The WHL’s Regina Pats selected defenceman Stanislav Svozil with the 15th pick overall in Tuesday’s CHL import draft.
The 6-foot-0, 172-pound product of Prerov, Czech Republic spent the 2019-20 season with HC Kometa Brno of the Czech League.
He appeared in 54 games split between the under-16, under-20 and Czech teams, recording four goals and 19 points. He was named the Czech Extraliga’s rookie of the year.
“We are excited to get Stanislav where we did in the draft,” John Paddock, the Pats’ vice-president of hockey operations and general manager, said in a media release. “He is a good young player and we hope to add him to our team for the upcoming season.”
Svozil played with the Czech Republic’s under-17 and under-19 teams, winning a bronze medal at the 2019 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge.
Russian defenceman Nikita Sedov is expected to fill one of the Pats’ two import spots. Regina was trying to recruit Russian forward Daniil Gushchin — whom the Pats selected seventh overall in the 2019 import draft — but couldn’t get him signed.