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Waterloo Black Hawks

Hawks Draft Pick Drafted

July 24, 2021 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


Waterloo, Iowa - The Carolina Hurricanes picked Waterloo Black Hawks prospect Patrik Hamrla during the third round of the NHL Draft on Saturday.

Carolina used the 83rd overall pick of the event to land the netminder. He was the fifth goalie chosen during the 2021 NHL Draft.

Hamrla spent the 2020/21 season in his native Czech Republic splitting his time between several squads there. Coincidentally, the Karlovy Vary HC Energie program which Hamrla has been part of at several points in his hockey career was one of Waterloo's opponents the Hawks faced during a 2012 trip to Europe for the Junior Club World Cup. NHL Central Scouting ranked Hamrla third among European goalies eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft. Waterloo had selected him during Phase II of the 2021 USHL Draft during the sixth round in May.

Earlier this summer, the Hurricanes signed 2018 draft pick and former Black Hawk Jack Drury to an entry-level contract. A year earlier, Carolina reached a deal with 2015 pick and Waterloo alumnus David Cotton, who spent the 2020/21 season with the organization's AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. The Hurricanes' other connection to the Black Hawks is through defenseman Andrew Alberts, who played much of 2009/10 with the team as part of his nine-year career in the league.

Excluding last season's coronavirus-affected campaign, the Black Hawks had a player from Czech Republic on the active roster in three consecutive prior seasons. Matej Blumel chosen in the NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers during the fourth round in 2019 following his second year in Waterloo. Czech native Ondrej Psenicka joined the Hawks for the 2019/20 campaign.

When Hamrla becomes a Black Hawk this fall, he will be the sixth European NHL Draft pick to skate in Waterloo. Like Hamrla, Matej Tomek (2015, Philadelphia), Jan-Mikael Juutilainen (2006, Chicago), and Lubos Velebny (2000, Toronto) were all drafted prior to their Waterloo debuts. Blumel and Vladislav Firstov (2019, Minnesota) each were picked following their time with the Hawks.

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