Round One
No. 1 Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL) – Jiri Drtina
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Slavia Praha
Born: March, 1st, 1985
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 185 lbs.
NHL draft: 2003 eligible
The consensus first overall pick really became the new Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound as Craig Hartsburg couldn’t resist the temptation to grab this amazing offensive defenseman with the first selection. Drtina will now join fellow Czech Petr Taticek on the Greyhounds team. When lloking at is play, you wonder why he doesn’t play forward. Jiri has excellent offensive instincts, is capable of delivering extremly smart outlet passes and doesn’t hesitate to unleash blasts from the blue line. He is a terrific skater and often contributes as the “fourth forward”. Thanks to his speed Jiri doesn’t suffer from a disability to join the transitional play and is very sound positionally. He doesn’t have a hulking frame thus he also isn’t a ferocious hitter. He’ll try to learn how to hit more harder in the OHL. Jiri is a projected first-rounder for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and can easily be among the top rookie scoring leaders next OHL season with his superb two-way game.
No. 4 Ottawa 67′s (OHL) – Lukas Mensator
Position: goaltender
Team: HC Becherovka Karlovy Vary
Born: August, 18th, 1984
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 154 lbs.
NHL draft: Vancouver Canucks, 3rd round, 83rd overall
After being drafted by the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL Entry Draft, the diminutive goalie decided to have a taste of major junior hockey already next season. He wanted to stay in Europe but after he wasn’t served with a solid chance to play regularly at the senior level, Lukas feels the OHL is the best for him. The 67′s have a good tradition of picking European netmiders and this time they snagged one who dominated the international scene this past season. Lukas is a goaltender who makes up for his severe size deficiency with his exceptional quickness and strong athleticism. He has a superb dexterity and skates very well. Lukas likes to aggresively challenge the shooter and is extremly tough to beat on all inital shots. He also has a good control of the rebounds. Lukas has to further develop his stickhandling skills, which is essential in North American hockey. But he will be a guy who will be relied upon the 67′s very soon with his great play.
No. 6 Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) – David Svagrovsky
Position: left wing
Team: HC Slavia Praha
Born: December, 21st, 1984
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 210 lbs.
NHL draft: 2003 eligible
Blessed with prototypical size and an ability to succeed in the much tougher WHL, Svagrovsky said goodbye to his parent HC Slavia Praha team, like many of his teammates. The Seattle Thunderbirds hope that he can contribute immediately as a smart two-way winger. David can make his size to his advantage as he drives hard to the net and likes to fight along the boards for the pucks or look for rebounds in front of the net. A potential power forward, Svagrovsky doesn’t posess hair-raising speed but is well-balanced on his skates and can take advantage of his superior strength to cover the puck. Once on a scoring chance he often fires the puck and has quite solid puckhandling skills. Not the best stickhandler, but handles huge traffic very well and is very useful defensively. A dilligent player, David Svagrovsky is looking to upgrade his stock for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft and the WHL is the best solution for him.
No. 7 Brampton Battalion (OHL) – Martin Lojek
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Pojistovna Pardubice
Born: August, 19th, 1985
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 227 lbs.
NHL draft: 2003 eligible
Martin Lojek was a member of the winning Pardubice squad in the junior Extraleague this past season and now is looking to impress the OHL with his fearless play. He is going to join forward Kamil Kreps on a team which has a love affair with Czech imports as the likes of Lukas Havel, Rostislav Klesla and Kamil Kreps were or are their “soldiers”. A big, smart stay-at-home defenseman, Lojek won’t step in as an ultimate physical presence, even he is quite tough. He plays a very good positional game and can make use of his excellent reach to distribute the pucks effectively. Martin has a cannon of a shot, he only needs to fire it more often. He stays with his man and isn’t afraid of swweping the crease from the opposing forwards. Martin doesn’t have a huge offensive upside but can be counted on as a reliable blueliner and that’s the thing the Battalion were looking for.
No. 10 Mississauga IceDogs (OHL) – Tomas Linhart
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Pojistovna Pardubice
Born: February, 16th, 1984
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 209 lbs.
NHL draft: Montreal Canadiens, 2nd round, 45th overall
Had the second half of the last season hampered by a shoulder injury which required a surgery in the end, but the new Montreal Canadiens draft choice Tomas Linhart is ready to show what he can do the next season. It may not be in Mississauga, though, Tomas still didn’t give up his chances to play at the senior level in the Czech Republic and may stay at home. A tough cookie, Tomas won’t shy away from the physical contact and will provide lots of toughness thanks to his great size. He is a hardworking player and can be described as more of a stay-at-homer. Tomas keeps his game simple and is showing signs of a mean streak. Even if he concentrates on mistake-free defense first, Tomas also won’t hurt you offensively with his very solid outlet passing and hard shooting. Needs only to gain more maturity to put the intangibles together, it remains to be seen where he’ll play next season.
