Bukac eager for taste of Canadian hockey
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/08/2016 (3704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Daniel Bukac’s Canadian hockey adventure begins today.
The 17-year-old defenceman, who understands and speaks some English, begins skating today at rookie camp for the Brandon Wheat Kings.
He has high expectations.
“Here is another level,” Bukac said. “In Czech Republic it’s a little bit easy and here it’s very hard work.”
Bukac, who stands just over six-foot-three and weighs 193 pounds, spent most of last season with KLH Chomutov in the 24-team, under-18 Czech league. In 38 games, he had three goals and 12 assists, along with 42 penalty minutes.
He had a goal and an assist in five games at the under-17 world hockey championship. He played 16 games with the national U17 midget team overall, scoring a goal and adding three assists in 16 games.
He had an assist in four games at the recent Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup that current Wheat Kings forward Stelio Mattheos played in for Canada.
“I try to play an offensive game,” Bukac said. “I try to be an offensive defenceman.”
With just three veteran defencemen returning to the Wheat Kings blue-line, Bukac will be relied upon quickly.
Director of scouting Darren Ritchie saw him on the ice for the first time on Tuesday.
“Just by watching today’s skate, he’s big, a good skater, has a real good stick,” Ritchie said. “I think he’s going to be fine. Obviously it’s always a bit of a learning curve when you come to North America for the European players but he seems to be fitting in well with the guys. His strength is his skating for sure. I think he’ll complement our group.”
Bukac, who shoots from the right side, arrived in Brandon last week.
“I (saw) Brandon,” he said. “It’s very special and a beautiful city.”
Ritchie can empathize with Bukac as he tries to get settled. The former Wheat Kings sniper played a season in Italy and six in Germany, so he went through it himself.
“The more he’s with the guys, he’ll pick up more words,” Ritchie said. “I always find, from playing overseas, if you talk slow enough and use the simple words, they understand that. That’s the same with every European guy that comes over, you have to help them out. They’re away from home, they’re young, it takes a while for them to adapt to their new surroundings.”
» pbergson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @PerryBergson