Czech Republic: Czech prospects thread

[Wooren]

So now that the 2016 draft is over... opinions?
I (just like everyone else) knew this won't be as good draft for us as 2015, but the way went is just so dissapointing. I thought we a have lock for 4 with Hajek, Hronek, Budik and Stransky with Vala, Kachyna, Najman, Karafiat, Kurovsky and Brizgala making some combination for depth. Instead, Stransky doesn't even get drafted (I wonder what the NHL scouts were thinking ), there is no depth whatsoever and as a cherry top there's that guy Filip Helt who got drafted. Be honest, have you EVER heard about him?
*sigh*

Unlike in 2013, mock drafts usually had about 8 Czechs, so I really thought it will be a another solid year for us. Not this 2013-esque failure.

Anyway, little amount of draftees means a big amount of overagers for the next draft. If the players progress the way NHL prospects should (Stransky tearing it up in WHL, Vala/Kachyna producing more points, Najman/Karafiat producing in Extraliga, Brizgala having a healthy season and possibly having some Extraliga games.) I am sure they won't go undrafted the next year. On the other hand, both Soustal and Lakatos made huge progress this year and still went undrafted.

Oh well, hopefully 2017 draft will be better. I am already getting excited for the Hlinka Memorial, just so I can get dissapointed again...

 

[Swipes]

So here's a kid who's apparently quite talented. His parents must have a lot of money to be able to send him wherever without paying any transfer fee...

http://hokej.cz/vic-lajku-ma-jen-jagr-vyslechl-jsem-si-hodne-nadavek-vypravi-jehlicka/5016782

 

[Jablkon]

So here's a kid who's apparently quite talented. His parents must have a lot of money to be able to send him wherever without paying any transfer fee...

http://hokej.cz/vic-lajku-ma-jen-jagr-vyslechl-jsem-si-hodne-nadavek-vypravi-jehlicka/5016782

Sad story behind his case is that his attitude would be consider just as more ambitious in USA or in Canada. Here, he is even defamed by other parents. Classic story prevailing in our great postcommunist country. Just don't be that much different, shut up and do what others do. Only thing that saves him is that we suck and people realize we need guys like him....

On the other hand, his videos appeared on my FB page as an paid advert. One would say, this is quite a big project for such young guy. Then I realized that our only one top ten draft pick in 10 years is Zacha who grow up on "kameveda", so I dont mind if second one is guy from "TV"....

 

[Swipes]

No mention of the NHL in this interview. Zadina's goal is to make the Pardubice first team. I like that, one step at a time.

http://hokej.cz/zadina-v-16-letech-vyhlizi-extraligu-splnim-si-svuj-sen-proto-jsem-zustal/5016918

 

[Wooren]

So here's a kid who's apparently quite talented. His parents must have a lot of money to be able to send him wherever without paying any transfer fee...

http://hokej.cz/vic-lajku-ma-jen-jagr-vyslechl-jsem-si-hodne-nadavek-vypravi-jehlicka/5016782

Next Zacha?

No mention of the NHL in this interview. Zadina's goal is to make the Pardubice first team. I like that, one step at a time.

http://hokej.cz/zadina-v-16-letech-vyhlizi-extraligu-splnim-si-svuj-sen-proto-jsem-zustal/5016918

I just hope that if he makes the team (which is very likely) he will get a solid top 9 position, with even some PP time. Let the talent play, don't bury him in the 4th line.

 

[Swipes]

Next Zacha?



I just hope that if he makes the team (which is very likely) he will get a solid top 9 position, with even some PP time. Let the talent play, don't bury him in the 4th line.

Haha, let's see. I agree about letting him play. Excited about what our boys are doing at Ivan Glinka right now though, great stuff.

 

[Rexor]

Sad story behind his case is that his attitude would be consider just as more ambitious in USA or in Canada. Here, he is even defamed by other parents. Classic story prevailing in our great postcommunist country. Just don't be that much different, shut up and do what others do. Only thing that saves him is that we suck and people realize we need guys like him....

On the other hand, his videos appeared on my FB page as an paid advert. One would say, this is quite a big project for such young guy. Then I realized that our only one top ten draft pick in 10 years is Zacha who grow up on "kameveda", so I dont mind if second one is guy from "TV"....

