Bergson: First Season In Wheat City A Success For Petr
Article Courtesy Perry Bergson, Brandon Sun
Dominik Petr has made a good impression on the Brandon Wheat Kings in his rookie Western Hockey League season.
He’s also made a solid impression on himself.
“It’s pretty good so far,” Petr said. “I’m kind of happy with my first year and kind of proud of myself I actually made it because I wasn’t sure what I was going to go through. I’m happy I went through the whole year.”
The 18-year-old forward from Ostrava, Czechia, who the Wheat Kings selected 18th overall during last summer’s Canadian Hockey League import draft, has been an impactful addition to the Wheat Kings. In 67 regular season games, he recorded 17 goals, 28 assists and 16 penalty minutes.
Petr (pronounced Peter) played the last three seasons at the U16, U18 and U20 levels with Lukko based in Rauma, Finland, a coastal city located 255 kilometres northwest of Helsinki. He said this provided him with the tools to move farther away from home.
“I lived three years by myself in Finland without my family so that kind of prepared me for this long travel and being far away from my home,” Petr said. “It was always my dream to play hockey in Canada and now I’m living the dream. I’m kind of proud but mostly happy.”
Still, it’s a big step.
Brandon head coach and general manager Marty Murray headed the other way for the first time during his long pro career when he suited up for Villacher SV in Austria in 1998-99.
“It’s a different world for sure,” Murray said. “You have to factor in their age, too. I remember leaving as a pro to go over there in my early 20s and it’s not only just the hockey is different and the size of the ice, it’s also the culture and the everyday way of life is different.
“One good thing about Dom is he speaks English really well and he’s a great kid. I think he got acclimated pretty quick, but it’s strange for sure. It’d a big adjustment.”
Petr speaks to his family back home pretty much every day, usually via WhatsApp or FaceTime with his siblings.
His father is longtime coach Jakub Petr, who has spent the last two decades with Czech’s national team players at the U18 and U20 levels as he worked with HC Vítkovice.
The elder Petr actually coached his son recently after Dominik skated with the U18 national team in 2021-22 and again last winter. Petr had four points in five games at the most recent Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
His father visited a month ago for four days. He had previously been to Canada to watch Canadian Hockey League games so he had a pretty good sense of what to expect.
“It was terrific,” the six-foot-two, 165-pound Petr said. “I hadn’t seen him in eight months so I was happy he made it here and brought me a little bit of luck.”
His family isn’t his only link to home.
Petr knows the other Czech players in the WHL, most notably Moose Jaw Warriors forward Martin Rysavy and the Swift Current Broncos duo of forward Petr Pavelec and defenceman Jakub Dvorak. The left-shooting Petr played with Rysavy a couple of years ago, and skated with Dvorak on the national team and is also close with him.
He’s tightest with Pavelec, who was his linemate growing up. They are in contact almost every day and play video games together online and support each other with phone calls.
“It’s fun to chat in the evening probably every second day and tell each other new stories about what happened with Canadian guys,” Petr said with a smile. “We say a lot of stuff. It’s good.”
While it’s a big transition on and off the ice, Petr said it’s during games he notices the difference the most. That’s because playing on the Canadian rinks, which are 200 feet long and 85 feet wide, is a very different experience than playing on European ice surfaces, which are 197 feet long and 98.4 feet wide.
“One hundred per cent it’s the ice size because everything is faster and you have to think quicker,” Petr said. “Everything is quick, the skating, and the physicality also. It’s all faster.”
Even so, he said the transition didn’t take long because he thinks the North American rinks suit his game.
“I feel like smaller rinks are better for me because I feel more comfortable,” Petr said. “It didn’t take a long time.”
When the team hits the road, he usually sleeps or listens to music to pass the time on the bus. He enjoys the opportunity to visit new rinks.
“It was exciting to see new places and new fans,” Petr said. “For example, the road trip in the USA was nice with their fans. It’s exciting but I love to be in Brandon and play in front of Brandon fans.”
The good news for them is Petr may still have a lot more to offer on the ice next season. His head coach sees plenty of potential in the big forward.
“His hockey IQ is really good,” Murray said. “I think he sees plays and can make plays. I think for Dom there is a huge upside to his game. He needs to continue working on his strength and increase his overall speed but he has things you can’t teach with his brain and his ability to make plays.”
Petr made the trip to North America to experience what he calls the hockey life, and hasn’t been shocked by the devotion of the fans. But in the process, the special bonus was the relationships he’s established with his new teammates.
He didn’t expect how close they would become.
“At the beginning of the year when I got here, I was really glad and surprised,” Petr said. “They took me like this into our group. I feel like I’ve found really good friends for life. I’m happy.”