BUFFALO – When the Seattle Thunderbirds selected Radim Mrtka 71st overall in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft in 2024, they took a flier on a talented defenseman.

Coach Matt O’Dette said the Thunderbirds knew Mrtka planned to play pro hockey in his native Czechia last season. Still, if he did not receive the opportunity he wanted, there was a chance he could join the junior team.

Mrtka, the ninth overall pick by the Sabres on June 27, quickly learned competing against men wasn’t ideal for a 17-year-old trying to showcase himself for the NHL Draft.

He skated short minutes in the Czech League. After 10 games, he left for Seattle, where O’Dette said the Thunderbirds “welcomed him with open arms.”

For the next five months, Mrtka played about 28 minutes per contest as he morphed into a coveted prospect.

“I think it was the perfect move for him, really accelerated his development with his peers and on a North American ice surface,” O’Dette told the Times Herald. “I think that was really good for him. … He was playing in every situation for us.”

The Sabres utilized Mrtka heavily in Friday’s Prospects Challenge opener against the New Devils, his first game action in Blue and Gold. He opened the scoring 4:06 into the contest from the left circle.

Fans in LECOM Harborcenter found out it’s impossible to miss the youngster. At 6-foot-6 and 218 pounds, he’s usually the tallest player on the ice. Few players his size move so well.

“What everybody sees right away is his skating ability as a big player,” O’Dette said. “That’s unique.”

From the bench on Nov. 29 in Victoria, Carter Cochrane, Seattle’s assistant coach in charge of the defense, couldn’t stop watching Mrtka as he warmed up before his Western Hockey League debut.

“It was pretty clear he moved different and looked different than probably any other player on the ice, just at his size and his ability,” Cochrane told the Times Herald. “Yeah, I think we had something special right away.”

But Mrtka’s other talents have a way of grabbing your attention.

Right away that night in Victoria, O’Dette noticed Mrtka’s poise and the way he carried himself.

“He can control the play with his skating and his puck decisions, I think be very calm and cool,” he said. “(He) just played the game smartly with and without the puck.”

When Mrtka arrived, the Thunderbirds tossed him headfirst into the fray. He played three games in three days after participating in one morning skate. He hadn’t practiced.

Cochrane said the coaches told him to “just play.” They wanted him to trust his instincts.

“We wanted him to make sure that he was comfortable and knew enough that there was some predictability for him out there,” he said.

Mrtka registered zero points and a minus-4 rating that dizzying weekend. Still, Cochrane knew they had something special.

“He was so tantalizing,” he said.

Off the ice, Mrtka had to adapt to a new culture. He spoke little English.

“There’s a language barrier, but he spoke hockey really well,” Cochrane said. “He struggled to maybe communicate with his teammates just day-to-day stuff, but when we sat down and we started drawing on the white board or talking to him about the game, he’s very smart that way.”

By late in the winter, however, O’Dette said Mrtka had a stronger command of the language. These days, he conducts interviews in English.

On the ice, Mrtka grew comfortable. Cochrane said the newcomer possessed a desire to improve.

Following a difficult start in Czechia, Mrtka’s fresh opportunity in North America – “I just love small rinks,” he said – energized him.

“I was full of power, excited to play hockey again,” he said following Thursday’s practice.

Mrtka’s exploits transformed the Thunderbirds and helped buoy them to an unlikely playoff berth. When he joined them, they had a 7-12-2-1 record. They finished 30-33-4-1 and snuck into the postseason.

“He was a big part of, kind of, our resurgence in the second half,” O’Dette said. “… We were way out of the playoffs before he got us.”

Notes: Sabres goalie Topias Leinonen started against New Jersey. Rochester Americans coach Mike Leone, who’s running Buffalo’s bench, said all four goalies on the rookie camp roster will play during the three-game tournament. Two will each play a full game and two will split one contest. … Leone said Sabres forward prospect Viktor Neuchev, who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in March, wasn’t ready to play Friday. The Russian has been practicing in camp. … The Sabres play the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight.