Post by Bomber24 on Oct 3, 2009 16:46:03 GMT -5
thrashers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=500814
Thrashers No. 1 pick Evander Kane won't be taking baby steps when he starts his NHL career.
Friday, 10.02.2009 / 4:46 PM / Features
By By Jon Cooper
Evander Kane does everything fast, whether it be skating or learning.
The former is part of what made him so attractive to the Thrashers, who selected the 18-year-old left wing with the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
"One of my best assets is my speed and my skating," he said. "That's one of the reasons I've been able to stay here."
Precedent says his skill as a quick learner will help earn him playing time.
Kane played three years — actually two full seasons and one eight-game stretch — with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League, and he made huge leaps every season. After getting a taste of the league in 2006-07 (scoring a coal and going plus-2), the Vancouver native broke out the following season, scoring 24 goals and 41 points, with a plus-20 rating in 65 games, earning rookie of the year nomination. The next year, which might turn out to be his last, he scored 96 points, doubling his goal output (48, a league-high 23 of them coming on the power play, and 10 of them game-winners) and nearly tripling his assist total (48), with a plus-51 in four fewer games than the previous year.
He also thrived in international play, helping Team Canada win the gold medal at the 2009 World Junior Championships, chipping in six points (2G, 4A) in six games, after, playing on Canada's Under-18 team that brought home gold at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Kane knows the drill and is ready to go to work.
"Going back to the world juniors, I wasn't a first-line guy like I was on my Junior team. I was the third-, fourth-line guy and had to work my way up," he said. "It's the same thing here. You're going to start off at the bottom and are going to have to work your way up to the top."
He'll get that chance in Atlanta and while the learning curve is steeper on the NHL level, the Thrashers are determined to let Kane take his best (and very accurate) shot, starting Saturday night at Philips Arena, in the team's 2009-10 season opener.
"We have no plans to sit Evander Kane on the bench," said Head Coach John Anderson, who plans on helping Kane get adjusted to the league by playing him with veteran Marty Reasoner. "Will he play as much as Ilya Kovalchuk? Probably not. Let's be fair. His ice time will be dictated by how he plays."
"He's certainly going to get some penalty-kill time with his speed," Anderson continued. "We want to see how he develops offensively. We've got a lot of good offensive players and we had a good power play last year but with him being able to score so freely in Junior and skate so well, we certainly have to look at him on the power play."
Kovalchuk is eager to see how Kane builds on what he's already seen.
"He skates like the wind. He just needs to play the games and get experience from the games," said the Thrashers Captain, who can relate to Kane, having played his first pro game at 18 after being a No. 1 pick (No. 1 overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. "He's got unbelievable talent and there's a lot of fire in his eyes. So I'm very excited to keep him here."
Hearing a rookie — never mind an 18-year-old one — described as having fire in his eyes as opposed to being "doe-eyed" or "wide-eyed" brings to mind descriptions of recent No. 1s, like 2006 top pick Bryan Little and last year's first-rounder Zach Bogosian, both of whom hit the ice flying on Opening Night.
They agree that Kane can do it as well.
"We've talked a little bit," said Bogosian, who also started in Atlanta immediately after being drafted. "Obviously, Opening Night is going to be a little crazy. The nerves are going to be there a little bit. I was nervous last year. But I'm sure he'll do fine."
"He knows being here that whatever happens, it's a good experience for him," added Little, who at 19, became the first Thrasher to score a goal in his NHL debut. "He's so young, there's no need to rush him into being a superstar because he's going to be a great player in the league either way. He's 18 years old and he's going to get to do something most 18-year-olds don't get to do."
Kane also is determined to continue doing something the Thrashers haven't gotten to do the last two seasons.
"I've never NOT been a part of the playoffs so if I stick with the team here I don't plan on not being part of the playoffs," said Kane, who scored 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in 17 playoff games for the Giants last season. "I don't think anyone in this room feels differently than I do. So that's definitely going to be important and to actually do something in the playoffs as well."
"I think the first couple of games are important to show the coaches and management that I can stay here," he added. "I plan to bring my best game."
Kovalchuk hopes to get some help offensively from winger Evander Kane, who made the team even though he turned 18 in August. Kane was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft.
"He skates like the wind," Kovalchuk said. "He's got unbelievable talent and there is a lot of fire in his eyes. I've very excited that they kept him here."
