Getting called up to the NHL is supposed to be a thrilling moment for a player who has worked his way through various levels of Czech pro leagues and then spent just over a season in the American Hockey League.

With Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer temporarily out of the lineup because of an “unfortunate accident” at his home in November, 27-year-old Aleš Stezka got the second call-up of his career. With Grubauer unavailable, Stezka was needed to back up Joey Daccord for Seattle’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 12.

On the evening of Nov. 11, Stezka flew from Coachella Valley to Seattle, arriving late at night. He picked up a rental car and drove to his downtown hotel around midnight, where he parked in the hotel garage and made the seemingly innocuous decision to leave his gear inside the vehicle.

“I checked the car like three times [to see] if somebody could see the bag from the outside,” Stezka recalled. “And I used my light on the phone, and I couldn’t see in because I had very dark windows.”

Assuming his gear was safe in the hotel garage, Stezka went inside to get a few hours of sleep, knowing he would be back early in the morning to begin his gameday preparations. But when he returned to the car, he immediately recognized that something was amiss.

“I found out at like 6:30 a.m. I came to the car, because that’s a gameday, I wanted to be at the rink a little bit earlier to figure out everything,” Stezka said. “I came to the car and saw the broken window, and I was just like, ‘F**k!’

“I don’t know if the guys used lights, something special [to see in], but they just broke the window, take my hockey gear. They left the sticks in the car, just took the bag.”

The brazen smash-and-grab theft was especially disappointing for Stezka because it was still relatively early in the season, and all his gear was new. This included his Firebirds/Kraken combo mask that he had just unveiled three weeks prior. His bag also contained backup gear, including a second mask, a second pair of skates, and a second catch glove and blocker.

“It was actually crazy, because I never think it can happen, you know? And I just came to Seattle very late. I came to the hotel, like, 30 minutes after midnight. And I was [going to] wake up at something like 6 a.m., so I just parked at the hotel parking garage. But it’s my fault. I just left the stuff, left the hockey bag in the car.”

A gameday scramble

Fortunately for Stezka and the Kraken, he still had his equipment from the 2023-24 season, which he spent entirely with the Firebirds. There was just one problem with him wearing that set for the game later that night: some of that gear was 1,000 miles away in Coachella Valley.

When Stezka realized what had happened, he immediately got in touch with the Kraken to let them know about the incident. With Seattle’s game against the Blue Jackets looming in just 12 hours, head equipment manager Jeff Camelio and director of team services Brennan Baxandall sprang into action.

“I found out at 7 a.m. that his gear was stolen, and we instantly started trying to figure out how we were going to piece gear together to get him on the ice for that night,” Camelio said. “So luckily, we had [some of his old gear] from training camp, so that worked out. We had an old chest protector that he used, old pants, basically just outfitted him with all the old equipment that we could, and then we had some stuff actually flown in from Palm Springs that he had just switched out of.”

What they didn’t have was Stezka’s old pads, gloves, and mask, so they tagged Firebirds assistant equipment manager Justin Sommer to fly from Palm Springs with those items.

“Jeff, Baxy, and everyone around helped me a lot to fix the problem,” Stezka said. “They called the guys in Coachella. Our equipment guy [for the Firebirds], he just flew before the game with the old gear from last season.

“It was easier because that’s my old gear, but I feel so bad… I feel so bad because I had pretty new gear in [the bag].”

Ales Stezka is in the house. #SeaKraken pic.twitter.com/2sLsuqhdpU

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 8, 2024

**Editor’s note: The gear shown in the above tweet is the gear that was stolen; the photo was taken a few days prior to the incident, during Stezka’s first of two call-ups in quick succession. The header photo is from last season and shows the replacement equipment he used in the game against Columbus.

It was an overwhelming situation for Stezka, who went from being excited to be part of the NHL roster, trying to fit in and quietly go about his business, to being smack-dab in the middle of a chaotic problem that required mountains getting moved on his behalf.

“It was my second call-up ever… I’m a new guy, and everything around that. But the guys helped me a lot here in the locker room too, [saying], ‘Don’t worry, just be ready for the game, and the guys will help you with everything.’ I was very grateful for them.”

Indeed, Stezka’s old gear did arrive in time for him to back up Daccord for the game, though perhaps his setup wasn’t quite as aesthetically pleasing as he had hoped after he replaced his shiny new duds with a beaten-up set from the previous AHL season.

Stezka has since received all new gear, including a mask painted by friend of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast, Shifty, the artist who also paints Daccord’s masks.

Aleš Stezka | @SeattleKraken @Firebirds pic.twitter.com/DPgPFCNNRE

— Shifty (@ShiftyPaint) November 21, 2024

“Jeff did a good job. He called Shifty, he sent him the mask, and Shifty did it in like one week, he did a new mask,” Stezka said. “And he’s a beauty. He helped me a lot, sending me every detail, and I’m very happy to work with him.”

Goalie gear thieves remain at large

One might wonder what would possess somebody to steal a set of custom gear fit for a 6-foot-4 professional hockey goalie, especially considering that it has his name embroidered on it and should be easily spotted as stolen goods.

But that question remains unanswered, as the gear still has not been recovered.

“[The Kraken] talked to the police, I talked to the hotel manager as well, but the gear still [hasn’t been] found,” Stezka said. “Me and my wife—I know Jeff, too, and the team—we’re trying to watch the goalie markets, the black markets, anywhere you can sell gear, but nothing.”

Stezka still feels terrible that the incident happened and (perhaps unfairly) blames himself for not bringing the equipment into the hotel with him that fateful night. But he also learned from the experience.

“I learned you never, never, never leave your stuff in the car… Shit happens, but I feel very bad because it’s a lot of money for a team, and I’m very glad for everyone who helped me on both sides.”

Added Camelio: “This was the first time I’ve had a whole set of goalie gear stolen. So this was a first for me in 25 years.”

If you happen upon a set of pro-spec True goalie gear with “Stezka” stitched into it, and/or a custom Aleš Stezka Firebirds/Kraken mask, please contact your local authorities.