After winning the MOL League last season there has been a lot of change around the parts of Miskolc, not only has the name changed to DVTK but there has been a decent amount of turnover of the roster and coaching staff however one aspect that has not changed is the strong presence on the blue line. This past week after scoring four goals and two assists in two games Jesse Dudas is this week’s Player of the Week.
Jesse Dudas has become very well known in Hungarian hockey in the past year for a number of reasons. The former NHL draft pick is the cousin of national team forward Frank Banham, and for his four goals in game four of the MOL League finals last season. Dudas comes from St.Albert Canada, he played his junior years in the WHL where he was teammates with Brent Seabrook and Jordan Eberle as well as Colton Yellow Horn, Kalvin Sagert and Keegan Dansereau.
Dudas was drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2006, in the 6th round, 159th overall, he was selected ahead of players like Leo Komarov, Derek Dorsett and former Ferencváros forward Victor Gibbs Sjödin. After his junior career he played for a number of teams in the ECHL as well as the now defunct CHL and IHL. During his many stops he was often teammates with future MOL League players. He played with Jon Booras on three different occasions before this season, including with the Wichita Thunder where they were joined by Tomas Klempa, Kalvin Sagert and Jarkko Leppänen.
Last season was his first in the MOL League where he 43 points in 34 games and was one of the key players on a club that won not only the MOL League but the Hungarian title and the Hungarian Cup. This season he is off to a great start as well, he has 6 goals and 5 assists for a total of 11 points in 7 games which is good for the team lead.
Jesse also has the opportunity to play for the Hungarian national team at the upcoming world championships in Russia as he has Hungarian roots and will also be eligible by IIHF rules once he gets his citizenship.