Defenseman mastered ‘pretty quick’ transition to WHL from Czechia last season

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EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — When Jakub Dvorak moved from Czechia’s Extraliga to the Western Hockey League in January, the 19-year-old Los Angeles Kings prospect had to adjust.

Dvorak, a defenseman selected by the Kings in the second round (No. 54) of the 2023 NHL Draft, had to deal with all sorts of changes, including a new approach to the game and smaller ice surface.

“I would say the jet lag was even worse than everything, the rink and the North American hockey style,” Dvorak said during Los Angeles’ development camp in July. “For me, it was pretty, pretty quick (transition). I’m used to it.”

The midseason switch to join Swift Current of the WHL, prompted by a lack of playing time with Bili Tygri Liberec of Extraliga, the top professional league in Czechia, allowed Dvorak to assuage some of the concerns about his game.

There were concerns about his skating heading into the draft, prompting his slide into the second round, but the Kings are now sold on the footwork of Dvorak, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighed in at 203 pounds for the three-day camp.

“I don’t have a problem with his skating at all,” Los Angeles player development staffer Sean O’Donnell said. “I think that he could get stronger, so I think that’s going to come, but for a big guy, I think he moves pretty well.”

O’Donnell, a defenseman for 17 seasons in the NHL, said he believes success in the game today does not require a defender to be an aesthetically pleasing skater capable of racing the length of the ice.

“You do have to have that fast twitch, you know, that quick little crossover when you’re penalty killing and stuff,” he said, “and you have to get from the goal line to the dot to the wall back to the goal line, you have to have that speed, but I don’t think you have to have that straight-away Cale Makar kind of speed to play defense.”

Dvorak also had 10 points (two goals, eight assists) in 21 games for Swift Current after having three points (two goals, one assist) in 19 games for Bili Tygri Liberec.

“I think that junior hockey helped me a lot because there’s more things you can do on the ice,” Dvorak said. “You’re not under that pressure that I was used to in the Czech pro league, so that’s a positive because you’re gaining confidence.”

Setting aside the uptick in offense, O’Donnell was pleased with Dvorak’s adjustment to the WHL.

“It’s a more in-your-face game,” O’Donnell said, “and I thought he adapted well and played well.”

It isn’t clear yet what the next step will be for Dvorak; as a 19-year-old, he will be eligible to join Ontario of the American Hockey League this fall. For his part, he said he hopes to make the decision as difficult as possible for the Kings.

“My main goal is definitely to be [around for] the longest time possible in training camp,” Dvorak said, “so that’s the main goal.”