NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Alex Ciernik won't ever forget his NHL draft experience because it didn't fly by real fast.
After his family took about an eight-hour flight from Vienna to New York, severe storms in the area prevented the connecting flight's takeoff to Nashville, Tennessee, where Ciernik was hoping to hear his name called.
Eventually, he got there and did.
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The 18-year-old winger was selected by the Flyers on Day 2 of the 2023 draft at Bridgestone Arena. He went in the fourth round Thursday at 120th overall.
Ciernik and company arrived Wednesday for Day 1 via a 14-hour drive.
"New York was pretty brutal, like 700 flights were canceled," Ciernik said. "So we had to take a rental car all the way from New York to here. So we just came in yesterday right before the first round. It was pretty brutal but it's worth it right now."
His dad Ivan Ciernik, a former NHLer, did most of the driving.
NHL
"He took it into his own hands," the young Ciernik said.
They're happy to join the Flyers.
"It was a long week for me and the family, a lot of travel," Ciernik said, "so it's a relief to be a part of such a great organization."
He could be a sleeper in the Flyers' 10-player 2023 class. He was the 21st-ranked European skater by NHL Central Scouting, while EliteProspects.com had him as the 65th-best player in the draft.
The 5-foot-10, 174-pounder comes with high-level skill and skating ability. He recorded 12 points (three goals, nine assists) over 25 games this season in Sweden's HockeyAllsvenskan, a pro league that is a tier below the SHL.
At the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, Ciernik put up two goals and an assist in five games for Team Slovakia.
His birthplace is Wolfsburg in Germany.
Talk about multicultural.
"I'm all over the place," he joked. "I was born in Germany, my dad played there. Technically I'm Slovak. I never lived there, played there or went to school there. And I play in Sweden, so you choose what I am."
Perhaps one day a Flyer.