Jiří Dudáček

Jiří Dudáček (born April 4, 1962, in Kladno, Czechoslovakia) is a former professional ice hockey right wing. He was drafted in the first round, 17th overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft, making him the first Czechoslovak player to be selected in the first round of a National Hockey League draft. Dudáček was a star for the Czechoslovak team at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships in 1980 and 1981, and was considered by many NHL scouts to be the top junior prospect in the 1981 draft class.

As Czechoslovakia was a Communist country at the time of Dudáček's drafting, bringing him to North America was a difficult proposition for the Sabre organization. Dudáček's father was also a high-ranking Communist party member.

While other teams helped Czechoslovak players sneak out of their homeland to come to the NHL, Sabres general manager Scotty Bowman attempted to convince Czechoslovak officials to legally allow Dudáček to come to Buffalo. All efforts were declined by the Czechoslovak sports authorities, though, claiming Dudáček was "too young" to leave the country.

Playing career
Dudáček played for the Czechoslovak national ice hockey team in the 1981 and 1984 Canada Cups. He was among Czechoslovakia's leading scorers in 1981, tallying four goals and two assists in six games. In 1984, he went scoreless in four games.

Dudáček never made it to North America to play for the Sabre organization. Instead, he spent his career playing for HC Kladno and HC Jihlava in the Czechoslovak Extraliga, until his retirement in 1991.

Career statistics
--- Regular Season --- Season  Team                        Lge    GP    G    A  Pts  PIM -- 1980-81 HC Kladno                   CZE    44   10   18   28 1981-82 - statistics unavailable - 1982-83 - statistics unavailable - 1983-84 - statistics unavailable - 1984-85 - statistics unavailable - 1985-86 - statistics unavailable - 1986-87 - statistics unavailable - 1987-88 HC Kladno                   CZE    39   23   28   51 1988-89 HC Kladno                   CZE    53   11   17   28 1989-90 - statistics unavailable - 1990-91 HC Kladno                   CZE    43   11   14   25 1994-95 ETC Crimmitschau            Ger2    3    1    1    2 --