No. 11 Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) – Petr Vrana
Position: center
Team: HC Havirov Panthers
Born: March, 29th, 1985
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 170 lbs.
NHL draft: 2003 eligible
The Halifax Mooseheads have to cross their fingers in hope that the extremly talented diminutive center Petr Vrana will leave Havirov of the Czech Extraleague, where he is still under contract. The likes of Filip Novak and Petr Kanko have shown in the past that even this is possible, both left their respective teams without permission. Vrana looks to be a star in the making, even if not blessed with a huge frame he can dominate the games with his superior speed, agility and scoring talent. Petr can score and pass equally well, but tends to pass the puck more than shoot it, shooting can still be counted to his drawbacks. The undersized Petr doesn’t shy away from the physical play, but won’t deliver any bone- crushing hits, also thanks to his frame size. Petr posesses intriguing skills and if he’ll come over, he can easily challenge for the QMJHL rookie scoring title. In 2003 then he has the chances to slip into the first round of the NHL Entry Draft.
No. 13 Saginaw Spirit (OHL) – Tomas Csabi
Position: left wing
Team: HC Vitkovice
Born: November, 16th, 1984
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 195 lbs.
NHL draft: 2003 eligible
Tomas showed an inspiring performance at the Under-18 WJC, quickly being considered as one of the better prospects for the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. He feels that his stock will see a more rapid rise if he’ll play in the CHL and finally the Saginaw Spirit have made Tomas their first import choice since the franchise moved from North Bay to Saginaw. Tomas is a sized forward who brings a lot of intensity to the team. He has very good shooting skills and thanks to his superb balance is extremly tough to get knocked off the puck. An intelligent forward, Tomas can also create very good scoring chances. He is working on improving his defensive play and has made remarkable strides here. Tomas is still a bit raw and needs to upgrade his decision making. Csabi will report to play in the OHL and will probably see success there with his strong two-way play.
No. 16 Barrie Colts (OHL) – Jakub Straus
Position: right wing
Team: HC Pojistovna Pardubice
Born: July, 23rd, 1985
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 170 lbs.
NHL draft: 2003 eligible
After ripping off the midget Extraleague this past season with his elusive moves and offensive instincts, Jakub Straus was also instrumental in the Pardubice juniors run to the championship title in the junior Extraleague. The Barrie Colts made him their import pick and Jakub will most likely report to play for the Colts. A smallish waterbug, Jakub can fly on the ice and make plays at top speed. Agile and well-balanced, Jakub can beat the opposition in many ways and is perfect in one-on-one situations. He handles his stick extremly well and has a strong knack for scoring goals. Jakub posesses typical European skills and is extremly useful on the powerplay with his creativity and nose for the net. Jakub doesn’t excell defensively and could add some toughness to his play, but the chances are high the OHL will learn him this. Still a bit hidden among the 1985 born Czech prospects, Jakub’s goal is to make a name for himself as soon as possible.
No. 18 Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) – Tomas Fleischmann
Position: center/right wing
Team: HC Vitkovice
Born: May, 16th, 1984
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 172 lbs.
NHL draft: Detroit Red Wings, 2nd round, 63rd overall
Jiri Hudler was the first Red Wings’ choice at this years draft and soon after him they grabbed another Czech forward, Tomas Fleischmann. In opposite to Hudler, Fleischmann got drafted in the CHL Import Draft and will consider coming over. Tomas earned a bright reputation among the NHL scouts this past season and will be looking to convince them that he is able to translate his offensive skills also to the WHL. Fleischmann is an agile, industrious forward who is a quick skater and a crafty puckhandler with a hard drive to the net. Tomas is well-balanced and once on a scoring chance, he takes advantage of his sniper instincts and very often fires the puck. He could use a bigger portion of aggresivness and be more aware defensively, still overall he is a very solid prospect who can surprise in the ‘junior NHL’.
No. 19 Sudbury Wolves (OHL) – Miroslav Hlavaty
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Litvinov
Born: December, 3rd, 1984
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 190 lbs.
NHL draft: 2003 eligible
Not having a reputation of a blue-chipper for the next NHL Entry Draft, Miroslav Hlavaty has exactly the same chance as many of his fellow late 1984 born Czech prospects – try to succeed in the CHL after staying home would definitely diminish his chances for being selected by a NHL team next year. Miroslav won’t rule the OHL as a ferocious hitter or a tough guy, he takes pride in his strong positional play and an ability to foresee the plays and read them well. Even if he can throw some hits, he’ll need to add more toughness to his play. Hlavaty is a very solid skater and can dominate the defensive zone with his smarts and mobility. He has a decent offensive upside and is capable of making crisp passes. He is no lethal shooter and has some reserves there, he more concentrates on mistake-free defense. Hlavaty will report to play for the Wolves and the rest is upon him.
No. 21 Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) – Martin Krupka
Position: right wing
Team: HC Mlada Boleslav
Born: September, 29th, 1984
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 180 lbs.
