The Vancouver Giants have been high on 2001-born forward Lukas Svejkovsky for quite some time.
It’s not hard to see why. The five-foot-nine, 159 pound play-maker was a solid point producer at the nearby Delta Hockey Academy and hails from a hockey family.
His father Jaroslav Svejkovsky lit up the WHL as a first-year player in 1995-96 with the Tri-City Americans and went on to play professionally for six season, playing his trade with the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning along the way.
The Giants took the native of nearby Point, Roberts, Washington in the second round of the 2016 WHL Bantam Draft.
But despite their efforts, they could not sign the younger Svejkovsky.
This summer, Barclay Parneta was hired on as the new general manager and signing the forward and keeping him from leaving the region for the NCAA was high on his priority list.
“I’ve watched Lukas play for awhile and knowing the character of the family and kid and the caliber of the player that was one of my first priorities when I got the job right after hiring the coaches,” Parneta said.
It ended up being a situation where his hiring of Michael Dyck as the head coach in Vancouver, played a key role in Svejkovsky choosing the Giants and the WHL and starting with the team in his 17-year-old season.
“For me, I was thinking about the NCAA a lot. But the new coaching staff came in and they really pulled for me to sign,. They showed me around. I couldn’t be happier to sign with the Giants and living at home is great for me. I already know a lot of the guys on the team and there are just really good people here so it was easy for me to sign.”
Despite being American from a father who was born in the Czech Republic, Lukas grew up cheering for the Giants, who were located less than 45 minutes away via car.
“I used to go to games all the time back when I was nine and 10. They were my heroes. Honestly it’s really cool to throw that jersey on.
My favorite player was Spencer Mahacek. He was a good player and a good guy. I honestly got to know him a little bit when I was younger – going into the room and stuff. He was a really good character guy and one of the hardest workers out there.”
Svejkovsky played at the U.S.’ Select 17 camp this year and had five points in five games even making it to the all star game. He did not end up making the final roster for the Hlinka Gretzky Tournament but still took a lot away from his time there. He has a late birthday and is not eligible for the 2049 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver this coming June like most players at that camp.
“It was a good camp there was a lot of good competition there. There was a lot of college guys there so it was a little different. I learned a lot from my experience and had a great time.”
He has worked hard this season as well as he has adjusted to the WHL. So far he has a goal and three assists for four points while playing for a team currently leading the B.C. Division.
The rookie is toiling away and trying to be a more consistent producer in a league that has a “faster pace” than he is used to.
If he is able to follow in the footsteps of his father and his role model Mahacek, success will surely follow.
