Player Profile: Petr Straka
The QMJHL has become a good starting point for young players from all over the World to progress into the pros. This season, the top 5 rookie scorers all hailed from either the Czech Republic, Russia or Slovakia, and only 3 of the top 10 were Canadian born. The overall rookie leader was winger Petr Straka of the Rimouski Oceanic, who won the RDS Cup – Rookie of the Year. The 17-year-old, scored 28 goals and 64 points in his first season in the Q, and added another 14 points (5G,9A) in the Oceanic’s 12 playoff games as well. Which is why he is ranked as the 23rd overall player amongst North American skaters for the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft by Central Scouting. The 6-foot-1, 187-pound Czech has good size to go along with nice hands, great playmaking ability, stellar foot speed, and high-end hockey know how. He has all the potential to be a very elite NHLer someday, in the same mold of a Pavol Demitra or Martin Erat. While Straka will need a few more years of seasoning before he makes an impact at the NHL level, he definitely has all the tools to be effective once he gets his opportunity. For a club looking to stockpile some offensive prospects, there are few better than Petr Straka, especially ones who may be a late first-round, or early second-round pick.
2009-10 Team: Rimouski Oceanic
Born: Plzen, Czech. June 15, 1992
NHL Draft Eligibility: 2010
Height: 6.1
Weight: 187
Position: Right Wing
Shoots: Left
2009-10 Statistics: 62 GP, 28 G, 36 A, 64 PTS.
2008-09 Statistics (Cze Jr.): 26 GP, 13 G, 10 A, 23 PTS
