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Schultzy · 07-06-2018, 02:57 PM

A Father's Son

It was over 30 seasons ago when a young playmaker from Kladno entered the NWJHL. Undrafted and unnoticed Michal Pivonka quickly turned heads and turned on the lamp. But just as quick as his arrival was his sudden departure. After finishing 4th in Rookie Scoring, he suddenly retired just before the SHL Rookie Entry Draft where many had projected him as a first round pick. Michal cited family obligations back home as the reason for his departure and returned to Kladno to raise a family of his own and pass his sport onto his children.

Now, 32 seasons later his son is entering the upcoming SMJHL Rookie Entry Draft this Sunday. A promising albeit enigmatic winger, Pavel has his father's skating and smooth hands but not his pass first style. Instead, Pavel is a goal scorer's goal scorer. A pure sniper with a quick release who puts pucks on net every time he touches the ice.

[Image: kuzy-snipe.gif]

Pavel scoring the championship winning goal in the Czech junior league last year

Pavel knows the road his father paved but he also knows its not an easy one to take. No amount of skill replaces the hard work it takes to make it at the SMJHL level and Pavel will have to decide if he can stay motivated and put in the grind.

Quote:"I'm not making long term plans right now. I'm just going to quietly play some hockey and see where that takes me. I think I can be successful and I'll worry about the future when it gets here. For now my focus is on getting drafted and joining a team, then get in a good camp and preseason and see where the coach lines me up. One game at a time."

Pavel said.

Questions will remain about his commitment and his long term dedication to the game, but his skill and potential are undeniable. With one of the largest and deepest draft classes in recent memory, Pavel won't be a first round pick but he very likely will be the one to watch on Sunday nonetheless. The boom or bust odds have never been higher for a player entering the Draft. Likely to go in the later rounds, Pavel has the skill set to make any line he's on better and that could be a huge steal for an already loaded team that's looking to add some championship caliber depth.

Every team needs goal scorers, and Pavel is just that. A scout recently told me:

Quote:"His small frame will need more strength and his defensive game is certainly lacking but its improving, but he has a good poke check and he's dangerous on the transition. The offense is obviously built around his elusiveness and his shot which is already SMJHL level. He needs to learn to trust his teammates more and make the pass as he's a bit of a puck hog. Don't expect him to play with any type of physical edge as he's a pure goal scorer who prefers to dangle instead of powering his way through the defense but he's not easy to knock off the puck. Hands are his best asset, but he could use a bit more speed to his game. Probably won't play big minutes early but by the end of the season he could work his way up to the top 6 on most teams for sure. His quick release on his snap shot catches a lot of goalies by surprise and his fluidity allow him to dart through the gaps with ease. He's got the foundation and with a bit more improvement he could quickly blossom into a game breaker in the SMJHL. His SHL future is a mystery as he needs a lot more seasoning before making that jump but he's what you would expect from an SMJHL Draft prospect."

Indeed the Czech native is going to feel the pressure to live up to his father's success and answer the looming questions about his career but someone is going to take a chance on a talented prospect this Sunday and we'll see what Pivonka is made of when the puck drops on the preseason. Perhaps the most likely destination is Halifax where the Raiders finished dead last in Goals For last season and hold 7 of the top 21 picks in Sunday's draft. The Raiders can afford to gamble with one of those picks and they have to address their lack of offense if they want to get back in contention. Pivonka could be the answer to their goal scoring problem, but will Halifax roll the dice on such a risky player? We'll find out on Sunday night!

DOUBLE SMJHL MEDIA BONUS ELIGIBLE

DeletedAtUserRequest · 07-06-2018, 07:03 PM

2nd generation talent! Good luck!

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galatix · 07-14-2018, 03:18 PM

/heavy breathing/ SCHULTZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

***Wally*** · 07-14-2018, 03:25 PM

Brotha... from anotha motha! Fuckin psyched man!

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