Belusko, Petr competing for world junior spots

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This article was published 10/12/2024 (281 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Adam Belusko has had some pretty unique on-the-job training this season as he tries to secure a spot with Slovakia at the upcoming IIHF world junior championship.

The 18-year-old Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman from Kosice, Slovakia, who left on Monday to join 33 other hopefuls at the Slovakian camp, has been playing up front a lot as his Western Hockey League team deals with a seemingly never-ending rash of injuries to forwards.

He laughed when asked if he’ll remember how to play defence, saying he sees lots of benefits.

“I think it’s helped me a lot, playing forward and looking at a different perspective and making plays,” Belusko said.

The stocky five-foot-11, 187-pound blue-liner, who Brandon grabbed with the 41st pick of the 2024 import draft, is looking forward to the chance to make the Slovakian team. The camp roster, which was announced on Nov. 28, features four goalies, 12 defencemen and 18 forwards.

“It’s going to be pretty good,” the left-shooting Belusko said. “It’s in front of me and it will still be a long journey because I haven’t made the last team, so it will be hard but I’m looking forward to it. They are all my friends. I’m really thankful.”

The team met in Montreal on Monday — other than the American-based players who arrive on Dec. 16 — and has pre-tournament games in Charlottetown, P.E.I., Moncton, N.B., Cornwall, Ont., and Kingston, Ont.

Belusko said the world juniors aren’t as big a deal in Slovakia as the men’s worlds, noting there is a practical reason why.

“It’s much crazier with the adult world championships after the season,” Belusko said. “It’s more popular than maybe five or seven years ago. Also, most times the world juniors are in Canada so the time difference is really big.”

He first played for his country at the U16 level, and has since competed at the U17, U18 and U20 levels. As a result, he knows the guys who will be attending.

“It’s a big dream,” Belusko said. “I’ll be doing everything to reach that.”

Slovakia opens against Sweden on Boxing Day.

With Brandon, he has a goal, three assists and 16 penalty minutes in 22 games. While he works hard on the ice, off the ice he’s a happy-go-lucky teenager who wears a near-constant smile.

It doesn’t hurt that his confidence in his English skills have risen dramatically in three months.

“I’m enjoying my time,” Belusko said. “The guys are incredible. I didn’t expect that when I came here. I’ll be missing them.”

Aside from Wheat Kings goalie Carson Bjarnason, who is trying to crack Team Canada, Brandon’s other potential world junior participant is Czech forward Dominik Petr.

“It’s a big dream,” Petr said. “My dad used to coach that team for a couple of years and I was always watching on TV as a small kid. I dreamed of playing there one day, so I hope that dream will come true.”

His father is longtime coach Jakub Petr, who has spent the last two decades with Czech’s national team players at the U18 and U20 levels as he worked with HC Vítkovice.

Petr flies out to Ottawa from Winnipeg this morning for the camp, which will have 15 forwards, eight defencemen and three goalies.

“Twelve to 13 (forwards) should make the team so the chances are pretty high, but I’m going into camp with nothing given,” Petr said. “I want to earn a spot and make the team.”

The six-foot-two, 165-pound left shot enters camp playing his best hockey since he arrived in North America for the 2023-24 WHL season. He has eight goals and 18 assists in 23 games, with 10 outings of two or more points this season. He also has 10 points in his last six games, which ties him for the team scoring lead with Marcus Nguyen.

“I believe I’m playing good right now,” Petr said. “I’m trying to get those small details right and I believe it’s paying back. I’m feeling good about it and confident going into camp.”

The 19-year-old forward has played on Czech national teams since the 2021-22 season when he was U16, skating in two world championships and two Hlinka Gretzky Cups.

“I’ve played with 95 per cent of the guys,” Petr said. “We have a couple of new guys there but we’ve played together since U16. We’re all good friends and I’m excited to see them again.”

Czechia meets Latvia in a pre-tournament game on Dec. 20, and skates against Canada on Dec. 23. They open the event on Boxing Day against Switzerland.

He said representing his country is always special.

“It’s big,” Petr said. “Honestly, to have that national logo on your chest, I’m just proud of myself that I’m playing there. You play for your country so it’s pretty big.”

Unlike in Slovakia, Petr said the world junior championship is an important event on the hockey calendar in Czechia. The product of Ostrava, a city of 280,000 located in the northeast corner of the nation, knows people will be rooting for their team.

“It’s a pretty big deal honestly,” Petr said. “All the fans are watching it, especially when it’s back in Europe. It’s hard this year because of the time change but I still believe lots of people will watch. It’s part of Christmas, not only in Canada but all over the world.”

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