Czech player Jakub Galvas defends in front of his net against Canada's Sam Steel during the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship.
photo: Andrea Cardin / HHOF-IIHF Images
Several players from last year’s Czech team are eligible to return to the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship, including three defencemen, and their experience will be leaned upon heavily. But few players at this year’s tournament will have as much professional experience as Jakub Galvas. Still 19 years old, Galvas is already in his third season with HC Olomouc of the Czech Extraliga.
As of the time he left for the national junior training camp, Galvas had played 104 regular-season games in the top Czech league, plus nine more in the playoffs.
“The coaches in Olomouc gave me the chance to play in the Extraliga at 16 years of age, and gave me a lot of time on the ice, so that’s been great for me,” said Galvas. “Maybe that can help me here.”
Last season was a special one for Galvas. Not only did he play in his first World Junior Championship, but he played on the same defensive pair in Olomouc with his father, Lukas Galvas. One season after they had faced each other with different teams when Lukas Galvas was still playing for Trinec. While it didn’t get the international publicity of the Howes or the Griffeys, the Galvases did something that is rare in professional sports.
“I know it’s unusual, but I enjoyed every shift. He gave me lots of advice,” the younger Galvas said of the experience. He added that rather than feeling the pressure of playing with his father, “We were more like brothers.”
“We would just say, ‘Hey!’ and ‘What’s up?’ to each other in the dressing room, like any other players on the team.”
As of the time he left for the national junior training camp, Galvas had played 104 regular-season games in the top Czech league, plus nine more in the playoffs.
“The coaches in Olomouc gave me the chance to play in the Extraliga at 16 years of age, and gave me a lot of time on the ice, so that’s been great for me,” said Galvas. “Maybe that can help me here.”
Last season was a special one for Galvas. Not only did he play in his first World Junior Championship, but he played on the same defensive pair in Olomouc with his father, Lukas Galvas. One season after they had faced each other with different teams when Lukas Galvas was still playing for Trinec. While it didn’t get the international publicity of the Howes or the Griffeys, the Galvases did something that is rare in professional sports.
“I know it’s unusual, but I enjoyed every shift. He gave me lots of advice,” the younger Galvas said of the experience. He added that rather than feeling the pressure of playing with his father, “We were more like brothers.”
“We would just say, ‘Hey!’ and ‘What’s up?’ to each other in the dressing room, like any other players on the team.”
The elder Galvas has since retired, and now wise beyond his years, Jakub was chosen to be the captain of the Czech team in a pre-championship tournament in Hodonin, Czech Republic in November.
“He’s got a lot of experience, he can play a lot of minutes and we can put him on the ice in any situation,” explained Czech national junior team assistant coach Patrik Elias, who knows a thing or two about leadership. “He needs to grow as a player even more, and one of those things is to be a leader, to be vocal, and he’s in that position.”
“Of course I’m proud to be the captain of this team. I’ve never been captain before,” said Galvas. “No, never, but of course I enjoy it. It’s something new for me. It’s a bit more responsibility, but I want to bring whatever I can to the team.”
Galvas seemed comfortable in the role on the ice, at least, quarterbacking the Czech power play and tallying two goals and three assists in three games against Sweden, Russia and Finland. The five points tied him for the tournament scoring lead with Finland’s Aleksi Heponiemi.
“He’s got a lot of experience, he can play a lot of minutes and we can put him on the ice in any situation,” explained Czech national junior team assistant coach Patrik Elias, who knows a thing or two about leadership. “He needs to grow as a player even more, and one of those things is to be a leader, to be vocal, and he’s in that position.”
“Of course I’m proud to be the captain of this team. I’ve never been captain before,” said Galvas. “No, never, but of course I enjoy it. It’s something new for me. It’s a bit more responsibility, but I want to bring whatever I can to the team.”
Galvas seemed comfortable in the role on the ice, at least, quarterbacking the Czech power play and tallying two goals and three assists in three games against Sweden, Russia and Finland. The five points tied him for the tournament scoring lead with Finland’s Aleksi Heponiemi.
He’s a great skater, great with the puck, moves well and plays a lot of minutes. It’s not just about producing points.
At last year’s World Junior Championship in Buffalo, Galvas had two assists in seven games for the Czechs, and both were timely – one came on the winning goal in the opening-night 5-4 win over Russia, and the other was on the late equalizer in the shootout win over Finland in the quarter-finals. The Czechs won four of their first five games before convincing losses to Canada in the semi-finals and the USA in the bronze-medal game.
“The team was really good, but it’s a shame we didn’t win in the semi-finals against Canada,” Galvas said, thinking back to last year’s tournament. “We started great but then they got some chances on the power play, so that’s something we have to be careful of.”
Coming up this year, the Czechs will be in a group in Vancouver that includes Canada and Russia.
“It’s really difficult to play against those teams,” said Galvas. “We need to keep things simple, put pucks on net every shift and try to capitalize on our power-play chances as well.”
He said of the World Juniors: “It’s a fantastic tournament. When I was there last year, it was something special. It was a great experience for me, I learned a lot from it, and I hope to go back again.”
But while Galvas seems unsure of whether he’ll be on the final roster, the coaching staff does not.
“We count on him because of his performance on the ice and his preparation off the ice. He’s gonna be a big part of this team,” said Elias.
Galvas was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017, and eventually he’ll probably be headed to play in North America on a more permanent basis. Right now, though, Galvas doesn’t know exactly when that will be.
“I try to mostly think about my teams here and not about that too much,” said Galvas, referring to Olomouc and the national junior team. “What I do for these teams is all I can do right now. When that time comes, I’ll think about it.”
“The team was really good, but it’s a shame we didn’t win in the semi-finals against Canada,” Galvas said, thinking back to last year’s tournament. “We started great but then they got some chances on the power play, so that’s something we have to be careful of.”
Coming up this year, the Czechs will be in a group in Vancouver that includes Canada and Russia.
“It’s really difficult to play against those teams,” said Galvas. “We need to keep things simple, put pucks on net every shift and try to capitalize on our power-play chances as well.”
He said of the World Juniors: “It’s a fantastic tournament. When I was there last year, it was something special. It was a great experience for me, I learned a lot from it, and I hope to go back again.”
But while Galvas seems unsure of whether he’ll be on the final roster, the coaching staff does not.
“We count on him because of his performance on the ice and his preparation off the ice. He’s gonna be a big part of this team,” said Elias.
Galvas was a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2017, and eventually he’ll probably be headed to play in North America on a more permanent basis. Right now, though, Galvas doesn’t know exactly when that will be.
“I try to mostly think about my teams here and not about that too much,” said Galvas, referring to Olomouc and the national junior team. “What I do for these teams is all I can do right now. When that time comes, I’ll think about it.”