nivek_wahs
03-31-2008, 09:50 AM
http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/story.html?id=a1983996-0cb5-47ce-bc41-4adca960cbfd
Former Warrior Brodziak a rare seventh-round keeper
Dan Barnes, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, March 31, 2008
CALGARY -- The best seventh-round pick in the history of the Edmonton Oilers, and that's hardly high praise given the contenders, was goalie Andy Moog.
The National Hockey League was much smaller back in 1980 of course, and Moog was the 132nd choice and a darn fine one as it turns out.
The silver and bronze medallists in this unofficial draft day contest were on the Saddledome ice Saturday night, playing against one another. The Oilers chose Matthew Lombardi with the 215th pick in 2000 but he went back into the draft and the Flames snapped him up in the third round, 90th overall in 2002. Oilers centre Kyle Brodziak was the 214th selection in 2003, having flown well under the radar despite a 93-point final season with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League.
He was fishing on an Alberta lake on draft day, more or less intentionally out of cell phone service just in case the call never came. He didn't catch anything in the rain that day and the two-wheel-drive truck he took into the bush got stuck in the mud.
"It was a fiasco," he said.
When he finally made it back to civilization, his phone's mail box was bursting with congratulatory messages. But no guarantees. Seventh-round picks in any organization are total longshots. In the post-expansion NHL the Oilers grabbed such notable seventh-rounders as Christian Chartier in 1999, Dan Baum in 2001 and Patrick Murphy in 2002. Even before the San Joses, Tampas and Ottawas joined on to dilute the talent pool, the Oilers were wasting their time with seventh-rounders like Shawn Tyers in 1985, Ivan Matulik in 1986, Tomas Srsen in 1987, Mike Glover in 1988, Davis Payne and Sergei Yashin in 1989 and Mike Power in 1990.
But Brodziak is a winner. After a slow start as a pro, he is quickly making up for time lost in the minors. The 23-year-old from St. Paul, Alta., centres the Oilers' energy line, but perhaps not for long. Head coach Craig MacTavish said he could see starting next season with Brodziak between current linemates Zack Stortini and Curtis Glencross, but can also envision Brodziak's skill set forcing him higher on the depth chart.
"He's very underrated offensively around the league," said MacTavish. "He's been very productive in junior before and he's starting to show that productivity here. He has the ability to move up in your lineup. He's playing the best hockey for sure of his young NHL career and he's a very confident guy. He shoots the puck very well too. He very well could move up."
That skill set includes a heavy shot, deceptive speed and a nifty touch with the puck in a one-on-one situation. He's big enough to play a more robust game and have way more than his 31 penalty minutes heading into Saturday night's game against the Flames, and that may come in time.
"It's all been confidence with him and that's why he's progressed a little slower than most guys with that skill set," said MacTavish. "He's just built it one block at a time and now he's very confident here. Built it, got confidence at the American League level, got here and couldn't quite clear the hurdle here. Then this year he got in and his confidence has been growing."
Brodziak notched his 15th assist of the season Friday in Colorado to go with 14 goals. He has put up eight points in the past 10 games, is playing 13 minutes a night and making believers out of the coaching staff and the general manager. And himself.
"The first couple years in junior weren't the greatest years for me," he said Friday. "I knew I could play, I just didn't know, how do I say it, I didn't really know what level I could take it to. I didn't really expect to get drafted. I didn't really know what was going to happen."
Late Oiler scout Lorne Davis loved the kid but the Oilers couldn't possibly have known their seventh-round pick was going to challenge for anything more than a small role in their organization. Turns out flying under the radar is something he simply prefers to do.
"Maybe a little less pressure," he said, trying to explain the fondness for anonymity. "People don't expect as much from you."
Perhaps at first. But score 14 NHL goals as a bit player and people start to notice. MacTavish, for instance, has come to expect plenty from the fourth line and they in turn have figured out what they have to give him.
"Going into every game we don't put pressure on ourselves to score goals because that's not really our job," said Brodziak. "We just want to make it hard on their (defencemen), get in their zone and try to create energy somehow. We're happy to be here first of all, happy to be playing and fortunate to get more ice time."
