WHL Saskatoon Blades

Three Alumni Competing in IIHF World Hockey Championships

Published on May 21, 2021 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Saskatoon Blades News Release


Three former members of the Saskatoon Blades are set to compete for a world title in the 2021 IIHF World Hockey Championship, running from May 21st to June 6th in Riga, Latvia.

20-year-old forward Martin Fasko-Rudas will make his mens international debut for Team Slovakia, former captain Darren Dietz is flexing his dual citizenship and will take the blue-line for Team Kazakhstan, and fellow defender and current New York Ranger Libor Hajek is joining the Czech Republic squad in a quest for their first World Championship medal in nine years.

#77 | Martin Fasko-Rudas - Team Slovakia

Fresh off his first season as a professional in his native country, Martin Fask0-Rudas continues to prove himself as one of Slovakia's top-rising talents. The speedy winger snapped home 15 goals and 38 points in 48 games with HC Banska Bystrica of Slovakia's top-tier professional league last season. Fasko-Rudas was initially expected to play his final year with the Saskatoon Blades last season, but due to border restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, he was loaned to the professional squad and made the most of the opportunity.

Fasko-Rudas and the rest of the Slovakian team have been slotted into Group A, and will open preliminary play against Belarus at 8:15 p.m. local time.

#44 | Darren Dietz - Team Kazakhstan

Born and raised in Medicine Hat, AB, and spending the entirety of his junior career with the Blades, Darren Dietz has since made Kazakhstan his second home. The reliable defender just wrapped up his second year as captain for Barys Nur-Sultan of the KHL, registering 17 goals and 20 assists in 53 games. The 27-year-old will wear an 'A' internationally for the second time after helping Kazakhstan capture gold in the 2019 World Division 1-A Championships in 2019. Their first-place finish earned them a spot in this year's top-tier event.

Dietz's international career began in 2017-18 after juggling through several AHL squads over the course of four years. Mitch Bach and Les Lazaruk chatted with the former Blades captain in Episode 20 of Blades Uncut, where he discussed his newfound career in the KHL and how he's enjoying life in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan's first preliminary game comes against Latvia tomorrow at 8:15 p.m. local time.

#3 | Libor Hajek - Team Czech Republic

A two-year former assistant captain for the Blades, Libor Hajek continues to make headway in the Czech Republic's national program. The 23-year-old defenceman has represented his native country on numerous occasions, including collecting a gold medal in the 2013 World U16 Championship. As a member of the Blades in 2017-18, Hajek left around Christmas to join the Czech's for the World Juniors, where he led all defencemen in points (8) and assists (7).

Hajek was loaned to HC Kometa Brno before linking up with the New York Rangers for the start of the 2020-21 NHL season. He's helping lead a young group of defenders in The Big Apple, dressing in a career-high 44 games and collecting four points.

The Czech Republic's first game comes against Russia, who earned a bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships, today at 4:15 p.m. local time.

Check out the Saskatoon Blades Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Western Hockey League Stories from May 21, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central