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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Chiefs choose two players from Czech Republic

The Spokane Chiefs on Tuesday selected two players off the same team from the Czech Republic as part of the 2016 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

The Chiefs drafted Ondrej Najman (pronounced NY-man), a 6-foot-1, 187-pound forward, who was the leading scorer for the HC Dukla Jihlava team of the Czech U20 Extraliga. Najman scored 18 goals with 26 assists in 38 games.

“Najman is a skilled player with a heavy shot and good instincts,” Chiefs general manager Tim Speltz said in a release. “He also has the size and strength to compete physically in our league.”

The Chiefs also picked up Pavel Kousal (pronounced KOO-suhl), a 5-11, 158-pound forward, who scored 20 goals with 23 assists this past season for HC Dukla Jihlava.

“Kousal is a quick, tenacious forward with a lot of upside,” Speltz said. “He produced at a high level offensively last season and works hard for the puck.”

The two new draft picks will compete with current forward Dominic Zwerger, of Dornbirn, Austria, who led the Chiefs with 27 goals in 65 games last season. He also had 28 assists for 55 total points.

The Chiefs are only allowed to play with two import players once the season begins.