Kodýtek from Pilsen, Stránský from Litvínov and goalkeeper Hamrla strengthen Ilves Tampere

Twenty-four-year-old Kodýtek will embark on his first foreign assignment. His last season ended at the beginning of February due to injury and he recorded 15 goals and 19 assists in 44 games. In six duels in the national team, he scored three assists. “He is a versatile player who mainly thinks about the team. He attracted attention with his performances in the national team at the Euro Hockey Tour. We are happy that he chose Ilves from the many offers,” Ilves sports manager Timo Koskela told the club’s website.

Kodýtek, born in Pilsen, played 331 games in the extra league and collected 145 points (64+81). In the Czech national team, the 168-centimeter-tall and 70-kilogram participant of the 2018 U20 World Championship has 28 matches, two goals and 10 assists to his credit.

A year older, Stránský returns to the Finnish league after a year. Before coming to Litvínov, he worked for two seasons in Jukurit Mikkeli, where he scored 61 points (20+41) in 106 duels. “We watched him and were interested in him already last year. He is a very skilful striker who is difficult to defend,” Koskela pointed out.

For Litvínov, Stránský scored 10 goals and 33 assists in 49 games last season, including the playoffs. A Vítkovic protege and former player of Kometa Brno in the extra league, he scored 106 points (41+65) in 210 duels. Participant of two U20 World Cups and one U18 World Championship, he appeared in 11 duels in the national team with a goal and two assists.

Hamrla was drafted by Columbus in the 3rd round at the 83rd position. The Zlín pupil has spent two seasons in Rimouski. Before that, he managed seven matches in the extra league for Karlovy Vary, in which he had an average of 4.69 goals conceded per match and a save success rate of 86.33 percent. “Patrik Hamrla is a young and ambitious goalkeeper with good parameters. The long-term contract gives us the opportunity to work on his development,” added Koskela.