MINNEAPOLIS — Mike Oke first saw Adam Novotny play at the 2023 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
At the time, Novotny was 15, and he’d already made his debut for his hometown team, Mountfield HK, and scored his first professional goal, making him the youngest player ever to score in Czechia’s top level.
Novotny registered three points in seven games as an underager at U17s and Oke, the general manager of the Peterborough Petes, thought he was “very noticeable.”
After conversations with folks in Europe and his agent at the Global Management Group, David Hamel, they decided to take him with the eighth pick in the 2024 CHL Import Draft the following spring despite knowing that he planned to play the 2024-25 season in the Czech Extraliga, betting that if things changed and he considered the CHL path that he “would be a significant player” for the Petes.
Last year, Oke traveled to see him play in person once, and his coaches, Rob Wilson and Patrick O’Connor, spent a lot of time dialoguing with Hamel and building a relationship with Novotny.
Eventually, after further discussions between the team, Adam, his family and Hamel in the offseason, Novotny, who’d just played 51 combined regular-season and playoff games with Mountfield, decided to join the Petes for his draft year.
And more than two years after that initial viewing in P.E.I., Novotny is now playing for Czechia at the 2026 World Juniors in Minnesota. When he left for the tournament, he was the Petes’ team leader in goals (19), points (35) and shots (132) through his first 29 games in the OHL.
Oke said he has been exactly what they expected he would be.
“We knew we were getting a real strong and a pretty special player,” Oke said of the 6-foot-1, 198-pound left-shot winger. “He’s got a frame on him very similar to (former Pete) Mason McTavish in that he’s really thick and he’s a powerful skater. He’s got strength, he’s got a very good shot, he can move the puck well, and he’s got a lot of details and really good habits when it comes to stick in lanes, blocking shots, and really contributes in all three zones. And those things make him a valuable player in all situations, whether you’re pressing for a goal or defending a lead.”
NHL Central Scouting lists him as an “A” rated prospect, which “indicates a 1st round candidate.”
“(Novotny’s) an excellent skater with footwork and agility to go with good size,” their scouting report reads. “He displays excellent hockey sense and offensive instincts and skills. He has fast hands and good moves with the ability to fight through traffic and execute plays. (He) plays with an edge and competes with his smarts and skills. (He’s a) good playmaker setting up teammates and has a quick release shot. (Novotny’s) a top line forward who plays a big role in Peterborough and has all the elements of a good pro prospect.”
This is his second World Juniors after he was the youngest player on last year’s bronze medal-winning team in Ottawa. He also represented Czechia at last spring’s U18 worlds in Texas, where he registered six points in five games.
On Friday night, he and the Czechs advanced back to the semifinals for the fifth straight year, guaranteeing themselves a chance to play for a potential fourth consecutive medal.
Though he has just two assists through five games, he has been snakebitten and leads the Czechs in shots on goal with 25 (five more than his nearest teammate). He’s also playing 17:46 per game, fourth among all Czech forwards. And they’ve seen him produce before for the U20 team, including at their 3 Nations tournament with Finland and Switzerland in July (where he had four goals and five points in four games) and their 5 Nations tournament with Slovakia, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland in August (where he had another four points in four games).
He’s not worried about the dry spell.
“I can always be better, but I’m just trying to help the team. I’m not looking at the points, I’m just trying to help the team to win and be a good teammate,” he said. “The points will come if I just keep playing my game and be myself.”
He also brings more than just points to the ice.
“He brings character, energy, good skater, and physical play. He does the little things,” Czech head coach Patrik Augusta said. “He may not be the scoreboard leader, but he does the little things, and he knows what it takes to be successful.”
Standing inside 3M Arena talking about his whirlwind draft year, Novotny smiled.
He decided to come to the OHL because he loves the North American style. He thinks it fits his fast and sturdy game, and he wanted to showcase himself to scouts after he found it hard to earn ice time with the pro team last year.
He’s really happy with his decision.
“I feel awesome over here,” he said. “The first few games, it was hard for me and hard to get points because it’s a different style from senior to junior. It was hard to start, but now I’m feeling great. I feel confident. I’m strong in battles, I can go around the D and create opportunities for myself, and I can create opportunities for my teammates and really shoot the puck. I think I can play a very strong game.”
Oke joked that the typical adjustment to the smaller rink surfaces in North America is always compounded by the unique dimensions at the Peterborough Memorial Centre, which is famous for its square corners.
“He was coming up the ice thinking he had more time to make a play with the puck than he did, and next thing you know, he runs into the boards,” Oke said. “As he became more accustomed to the size of the ice, he really started to come into his own.”
Czech teammates Adam Novotny and Adam Benak facing off against each other in the OHL. (Logan Taylor / OHL Images)
Oke also thought he showed well at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge in Alberta in November, demonstrating his physically strong game, creating opportunities and winning battles.
“When I was younger, I was always bigger, and it has kind of helped me because I was able to play pro hockey at a young age in Czech. I think it’s an advantage for me and I need to use it,” he said.
Novotny’s mom is a school teacher and swimming instructor, and his dad is a car painter and mechanic. He grew up the youngest of three kids, and his older brother and sister, twins Matej and Teresa, turn 22 today. Teresa is currently studying law at a university in Prague, and Adam actually played Czech junior with Matej when he was 15, and his older brother was 19.
Beyond the ice, Oke said everyone within the Petes organization has really enjoyed getting to know Novotny, that his teammates and coaches love him, and that his billet family has even reported that “he’s not just living there, he’s contributing and adding to the family and has become a real member of the family.”
Czech teammates and East Division OHL rivals David Jiricek and Adam Benak have seen how good that player is from both sides.
“He has an amazing shot. When you can shoot the puck into the net, it’s hard to defend!” Jiricek said. “He can shoot from anywhere.”
Earlier this year, Novotny scored twice, including the overtime winner, to lead his Petes past Jiricek and Benak’s first-place Bulldogs — in a game he played 28:14.
“I didn’t like that much, but he’s my good friend, so I forgave him,” Benak said, smiling about it now. “I mean, he’s just so strong on the puck. He’s a good goal scorer. It’s so fun to watch him in the OHL.”