The Victoria Royals selected Czech Republic goaltender Patrik Polivka at 14th overall in Wednesday’s 2012 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.
Polivka is 6-foot-tall, 168 lbs., and was born in 1994. He started 31 games for the HC Plzen U20 team and represented the Czech Republic in international competition as a member of both the country’s U18 and U19 teams last season.
The Royals picked one other player, Swedish defenceman Rasmus Bengtsson, at 74th overall. Bengtsson is a Florida Panthers draft pick (taken 59th in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft). He played in the (junior A) U.S. Hockey League last year with the Muskegon Lumberjacks.
Bengtsson, from Landskrona, Sweden, is 6-foot-2, 196 lbs. He scored 10 points in 34 games with the Lumberjacks. He also played 18 games of the 2011-12 season with Rogle of the Allsvenskan league, and was part of the national junior team, playing five games for Team Sweden.
WHL teams can carry two import players.
By picking Polivka, the Royals stick with their Czech theme. The Royals selected Czech import Lukas Kralik 36th overall last year. Kralik played 42 games, scoring six points. Robin Soudek, who recently signed pro to Ceske Budejovice of his home country, was the Royals’ other import last year. And in 2010-11, the Bruins carried Soudek and Czech player Roman Horak, who played with the Calgary Flames this season.
Sked opens with home-and-home vs. Giants
The Victoria Royals open the 2012-13 regular season on the road against the Vancouver Giants at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday, Sept. 21.
It’s the first of a home-and-home between the Royals and Giants, with the Royals’ home opener at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Sept. 22.
Preseason games begin on Aug. 31. The Royals only preseason game in Victoria is Sept. 15.
The Royals and Giants opened the 2011-12 season the same way.
