U-17 Four Nations Report: Czech Republic
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The host team was eager to pick up where they left off after spirited performances during a three-game series against the Finnish Under-17 team in November and at last month’s Viking Cup in Canada. But their showing at the Four Nations Tournament fell below expectations, as occasional defensive lapses and complicated offensive-zone play spoiled the Czech chances for victory. After losing to both Sweden and Russia, the young Czechs did manage to avoid last place by defeating Finland.
Offensive defenseman Jakub Vojta was counted on to provide a mix of leadership and smart two-way play, a task which wasn't beyond him as the most experienced Czech player on the roster. Vojta was, along with forward Martin Hanzal, the only Czech player with playing experience from the Under-18 category and lived up to expectations by winning the 'Top Defenseman' trophy. Vojta is a smooth skater who utilizes his fluid stride and above-average agility. He is very mobile and opposing forwards have a tough time outskating him. Vojta handles the puck well with his soft hands and is capable of crisp, accurate passes with solid timing. As an offensive rearguard, he often joins the rush and is a valuable asset to the powerplay units. He unleashes quite an accurate slapshot, but has to fire harder blasts in order to get them through traffic. Vojta isn't a feared physical menace, however, he doesn't play afraid and can use the body when needed. On the downside, Vojta suffers from occasional positional gaffes and his defensive-zone coverage needs to improve. He tends to think too much about creating offense at times and forgets to fill his duties in the back end, thus enabling the opposition odd-man rushes and scoring chances.
Definitely a name to remember for the 2007 NHL Entry Draft is the Czech offensive prodigy Michal Repik. By far the youngest player in the tournament, the late-1988 born Repik was on the first tournament with the Under-17 team after stunning the coaches and opposition at the Under-16 level. He didn't look out of place at all against older competition. His best performance came in the second game against Russia where Repik's skill could match the Russian players. He is a swift skater with a deceptive change of pace and acceleration. Repik is capable of sharp turns and can slip through defenses by using his speed. He is a tricky puckhandler who uses his skill to terrorize defenders in one-on-one situations. Repik releases a deadly quick and accurate wrist shot, though he could use his solid slapper to a bigger extent. He possesses excellent vision and hockey sense, thinking the game ahead of the other players and making smart passes. Repik has also made strides in his commitment to defensive play. He still needs to further develop this aspect of the game, though. One drawback is that he isn't much of a physical presence. He possesses solid lower-body strength, but his upper body isn't developed enough for him to be an effective checker. Nevertheless, he is going to be a blue-chipper in four years and will draw much attention from NHL teams.
The 2006 class is going to be a strong one for the Czech Republic, too, as the late-1987 born center Ondrej Fiala had a bright performance at the Four Nations Tournament. Plagued this season by mononucleosis and a shoulder injury, Fiala took part in just his second international event this season. He skated on the second line with Trinec junior teammate Tomas Pospisil and sized Martin Hanzal for the whole tournament. Even if he wasn't such a factor in the first game against Sweden, Fiala was effective in the last two games. He is a solid skater who takes advantage of his powerful stride and above-average balance. Even though he is blessed with good agility, he needs to develop better first-step quickness and acceleration. Those assets will enable him to outskate the opposing players more effortlessly. Fiala contributes at both ends of the ice thanks to his strong defensive awareness and combative style. He is willing to use his frame when battling along the walls and is also a force in traffic. He possesses a good portion of vision and hockey sense, creating smart plays and taking advantage of his crafty puckhandling skills. Fiala displays a solid variety of shots, but could still fire more often and work on his accuracy. An all-round forward in the making, Fiala will challenge for a first-round spot in 2006.
Diminutive defenseman Ondrej Masek contributed to the fact that he is enjoying his best international date so far. He skated on the first defensive unit and was steady during the whole tournament, staying back more than rushing forward. Masek is a smooth skater who possesses solid footspeed and agility. He accelerates quite well and is tough to outskate when he switches to his top gear. Masek tries to keep his game simple and avoid any mistakes and risky plays. He is positionally sound and stays with his man. He fires decent shots from the point, but they have to be harder in order to get through traffic. Masek possesses adequate hands, but could handle the puck more smoothly in traffic. He shows his mean streak occasionally as he plays a fearless style along the boards, throwing solid hits despite his smallish frame. On the downside, his lack of size would hurt him in North America, as Masek can be outpowered by big forwards. If he adds some inches to his frame, look out for his stock to take a significant rise.