After two picks in the fourth round, the team grabbed Petr Placek in the sixth round of the draft. He was limited by injuries in his final season with Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. He played in just 16 games that season, though he was about a point-per-game with 17 points.
Injuries followed him his entire hockey career. He had knee surgery, a high ankle sprain and chronic back pain. That all came before he was even enrolled at Harvard University.
The back pain would end up lasting over two years for Placek. He would face even more injuries throughout his college career. More than any one player should have to deal with.
He did end up playing collegiate hockey, but didn’t do much there. Injuries cost him again as he only played one game during the 2013-14 campaign. Placek played in 46 games for Harvard, grabbing a total of just three points.
That would be his final season of collegiate hockey as he made the tough decision to not come back during his senior year.
He was never signed by the Flyers and never played a single game of professional hockey for any team. But at that point in his life, staying healthy was a much bigger obstacle to face.