The Czechs have always had a liking for great netminders.
The trouble is, aside from Dominik Hasek, the names of Czech Republic netminders at the NHL level are...well, not exactly a glittering constellation of stars. Only 13 have ever played an NHL game and...well, look at the list.
Tomas Vokoun, Ondrej Pavelec, Roman Turek, Roman Cechmanek and Milan Hnilicka. That's the top five most successful Czech goalies behind Hasek.
18-year-old Dan Vladar is hoping to carve his own legacy in the NHL. The youngster from Prague has become the latest Czech stopper to sign an NHL contract, joining the Bruins with a 3-year entry level deal today.