Najman And Kousal Sign Player Agreements

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane Chiefs announced Monday that Czech forwards Ondrej Najman and Pavel Kousal have both signed Standard Player Agreements and committed to playing in the Western Hockey League. They were the Chiefs’ first and second-round picks in the 2016 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft.

“We are proud to add a pair of talented forwards to our organization” said Chiefs’ General Manager Tim Speltz. “(Najman) is a bigger forward who will be counted on to play a full 200-foot game. (Kousal) has a very quick first step and consistently outworks his opponents. We expect both to bring a scoring ability with them as they make the transition to North American hockey.”

Najman (“NY-man”) and Kousal (“KOO-suhl”) were teammates in the Czech Republic, often playing on the same line for their Dukla Juhlava U20 team. Najman scored 18 goals and 44 points in 38 games, including four multi-goal performances, and added three goals and three assists in five games with the Czechs at the 2016 IIHF U18 World Championship in Grand Forks, N.D.

Kousal racked up 20 goals and 23 assists in the same 38 games, including a stretch in which he scored a point in 11 of 12 games. He recorded three assists with the Czechs at the U18 Championship.

Both players will join returning forward Dominic Zwerger at the Chiefs’ Annual Training Camp at Spokane Arena beginning on August 25. Spokane will need to get under the CHL-mandated limit of two import players by a date to be determined early in the regular season.

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