727 words, (I think its x2 media post because its about the draft but I'm not sure)


The Picks
The Picks I will be talking about will be in chronological order.

#7 Kristof Kovacs - Drafted by Halifax Raiders
The Raiders took a great draftee in their 3rd draft pick this draft. Their first 2 picks were Leshaun King and Crush Cile, both very high potential draft picks
For Kristof though, they will have a great Center on their hands for the next couple years. A sniper forward, that has very good skills in skating and face-off will definitely help the Raiders, as it is the major rebuilding season for them. You can soon see him play top lines because of that. It is a very solid draft pick for them.

#8 Oliver Kovacs ©- Drafted by Halifax Raiders
Of course, the Raiders had to choose the golden brothers of the draft. The Center and the Right Winger. A playmaker forward will mesh well with his brother who was also drafted with the Raiders. With his brother being a good scorer, I hope the organization plays them together so everyone can see a glimpse of what the Czech has to offer. Again, this is a very solid draft pick by the Raiders, and by the end of this season and next season, we will see how good they are.

#13 Pavel Pivonka (RW)- Drafted by Montreal Militia
The first pick by the Militia was Pavel Pivonka. Pavel is a big prospect coming out the Czech region. As a power forward, he is nothing to be passed over. With him being a giant of a human, and him still skating like a ballerina. I hope the Militia can get him starting as soon as possible and work with him to get better and stronger in some areas of his hockey skills. A great draft pick by the Militia

#16 Marc Palicka ©- Drafted by Detriot Falcons

The 2nd pick by the Falcons was Palincka. A very well known prospect that fell a few picks going up to the draft and the Falcons took the advantage and scooped him up. An offensive forward is a good pickup for the Falcons. Everyone needs a solid center and Marc is a very solid center that will soon be a solid 3rd to 4th center. Maybe by the end of the season or the start of next season, we will see him at the 2nd center.

#20 Vital Kravtsov© - Drafted by Montreal Militia 
The 3rd pick by the Militia was Vital Kravtsov. The second Czech that has been taken by the Militia. Again, a great pick by the Militia taking the Playmaker Forward with great faceoff skills, skating and passing abilities it was a no-brainer for the Militia to take him.

#30 Alex Winters(RW) - Drafted by Colorado Raptors
The 3rd pick by the Raptors was Alex Winters. A solid pick by the Raptors picking the playmaker forward as the 30th overall. Everyone needs a playmaker on their line and the Raptors have found one of them. The Raptors has a young star on their team, and hopefully ,Alex proves it to them.

#32 Luke Thomason(LW) - Drafted by Vancouver Whalers
The 3rd pick by the whalers was Luke Thomason. A solid pick by the Whalers selecting a playmaker forward from Czechoslovakia. As there were many playmaker forwards in this draft, and especially by the Czech, they must have seen something in him. A solid pick from the Whalers, and it looks like a good draft pick as #32 overall.

#35 Petr Vrana(G) -  Drafted by Montreal Militia
The 6th draft pick by the Miltia was Petr Vrana. The first Goalie drafted this Entry Draft, and for the right reason. With a high skill ceiling, and a high potential, this goalie should only get bigger and bigger. Already a backup goalie in the WJC in the Eastern Europian region, this kid is going places.


The Analysis

The Czechs have had a great draft day with a lot of great prospects were taken in the earlier rounds. With 8 Czechs drafted in the top 35, that means that 22.9% of the top 35 were Czechs. If that proves anything, it means that the Czechs has a large youth group that will help the national team and the WJC in the up and coming years.

Halifax Raiders - Drafted 2 Czechs, 1 C and 1 RW
Montreal Militia - Drafted 3 Czechs, 1 C, 1 RW, 1 G
Colorado Raptors - Drafted 1 Czech, 1 C
Vancouver Whalers - Drafted 1 Czech, 1 LW

4/8 SMJHL team drafted Czechs.