Czech left winger Vojtěch Čihař, who turned 18 in March, was drafted in the second round, 59th overall, by the Los Angeles Kings at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, which happened to be in Los Angeles.

With the obvious long-term goal of making the NHL, Čihař is currently contemplating where to play in order to give him the best shot of fulfilling his dream. He has already played 57 regular-season and playoff games with Energie Karlovy Vary in the Czech Extraliga, where he has recorded only 10 points in a rather limited role. Should he stay there and try to earn more ice time in the pros, or should he go overseas to play for the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, who selected him in last year’s CHL Import Draft?

Čihař was a member of the Czech team that won a bronze medal at last year’s IIHF World Junior Championship and he recently attended a summer training camp for the national junior team for the upcoming season. There, he spoke at length with Czech media about the Draft and all the considerations that are going into his decision.

The following excerpts come from Martin Voltr’s article at Hokej.cz:

First, can you explain what kind of experience it was to attend the Draft in Los Angeles?
“Well, I have to say that the Draft is unpredictable and everyone has to wait until the moment their name is called. Speaking for myself, as soon as I heard (my name) called by Los Angeles, I was really excited and even a little emotional. I had my family and girlfriend there, which was wonderful too. For me, the main thing was to have the people closest to me there.”

If you had to wait too long, it would probably turn into a bit of an unpleasant situation.
“Yeah, exactly. The whole time, my agent and parents talked about not making any predictions and just waiting for the moment. It was better than thinking about whether I should be taken somewhere higher. At the end of the first round, then at the beginning of the second … I thought to myself that it should go in the second. I was happy that it turned out that way – 59th is decent, in my opinion.”

The decentralized Draft seemed a bit bizarre. Did the fact that you were selected by the host team bring you any special attention?
“I guess so. As soon as I put on that jersey and went to do the various things that come next, I walked through the theater and the workers turned around, congratulated me and welcomed me to the City of Angels. Then I went somewhere to get a bag with things from the team and former Kings players who still work in their organization gave it to me. They also greeted me, people at the hotel recognized me … It was nice.”

Two Czechs Lead Off 2025 CHL Import Draft A pair of 18-year-old Czech forwards were the first two picks of the 2025 CHL Import Draft on Wednesday. They were part of a record 35 Czechs taken overall.

You said you treated the trip to Los Angeles as one big holiday.
“Absolutely! I really went there to enjoy it, thinking that if I was drafted, that would make it even better. We were in Hollywood and also quite close to the sign where we took the picture. We went to Beverly Hills to see the villas there, then we were on the beach in Santa Monica. I quite like the game GTA 5, which takes place in LA, and we also went to the observatory from that game. And then to Malibu Beach. We tried to travel there and of course we couldn’t miss the shops.”

Do you like hot weather and the beach?
“Oh yeah. I don’t really like the crazy heat, but the weather in Los Angeles is just right. The temperature there suits me quite well.”

So maybe one day you’ll enjoy it as an NHL player. How far off would you estimate that is?
“You know … Unfortunately, I don’t really have an answer for that, because it’s just so hard to say. Of course, I’d be happy if it were as soon as possible, but right now I mainly want to move on to the next step. Another year, two … I think that’s how we’ve set it up with the people in LA, so now we’re deciding whether I’ll stay in Karlovy Vary or maybe move somewhere overseas.”

Did they tell you that they would prefer you over there?
“They did say that because they haven’t seen me there yet. They don’t even know that some teams here in the Czech Extraliga have smaller rinks, so they meant it from the perspective of me adapting better there. Now it depends on when and how the Kings and Karlovy Vary reach an agreement. LA has the rights to me there, Vary here. I have to wait, but then the final decision will be up to me.”

Czech Club Disappointed By Adam Novotný’s Decision To Go To OHL Czech winger Adam Novotný, who turns 17 in November, is currently projected by most sources to be a top-15 pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Do you have a personal preference?
“I’m always talking with the Karlovy Vary management about where I would fit in. Of course, I know that if I went to the Canadian juniors, I would get more ice time there. To have that in the Extraliga, I would have to play on the first line, but the competition is extremely demanding for a young player to get those minutes. It depends on what their thoughts are about me. I’ll decide whether to stay or go based on that. It depends on where I would develop more.”

If you weigh your options between the tough competition in the Extraliga and playing among top juniors, where you would be more successful, which do you think would win?
“I think that in terms of offensive development, overseas it would be … I don’t want to say easier, but I would have more opportunities to get chances and develop my offensive abilities. At the same time, I know how it works in the Extraliga, so if I stayed here, it would be almost on the same level as playing in the AHL, for example. If I were given more ice time, which I would have to earn, it would still be a good move to stay here. But if not and LA had other plans for me, then unfortunately there is also the possibility that I would leave.”

Why do you say “unfortunately?” Would it be a bad thing?
“I still haven’t planned to leave the Czech Republic anytime soon, but as far as my development is concerned, I’ll just do what’s best for me. On one hand, I’d be sad to leave, but on the other hand, I’d be excited to move on to somewhere else.”

Photo by Martin Voltr.

Report: Anton Frondell Will Sign With Blackhawks This Week; Won’t Attend Training Camp Swedish center Anton Frondell will sign an entry-level contract this upcoming week with the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that took him third overall at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, according to Swedish journalist Gunnar Nordström.

