Tlusty pegged for AHL
By TERRY KOSHAN
Jiri Tlusty's junior hockey rights belong to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, but the Maple Leafs organization does not expect him to stray that far north.
"Hopefully right here," Toronto Marlies general manager Mike Penny said yesterday when asked where he expects Tlusty to play this season. "Coming from the league he was in, he has a good solid chance to make the (Marlies). I would be surprised if he is not part of this team."
Tlusty, 18, was the 13th pick overall by the Leafs in the NHL entry draft in June and signed a three-year pact in July. In 44 games last season with Kladno of the Czech Elite League, the centre had seven goals and three assists. Not huge numbers, but not bad considering he was playing with men. Tlusty is a long shot to make the Leafs.
Tlusty and another top Leafs prospect, goalie Justin Pogge, were at Ricoh Coliseum in advance of a rookie tournament there this weekend featuring the Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and York University.
Neither Marlies coach Greg Gilbert nor Pogge thought Tlusty would take long to get a grasp of English.
"I'm giving him a month or two and he will be chirping guys," Pogge said.
http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/Hockey/20...810384-sun.html
Leafs to check on top pick Tlusty
Centre will play at rookie tourney
Language barrier doesn't faze brass
Sep. 7, 2006. 01:00 AM
DOUG SMITH
SPORTS REPORTER
Jiri Tlusty may not know what anyone's saying to him these days but he's going to have plenty of time to learn.
The Leafs' first-round draft pick arrived in Toronto earlier this week for a rookie tournament with the Marlies that starts tomorrow at the Ricoh Coliseum. And it'll be a long time before he heads back to the Czech Republic.
"From what I've seen ... I'd be surprised if he can't be part of this team," Marlies general manager Mike Penney said yesterday.
Whether Tlusty, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Leafs earlier this summer, plays with the AHL Marlies or the OHL Soo Greyhounds is still to be determined. But wherever the centre plays, it'll be in North America as the Leafs try to fast-track him to a place on the NHL roster.
"That's big," Marlies coach Greg Gilbert said of the need to keep the 18-year-old in Canada this winter. "I know Jiri has a tough time with the language right now. ... The sooner the kids get (accustomed) to the North American style of game and the lifestyle, it helps them to adapt quicker ... to the situation they are in."
Tlusty's language skills may be lacking. But, his potential AHL coach Gilbert, in his first season with the Leafs' farm club, has some first-hand experience trying to make his point to players who might not understand a word he's saying.
"When I was working for St. Louis in Worcester, we had seven or eight Czech or Slovak players," said Gilbert. "Ladislav Nagy was one of them; he would look at you and nod and smile whether it was good or bad.
"It takes time and you have to be patient and you have to find a way to get your message across. I'm sure the organization is quite possibly looking down the road to get translators or second-language teachers to help these young men."
Until then, Tlusty will have to figure out what Gilbert is saying by the tone of the coach's voice or the look on his face.
And Gilbert may be able to recall a few Czech words he's picked up over the years.
"Very few words, more like commands," said Gilbert. "Like `move your feet, finish your check,' things like that."
Gilbert gets his first crack at Tlusty and the other Leaf organization rookies at the tournament at Ricoh that runs through the weekend and involves players from the NHL's Toronto, Montreal and Florida affiliates as well as York University. It'll be the first chance he has to coach — and communicate with — the Leafs' top pick.
"It just takes time," Gilbert said. "The individual himself has to put some effort into learning the language.
"There are times the look on your face or the tone of your voice is sometimes more important than the words you're trying to spit out."
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...l=1044442957278
By TERRY KOSHAN
Jiri Tlusty's junior hockey rights belong to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, but the Maple Leafs organization does not expect him to stray that far north.
"Hopefully right here," Toronto Marlies general manager Mike Penny said yesterday when asked where he expects Tlusty to play this season. "Coming from the league he was in, he has a good solid chance to make the (Marlies). I would be surprised if he is not part of this team."
Tlusty, 18, was the 13th pick overall by the Leafs in the NHL entry draft in June and signed a three-year pact in July. In 44 games last season with Kladno of the Czech Elite League, the centre had seven goals and three assists. Not huge numbers, but not bad considering he was playing with men. Tlusty is a long shot to make the Leafs.
Tlusty and another top Leafs prospect, goalie Justin Pogge, were at Ricoh Coliseum in advance of a rookie tournament there this weekend featuring the Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Florida Panthers and York University.
Neither Marlies coach Greg Gilbert nor Pogge thought Tlusty would take long to get a grasp of English.
"I'm giving him a month or two and he will be chirping guys," Pogge said.
http://www.torontosun.com/Sports/Hockey/20...810384-sun.html
Leafs to check on top pick Tlusty
Centre will play at rookie tourney
Language barrier doesn't faze brass
Sep. 7, 2006. 01:00 AM
DOUG SMITH
SPORTS REPORTER
Jiri Tlusty may not know what anyone's saying to him these days but he's going to have plenty of time to learn.
The Leafs' first-round draft pick arrived in Toronto earlier this week for a rookie tournament with the Marlies that starts tomorrow at the Ricoh Coliseum. And it'll be a long time before he heads back to the Czech Republic.
"From what I've seen ... I'd be surprised if he can't be part of this team," Marlies general manager Mike Penney said yesterday.
Whether Tlusty, who signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Leafs earlier this summer, plays with the AHL Marlies or the OHL Soo Greyhounds is still to be determined. But wherever the centre plays, it'll be in North America as the Leafs try to fast-track him to a place on the NHL roster.
"That's big," Marlies coach Greg Gilbert said of the need to keep the 18-year-old in Canada this winter. "I know Jiri has a tough time with the language right now. ... The sooner the kids get (accustomed) to the North American style of game and the lifestyle, it helps them to adapt quicker ... to the situation they are in."
Tlusty's language skills may be lacking. But, his potential AHL coach Gilbert, in his first season with the Leafs' farm club, has some first-hand experience trying to make his point to players who might not understand a word he's saying.
"When I was working for St. Louis in Worcester, we had seven or eight Czech or Slovak players," said Gilbert. "Ladislav Nagy was one of them; he would look at you and nod and smile whether it was good or bad.
"It takes time and you have to be patient and you have to find a way to get your message across. I'm sure the organization is quite possibly looking down the road to get translators or second-language teachers to help these young men."
Until then, Tlusty will have to figure out what Gilbert is saying by the tone of the coach's voice or the look on his face.
And Gilbert may be able to recall a few Czech words he's picked up over the years.
"Very few words, more like commands," said Gilbert. "Like `move your feet, finish your check,' things like that."
Gilbert gets his first crack at Tlusty and the other Leaf organization rookies at the tournament at Ricoh that runs through the weekend and involves players from the NHL's Toronto, Montreal and Florida affiliates as well as York University. It'll be the first chance he has to coach — and communicate with — the Leafs' top pick.
"It just takes time," Gilbert said. "The individual himself has to put some effort into learning the language.
"There are times the look on your face or the tone of your voice is sometimes more important than the words you're trying to spit out."
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...l=1044442957278
