The Coral Springs Jr. Cats have announced the signing of goaltender Daniel Dužek, adding a netminder with USPHL experience, international pedigree, and a track record of winning to the crease as the organization builds toward its move into the USPHL’s National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) for the 2026-27 season.

Dužek, born May 7, 2006, in Skalka nad Váhom, Slovakia, stands 6-foot-0, 175 pounds, and catches left. He’ll wear No. 30 for the Jr. Cats.

This isn’t Dužek’s first time on U.S. ice. He spent two seasons with the Nashville Spartans of the USPHL, culminating in a breakout 2023-24 campaign that earned him USPHL Premier (Great Lakes) All-Star Team honors — a season in which he went 18-6-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage, and 8 shutouts across 25 games. He was also selected in the 2023 NCDC Entry Draft (16th round, No. 279 overall, Provo Predators).

After that All-Star season, Dužek returned home to Slovakia to play for HK Dukla Trenčín, where he spent the past two years developing at the U20 level. In 2025-26, he posted a 2.75 GAA and .921 save percentage over 25 regular-season games, then elevated his game in the playoffs — a 2.33 GAA, .922 save percentage, and a 7-3-0 record across 10 postseason starts — helping the program capture a bronze medal.

“Daniel gives us a goaltender who has already proven he can win in the USPHL, and who’s spent the last two years sharpening his game against top competition internationally,” the Jr. Cats said in announcing the signing. “That combination of experience and upside is exactly what we want in net as we step up to the NCDC.”

The Jr. Cats train out of the Panthers IceDen and enter the 2026-27 season stepping up to the NCDC, the USPHL’s top junior tier and the league’s most direct pathway to NCAA college hockey. Dužek’s proven ability to perform at a high level on both sides of the Atlantic makes him a key piece as the club makes that jump.

Welcome to the Jr. Cats, Daniel Dužek.