Edmonton Journal
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008
Former Warrior Brodziak a rare seventh-round keeper
Dan Barnes, Canwest News Service
Published: Monday, March 31, 2008
CALGARY -- The best seventh-round pick in the history of the Edmonton Oilers, and that's hardly high praise given the contenders, was goalie Andy Moog.
The National Hockey League was much smaller back in 1980 of course, and Moog was the 132nd choice and a darn fine one as it turns out.
The silver and bronze medallists in this unofficial draft day contest were on the Saddledome ice Saturday night, playing against one another. The Oilers chose Matthew Lombardi with the 215th pick in 2000 but he went back into the draft and the Flames snapped him up in the third round, 90th overall in 2002. Oilers centre Kyle Brodziak was the 214th selection in 2003, having flown well under the radar despite a 93-point final season with the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League.
He was fishing on an Alberta lake on draft day, more or less intentionally out of cell phone service just in case the call never came. He didn't catch anything in the rain that day and the two-wheel-drive truck he took into the bush got stuck in the mud.
"It was a fiasco," he said.
When he finally made it back to civilization, his phone's mail box was bursting with congratulatory messages. But no guarantees. Seventh-round picks in any organization are total longshots. In the post-expansion NHL the Oilers grabbed such notable seventh-rounders as Christian Chartier in 1999, Dan Baum in 2001 and Patrick Murphy in 2002. Even before the San Joses, Tampas and Ottawas joined on to dilute the talent pool, the Oilers were wasting their time with seventh-rounders like Shawn Tyers in 1985, Ivan Matulik in 1986, Tomas Srsen in 1987, Mike Glover in 1988, Davis Payne and Sergei Yashin in 1989 and Mike Power in 1990.
But Brodziak is a winner. After a slow start as a pro, he is quickly making up for time lost in the minors. The 23-year-old from St. Paul, Alta., centres the Oilers' energy line, but perhaps not for long. Head coach Craig MacTavish said he could see starting next season with Brodziak between current linemates Zack Stortini and Curtis Glencross, but can also envision Brodziak's skill set forcing him higher on the depth chart.
"He's very underrated offensively around the league," said MacTavish. "He's been very productive in junior before and he's starting to show that productivity here. He has the ability to move up in your lineup. He's playing the best hockey for sure of his young NHL career and he's a very confident guy. He shoots the puck very well too. He very well could move up."
That skill set includes a heavy shot, deceptive speed and a nifty touch with the puck in a one-on-one situation. He's big enough to play a more robust game and have way more than his 31 penalty minutes heading into Saturday night's game against the Flames, and that may come in time.
"It's all been confidence with him and that's why he's progressed a little slower than most guys with that skill set," said MacTavish. "He's just built it one block at a time and now he's very confident here. Built it, got confidence at the American League level, got here and couldn't quite clear the hurdle here. Then this year he got in and his confidence has been growing."
Brodziak notched his 15th assist of the season Friday in Colorado to go with 14 goals. He has put up eight points in the past 10 games, is playing 13 minutes a night and making believers out of the coaching staff and the general manager. And himself.
"The first couple years in junior weren't the greatest years for me," he said Friday. "I knew I could play, I just didn't know, how do I say it, I didn't really know what level I could take it to. I didn't really expect to get drafted. I didn't really know what was going to happen."
Late Oiler scout Lorne Davis loved the kid but the Oilers couldn't possibly have known their seventh-round pick was going to challenge for anything more than a small role in their organization. Turns out flying under the radar is something he simply prefers to do.
"Maybe a little less pressure," he said, trying to explain the fondness for anonymity. "People don't expect as much from you."
Perhaps at first. But score 14 NHL goals as a bit player and people start to notice. MacTavish, for instance, has come to expect plenty from the fourth line and they in turn have figured out what they have to give him.
"Going into every game we don't put pressure on ourselves to score goals because that's not really our job," said Brodziak. "We just want to make it hard on their (defencemen), get in their zone and try to create energy somehow. We're happy to be here first of all, happy to be playing and fortunate to get more ice time."
Edmonton Journal
© The Leader-Post (Regina) 2008