Bulldogs draft speedy Slovak
The Hamilton Bulldogs have injected more skill, speed and scoring into their lineup with their newest acquisition. Or have they? That’s the thing about the CHL import draft. It’s hard to really know.
The team selected Marian Studenic — a 17-year-old forward from a small town on Slovakia’s western border — with the 11th pick in Tuesday’s online draft. He’s five-foot-11 and tips the scales at 165 pounds.
Steve Staios said the import draft is “never as detailed” as the OHL’s priority selection, where teams get dozens of opportunities to watch and interview homegrown minor midget players. In the former case, by contrast, it’s not unusual for decisions to be based mainly on video footage and the word of trusted agents.
In spite of somewhat limited scouting reports, however, the Bulldogs president and general manager believes Studenic will live up to his billing as “a forward that could provide some skill and some speed.” He’s also capable of creating offence, which he proved in the Slovakian men’s league last year.
His ability to score against players nearly twice his age “showed us that he was on a very good development curve,” Staios said. “We feel like with our environment and the style of play we’re looking to implement he’ll fit in just fine.”
Studenic had eight goals and eight assists in 35 outings with HK 36 Skalica last season, and notched 1.7 points per game with the club’s under-18 squad the previous year. He played for Slovakia at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, the Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and the Under-18 World Junior Championship in North Dakota, which is where Staios and Troy Smith, the Bulldogs associate coach and assistant GM, got a look at him.
There’s always “a slight bit of uncertainty” with the import draft, Staios said.
“You try to do as much due diligence as you can — not just on the player, but on his commitment level.”
Studenic, he added, checks off all the boxes. He can join the team immediately, he still has at least two years of junior eligibility and he’s keen on coming to Hamilton.
“His ambition is to become a professional hockey player and play in the National Hockey League, and that shows by him coming over to play in the CHL. Those are some of the qualities we looked at and wanted to add.”
Smith, meanwhile, said he was “excited” by the pick and that the Slovak had “a high ceiling.” He makes plays, skates well, competes hard and “has great reports on his character.”
Studenic was the Bulldogs’ only selection at this year’s draft, since defenceman Ondrej Kachyna is already on the roster. The league caps the number of import players on each team at two.
Like Studenic, Kachyna played for his native Czech Republic at the Under-18 WJC and Hlinka tournament last year. The 18-year-old from Hodonin, a 10-minute drive from Studenic’s hometown, also played in the World Jr. A Championship. He had two goals and 11 assists in 52 games with the Bulldogs.