Dvořák claimed a place in the A-team with excellent performances in the juniors, from where he quickly got a look at the Czech top competition. “It was clear from training that he has what it takes. His role was getting a little bigger. We had a lot of calls together. From the beginning, we only wanted him to be defensive and simple. Then we released the floodgates so that he could renumber in the attack,” explains Augusta.
The Liberec native immediately impresses the defender with his excellent parameters. He is 192 centimeters tall and knows how to clean the area in front of the goal perfectly. “I think he will continue to be an excellent player. We talked with Kuba many times during the summer, when it was decided which path he would choose. I liked his attitude. He is a very smart and hardworking boy. He loves hockey,” the owner of four medals does not hide his enthusiasm.
0:3 in the decisive match? There was still plenty of time. Patrik Augusta about the Liberec season in the Příklep programVideo: Sport.cz
He also fit in well with the experienced players in the cabin, which is usually a problem for a new young face. “It is not easy for a young boy to jump not only into matches, but also into the cabin. Even with age, other things are dealt with in the cabin. Even though we had a lot of young guys there, it wasn’t easy for him. He handled it very well,” he continues.
Dvořák could even figure in the nomination of the silver twenty at the recent WC in Canada. However, due to an unfortunate collarbone injury, he had to forget about one of the highlights of his career so far. “It was decided whether it would be operative right away. We expected that if it was a young boy, it would heal well. Unfortunately, it wasn’t like that. They had to operate on him again. He should be 100% fine now,” believes Augusta.
Even health problems should not prevent a favorable position already during this year’s overseas NHL draft. “Not a day goes by that I don’t get a call from one of the scouts. If I had to guess, it will be somewhere around the second round,” estimates the former coach of the Liberec Tigers. It is not a secret either that the European scout of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Roman Polák, has been watching the promising face several times.
