Patera happy hockey path led to Brandon
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/08/2018 (2692 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Jiri Patera never hesitated to jump to the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The six-foot-one, 207-pound goaltender was in a summer camp with the Vegas Golden Knights when he learned in late June that he had been selected in the Canadian Hockey League import draft.
“I talked to my goalie coaches in Vegas and they told me that it’s a great organization,” Patera said. “I was super excited to be drafted by Brandon.”
The 19-year-old from Prague spent last season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, appearing in 34 games and posting a 3.24 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage on a team that missed the playoffs.
“It was a lot of ups and downs,” Patera said. “After three months our goalie coach quit there so I was kind of upset about it but I needed to move on. During the season, Vegas sent goalie coach Mike Rosati there and he spent two weeks there and he helped me a lot. He gave me a lot of confidence.”
The Knights picked Patera in the sixth round of the 2017 National Hockey League entry draft. He felt spending this season in Brandon rather than Cedar Rapids would help his game a lot.
“I heard from different guys in Czech who played in the WHL that it was a higher league than the USHL,” Patera said. “It’s the best junior hockey in the world. I’m excited to be here.”
Interestingly, he’s the second RoughRider to be selected by the Wheat Kings in the last five years. The team did pretty well last time, when they selected a young Russian defenceman, Ivan Provorov, in 2014.
Wheat Kings goaltender coach Tyler Plante thinks the big Czech netminder has a lot of talent.
“He’s a competitor,” Plante said of Patera. “He loves to compete and keep that puck out of his net. He plays a style where he likes to get back to his feet often and quickly. He’s very aggressive. You’ll see him at the top of the crease almost all the time. He’s been a pleasure to work with so far.”
In all likelihood, there will be four goalies competing for two spots in Brandon. Connor Ungar, 16, will likely spend one more season in midget before moving up, based on the way Brandon has handled its youngest netminders for the last three decades.
That leaves 19-year-old Dylan Myskiw of Winnipeg, who was terrific in the playoffs last season after overage starter Logan Thompson was injured, and highly touted 17-year-old Ethan Kruger.
Patera’s goal is to take care of what he can control.
“I just work hard and do the things that I’m supposed to do,” Patera said. “A goalie has the easiest job, right? Just stop the puck all the time. That’s what I’m trying to do, with Tyler working on my technique and all the details. He will help me a lot.”
Patera did very well in Wheat Kings team testing this week, but said his season in Cedar Rapids ended much earlier than Brandon’s did so he was able to work with his conditioning coach in Prague all summer.
In the crease, Patera understands what his strengths are.
“I think I handle the puck very well,” he said. “I think I got better in patience so I think I’m a little more patient than last year. I think I’m good on my feet.”
Patera also has international experience, playing for Czech Republic at under-16, U17 and U18 events.
He arrived in Brandon nine days ago.
“I like it a lot,” Patera said. “There are a lot of good restaurants here and the guys get along together. I love it here so far. I’m happy to be here.”
He’ll be leaving again soon, however.
Patera will spend a night in Winnipeg on Tuesday and fly to Las Vegas on Wednesday for their training camp.
“I can’t wait to be there,” Patera said. “It’s awesome. Their NHLers will be there too, working hard and competing every day.”
He started playing hockey at age four, spending a couple of seasons on defence before moving into the net.
Patera brings another skill to Brandon that will also make his transition much easier.
Patera is fluent in English. He said he struggled when he first arrived in he United States a year ago, but said he received a lot help from his roommate and girlfriend.
He’s set his goals high for this season.
“I hope that I make the team,” Patera said. “I want to battle for a contract with Vegas, and for sure I want to fight to be the number one goalie here and make the playoffs and reach as far as we can.”
» pbergson@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @PerryBergson