Jan Mysak – Hamilton Bulldogs – Player Profile

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 176 Pounds

Date of birth: June 24, 2002

Hometown: Litvinov, CZE

Position: Left Wing

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 20^th overall, 2019 CHL Import Draft

NHL Central Scouting Rankings

If there is one thing we know about Jan Mysak of the Hamilton Bulldogs it is that he does nothing but put up points wherever he goes. Consider this: As a 15-year-old during the 2017-2018 season Mysak skated for HC Litvinov Under-16 (12 games – 41 goals – 18 assists), HC Litvinov Under-18 (36 games – 30 goals – 23 assists) and HC Litvinov Under-20 (6 games – 2 goals – 6 assists). Once again: As a 15-year-old.

Mysak began the following season with the HC Litvinov Uner-19 squad. In 9 games he accumulated 13 goals and 9 assists. But then he signed with HC Litvinov of the Czech Extraliga. Just when you think he struggled with just 3 goals and 4 assists in 31 games, when the playoffs came around, Mysak took matters into his own hands scoring 5 goals and 4 assists in 6 games and saving his squad from relegation. That’s against men, as a 16-year-old.

Mysak also brings a wealth of international experience on his resume. He has participated in the World Hockey Challenge Under-17, World Junior Championships Under-18, World Junior Championships Under-20 and the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup among others. In total, he has 58 international games under his belt and scored 22 goals while assisting on 22 others in those contests.

Mysak was drafted by the Hamilton Bulldogs with the 20^th overall pick at the 2019 CHL Import Draft. On January 9, 2020, Mysak signed with the Bulldogs and the door was open for him to join the OHL squad. It couldn’t have come at a better time for Hamilton as they lost Jan Jenik to an injury at the World Junior Championships. Mysak would finish the season with 15 goals and 10 assists, and despite playing in just 22 games, finished 17^th among rookies in scoring. That’s almost identical in points per game (1.136) to Kingston Frontenacs phenom Shane Wright (1.137). There’s just no telling what kind of numbers Mysak could have put up with Jenik and Arthur Kaliyev and Jenik not been injured.

There were a few concerns about how Mysak would handle the transition to North America and being away from home for any length of time for virtually all his hockey life, seeing that he’s only played for one team, his hometown Litvinov. The transition could not have gone any better.

Mysak isn’t exactly a physical player. But that doesn’t prevent him from battling along the walls or getting into the slot. He’ll take a hit to make the play and won’t shy away from taking a physical beating. If he comes away with the puck in those battles, he can create opportunities for himself and has the elite vision and playmaking skills to set up his teammates. He is also an excellent puck possession player. He has an elite wrist shot and his backhand is as good as anyone’s.

Mysak’s skating was questioned in some circles prior to coming to the OHL. Granted, it’s a small sample size, I didn’t see it. Technically, he is a very good skater with long strong strides, His top end speed, while not elite is good enough. He possesses a separation gear that. He is very efficient at turning and skating backwards.

Mysak is an extremely intelligent player who can play in any and all situations. At times, he ran the powerplay for the Bulldogs from the point where he showcased his vision and playmaking skills. He is also very good on the penalty kill and a threat to score when down a man – evidenced by two of his first five OHL goals came while on the PK.

Mysak is also very adept at the defensive game. He comes back hard on the backcheck and applies pressure to the puck carrier extremely well, especially before they enter his zone, and he creates a lot of turnovers that way. His positioning is sound and he keeps his stick in lanes, taking them away effectively. He also has the ability to be a one-man breakout.

Mysak projects very well to the NHL. Skating, hockey sense, shot, IQ all trend to NHL level. He can be a top six NHL’er with a 200 foot-game.