WHL Portland Winterhawks

Winter Hawks Select Czech Republic Winger in Today's Import Draft

June 30, 2004 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Portland Winterhawks News Release


The Portland Winter Hawks selected left wing Martin Bucek from the Czech Republic with the 28th overall selection in this morning's Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

Bucek, listed as 6'1, 187, is a right-handed shooter that plays left wing. He played on the Czech National "Under-18" team last season as well as playing a full season of 51 games in the Czech Junior League where he posted 18 goals and 16 assists for 34 points and 171 penalty minutes.

"I saw Martin play in the Camrose, Alberta at the Viking Cup," said Hawks' General Manager Ken Hodge. "He has played on Czech elite teams throughout his career. He plays the game with attitude and an above average skill level."

Bucek was eligible for last weekend's NHL draft but not chosen. He was ranked 74th overall among European players eligible for this year's draft by NHL Central Scouting Service.

Scouting reports say Bucek is a feisty, competitive player that plays in traffic and likes to body check. He is described as a better scorer than passer and possesses an above average shot and relatively fast release. A feature article in Hockey's Future describes him as a "belligerent sniper".

Each team in the Western Hockey League is allowed to have a maximum of two European players. Hodge said the Hawks released 20-year-old defenseman Tomas Fojtik before today's draft to make him available to other teams. He also said the team would not make a choice in the second round of the draft with the return of 19-year-old forward Ivan Dornic. The Hawks are hoping Dornic, who showed flashes of effective play last season, will build on that experience to become more of an impact player this coming season.

Here is a link to the Hockey Future scouting report on Bucek:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=5388

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Western Hockey League Stories from June 30, 2004


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