As it turns out, scouts with the Czech Republic World Junior squad felt much the same way.
Lang, who will be entering his 19-year-old season fall, was one of nine players from the Western Hockey League selected for the Czech World Junior training camp, beginning June 14 in his hometown of Rockycany.
The 5-foot-11, 172-pound forward joined the Warriors at the WHL trade deadline this past season, with general manager Alan Millar acquiring the speedy winger in exchange for 19-year-old defenceman Libor Zabransky. Interestingly enough, Zabransky also hails from the Czech Republic and was one of the standouts for his country at the 2020 World Juniors.
It didn’t take long for Lang to have an impact once he joined the Warriors, picking up a pair of assists in his second game in a Tribe uniform. He would go on to score eight goals and 24 points in 26 games and finish the season with 15 goals and 43 points in 57 games between Moose Jaw and Kamloops.
It won’t be his first world championship rodeo, either.
Lang has represented the Czech Republic in international play throughout his career, on top of his eye-popping numbers as a 16-year-old in league play back home, where he scored 54 goals and 84 points in only 27 games in his final season with HC Plzen U16.
Lang put up three points in six games at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in 2017 as the Czechs won the bronze medal and added three goals and four points in five games at the World U18 Championship the following year.
Joining Lang from the WHL are forwards Filip Koffer (Prince George), Pavel Novak (Kelowna), Michal Teply (Winnipeg) and Matej Toman (Swift Current) alongside defencemen Simon Kubicek (Seattle), Radek Kucerik (Saskatoon) and goaltender Lukas Parik (Spokane).
The 2021 World Junior Hockey Championship is slated for Edmonton and Red Deer from Dec. 29 to Jan. 5.
