MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Adam Jiricek was just beginning to feel good about his game when a freak knee injury ended his World Junior Championship and his season last year, after the Czechia defenseman was fallen on by Slovakia forward Juraj Pekarcik.
But the 18-year-old, selected by the St. Louis Blues with the No. 16 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, has no hard feelings about the incident -- so much so, he and Pekarcik, now a fellow Blues prospect, were able to share a few laughs about it during St. Louis development camp earlier this month.
"It was an unfortunate situation. I can't be mad at him," Jiricek said of Pekarcik, chosen by the Blues in the third round (No. 76) of the 2023 NHL Draft. "It was hockey and it was an unlucky situation. He just fall on my knee and I was there. Nothing you can do."
Jiricek (6-foot-3, 178 pounds) wasn't able to take part in development camp but is close to returning to the ice in preparation for this season. But one thing he was always certain about was St. Louis interest in him and vice versa. So when it came for the Blues' pick in the first round at Sphere in Las Vegas, Jiricek felt his name would be called. And he was prepared for the moment leading up to it.
"I had a couple tapes for the draft and one of them was for St. Louis," Jiricek said. "St. Louis was my first tape. I [went] over this with my agent and I expected this. But you never know. There can be surprises. I was nervous, but it was a little bit to be expected.
"Yeah, of course I'm happy. Super excited to be drafted. I'm happy to be here in this organization."
The Blues were looking to make defense a focal point in the draft; each of their first three selections, including two in the second round, were defensemen. Even after Jiricek's injury, there was no apprehension about his long-term health and what St. Louis thought he could bring to the table.
"He's a pretty savvy player that can play a well-rounded game," Blues director of amateur scouting Tony Feltrin said of Jiricek. "I like his poise. I like his ability to be active. He wants to impact the game and make a difference. There's lots to like. We know that there's physical maturity to come, but that's not a concern."
Jiricek, the younger brother of Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek, was limited to 19 games with one assist for HC Plzen of the Czech Extraliga, the country's top professional league, but he's projected to play in the Canadian Hockey League this season and signed a three-year, entry-level contract July 2.
"The likelihood of potentially going to major junior. He's working with that. I think that will be good for him," St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong said. "... He's going to decide with us and his representatives on the best place. Now that he's signed, it makes it easy for him."
Jiricek's road to the ice is what has been the most difficult, but now he finally can see a clearer path ahead.
"I'm getting closer," he said. "I had a long rehab behind me, a couple few, long months. It's going well. I expect this summer [to] go on the ice and hopefully to be healthy."
