Hejda Up for a Good Game with Columbus Blue Jackets | IXGAMES

Back in 2006, no one knew for sure where Jan Hejda is headed with his NHL career.  When he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers, he did make a good debut but not quite near to being a star player.  He was already 28 then, and some people doubted if this defenseman from Prague can adapt to the competitive North American rink as fast as he could learn the foreign language. Hejda’s climb to success Years later, Hejda, who is currently playing for Columbus Blue Jackets, proved that he was indeed a late bloomer.  He may not be the most popular guy on ice, but Hejda surely knows how to intercept a goal.  There were numerous instances when his sound defensive skills would prevent his opponents from hitting the scoreboards and or getting anywhere near to making a goal.  Hejda seems to be standing in their way, which contributed to the Blue Jackets’s success on ice. In a recent game against Detroit, the Columbus Blue Jackets scored 6-1-1 in games with defenseman Hejda.  It seemed like he was no longer foreign to the game of hockey in this country.  He made good team play and has improved his defense.  He actually had a plus-9 in those games.  However, his success is not limited to these numbers.  In his two-plus seasons, playing for the Jackets, he actually scored a plus-52.  For that, Hejda accomplished the fourth-best mark in the league, trailing behind, Nicklas Lidstrom (plus-79) and Pavel Datsyuk (plus-77) of Detroit and Duncan Keith (plus-66) of Chicago. According to Scott Howson, the Jackets General Manager, when he was still working for the Edmonton Oilers, Hejda had caught already caught his eye.  In fact, Frank Musil, former NHL defenseman, had filed reports about Hejda when he was still part of the Russian Super League.  Hejda was then drafted in the 4th round as the 106th overall pick for the NHL Entry Draft in 2003 by the Buffalo Sabres.  Watching him closely, the Edmonton Oilers then made a move to get the defenseman on the team.  In exchange for a seventh round draft-pick, the Sabres traded Hejda to the Edmonton Oilers in 2006.  At that time, they didn’t know for sure if Hejda would seriously consider a career in the NHL. Hejda as a free agent A year after playing for the Edmonton Oilers, Hejda became a free agent.  With Howson now working for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Hedja got an offer from him.  The offer from Howson was the same package with the Oilers.  The only difference is that Howson offered guaranteed money on the spot.  It didn’t take long before Hejda grabbed the offer.  On July 5, 2007, the whole deal became official. It was a deal the Columbus GM wouldn’t regret.  According to Howson, Hejda made a “good debut in Edmonton.”  He has a good experience internationally.  As a defenseman, Hejda is very consistent with his play.