Player's Profile
Picture Courtesy of www.whl.ca
- Name: Tomas Kudelka
- Position: D
- Shoots: Left
- Height: 6-2
- Weight: 183 lbs
- Birthdate: 1987-03-10
- Eligible for Draft: 2005
- Drafted:
- Hometown: Zlin, Czech Republic
- Acquired: 5th round (136th overall), 2005
- Playing In: Pro
Tomas Kudelka
Prospect Grade: 6.5 D (About Prospect Grades)
Profile Contributed By: HF Staff
History
2004-05: Kudelka didn't have a great season in the Czech Republic as injuries slowed him down. He did not show such a progress as other Czech players like Hanzal, Pavelec, Kalus or even Pospisil. Kudelka's performance was almost at the same level as previous year. Despite the lack of progress, the two-way defenseman still put up decent numbers of 17 points in 38 games.
2005-06: After being selected by the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the 2005 CHL Import draft, Kudelka made the trip over to North America. In his first rookie major-junior season, Kudelka was solid and produced 31 points in 64 games. He also picked up 2 points in Lethbridge’s brief playoff appearance (six games). The Hurricanes season cut short, Kudelka was given an opportunity to demonstrate his skill at a higher level when he was called up to Binghamton. He signed an entry-level contract with Ottawa after a successful five-game audition.
2006-07: Kudelka spent most of his season with Lethbridge (WHL), netting a career-high 14 goals (led all team D-men) and 41 points in 59 games with the Hurricanes. He also saw some more AHL action this season, netting a goal, the first of his pro hockey career, and three points in 11 games with the Binghamton Senators. He again competed with the Czech Republic National U20 Team, scoring a goal and three points in six games at the WJC.
2007-08: The defenseman split the season between Binghamton (AHL) and Elmira (ECHL). He had a bit of a scoring slump with the B-Sens this season, tallying a goal and two points through 35 games. He added another 19 points (5g+14a) in 23 games to his season total.
2008-09: Kudelka spent the entire season with the B-Sens (AHL), potting seven goals and 23 points through 76 games.
Talent Analysis
Kudelka is an offensive defenseman with a good package of size, speed, and skill. He is still prone to occasional turnovers, but has demonstrated a good sense of when to jump into the rush. He is a good puck-handler and displays excellent awareness on the ice. A smooth skater, Kudelka takes advantage of his above-average speed and agility. He is fast backwards and has solid lateral movement to go along with his good balance. He is an offensive-minded rearguard and is poised when moving the puck. Kudelka uses his reach effectively and is adept at distributing pucks smartly. He makes occasional bad decisions with the puck though, he is positionally sound and doesn't tend to make mistakes in that aspect. Kudelka doesn't hesitate to fire his solid shot, which is quite accurate. He can stand to put on some weight.
Future
Stats
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Profile Last Updated: July, 4th 2010
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