Czech Prospect Update - Montreals Victor Ujcik
Ujcik
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Right Wing, 5'10'', 195 lbs.
Born: May, 24th, 1972
2001/02 Team: HC Slavia Praha - 52GP, 25-23-48
NHL Rights: Montreal Canadiens, 9th round, 266th overall in 2001
The Montreal Canadiens fell in love with the marvelous skating Slavia Praha
winger last June, hoping that he could step right in and contribute this season
with the NHL club. Instead of making the jump, Ujcik chose to continue his Czech
Extraleague career.
This season he was again the go-to player and the leading personality on his
team, which was eliminated by arch rival HC Sparta Praha in the semifinals.
Making use of his superb hockey skill and experience, Ujcik was the key piece
in Slavia's offensive puzzle, relied on as the go-to player in all critical
situations and the leader of the team.
Ujcik posted career numbers this year and hit the 25-goal plateau for the first
time in his Extraleague
career, finishing the regular season with 48 points for those 25 goals and 23
assists while playing the complete schedule of 52 games. In 9 playoff contests
Ujcik concentrated more on the scorer's role, notching 3 goals. Ujcik did not
show the same dominance in the playoffs that he did in the regular season and
was invisible at times.
Ujcik showed steady improvement over the course of the season. Went scoreless
for the Czech senior nats at the first tournament, Ceska Pojistovna Cup, but
scored two points (3-1-1-2) of the Baltika Cup. At the 2001 Sweden Hockey Games
Ujcik tallied 3 points for 1 goal and 2 assists in 4 games.
Viktor Ujcik is a tremendous skater who is able of reach top speed in a few
strides. He drives hard to the net and is very good in one-on-one situations.
Does not show defensive responsibility but his offensive upside has some flashes
of Pavel Bure. A very good puckhandler with a fast accurate wrist shot and excellent
scoring touch. Viktor excels on the powerplay and can be a deadly sniper on
a line with a creative center who gets him the puck. Ujcik needs to get stronger
and at 5'10'' can be knocked off the puck easily and tends to avoid traffic.
As a player who will turn 30 this year, he is a forward in his prime and is
playing some best hockey of his career, even if he vanished in the playoffs.
The Habs will cross their fingers that he'll come over this summer or else his
chances of making the NHL in the future are slim. He is a wildcard but this
fall is time to test whether he'll be a short-term boom or bust.