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News
Former Buffalo Sabres d-man joins Phoenix blueline
Phoenix coach Tony Hand is leaving no stone un-turned in his search for quality talent for his new team and headed east to Slovakia to sign former NHL defenceman Radoslav Hecl.
Understandably pleased with his work, Hand outlined how the signing came about saying, "I've been friendly for a while now with a couple of European agents who know the hockey scene in the Czech Republic and Slovakia really well. And in a regular call to one, he mentioned that Radoslav was interested in playing again outside his homeland."
Thirty-one year old Hecl developed through the Dukla Trencin system and represented Czechoslovakia at the European Junior Championships in 1992. Following the separation of the two states, he has iced for Slovakia in both World Juniors and three Senior World Championships including being part of the 2002 Gold Medal winning squad. He spent six seasons in the Slovakia Extraliga with Slovan Bratislava with a year in North America for season 2002-03 following his selection in the 7th round of the 2002 NHL entry draft by the Buffalo Sabres.
Hand continued, "at 6ft 1ins and around the 14-stone mark, Rado is a stay-at-home defenceman who knows his job and has the physical attributes to do a great job for us. Six years in the Extraliga tells you he can play and his experience with the Sabres and then time in the American Hockey League with the farm club in Rochester shows he can hold his own in the highest standard. His English may be a little rusty but, he'll be fine, his blueline play will do the talking for him."
The left-shot defenceman remarked, "Manchester is a very famous sports city and I feel good about playing there. I hope my speaking gets better, I want to do well for the team and help them to win."
The Phoenix are closing in on the signature of a final signing and Hand hinted, "I've been talking to a forward who has other options but, I'm quietly confident he'll choose the challenge and opportunity we can offer him."
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