Sure, taking a kid out of school, switching him from a team to a team, conducting a big PR campaign for him and keep whining how rotten and envious people around him are, this would definitely be highly appreciated across the big pond. McDavid's parents were doing exactly the same, right?

But this has definitely everything to do with our postcommunist society. Czech nouveau riche and its values - arrogance, extreme individualism, bad taste, no class. A sharp contrast with the North American middle class that puts forward the values of team work, humility and education, which is clearly reflected in the way young hockey players are raised over there.

 

[Swipes]

Liked Zadina and Necas in the Ivan Hlinka memorial tournament. I'd like to see them called up for the WJC. Kondelik is huge! NHL teams will love that size. Safin looked pretty decent too.

 

[Wooren]

Liked Zadina and Necas in the Ivan Hlinka memorial tournament. I'd like to see them called up for the WJC. Kondelik is huge! NHL teams will love that size. Safin looked pretty decent too.

Zadina, Necas, Safin, Kondelik, Skarek, Kvasnicka and Galvas. Those all have a fair shot for this year's WJC imo. The first three have actually a very good chance of making the team. The following four would need to have a strong season (especially the defensemen), but it's really not out of the question.

Anyway, thank god 1999 is so strong on forwards, we really needed it with that weak 1998 group.

 

[Swipes]

Our U-16s (2001 generation) came second in a tournament in Austria.

http://hokej.cz/recept-sestnactky-natlakovy-hokej-na-sablony-je-dost-casu-rika-nedved/5017241

Stand out names are: Teply (5 G), Poppel (4G), Cizek, Kolda Zeman (2G each). None of them seem to have stand-out stats in the youth leagues at the moment though.

 

[Swipes]

Zadina, Necas, Safin, Kondelik, Skarek, Kvasnicka and Galvas. Those all have a fair shot for this year's WJC imo. The first three have actually a very good chance of making the team. The following four would need to have a strong season (especially the defensemen), but it's really not out of the question.

Anyway, thank god 1999 is so strong on forwards, we really needed it with that weak 1998 group.

Yeah I agree, they all should be given a look. One of these days things will go well for us and we'll finally do well at the U-20 ^^

 

[Wooren]

Our U-16s (2001 generation) came second in a tournament in Austria.

http://hokej.cz/recept-sestnactky-natlakovy-hokej-na-sablony-je-dost-casu-rika-nedved/5017241

Stand out names are: Teply (5 G), Poppel (4G), Cizek, Kolda Zeman (2G each). None of them seem to have stand-out stats in the youth leagues at the moment though.

I would add Matej Toman has been named the best forward of the tournament. Seems like the most intriguing player of our 2001 generation.

Yeah I agree, they all should be given a look. One of these days things will go well for us and we'll finally do well at the U-20 ^^

I find it kinda strange our U20 never made it past the semifinals since 2006. I mean, even Switzerland and Slovakia managed to do it (Slovaks twice) so why not us? We had the better team than them most of the time but still, never made it.

 

[kudla]

I would add Matej Toman has been named the best forward of the tournament. Seems like the most intriguing player of our 2001 generation.



I find it kinda strange our U20 never made it past the semifinals since 2006. I mean, even Switzerland and Slovakia managed to do it (Slovaks twice) so why not us? We had the better team than them most of the time but still, never made it.

Your problem is mental side of ur guys, if czech squad has to face for example slovakia in the quarterfinals, they act like the match is already done, they always think that any team below top 6 is not a competition for them, but thats wrong (2015 WJC quarter)
All czech junior players and teams lack respect towards enemy

 

[Swipes]

I would add Matej Toman has been named the best forward of the tournament. Seems like the most intriguing player of our 2001 generation.



I find it kinda strange our U20 never made it past the semifinals since 2006. I mean, even Switzerland and Slovakia managed to do it (Slovaks twice) so why not us? We had the better team than them most of the time but still, never made it.

Nice, I missed that.

I can only speak for 2009 onwards (as I started watching the U-20's then):

I think it's fundamentally due to prospects. We've had poor teams since then. Our U-20 team in 2009 compared to today was dreadful. When we did have good teams (2013-2015) we've had a bad coach (Prerost). It's only recently (2016) that we've had both a good team and a good coach (Petr). We should manage it soon, Petr has 3 medals at the U-18 level (2 silver, 1 bronze) and Varada just got gold. It'll happen soon enough.

