COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second year in a row, the Columbus Blue Jackets have made two top-12 picks in the NHL draft.
With the sixth and 12th picks in the 2022 NHL draft, the Blue Jackets selected defensemen David Jiricek from the Czech Republic and Denton Mateychuk from Canada.
Jiricek played 63 games with HC Plzen, a professional Czech hockey club, over the past two years. He put up eight goals and 12 assists, good for a plus-13 rating.
The Blue Jackets say Jiricek is believed to be one of the best players with his size in the draft, standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 189 pounds. The 18-year-old defenseman is expected to fill out as his career moves on.
Jiricek is expected to continue his career with HC Plzen, but will move up the ranks eventually.
Just six picks later, the club decided to take Mateychuk, another defenseman.
The 17-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Western Hockey League, scoring 15 goals and 58 assists.
Mateychuk was named to the WHL (East) First All-Star Team after finishing fifth among the league's defensemen in points and sixth in assists.
