We all saw the season that Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar had last season, his first as a full-time starter in the NHL. That opened some eyes to what he could do but I had been noticing for 2-3 years that more and more Czech goalies are going to college and developing in North America.
I remember having a long conversation with Michael Hrabal, a Utah prospect who was drafted 38th overall in 2023. He had a .937 save percentage last season for UMass, and he got five games in with the Roadrunners to finish out his season.
Hrabal was using a baseball glove to help with his glove hand. It was different. This article isn’t about expanding my mind as to which country has a big influx of goalies coming in. Once upon a time, it was Finland, and now that’s changing.
In a quick search, there were three male goalies and one female enrolled in U.S. colleges last season. As we inch closer to the 2026 NHL Draft, it looks like there is another crop coming.
Filip Ruzicka, Frantisek Poletin, Michal Orsulak, and Tobias Trejbal are in this draft, and Trejbal was able to talk about why this has been building.
“It’s good hockey schools,” Trejbal revealed. “And last year the goalie coaches did a really good job.”
As I dug a bit further, it seems like it’s not just one school.
“No, I would say it’s all around Czech. In every club, we have a few goalie coaches. This definitely helps the younger goalies,” Trejbal stated. “They increased the number, and it gained a lot more interest.”
Trejbal had a great season with the Youngstown Phantoms and was named the USHL Goalie of the Year. Like Hrabal, he is attending UMass next season.
“I think it’s hard to say, and it’s funny, but I think I am the best out of these guys,” he smiled. “I think it’s my confidence, and we’ll see how it goes in the future.”
His NHL comparable goalie is a good one.
“Right now I would say it’s Mackenzie Blackwood. He’s big, calm, and athletic, and I like to watch him.”
Look for Trejbal to go early in the second round. Orsulak won’t be too far behind. With goalies, you never know; teams generally have varying opinions about the top goalies in every draft.
