Czech forward Lukáš
Rousek, 26, has signed a two-year contract
with HV71, the SHL
club announced on Tuesday. Rousek had played the last five
seasons in North America in the Buffalo
Sabres organization.
“It
will be a lot of fun and is an exciting challenge,” said Rousek. “I
know how high the Swedish Hockey League is and that Jönköping is a
hockey-crazy city, and I look forward to being part of HV71.”
“Lukáš’s
greatest quality is his passing game,” said HV71 GM Björn
Liljander. “He is a real playmaker who sees the game very well and
always finds an open space – a player you can use both as a center
and a winger.”
Born in the small town of Ostrov but raised in Prague, Rousek
turned pro with local club Sparta, recording 90 points in 176
Extraliga regular-season and playoff games. He was somewhat of a late bloomer, never representing Czechia at the U-18 or U-20 levels.
Buffalo drafted Rousek at age 20 in the sixth round of the 2019
NHL Entry Draft. Between 2021 and 2025, Rousek played primarily for
the AHL’s
Rochester Americans but also played 17 NHL games for the Sabres,
scoring one goal and adding three assists.
HV71 was SHL champion a recently as 2016-17 but fell on hard times
soon after and was relegated. Since returning to the top Swedish
league in 2022, the club has not made the playoffs and the last two
seasons barely avoided relegation.
Photos © Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
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