With Psohlavec drafted, Flyers now have 6-foot-5 Czech goalie market cornered

VOORHEES, N.J. – When it comes to 6-foot-5 goaltenders from Czechia, the Flyers appear to have the market cornered.
When they selected netminder Martin Psohlavec with their second-round pick (62nd overall) in last week’s NHL Draft, they already knew about the success of their 6-foot-5 Czechian star Dan Vladar.
In Friday night’s Development Camp 5-on-5 scrimmage at the Flyers Training Center, Psohlavec was in goal for Team Briere’s 6-5 shootout victory over Team Jones.
It was a fun and educational experience. Psohlavic got a chance to see the speed and skill of NHL-tested youngsters such as Porter Martone and Alex Bump.
When regular training camp opens in September, Pshovlavec will get a chance to have a reunion with Vladar and the two can talk about their native country in a familiar language.
On draft day, Psohlavec was thrilled to learn he had been picked by Philadelphia.
“I got the call from my brother, called my mother and she was already crying,” Psohlavec said with a smile. “I jumped into the car and rushed to celebrate with them.”
In fact, the Flyers now have three goalies from Czechia. They picked up Marek Sklenicka, a friend of Psohlavec’s, in the fourth round.
At some point it promises to be a get-together of three “wild and crazy guys.”
Psohlavec and Sklenicka have been friends since grade school so there are plenty of stories to tell.
“We played competitive hockey when we were little,” Psohlavec said. “From like 10 years old. My mother told me that we would be good together. We had a great childhood together. We were pushing each other a lot so it was a fun time.”
As for possibly joining Vladar some day, the sky’s the limit.
“It’s incredible,” Psohlavec said. “It’s like a dream come true. Didn’t even expect to be drafted, to be honest, until maybe the fifth or sixth round.
“So it was a big surprise for me. I’m just happy to be joining him (Vladar). He just signed a five-year contract (extension). I can look up to him, like he’s a great role model. I’m really watching his game a lot. Everything’s great. It’s exciting.”
Playing in the Czech Under-20 League, Psohlavec recorded a sparkling 31-11-0 record with a 1.92 goals-against average. No wonder the Flyers had him ranked higher than most draft experts did.
Psohlavec said he and Vladar to go out to lunch in the near future to go over, well, the future.
Vladar has become a super-celebrity back in Czechia. It’s like a second coming of Dominik Hasek.
“When you are from Czechia and you play in the NHL, you’re like a god,” Psohlovec said. “He’s a great goalie, everybody knows that. He was in the Olympics, too. He’s a great guy. Everybody in Czechia loves him and respects him.”