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Blues CHL prospects update
Written by: Sydney Hunte on 11/02/2004 
Marek
Schwarz, the 17th pick in the 2004 draft, headlines the list of seven
St. Louis Blues prospects who are currently playing in the CHL in the 2004-05
season.
Marek
Schwarz,
G - Vancouver, WHL
Height:
6’0, Weight: 172 lbs., DOB - 1984-04-01
Marek
Schwarz, after seeing limited action with Sparta Praha in his native Czech
Republic in 2003-04, moves to North America this season.
In eight games with Sparta last year, Schwarz allowed 20 goals, for a
goals-against average of 3.58. Schwarz
has also competed with the Czech Republic in the 2003 and 2004 World Junior
Championships, being named the top goaltender in the 2004 tournament. He is playing
for the Vancouver Giants in the WHL in 2004-05 and so far he has posted a 8-6-0
record with a 2.63 GAA.
2004-05
stats
|
Team |
GP |
Min |
GA |
SO |
Avg. |
W |
L |
T |
SA |
SVS |
SV% |
|
Vancouver |
14 |
843 |
37 |
0 |
2.63 |
8 |
6 |
0 |
364 |
327 |
.898 |
Zack
Fitzgerald,
D - Seattle, WHL
Height:
6’2, Weight: 205 lbs., DOB - 1985-06-16
At
6’2 and 205 pounds, Fitzgerald, a third-round draft pick, is a punishing
hitter. He is no stranger to the penalty box. In 58 games played with the
WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds in 2003-04, he racked up 163 penalty minutes.
Fitzgerald had 4 goals and 15 assists in 2003-04; however, it is still an
area of his game that is being worked on. Fitzgerald
is in his fourth season with the Thunderbirds in 2004-05 and has six points and
43 penalty minutes so far in 13 games, with a solid +10.
2004-05
stats
|
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Seattle |
14 |
1 |
5 |
6 |
43 |
+10 |
Alexandre
Bolduc,
C - Rouyn-Noranda, QMJHL
Height:
6’1, Weight: 178 lbs.; DOB - 1985-06-26
The
Montreal native, a fourth-round pick in 2004, came off a career season in
2003-04 with Rouyn-Noranda, scoring 23 goals and 35 points in 65 games.
He has been noted for his good wrist and slap shots, which have helped
him put up the numbers that he currently has.
The 2004-05 season marks Bolduc’s fourth with the Huskies. So far
he has 5 points and 23 penalty minutes in 12 games.
2004-05
stats
|
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Rouyn-Noranda |
14 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
25 |
-4 |
Roman
Polak,
D - Kootenay, WHL
Height:
6’1, Weight: 190 lbs., DOB - 1986-04-28
The
2004-05 season is the first in Kootenay for Polak, a native of the Czech
Republic. Despite being predicted
to go on the first day of the 2004 draft, Polak stayed around until the sixth
round. Before going to Canada,
Polak was a member of the HC Sareza Ostrava system,
and in 2003 joined Vitkovice’s junior team.
He also saw time with the Czech team in the World Junior Championships in
2004. He has five points and 32 penalty minutes in 18 games with Kootenay.
2004-05
stats
|
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Kootenay |
18 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
32 |
+4 |
Michal
Birner,
C - Barrie, OHL
Height:
6’0, Weight: 183 lbs., DOB - 1986-03-02
The
Birner, a fourth-round pick in 2004, also enters his first season in North
American hockey in 2004-05 as he joins the OHL’s Barrie Colts after
participating in the CHL’s import draft.
He played one game with Slavia Praha HC in his native Czech Republic in
2003-04. Birner has worked on his
slap shot, and it, along with his passing, should help him as he experiences
competitive hockey in Canada for the first time. He has seven points and
two penalty minutes in 14 games for 2004-05.
2004-05
stats
|
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Barrie |
16 |
2 |
5 |
7 |
2 |
+3 |
Jonathan
Michel Boutin,
RW - Shawinigan, QMJHL
Height:
6’2, Weight: 187 lbs., DOB - 1984-10-21
Boutin,
a late-round pick in 2004, enters his fourth season with the Cataractes in
2004-05. He comes off a career
year, with 31 goals and 29 assists in 2003-04, which can be attributed to the
training session he underwent during the 2002-03 offseason.
The Cataractes’ assistant coach, Rene Perron, has touted Boutin as
having a chance to make it into the NHL, and at 6’2 and 187 pounds, he has the
frame to do that. He has twelve points and 22 penalty minutes in 19 games
in 2004-05.
2004-05
stats
|
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Shawinigan |
20 |
10 |
3 |
13 |
22 |
+2 |
Jonathan
Lehun—C,
Owen Sound, OHL
Height—6’0,
Weight—170 lbs., DOB—1984-02-22
The
Toronto native, who was a sixth round selection in 2003, begins his second
season with the Attack. In 2003-04,
he was the sixth-leading scorer on the team with 13 goals and 24 assists in 58
games, numbers he no doubt hopes to build on ithis season.
Lehun also spent time with St. Cloud State in the NCAA in 2002-03,
scoring the second-highest point total among freshmen on the team with 18 (eight
goals, eight assists). This season he has 15 points in 14 games.
2004-05
Stats
|
Team |
GP |
G |
A |
PTS |
PIM |
+/- |
|
Owen
Sound |
15 |
6 |
11 |
17 |
4 |
0 |
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