Skarek Makes Most of Short Experience at Rookie Camp

Jakub Skarek was here for a good time, not a long time.
After three days of on-ice workouts, the Czech goalie - and Islanders 2018 third-round pick - has returned to Finland to join his new club team, the Lahti Pelicans.
It was a short, but productive trip for Skarek, who
signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Islanders
over the summer. Islanders Rookie Camp provided Skarek a chance to check in with the Isles coaches and management, a luxury not always available for European prospects.

"It's always great to see the managers and coaches here because the coaches here have a lot of experience," said Skarek. "It's an honor to be here and I can learn a lot of new things here which can help me in my career."

One of those coaches Skarek was looking forward to learning from was Islanders Director of Goaltending Mitch Korn, the goalie guru who was hired over the summer.
"He taught me some new things which can help me a lot," Skarek said of Korn. "Our goalie coach in Finland is really great too. We worked together over the summer on the little details, but it has helped me a lot. They're little things, but little things make big things."
Skarek, who idolizes Columbus' Sergei Bobrovsky and Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy, said his ultimate goal is to come over to North America and play in the NHL.
"It's my dream, it's why I get out of bed in the morning," he said. "It's my big motivation to one day play in an Islanders jersey."
He still has to climb a few rungs up the pro hockey ladder, which is why he made the decision to play in Finland's Liiga, after splitting the last two seasons between the top two Czech leagues. Skarek was successful in the Czech Republic, leading the second division in wins (21) in 2016-17 and was part of Dukla Jihlava's championship run in 2015-16, and now he's ready for a new challenge.

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"I wanted to make a change to make another step in my career," Skarek said. "I got a chance to sign a contract with Pelicans and I know the goalie coach here, he's really good. I worked with him a couple of years ago. It was an easy decision to go here and I think this step can prepare me."
Skarek was a little jet lagged making a pair of nine-hour flights in the span of five days, but said it was worth it to work with the Isles. Brent Thompson, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers Head Coach who is running drills at rookie camp, agreed, saying it's good for these prospects to familiarize themselves with the organization.
"Three days are better than no days," Thompson said. "Not only him, but everybody, they get to see how we do things, feel the North American tempo and pace, see what's expected of him, but again everyone else, the entire organization, so it's a great little learning lesson to come over."