Happy Birthday to Columbus Blue Jacket Lukas Sedlak!
The rookie center for the Columbus Blue Jackets turns 24 today! Happy Birthday to one of the many great surprises of the 2016-2017 year for the CBJ.
Union and Blue would like wish Columbus Blue Jacket Lukas Sedlak a very happy 24th Birthday! The Czech center has been a blast to watch skate this year and we hope he is recovering quickly.
On this momentous occasion we’ll go over the great year Sedlak has had thus far. The sixth round pick has blossomed into an ideal 4th line center this year.
Cleveland’s Calder Cup Run
The young Czech’s rise to the NHL was ignited last year in Cleveland. Sedlak put up pedestrian numbers in the regulars season, amassing 14 goals and four assist over 54 games. But in the playoffs he turned it on.
Columbus Blue Jackets
In Cleveland’s magical run to the Calder Cup, Sedlak dominated. In 17 games he scored nine times and added seven more helpers. He came up in huge spots throughout the entire playoffs. Sedlak was responsible for the game winning goal in Game 4 of the Conference Finals sending the Monsters to their first Calder Cup Finals ever.
First NHL Goal
Playing in Detroit on December 9th, Sedlak scored his first NHL Goal against the Red Wings. Sedlak followed up with an assist that night as well for his first multi-point game of his young career.
Sedlak was robbed of a deserved star that night by the home Red Wings. He followed that performance up with another goal the next night in Columbus’ 6-2 thrashing of the New York Islanders.
Chimera Fight
On January 24th, the Columbus Blue Jackets visited the New York Islanders. With less than a minute left in the 1st period, Sedlak laid a check on veteran Jason Chimera. Chimera had a problem with that and the fight was on. Chimera’s a 17 year NHL vet who has played over 1000 games and racked up 848 career penalty minutes, many with the CBJ. Sedlak didn’t back down from the vet that also has three inches and 20 pounds on the Czech.
Sedlak had absolutely no chance in his first NHL fight but refused to back down from Chimera and held his own. The fight earned him immense respect from not only his teammates, but from the entire fanbase.
Sedlak has a bright smile and brighter future ahead of him with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Call it a coincidence, or fate perhaps, but Sedlak is from the same small town in the Czech Republic as former Blue Jacket Vinny Prospal. Although Prospal only spent two years with the club, he was beloved. Here’s to hoping that Sedlak will stay longer and become just as beloved!
Happy Birthday Lukas Sedlak! We wish you a speedy recover from your injury and look forward to your infectious smile returning to the ice. Who knows, maybe you’ll point at the scoreboard while the Jackets are thrashing the Pens in Pittsburgh in early April.