MANNHEIM – He has been the star of one of Europe’s best club teams. Now Jan Marek will leave Metallurg Magnitogorsk to find a new opportunity elsewhere and will prove his worth at the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany.

After four years with 232 games, 95 goals and 128 assists in the Russian top league the Czech centre is looking for a change of scenery than Russia’s biggest steel city.

“It’s a really competitive league that is getting better and better each year,” Marek said. “But it’s not so easy to live there. Magnitogorsk is not the prettiest city. It’s absolutely different from the Czech Republic and it’s a bit tough unless you have your family there. So I decided during the season that I need some change.”

For Marek the World Championship will be a welcome opportunity to showcase his skills.

One year ago, Marek made the roster as a star of Metallurg with 71 points in 53 regular-season games and with ten points in eight games of the Champions Hockey League.

This year it didn’t go that well with 45 games and 24 points.

“I feel very good, but the season was tough. At the beginning I was injured, so it was a bit difficult,” Marek said.

Now he will leave Magnitogorsk. It’s not out of the question that he will stay in the KHL as he got some offers, but the 30-year-old is also considering offers from Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

The World Championship will be a good opportunity for him to be in the spotlight when clubs are watching for players for next season.

For Marek, it won’t be his first World Championship. He already represented the Czech Republic in 2007 and 2009, but was cut in 2008.

“It’s a different situation than one or two years ago,” Marek said about this year’s fight for the roster spots after an exhibition game. “Everybody has a chance to make the team and everybody will battle to make the World Championship roster.”

While Marek won championships and scoring titles in the Czech Extraliga and in Russia, he hasn’t won a medal with the national team yet. He wants to change that at the 2010 World Championship that begins in Mannheim for the Czechs.

“Every season we believe in a medal and we’re looking forward to this World Championship because we haven’t brought home a medal for several years,” Marek said.

The Czechs won four gold medals in as many years between 1998 and 2001 – the Nagano Olympics and three world titles – and another World Championship in 2005 with current coach Vladimir Ruzicka. Since the silver medal in 2006, the Czechs have gone home empty-handed.

That’s a reason why Marek is careful when thinking about the beginning of the tournament, although the longing for some different metal than steel becomes bigger for him and the country with every missed opportunity.

“The opponents are not so easy. Even the first two games against France and Norway might look easy on paper, but you must always play well to defeat them,” the forward said. “Sweden and later in the Qualification Round Canada will be tough opponents.”

The Czech national team plays its first game of the 2010 World Championship on Sunday, May 9, against France.

MARTIN MERK