Dallas Stars General Manager Jim Nill announced today that the club has signed defenseman Ondrej Vala to a three-year entry-level contract.
Vala, 18, is currently playing his second season with the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League (WHL). He has skated in two games this season with the club, recording eight penalty minutes. During the 2015-16 season with the Blazers, he was the only team defensemen to skate in all 72 regular-season games and recorded 21 points (4-17=21), ranking third among club defensemen in both points (21) and assists (17). In seven postseason contests, he recorded one assist (0-1=1).
"Ondrej has shown a combination of size and physicality along with the ability to play a defensively responsible game at the junior hockey level," said Nill. "He was part of our team this year at the Traverse City Tournament and we look forward to his continued development playing for Don Hay and the coaching staff in Kamloops."
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound native of Kolin, Czech Republic has competed on the international level for the Czech Republic, skating in five games at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship in Grand Forks, N.D. He also represented his country at the 2015 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup, appearing in four games.
