Wild Signs Forward Pavel Novak to Three-Year, Entry Level Contract

SAINT PAUL, Minn. -Minnesota Wild General Manager Bill Guerin today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed forward Pavel Novak to a three-year, entry-level contract starting with the 2022-23 season.
Novak, 20 (4/16/02), collected 72 points (29-43=72), a plus-26 rating and 14 penalty minutes (PIM) in 62 games with the Kelowna Rockets in the Western Hockey League (WHL) this season. He ranked T-1st on the team in goals, second in scoring, assists and plus/minus rating, third in power play goals (8) and shots on goal (208) and recorded 20 multi-point games. Novak was named to the WHL B.C. Division Second All-Star Team and recorded two hat tricks this season (3/26 vs. Kamloops and 10/30 vs. Victoria). The 5-foot-10, 170-pound forward is a native of Tabor, Czech Republic

Novak tallied two points (1-1=2) in two games for Czechia at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship and collected three points (1-2=3) in five games at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship. He skated in 15 games with Ceske Budejovice HC in the Czech Republic League in 2020-21. Novak tallied 58 points (25-33=58) in 55 games with Kelowna in 2019-20. He led the team in scoring and ranked T-2nd among WHL rookies in assists, third in scoring and fourth in goals.
The Wild selected Novak in the fifth round (146th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.