VANCOUVER - There aren’t nearly as many Czech players in the National Hockey League as there once was, but the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames are happy they each have one good one.
It is not a stretch to suggest that the Flames and Canucks would not have made the playoffs without the significant contributions of Jiri Hudler and Radim Vrbata.
Each scored 31 goals this season and are now being counted on to lead the way in the best-of-seven Western Conference opening-round series.
Vrbata, who at 33 is nearly three years older than Hudler, first played against him in his teens.