NHL draft: 2003 eligible
Virtually unknown before the CHL Import Draft, Martin Krupka made just one appearance with the junior national team of his age and is quite hidden also in the Czech Republic, where Mlada Boleslav can’t be counted to the top teams. The newest addition to the Lethbridge Hurricanes, Martin Krupka will definitely come over and try to make a name for himself the next season. He has a solid size and is willing to use it when fighting for the pucks and looking for rebounds in front of the net. Martin has deft puckhandling skills and is a smart industrious forward with solid all-round play including a portion of defensive awareness. A solid skater for his size, Martin could use a bigger burst of speed, though. Blessed with decent vision and hockey sense, Krupka has a tricky shot and has solid instincts around the goal. Still needs to gain more maturity and is very likely to benefit from the WHL experience.
No. 24 Regina Pats (WHL) – Petr Dvorak
Position: center
Team: HC Havirov Panthers
Born: October, 11th, 1983
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 194 lbs.
NHL draft: Washington Capitals, 4th round, 118th overall
The Washington Capitals draft choice Petr Dvorak is rushing to the WHL after seeing low chances on a full-time job in the senior Extraleague with Havirov. Filip Novak graduated to the pro ranks and Petr will now with giant defenseman Matej Trojovsky form the Czech duo on the Pats team. A quick, crafty skater who can turn on a dime, Dvorak brings a nice mix of grit and skill and shows signs of developing into a scoring threat. Petr boasts a very accurate wrister and is a coveted powerplay and penalty killing units player. He handles the puck extremly well with his soft hands and seems to always find a way how to slip through traffic. Thanks to his solid vision is Petr capable of strong passes and he has also a nose for the net. A finesse-type pivot, Petr will look to add more toughness and determination to his game during his time with the Pats to develop into a legitimate Capitals prospect.
No. 25 Sarnia Sting (OHL) – Marek Chvatal
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Ocelari Trinec
Birthdate: January, 27th, 1984
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 176 lbs.
NHL draft: New Jersey Devils, 3rd round, 84th overall
If it wasn’t for Marek Chvatal’s valid contract with Trinec, he would come over to the CHL already one year ago. Now as a New Jersey Devils’ property, he has no problem with coming over and will report to play for the Sting. Marek is a smooth, swift-skating rearguard who is a gifted puckrusher. He has a bright vision and hockey sense but needs to work on his decision making and try not to wander from his defensive responsibilities. Up front Marek is very good, with highly accurate passes, only his shot needs to be a bit more harder and accurate. Marek isn’t a devastating hitter, more a positional player and he could show more of his nasty edge. He doesn’t suffer from odd positional breakdowns. Marek uses his stick well against opposing forwards and he reads the plays quite well. Has the talent and skill to be one of the premiere offensive blueliners of the OHL.
No. 27 Calgary Hitmen (WHL) – Jiri Cetkovsky
Position: center/right wing
Team: HC Continental Zlin
Born: November, 4th, 1983
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 194 lbs.
NHL draft: Calgary Flames, 5th round, 141st overall
The Flames scouts probably won’t need to go a long way to see their coveted fifth-rounder from this year’s draft play live. The local WHL franchise Calgary Hitmen snagged the hulking versatile Cetkovsky, who is expected to thrive under the look-or-you-get-nailed WHL style. Jiri will intimidate the opposition with his imposing frame and a willingness to mix it up in the corners and along the boards. He plays both center and right wing equally well and has shown a huge defensive maturity. A tireless worker, Jiri has neither of electrifying speed or top-notch stickhandling, but is working dilligently to become a feared two-way presence. His finishing skills has to improve, though, if he hopes to secure a NHL spot someday. Newly unearthed talent, Jiri Cetkovsky has the tools to rocket the Flames depth chart and even if he received offers from Czech Extraleague teams, it looks like he is well headed Calgary for WHL time.
No. 34 Plymouth Whalers (OHL) – Martin Cizek
Position: defenseman
Team: HC Slavia Praha
Born: May, 17th, 1984
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 185 lbs.
NHL draft: Buffalo Sabres, 9th round, 271st overall
Another from the wave of Slavia Praha junior players who are now trying their luck in the North American developmental system. New teammate of Jonas Fidler on the Plymouth Whalers team, Martin Cizek is a competitive blueliner who is a valuable asset on penalty killing units and thrives on a pair with a rusher. He consistently makes safe outlet decisions when he avoids any risky plays and tries to keep his game simple. Cizek shows remarkable poise moving the puck but could do that more often as he seems still not fully grown into his huge potential. He concentrates on smart, low-risk defensive game in his own end. Martin has solid shooting skills but could unleash his blasts more in order to upgrade his offensive upside. The Buffalo Sabres found him in the ninth round of the NHL draft and Cizek will look to get used to the different playing style as soon as possible.
