Golden Knights sign European free agent forward Tomas Hyka
BUFFALO, N.Y. — NHL free agency may be a couple of weeks away, but the Golden Knights remain active in Europe.
The team has come to terms with free agent Tomas Hyka, a 5-foot-11-inch, 174-pound right wing who played for Mlada Boleslav of the Czech league the past three seasons. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the team announced Hyka had agreed to an entry-level contract.
The signing was first reported by Czech news outlet iSport.
Hyka, 24, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. But Hyka never signed with the Kings and has played primarily in Europe. He had his best professional season this year, scoring 17 goals and finishing with 38 points in 48 games.
Prior to being drafted by the Kings, Hyka played 11 games for Mlada Boleslav in 2010-11, then went to Canada and spent two seasons for Gatineau of the Quebec Major Junior League. He returned to Europe, where he played for two professional teams in Sweden in 2013-14.
Hyka rejoined Mlada Boleslav in 2014. In the last three seasons, he had 36 goals and 78 points. He also played for the Czech Republic at the recently concluded IIHF World Championships.
Hyka becomes the third player signed by the organization, joining Reid Duke and Vadim Shipachyov.
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Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow @stevecarprj on Twitter.
