Bruins sign Jakub Lauko to entry-level deal
Boston Bruins prospect Jakub Lauko’s impressive preseason run has earned the 18-year-old an entry-level deal, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney confirmed Friday.
A third-round pick by the Black and Gold in the 2018 NHL Draft, Lauko took draft weekend talk of being snubbed by other teams and burst onto the scene with two goals in as many games to begin his preseason, including one breakaway goal against the Capitals’ Braden Holtby.
Jakub Lauko hops out of the penalty box and beats Braden Holtby five hole, 2-1 #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/GPasP0R7b4
— Marina Molnar (@mkmolnar) September 18, 2018
Seemingly in love with Boston, Lauko’s preseason hopes always centered around staying in America, and immersing himself into the American lifestyle as a professional hockey player as soon as possible.
“I’m trying to learn on the ice and off the ice,” Lauko said at the start of the preseason. “And I hope I can stay for next season – here or Providence. I want to stay in America.”
But Lauko’s deal will not put him in the American Hockey League with the Providence Bruins like he seemingly hoped for in the beginning. He will instead report to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, who drafted the affable Czech in the 2017 CHL import draft.
Lauko had spent the past two seasons with Pirati Chomutov in the Czech Extraliga.
In 2017-18, he recorded three goals and six assists for nine points in 42 games, and added one goal and two assists in six playoff games. The 179-pound forward played in 28 games in 2016-17, notching two goals. A native of Praha, Czech Republic native, Lauko registered 26 goals and 35 assists for 61 points with a plus-28 rating in 24 games for Pirati Under-16 and produced eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points with a plus-seven rating in 29 games with the Under-18 team during the 2015-16 season.
