Scout
11-17-2007, 09:43 AM
Fiala takes pains to show commitment to team
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, November 16, 2007
The expression on Ondrej Fiala's face didn't mesh with the condition of his leg.
He rolled up his pant leg Thursday to reveal a yellowed shin -- a classic souvenir for any shot-blocker -- but his smile never diminished.
The 20-year-old forward is having too much fun to fret about a fist-sized bruise.
It's a game and you have to have fun," said Fiala, whom the Saskatoon Blades acquired from the Everett Silvertips in a WHL trade last month. "If you don't have fun, it's no longer a game for you. I'm happy for every second on the ice and all of the time I can spend there with these guys."
The 20-year-old Czech forward has garnered points in four of his last five games. In the lone game he didn't hit the scoresheet, he asserted himself by blocking two shots on the same shift. The Blades subsequently rallied from a two-goal deficit and beat the Swift Current Broncos 4-3 in a shootout.
"Sometimes people look at players like Fiala or (Derek) Hulak and all they see is how many goals they've scored," said Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken. "When you look at Ondrej or Derek, you have to look at all of the little things that they contribute to team success.
"Ondrej has played extremely hard in all situations and he's been a key guy in any success that (Chris) Durand and (Colton) Gillies have had."
The Blades begin a stretch of three games in three nights tonight when the Lethbridge Hurricanes visit Credit Union Centre. At last, the Blades have something to build on thanks to four wins in their last five games. They also boast a 7-2 home record.
"The chemistry just keeps building," Durand said of his connection with Fiala and Gillies. "We're all older guys and we're counted on to score, so we have to put up a couple of points every night and try to be consistent."
Fiala netted a goal in the Blades' last game, Tuesday's 3-2 win over Brandon. In the same match, he fired a shot off the crossbar after making a strong move out of the corner.
"There's no fear in his game," said Molleken. "He competes and his level of maturity is tremendous. Mentally, he's very strong and that's what it's going to take for him to play in the National Hockey League."
Fiala, a second-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, is certainly not a perimeter player. He spends as much time in the corners as he does in the slot. And yes, he'll even step in front of slapshots.
"When you play with good teammates, you want to sacrifice for them," Fiala said with a shrug. "That's what it's about."
BLADE BITS: Rookie D Jyri Niemi was in Calgary on Thursday to have an MRI scan of his wrist. Although he has missed nine games, he still ranks second in team scoring with six goals . . . The Blades play the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday (7:05, CUC) and visit Swift Current on Sunday . . . Three Blades rank among the top prospects for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Central Scouting rates Niemi seventh among WHL skaters, while D Teigan Zahn is 20th. Braden Holtby ranks second among WHL goaltenders after Tri-City's Chet Pickard. Two Saskatoon natives rank among the top 12 WHL skaters: Kelowna Rockets D Luke Schenn (fourth) and Vancouver Giants C James Wright (12th).
Cory Wolfe, The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, November 16, 2007
The expression on Ondrej Fiala's face didn't mesh with the condition of his leg.
He rolled up his pant leg Thursday to reveal a yellowed shin -- a classic souvenir for any shot-blocker -- but his smile never diminished.
The 20-year-old forward is having too much fun to fret about a fist-sized bruise.
It's a game and you have to have fun," said Fiala, whom the Saskatoon Blades acquired from the Everett Silvertips in a WHL trade last month. "If you don't have fun, it's no longer a game for you. I'm happy for every second on the ice and all of the time I can spend there with these guys."
The 20-year-old Czech forward has garnered points in four of his last five games. In the lone game he didn't hit the scoresheet, he asserted himself by blocking two shots on the same shift. The Blades subsequently rallied from a two-goal deficit and beat the Swift Current Broncos 4-3 in a shootout.
"Sometimes people look at players like Fiala or (Derek) Hulak and all they see is how many goals they've scored," said Blades coach-GM Lorne Molleken. "When you look at Ondrej or Derek, you have to look at all of the little things that they contribute to team success.
"Ondrej has played extremely hard in all situations and he's been a key guy in any success that (Chris) Durand and (Colton) Gillies have had."
The Blades begin a stretch of three games in three nights tonight when the Lethbridge Hurricanes visit Credit Union Centre. At last, the Blades have something to build on thanks to four wins in their last five games. They also boast a 7-2 home record.
"The chemistry just keeps building," Durand said of his connection with Fiala and Gillies. "We're all older guys and we're counted on to score, so we have to put up a couple of points every night and try to be consistent."
Fiala netted a goal in the Blades' last game, Tuesday's 3-2 win over Brandon. In the same match, he fired a shot off the crossbar after making a strong move out of the corner.
"There's no fear in his game," said Molleken. "He competes and his level of maturity is tremendous. Mentally, he's very strong and that's what it's going to take for him to play in the National Hockey League."
Fiala, a second-round pick of the Minnesota Wild, is certainly not a perimeter player. He spends as much time in the corners as he does in the slot. And yes, he'll even step in front of slapshots.
"When you play with good teammates, you want to sacrifice for them," Fiala said with a shrug. "That's what it's about."
BLADE BITS: Rookie D Jyri Niemi was in Calgary on Thursday to have an MRI scan of his wrist. Although he has missed nine games, he still ranks second in team scoring with six goals . . . The Blades play the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday (7:05, CUC) and visit Swift Current on Sunday . . . Three Blades rank among the top prospects for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. Central Scouting rates Niemi seventh among WHL skaters, while D Teigan Zahn is 20th. Braden Holtby ranks second among WHL goaltenders after Tri-City's Chet Pickard. Two Saskatoon natives rank among the top 12 WHL skaters: Kelowna Rockets D Luke Schenn (fourth) and Vancouver Giants C James Wright (12th).