Rookie's progress thrills Dogs
Published Wednesday October 28th, 2009
Hockey: Jurco returns to lineup Thursday after sitting out with illness
SAINT JOHN - Saint John Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco is an admirer of fellow Slovakian Marian Gaborik of the New York Rangers.
And while there's a wide gap between major junior and the NHL, Jurco already possesses a professional work ethic.
"From day one, he's requested his own game tapes so that he can go home and watch them,'' Sea Dogs associate coach and director of hockey operations Mike Kelly said after Tuesday's practice at Harbour Station.
"He's very much a proactive kid. He wants to get better and he's driven.''
Jurco has missed the last three games due to chicken pox, but he's expected to be back in the lineup when Saint John (13-4-1-0) visits the Chicoutimi Sagueneens (7-6-1-3) Thursday at 8:30 p.m. The Sea Dogs' road trip continues Friday night in Baie-Comeau and Sunday in Rimouski.
In 15 games, Jurco has four goals and four assists for eight points. He also has a shootout marker, which came in Saint John's season-opening win in Bathurst on Sept. 11.
"The team is good, but I must be better,'' said Jurco, who turns 17 on Dec. 28. "I'm not as good as I can be.''
Despite that self-assessment, the Sea Dogs are pleased with Jurco's efforts.
"We really like him as a player,'' Kelly said. "It's clear he's an elite player and he's going to continue to become one.
"We have to remember that this boy has moved away from home and his family. It's not a province away, it's half a planet away and he's showing quite a commitment. He wants to be better and he's going to be a hell of a player. There's no doubt about it.''
The Sea Dogs chose Jurco fourth overall in the 2009 Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. Saint John's other European is Russian winger Stanislav Galiev, who has six goals and 17 points entering Thursday's contest in Chicoutimi.
"It's something new for me,'' Jurco said about playing in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. "It's a very good league. It's better for me to be here for my future.''
Jurco hopes that future includes hearing his name called at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. But for now, he's focused on improving, which means working hard in practice and watching more video.
"You can tell by the way he interacts with his teammates that he's a great teammate and he's well-liked in the room,'' Kelly said. "He has the respect of everybody in the organization and he's a pleasure to work with.''
One of Jurco's short-term goals is to play for Slovakia at this year's world junior championship in Saskatchewan.
"I would think if (Slovakia) didn't have a real good look at him, they would be missing the boat,'' Kelly said. "For us, he's an excellent player.''
Meanwhile, the Sea Dogs return to Harbour Station for a five-game homestand beginning Nov. 4 against the Halifax Mooseheads.
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POLICY RULING: The QMJHL rejected the formal complaint from the Quebec Remparts regarding comments made by Chicoutimi Sagueneens head coach Richard Martel toward Quebec forward Danick Paquette.
"Insults, physical or mental threats or any other gesture used to ridicule opponents will never be considered as acceptable even if such conduct signals frustrations which can appear to be legitimate,'' QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau said in a release. "The QMJHL created an antidiscrimination policy in which severe disciplinary sanctions are included to prevent disrespectful behaviour. In this case, I believe that although the comments which were made are regrettable, they cannot be interpreted as defamatory in any way, shape or form.''
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ACADEMIC AWARD: Sea Dogs forward Steven Anthony is his team's scholastic player of the month for September. A seventh-round draft pick of the Vancouver Canucks, Anthony is Saint John's leading scorer with nine goals and eight assists for 17 points. Julien Tremblay was the recipient for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, while Matthew Bissonnette got the nod for the Moncton Wildcats.
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