FeedsWhalers nab more talent in import draft
The Canadian Hockey League offered another attempt for teams to better themselves with its annual Import Draft last month.
The Plymouth Whalers took advantage, trying to get the team to the next level.
Mike Vellucci, Plymouth Whalers president, general manager and head coach, made two selections in the draft that distributes non-North American players throughout the Canadian Hockey League.
Plymouth picked up the 27th selection in the draft in a trade with the Belleville Bulls for a fifth round draft choice in the 2007 OHL Draft. Vellucci beefed up his goalpost defense when he chose 18-year-old goaltender Michal Neuvirth.
Neuvirth will join veteran Justin Garay and Michigan-bred Jeremy Smith between the posts.
Neuvirth, from the Czech Republic, can’t be too bad. He also caught the attention of the Washington Capitols who selected him in the second round (36th overall) in NHL Entry Draft the week prior.
He posted solid numbers last season for Sparta of the Czech Junior League. Neuvirth posted a 2.02 goals against average in 45 games. He also played for the Czech Republic in last spring’s World Under-18 Tournament, offering a 2.44 goals against average and a .927 save percentage in seven games. The efforts paid off as the Czech Republic won the bronze medal in the tournament, defeating Canada, 4-1.
Good players can’t make it anywhere without a good report card from the various scouting services. He earned high marks from several.
The Central Scouting Bureau described Neuvirth as a butterfly-style goalie that moves and reads the game well.
“(He’s) a consistent, cool goaltender under pressure … has quick reflexes … very quick feet and a good glove … a good competitor.”
International Scouting Service said:
“He is technically very sound and his work ethic is unparalleled. He is generally quiet in the net, but he has the ability to pull fans out of their seats with a great save. Moves well from side to side on the pass. Is quickly gaining a reputation for being a big-game goaltender. His improved rebound control and ability to steal games have resulted in him moving up our rankings. Good balance in both the stand-up and butterfly positions. Recovers quickly when he goes down. Stays square to the puck. The team that drafts him will have to be patient. He is a player that will need some time to develop.”
Twelve picks later the Whalers went for size on defense and selected 18-year-old Slovakian defenseman Jozef Sladok. Sladok stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs in at194 pounds. He played in the Slovakian Junior League last season with HKM Zvolen and scored five goals with three assists for eight points and 86 penalty minutes. He also played for Slovakia in the World Under-18 Championships, adding an assist with 10 penalty minutes in six games.
Neuvirth and Sladok are expected to report to the Whalers training camp in late August.