Czech left winger Vojtěch Čihař, who turned 18 in March, was drafted in the second round, 59th overall, by the Los Angeles Kings at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, which happened to be in Los Angeles.

With the obvious long-term goal of making the NHL, Čihař is currently contemplating where to play in order to give him the best shot of fulfilling his dream. He has already played 57 regular-season and playoff games with Energie Karlovy Vary in the Czech Extraliga, where he has recorded only 10 points in a rather limited role. Should he stay there and try to earn more ice time in the pros, or should he go overseas to play for the WHL’s Lethbridge Hurricanes, who selected him in last year’s CHL Import Draft?

Čihař was a member of the Czech team that won a bronze medal at last year’s IIHF World Junior Championship and he recently attended a summer training camp for the national junior team for the upcoming season. There, he spoke at length with Czech media about the Draft and all the considerations that are going into his decision.

The following excerpts come from Martin Voltr’s article at Hokej.cz:

First, can you explain what kind of experience it was to attend the Draft in Los Angeles?
“Well, I have to say that the Draft is unpredictable and everyone has to wait until the moment their name is called. Speaking for myself, as soon as I heard (my name) called by Los Angeles, I was really excited and even a little emotional. I had my family and girlfriend there, which was wonderful too. For me, the main thing was to have the people closest to me there.”

If you had to wait too long, it would probably turn into a bit of an unpleasant situation.
“Yeah, exactly. The whole time, my agent and parents talked about not making any predictions and just waiting for the moment. It was better than thinking about whether I should be taken somewhere higher. At the end of the first round, then at the beginning of the second … I thought to myself that it should go in the second. I was happy that it turned out that way – 59th is decent, in my opinion.”

The decentralized Draft seemed a bit bizarre. Did the fact that you were selected by the host team bring you any special attention?
“I guess so. As soon as I put on that jersey and went to do the various things that come next, I walked through the theater and the workers turned around, congratulated me and welcomed me to the City of Angels. Then I went somewhere to get a bag with things from the team and former Kings players who still work in their organization gave it to me. They also greeted me, people at the hotel recognized me … It was nice.”

Two Czechs Lead Off 2025 CHL Import Draft A pair of 18-year-old Czech forwards were the first two picks of the 2025 CHL Import Draft on Wednesday. They were part of a record 35 Czechs taken overall.

You said you treated the trip to Los Angeles as one big holiday.
“Absolutely! I really went there to enjoy it, thinking that if I was drafted, that would make it even better. We were in Hollywood and also quite close to the sign where we took the picture. We went to Beverly Hills to see the villas there, then we were on the beach in Santa Monica. I quite like the game GTA 5, which takes place in LA, and we also went to the observatory from that game. And then to Malibu Beach. We tried to travel there and of course we couldn’t miss the shops.”

Do you like hot weather and the beach?
“Oh yeah. I don’t really like the crazy heat, but the weather in Los Angeles is just right. The temperature there suits me quite well.”

So maybe one day you’ll enjoy it as an NHL player. How far off would you estimate that is?
“You know … Unfortunately, I don’t really have an answer for that, because it’s just so hard to say. Of course, I’d be happy if it were as soon as possible, but right now I mainly want to move on to the next step. Another year, two … I think that’s how we’ve set it up with the people in LA, so now we’re deciding whether I’ll stay in Karlovy Vary or maybe move somewhere overseas.”

Did they tell you that they would prefer you over there?
“They did say that because they haven’t seen me there yet. They don’t even know that some teams here in the Czech Extraliga have smaller rinks, so they meant it from the perspective of me adapting better there. Now it depends on when and how the Kings and Karlovy Vary reach an agreement. LA has the rights to me there, Vary here. I have to wait, but then the final decision will be up to me.”

Czech Club Disappointed By Adam Novotný’s Decision To Go To OHL Czech winger Adam Novotný, who turns 17 in November, is currently projected by most sources to be a top-15 pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Do you have a personal preference?
“I’m always talking with the Karlovy Vary management about where I would fit in. Of course, I know that if I went to the Canadian juniors, I would get more ice time there. To have that in the Extraliga, I would have to play on the first line, but the competition is extremely demanding for a young player to get those minutes. It depends on what their thoughts are about me. I’ll decide whether to stay or go based on that. It depends on where I would develop more.”

If you weigh your options between the tough competition in the Extraliga and playing among top juniors, where you would be more successful, which do you think would win?
“I think that in terms of offensive development, overseas it would be … I don’t want to say easier, but I would have more opportunities to get chances and develop my offensive abilities. At the same time, I know how it works in the Extraliga, so if I stayed here, it would be almost on the same level as playing in the AHL, for example. If I were given more ice time, which I would have to earn, it would still be a good move to stay here. But if not and LA had other plans for me, then unfortunately there is also the possibility that I would leave.”

Why do you say “unfortunately?” Would it be a bad thing?
“I still haven’t planned to leave the Czech Republic anytime soon, but as far as my development is concerned, I’ll just do what’s best for me. On one hand, I’d be sad to leave, but on the other hand, I’d be excited to move on to somewhere else.”

Photo by Martin Voltr.

Report: Anton Frondell Will Sign With Blackhawks This Week; Won’t Attend Training Camp Swedish center Anton Frondell will sign an entry-level contract this upcoming week with the Chicago Blackhawks, the team that took him third overall at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, according to Swedish journalist Gunnar Nordström.