Obscure former Boston Bruins: Ondrej Kase

It’s been a little while since I’ve done one of these. With the last edition coming a week ago on forward Matt Beleskey, the obscure former Bruins continues the run of forwards with Ondrej Kase, a talented winger who has had some of the worst injury luck imaginable.

After starting his career in the Czech Republic, Kase was chosen by the Anaheim Ducks in the seventh round of the 2014 NHL Draft. After signing an entry level contract before the 2015-2016 season, Kase debuted in 2016-2017, scoring five goals with 10 assists in 53 regular season games, adding two goals in nine playoff games that year.

The following season, Kase had 20 goals and 18 assists in 66 games, the final year of his entry level contract. In 2018-2019, his third NHL season, he had 11 goals and 9 assists in 30 games. He started the 2019-2020 season with seven goals and 16 assists in 49 games with the Ducks before he was traded.

He was traded to the Bruins at the trade deadline that year, with David Backes, Axel Andersson, and a first-round pick, with the Bruins retaining 25 percent of Backes’ cap hit. He played in six games with the Bruins, recording one assist before the season was halted.

When the season resumed with the playoff bubble, Kase recorded 4 assists in 11 games as the Bruins lost in the second round to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Of course, I can’t talk about Kase without bringing up his unfortunate injury history. He missed time in 2019-2020 with a head injury and illness before the season was halted due to Covid-19 and also had an undisclosed injury in the bubble.

The next season, a 56-gamer due to Covid-19, Kase played one full game and the start of a second before being sidelined with an upper body injury. That kept him out from January 16 until May 10 against the Islanders, when Kase got re-hurt after just 6:49 of ice time. That also kept him out for the entirety of the Bruins playoff run that year.

It was at that point that the Bruins didn’t qualify him, letting him become a free agent with just one point in nine regular season games to his name in a Bruins uniform. He signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth $1.25 million.

Kase then had his most games played since 2017-2018, logging 50 games with the Maple Leafs while logging 14 goals and 13 assists. That season was also marred by injury for Kase, missing time with multiple upper body injuries while also spending time on the Covid list.

He also suffered another concussion with the Maple Leafs, but did play in the postseason, recording three assists in seven playoff games. He then signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes ahead of last season.

That proved to be another lost year and another notch in a sad line of injuries for Kase. He played just one game before sustaining yet another concussion. When you have multiple concussions, they tend to get more severe each time. This one cost Kase his season, both regular season and the playoffs.

Currently, Ondrej Kase is back in Czechia, signed with HC Litvínov, joining his brother David. The story of Kase in the NHL is a somber one, with such a talented player falling victim to multiple concussions and other injuries that just proved too hard to overcome. I wish Kase only the best going forward, both in hockey and in his quality of life.