among the teams interested in drafting Mrazik, and he recalls the organization’s familiarity with his game playing a role in him earning a tryout. However, his plan didn’t unfold as expected, as he was assigned to the Atlanta Gladiators of the ECHL. To complicate matters, there were issues with his work visa which required him to leave the country to obtain one.  The closest option was to cross into Canada, a trip that, as Mrazik recalls, turned into a 73-day stay. Mrazik noted that the details of his Canadian adventure are better described in his book, not wanting to reveal any spoilers.

Ultimately, Mrazik did make it to Atlanta, playing 31 games and recording 13 points with the Gladiators. Playing in the ECHL though was never part of his original plan, and Mrazik remembers being “frustrated for pretty much the whole season.”  Those raw emotions were captured in his book, the same notebook from Sweden, his steady companion, following him every step of the way.

Mrazik eventually earned a call-up to the Tucson Roadrunners, making his AHL debut on March 4, 2023.  He remembers that day well. The Gladiators were on a road trip in Charleston, South Carolina, when he learned he would be stepping onto AHL ice for the first time. There was just one problem, he didn’t have his passport. Mrazik revealed that a friend from Atlanta drove through the night to Charleston to give Mrazik his passport, and even then, he remembers nearly missing his flight. Fortunately, he boarded on time and remembers spending the flight reflecting on the moments that led him to this moment.

“I was thinking of the whole season, what I had to do, from summer prep to camp, through my Canadian adventure, the coast, and then all the way to the A [AHL],” said Mrazik. Reflecting on the game itself, Mrazik smiled and said, “It was so much fun,” despite losing the game.

His first AHL game would turn out to be his last, returning to Atlanta and remaining with the Gladiators until the end of the 2022-23 season. In 2023-24, Mrazik didn’t play a single game and announced his retirement from professional hockey in October, 2024, due to injuries.

“I looked at my options while also remembering I’m only 23, and I was thinking about how long I could possibly play with a back like this, because the biological age of one of my discs was 65 years old, so it was pretty damaged. And then I had other injuries including three disc injuries and a dislocation of the coccyx.  I spoke to three or four highly renowned specialists in Europe, and the last one said that it would be a huge risk to have surgery, and that my life as a professional athlete would be very limited.”

Mrazik admitted that the decision to retire didn’t happen overnight; after all, his injuries occurred at different times, across many seasons and not all at once. He revealed that at times during his playing career he was only able to give 60%, sometimes less. He went on to say that on some days, he “could barely stand up, on pain killers all day long, and wearing a heat belt eight hours a day, which was barely enough to keep me moving.” Unable to play the game he loved at a standard he knew he was capable of when healthy, Mrazik accepted the decision he had to make.

“When you know you know. As a professional athlete your body will tell you right away if you’re doing something right or not.”

Although Mrazik was prepared for retirement, he acknowledged that the months following his decision were challenging, particularly the first one. He recalls a feeling of emptiness and being out of sorts from the regular routine of professional hockey. “You are used to going to practice, to the gym, hanging out with buddies, and you have your routines.” Struggling to find ways to fill his day, coupled with ongoing back pain, after taking some time Mrazik decided to pursue other goals. Among those was applying to college. Athabasca University, a strategic partner of the Professional Hockey Players’ Association Guild, became an option for Mrazik where he enrolled in some Philosophy courses. When reflecting on the benefits of having the PHPA representing ECHL and AHL players, Mrazik said, “I think that’s amazing,” with a smile. “Having played in professional leagues that aren’t unionized, I appreciate how the PHPA is there for its members, during and after their playing careers.  They were there for me.”         

Mrazik kept busy by travelling and starting new creative projects which included publishing a book. Yes, the same notebook from Sweden that Mrazik purchased near the beginning of his professional career.  It became a daily record of raw emotions and experiences, capturing challenging moments, personal tragedies, injuries, and everything in between. Mrazik originally envisioned publishing his story after making his NHL debut, with the premise that it would focus on the many difficulties and challenges it takes to play just a single NHL game. Although Mrazik never reached the NHL, his story ends in a way he hadn’t originally envisioned but in a way that will likely impact and touch an even larger audience. The title? ‘Life Doesn’t End Up Here’. The goal of his book, as Mrazik puts it is “to help somebody. Help a young kid in hockey, help someone in another sport and maybe someone outside of sports.”      

Mrazik highlighted resilience and discipline as prominent themes and lessons within his story but reiterated that his book is “for anyone that is in change, transition, or at a crossroads in life. Sometimes in life you are in a phase, and you don’t know what’s up, and it’s the same with me. I’m figuring it out like everyone else, and that’s who it’s for. It could be for someone who is 40 and going through a divorce and doesn’t know what else to do, or it could be for someone who is 19 and doing their first job, entering college, or recently broke up with their partner.”           

Mrazik’s hockey career may have ended earlier than expected, but his journey continues in new and exciting ways. His willingness to share his journey, the highs, lows and everything in between, showcasing the invisible struggles of being a professional athlete, reflects one of the many reasons the PHPA exists. To support players not only during their playing careers, but also as they transition into whatever comes next. Will Mrazik ever return to hockey? Maybe. However, as of now, he emphasized wanting to try various fields and positions and to see different countries around the world, in hopes of finding something he loves as much as hockey. ‘Life Doesn’t End Up Here’ is a deeply personal account of Mrazik’s professional career, illustrating that the end of one chapter can be the start of another.   

Get a copy of ‘Life Doesn’t End Up Here’ at lifedoesntenduphere.com, or find the link on Michal Mrazik’s social media accounts @MichalMrazik25.