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Troy_McClure03 · 04-20-2024, 10:59 PM

Czeching out the Czechia Line up:

Each week we are going to look at 3 to 4 players from Czechia and see who exactly they are in the SHL. The deep-ish dive will go in Seniority Order for us. Lets Kick this off right!

Starting off with our Gem from the 50s, @JT3 is currently our only S58 player. Noel Blanchet is currently on the Winnipeg Jets. However, lets look back at this amazing center for Czechia.

@Jt3 Czechia

Born in Lyon, France, Noel was drafted by the Colorado Raptors in the first round of the S57 Draft, 6th overall. That season Noel would make the Rookie All Star Team , as well as win a bronze medal in the WJC for Team Canada (White). Noel would again be a first round pick, this time being picked 4th overall by the Baltimore Platoon in the S58 draft. Noel would make the All star team again in S60, still with the Raptors, where Noel would spend all 4 seasons. In 264 games played, Noel managed 48 goals, 126 assists, while being a +34 for the Raptors. Noel would also put that big body in front of 148 shots, and throw 345 hits in 4 seasons.

For the IIHF, Noel has stats that stretch over two different portal pages. (Check here for yourself if you want!) From S60 to S66 Noel managed to play 84 games, getting 20 goals , 32 assists, for a total of 52 points. From S67-S75 Noel pulled an impressive 108 games, 37 goals, 44 assists for a total of 81 points. I'm not mathematician, but that puts Noel at 192 Games played for Czechia, giving the federation 57 goals, 76 assists for 133 points!

As for the SHL Noel has broken the 1000 game mark this season! With 1022 games as of about now with 375 goals, 601 assists and 976 points! Blanchet has played for BAP and NOLA, but mostly for Winnipeg (hey, I know that team!!) for 16 seasons now. Very impressive stats!

While Noel is no longer a spring chicken, We thank Noel for the years of service and hope to get Czechia and Noel that gold IIHF! A true Pillar on the ice for Czechia!

@Grapehead Czechia

Next on our list is the 6 foot, 5 inch transplant hailing from Edina, USA. Jimmy Larkin-Conway is a left wing who went in the 2nd round of the S59 draft to the Nevada Battleborn. Jimmy would be with the Battleborn for all 4 seasons, getting voted into the 2nd All star Team in S61. For the Battleborn Jimmy would put up 188 points over 264 games in the regular season. While the Battleborn did not win the cup in the 4 year span Jimmy was there, Larkin-Conway still lead the way for the Battleborn, Particularly in Season 62 when he put up 9 points in 10 games with a 21% shooting percentage.

After the Jr league, Jimmy Larkin-Conway was called up to Winnipeg, who acquired the rights to Larkin-Conway from Baltimore. Baltimore picked Jimmy in the 2nd round of the S60 draft. Jimmy would spend one season with Winnipeg, giving them 30 points in 66 games. Larkin-Conway would spend the rest of his time with Toronto, from S64 until S75. While on Toronto, Jimmy would be nominated for the Ron Mexico in S65, Make the 3rd All star Team in S65, and win the Aidan Richan in S.... 65. S65 was a great year for Jimmy! This season Larkin is currently on Seattle. With the Argonauts, Larkin-Conway is on pace to match his totals from Winnipeg, currently sitting at 14 points in 34 games. Over the long career, Jimmy has played in 892 games, putting up almost 400 goals, almost 500 assists for almost 900 points. This season could see all these milestones get set in the regular season!

Internationally just like Noel, Larkin-Conway has their stats broken into 2 pages. Larkin-Conway has put up over 70 points in 180 games played for Czechia, and was a part of a great shut down line for Czechia last year. While we haven't had the success that Jimmy deserves, we are hopeful that Jimmy Larkin-Conway will raise gold under our flag soon!

@artermis

Last on our first edition is the one who rigs for us, Petr Svoboda. This S61 player has been the Most from Most, Czech Republic could ever ask for. Standing at 6 feet, 2 inches tall, Petr Svoboda was undrafted in the Jr league. Petr Svoboda is truly a Czech treasure, advocating, advising, and just flat out lighting the fire under us all to try and win!

In the Jr League, Petr would play for the Kelowna Knights. For the Knights, Petr would put up 193 points in 264 games, with a shooting percentage above 14. As a right wing, Petr still had over 300 blocks in 4 seasons. In S63 Petr Svoboda would make the 2nd all star team. That same year was a deep cup run for Kelowna, as Petr appeared in 18 games. They would lose the cup in overtime to the Great Fall Grizzlies after 6 hard fought games, 2 that went into overtime, and 2 that were only 1 point games. In the playoffs Petr would put up 10 points in that final season, and was a big reason the Knights had that deep cup run.

Svoboda would be drafted by the San Francisco Pride in the 2nd round, and play 4 seasons with them, from S64 until S67. In that 4 year period, Petr would get a good amount of playing time, going from 30ish points a season to over 60 his final season. His Rookie season was his best playoff wise, getting into 20 games in the post season, being a .5 ppg player. San Fran would get blown out in game 7 to lose the cup to the Chicago Syndicate. Petr would move on from the Pride, going to the Pack instead come S68 for 6 seasons. In New England, Petr would find success, making the 3rd all star team twice (S68 and S70) and winning the cup in S70. Svoboda would also be nominated for the Anton Razov award in S70. Today Petr Svoboda is currently on Texas, where they are about a point a player game. It seems like Svoboda hasn't quite lost a full step yet in the SHL.

Internationally Svoboda is a solid part of our offensive group. Currently at 156 games played for Czechia, Petr sits at 109 points. With a shooting percentage over 14, Petr makes the most of the chances they get on the ice. The only goal Petr has is to get that gold medal, and we are hopeful that we can pull it off before the end of a great career.

Personally I've had a lot of conversations with Arty, and they have been one of my many go to people when I have questions about anything IIHF. Even when I ask the SAME QUESTION OVER AND OVER AGAIN, Arty has been beyond helpful and doesn't make me feel stupid for asking again. Alright, and with that we conclude the first part in a 12-14 part series. Thanks for reading, Special thanks to our 3 featured players. Thanks for making Czechia, the Bestia! Czechia

(1200ish words, lots of research and I got paper cuts from the achieves which will prob give me the plague)

***luke*** · 04-20-2024, 11:07 PM

Go Czechia!

ImShiny · 04-20-2024, 11:20 PM

Czechia is bestia

Grapehead · 04-21-2024, 12:40 AM

***micool132*** · 04-21-2024, 09:54 AM

G O C Z E C H I A

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