| NAME: |
Peter Sejna |
| PRONUNCIATION |
"Say-Na" |
| NHL/AHL: |
St. Louis Blues/Peoria Rivermen |
| POSITION: |
Left Wing (LW) |
| HT: |
5-11 |
| WT: |
194 |
| BIRTHDATE: |
October 5, 1979 |
| BIRTHPLACE: |
Liptovsky Mikulas, Slovakia |
| SCHOOL: |
Colorado College |
| ACQUIRED: |
Signed as a free agent, Apr. 6, 2003 |
| SHOOTS: |
Right |
It may seem out of place to include a 26-year-old player like Peter Sejna on the top ten of a list of the best young NHL prospects. Then again, maybe it’s not.
Consider that the Slovakian native was already 19 when he began his U.S. junior career, was a 21 year old freshman at Colorado College, and was a ripe 23 when he captured the Hobey Baker Award, the first European to do so.
Numbering him among the brightest youngsters in the game isn't such a stretch after all.
Sejna (pronounced Say-na) has made progress in each of his three professional seasons, markedly so this year with Peoria, or at least he was until a high-ankle sprain suffered in late January put him on the shelf. Until then he had spent all year among the AHL's top 10 scorers. He also logged some time with the parent St. Louis Blues.
The injury aside, the Blues brain trust has been extremely pleased with the way Sejna has bumped up his game over last year, especially from the neck up.
"He probably didn't score (last year) the way he expected," said Kevin McDonald, the Blues' pro scouting chief, "but I think this year, he's (seen) a big difference. I think last year it was a struggle, mentally for A lot of guys, not being able to be called up by the NHL. But he's really changed the way he's approached the game."
With the new off-ice approach has come new on-ice responsibility. Sejna has become Peoria's water carrier in every situation, on power plays, penalty kills, as well has five on five.
"He's one of our top four penalty killers," said McDonald. "I'm not sure that when he first got to the AHL that he could have played (special teams). As a fourth year pro, this is the most well rounded he's been. The better player you are in each zone, the more situations you can be used."
Still, what tantalizes the Blues is Sejna's abundant offensive talent, which produced 91 goals and 193 points in three years at Colorado College, and earned him "the Hobey" in the first place.
"He seems to be able to keep his feet moving," McDonald said. "and to be able to shoot off the rush. And he's got a terrific shot. Now the puck's starting to go in, and his confidence is picking up. He has the potential to be a top-two line guy."
- Dan Hickling