Slovakia won that medal mainly courtesy of Bokros. Put Bokros on our bench and perhaps we medal too. But that's just speculation.

 

[Swipes]

Your problem is mental side of ur guys, if czech squad has to face for example slovakia in the quarterfinals, they act like the match is already done, they always think that any team below top 6 is not a competition for them, but thats wrong (2015 WJC quarter)
All czech junior players and teams lack respect towards enemy

Complete nonsense Some individual players might lack respect, but to say they all do is ridiculous. We wouldn't have won Ivan Hlinka with that kind of mentality, so it can't be true.

I'll agree about the 2015 WJC though, but that was more due to the coaching staff and Prerost. Their philosophy and attitude unfortunately affected the players in a negative way.

 

[ThrashersfanSVK]

Your problem is mental side of ur guys, if czech squad has to face for example slovakia in the quarterfinals, they act like the match is already done, they always think that any team below top 6 is not a competition for them, but thats wrong (2015 WJC quarter)
All czech junior players and teams lack respect towards enemy

No, it's not a problem. Basically, 2015 WJC is a really bad sample. Czechs were terrible even in the group stage back then and only the unpredictable and unexepcted results passed them to the second place in group which they definitely did not deserve considering their performances. They beat Russia but Russia played extremely bad and not due to Czech solid performance. Czechs struggled even against Denmark, they lost to Switzerland... Don't want to look like as a captain obvious but Slovak win over Czech Republic in 2015 WJC wasn't a big surprise under those circumstances.

HOWEVER, that fluke doesn't tell anything (and I mean anything) about the level of Slovak or Czech hockey. Czechs are ahead of us by a mile in every aspect of hockey. It is maybe surprising that they haven't advance to semifinal of WJC since 2005 but it's not a big deal I would say. First of all, birthyear 1996 is the first one that was positively affected by Lener's reforms and 96s were the U20 birthyear just last year. Secondly, they were really-really close of making semifinals many times during that timespan (e.g. 2014 or 2012). And thirdly, even though Czechs made indisputable progress, you simply cannot count on making semifinal at WJC every year. Czechs are close to Sweden, Finland, Russia, USA and Canada but still they're underdogs (not a big as e.g. Slovaks, though) in mutual games with a really decent chance of beating the opponent.

 

[Jablkon]

Sure, taking a kid out of school, switching him from a team to a team, conducting a big PR campaign for him and keep whining how rotten and envious people around him are, this would definitely be highly appreciated across the big pond. McDavid's parents were doing exactly the same, right?

But this has definitely everything to do with our postcommunist society. Czech nouveau riche and its values - arrogance, extreme individualism, bad taste, no class. A sharp contrast with the North American middle class that puts forward the values of team work, humility and education, which is clearly reflected in the way young hockey players are raised over there.

OU, you know him? Then fine. Does he keep whining or he has reasons to whine? I see how nice people here can be. I lived one year in Canada. With this experience you are quite suspicious to czech enviroment especially in hockey. When three of our best talents dont come from individual development or from Sweden I will trust you that everything is ok.

I am not saying his family attitude is ok but its always disgusting to hear that other parents were aggressive towards him. Sure that would happen in Canada or USA.

 

[Wooren]

Hopefully I didn't miss anyone.

In the season 2016-2017 those are the players that are playing overseas in Major junior leagues.

QMJHL:

Jakub Zboril 1997 D (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Filip Chlapik 1997 F (Charlottetown Islanders)
Marek Zachar 1998 F (Sherbrooke Phoenix)

WHL:

Libor Hajek 1998 D (Saskatoon Blades)
Vojtech Budik 1998 D (Prince Albert Raiders)
Ondrej Vala 1998 D (Kamloops Blazers)
Daniel Bukac 1999 D (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Michael Spacek 1997 F (Red Deer Rebels)
Simon Stransky 1997 F (Prince Albert Raiders)
Tomas Soustal 1997 F (Kelowna Rockets)
Pavel Kousal 1998 F (Spokane Chiefs)
Ondrej Najman 1998 F (Spokane Chiefs)

OHL:

David Ovsajnnikov 1997 G (Barrie Colts)
Filip Hronek 1997 D (Saginaw Spirit)
Michal Steinocher 1999 D (Flint Firebirds)
Ondrej Kachyna 1998 D (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Matyas Svoboda 1999 F (Peterborough Petes)
Filip Helt F 1998 (Sarnia Sting)
Ondrej Machala F 1999 (Niagara IceDogs)
Albert Michnac F 1998 (Guelph Storm)

USHL:

Adam Brizgala 1998 G (Muskegon Lumberjacks)
Ales Stezka 1997 G (Chicago Steel)
Josef Korenar 1998 G (Lincoln Stars)
Jakub Sirota 1998 D (Des Moines Buccaneers)
Matyas Kantner 1998 F (Sioux Falls Stampede)
Jachym Kondelik 1999 F (Muskegon Lumberjacks)

 

[wings5]

OHL:

David Ovsajnnikov 1997 G (Barrie Colts)
Filip Hronek 1997 D (Saginaw Spirit)
Michal Steinocher 1999 D (Flint Firebirds)
Ondrej Kachyna 1998 D (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Matyas Svoboda 1999 F (Peterborough Petes)
Filip Helt F 1998 (Sarnia Sting)
Ondrej Machala F 1999 (Niagara IceDogs)
Albert Michnac F 1998 (Guelph Storm)

[

David Ovsajnnikov is Czech?

 

[Wooren]

David Ovsajnnikov is Czech?

He is listed as Czech on Elite Prospects. Maybe he has dual citizenship, I don't know, but he was born in Czech Republic

 

[Vogel]

Hopefully I didn't miss anyone.

In the season 2016-2017 those are the players that are playing overseas in Major junior leagues.

QMJHL:

Jakub Zboril 1997 D (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Filip Chlapik 1997 F (Charlottetown Islanders)
Marek Zachar 1998 F (Sherbrooke Phoenix)

WHL:

Libor Hajek 1998 D (Saskatoon Blades)
Vojtech Budik 1998 D (Prince Albert Raiders)
Ondrej Vala 1998 D (Kamloops Blazers)
Daniel Bukac 1999 D (Brandon Wheat Kings)
Michael Spacek 1997 F (Red Deer Rebels)
Simon Stransky 1997 F (Prince Albert Raiders)
Tomas Soustal 1997 F (Kelowna Rockets)
Pavel Kousal 1998 F (Spokane Chiefs)
Ondrej Najman 1998 F (Spokane Chiefs)

OHL:

David Ovsajnnikov 1997 G (Barrie Colts)
Filip Hronek 1997 D (Saginaw Spirit)
Michal Steinocher 1999 D (Flint Firebirds)
Ondrej Kachyna 1998 D (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Matyas Svoboda 1999 F (Peterborough Petes)
Filip Helt F 1998 (Sarnia Sting)
Ondrej Machala F 1999 (Niagara IceDogs)
Albert Michnac F 1998 (Guelph Storm)

USHL:

Adam Brizgala 1998 G (Muskegon Lumberjacks)
Ales Stezka 1997 G (Chicago Steel)
Josef Korenar 1998 G (Lincoln Stars)
Jakub Sirota 1998 D (Des Moines Buccaneers)
Matyas Kantner 1998 F (Sioux Falls Stampede)
Jachym Kondelik 1999 F (Muskegon Lumberjacks)

Jan Ruzicka 1997 G (Des Moines Buccaneers)
Nicolas Werbik 1997 F (Youngstown Phantoms)

 

[herbst20]

Jakub Sirota was traded at the roster deadline to Cedar Rapids (USHL)

 

[Dr Pepper]

Ondrej Vala just signed an ELC with Dallas.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dal...n-defenseman-ondrej-vala-entry-level-contract

What kind of style does he play? Any comparables in the league?

 

[Sipak4]

Ondrej Vala just signed an ELC with Dallas.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dal...n-defenseman-ondrej-vala-entry-level-contract

What kind of style does he play? Any comparables in the league?

How is it possible? He wasn't drafted.

 

[Dr Pepper]

How is it possible? He wasn't drafted.

He was on a PTO I think, and they liked how he played in training camp.