Novotny's compete level, speed intriguing ahead of 2026 NHL Draft

The 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26 (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS) and rounds 2-7 on June 27 (11 a.m. ET; NHLN, ESPN+, SN). NHL.com is counting down to the draft with in-depth profiles on top prospects, podcasts and other features. Today, a look at left wing Adam Novotny of Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey League. NHL.com's full draft coverage can be found here.

Adam Novotny won't ever forget the moment he became the youngest player to score a goal in the Czech Extraliga, the top professional men's league in Czechia.

He was doing what he does best, scoring off a rebound from the slot at the age of 15 years, 327 days, in his debut for Mountfield HK at Rytiri Kladno in October 2023.

"It was my first game in the top league in Czech, and it came against Jaromir Jagr's team," Novotny said. "He was not playing in the game, but I remember being surrounded by the veteran players and looking up and seeing [Jagr] standing in the bar ... it was so awesome.

"I think it was my sixth shift. I just saw (the) puck, shot it into the pad and then turned and I had a wide-open net. Tomas Plekanec, Kladno's captain, was even on the ice. It was something special; just awesome."

Plekanec, the former Montreal Canadiens forward, most recently served as an assistant coach for Czechia at the 2026 Winter Olympics. 

"After the game, we shook hands and he congratulated me," Novotny said of Plekanec.

Novotny (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) has been creating special moments ever since, too. He finished second in scoring for Peterborough with 65 points (34 goals, 31 assists) and 20 power-play points (eight goals, 12 assists) in 58 games in his first season in the Ontario Hockey League. The 18-year-old was selected No. 8 by the Petes in the 2024 CHL import draft and signed his OHL standard player agreement on July 9, 2025.

"It was pretty hard to leave Czechia because you're leaving family for the first time but I'm glad I made the decision because it's helping me a lot," he said. "I'm just playing hard and working hard and things are working out."

Novotny, No. 14 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft, has twice represented Czechia at the IIHF World Junior Championship, winning a bronze medal at the 2025 WJC and silver medal at the 2026 WJC.

"He had a great tournament (in January)," Czechia National Junior Team coach Patrik Augusta said. "He doesn't put up the numbers, but he does the little things. He's a very good character guy. He's a powerful skater and is not afraid to go to the areas where it hurts ... in the corners and in front of the net. He's not afraid to take a hit, and he's not afraid to give a hit."

Novotny had three assists and led his country with 34 shots on goal while averaging 17:44 of ice time for Czechia at the 2026 WJC. 

"He's grown more as a person and I think he's got more confidence in his game because he's playing against his own age group," Augusta said. "It wasn't easy for him playing back home against the men in the Extraliga but he's developing and that's what you want to see in a young player. He's the guy every coach would like to have on their team."

Novotny had six points (two goals, four assists) in five games for seventh-place Czechia at the 2025 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

"His game has really taken a step in the right direction," Central Scouting's Nick Smith said. "What’s really impressive about him is his speed and quickness for a guy with his frame. He already has that NHL frame, and his motor and compete level are off the charts.

"He has those soft hands and touch around the net to go with it, as well as high hockey IQ. His 200-foot game has improved as well." 

Novotny also had a solid showing for the Canadian Hockey League at the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge in Alberta in November, exhibiting his physicality and success in 1-on-1 situations.

"I'm working on using my size to kind of take the puck away from the opponent because I think that I'm a pretty good-sized player, so I need to use it more," Novotny said. "I used to play center when I was younger but then I just switched to wing. I don't know why, but I can play both wings. If I have to choose one, it would probably be left wing."