Thrashers No. 1 pick Evander Kane won't be taking baby steps when he starts his NHL career.
Friday, 10.02.2009 / 4:46 PM / Features
By By Jon Cooper
Evander Kane does everything fast, whether it be skating or learning.
The former is part of what made him so attractive to the Thrashers, who selected the 18-year-old left wing with the fourth overall pick in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
"One of my best assets is my speed and my skating," he said. "That's one of the reasons I've been able to stay here."
Precedent says his skill as a quick learner will help earn him playing time.
Kane played three years — actually two full seasons and one eight-game stretch — with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League, and he made huge leaps every season. After getting a taste of the league in 2006-07 (scoring a coal and going plus-2), the Vancouver native broke out the following season, scoring 24 goals and 41 points, with a plus-20 rating in 65 games, earning rookie of the year nomination. The next year, which might turn out to be his last, he scored 96 points, doubling his goal output (48, a league-high 23 of them coming on the power play, and 10 of them game-winners) and nearly tripling his assist total (48), with a plus-51 in four fewer games than the previous year.
He also thrived in international play, helping Team Canada win the gold medal at the 2009 World Junior Championships, chipping in six points (2G, 4A) in six games, after, playing on Canada's Under-18 team that brought home gold at the 2008 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.
Kane knows the drill and is ready to go to work.
"Going back to the world juniors, I wasn't a first-line guy like I was on my Junior team. I was the third-, fourth-line guy and had to work my way up," he said. "It's the same thing here. You're going to start off at the bottom and are going to have to work your way up to the top."
He'll get that chance in Atlanta and while the learning curve is steeper on the NHL level, the Thrashers are determined to let Kane take his best (and very accurate) shot, starting Saturday night at Philips Arena, in the team's 2009-10 season opener.
"We have no plans to sit Evander Kane on the bench," said Head Coach John Anderson, who plans on helping Kane get adjusted to the league by playing him with veteran Marty Reasoner. "Will he play as much as Ilya Kovalchuk? Probably not. Let's be fair. His ice time will be dictated by how he plays."
"He's certainly going to get some penalty-kill time with his speed," Anderson continued. "We want to see how he develops offensively. We've got a lot of good offensive players and we had a good power play last year but with him being able to score so freely in Junior and skate so well, we certainly have to look at him on the power play."
Kovalchuk is eager to see how Kane builds on what he's already seen.
"He skates like the wind. He just needs to play the games and get experience from the games," said the Thrashers Captain, who can relate to Kane, having played his first pro game at 18 after being a No. 1 pick (No. 1 overall) in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft. "He's got unbelievable talent and there's a lot of fire in his eyes. So I'm very excited to keep him here."
Hearing a rookie — never mind an 18-year-old one — described as having fire in his eyes as opposed to being "doe-eyed" or "wide-eyed" brings to mind descriptions of recent No. 1s, like 2006 top pick Bryan Little and last year's first-rounder Zach Bogosian, both of whom hit the ice flying on Opening Night.
They agree that Kane can do it as well.
"We've talked a little bit," said Bogosian, who also started in Atlanta immediately after being drafted. "Obviously, Opening Night is going to be a little crazy. The nerves are going to be there a little bit. I was nervous last year. But I'm sure he'll do fine."
"He knows being here that whatever happens, it's a good experience for him," added Little, who at 19, became the first Thrasher to score a goal in his NHL debut. "He's so young, there's no need to rush him into being a superstar because he's going to be a great player in the league either way. He's 18 years old and he's going to get to do something most 18-year-olds don't get to do."
Kane also is determined to continue doing something the Thrashers haven't gotten to do the last two seasons.
"I've never NOT been a part of the playoffs so if I stick with the team here I don't plan on not being part of the playoffs," said Kane, who scored 15 points (7 goals, 8 assists) in 17 playoff games for the Giants last season. "I don't think anyone in this room feels differently than I do. So that's definitely going to be important and to actually do something in the playoffs as well."
"I think the first couple of games are important to show the coaches and management that I can stay here," he added. "I plan to bring my best game."
Kovalchuk hopes to get some help offensively from winger Evander Kane, who made the team even though he turned 18 in August. Kane was the fourth overall pick in this year's draft.
"He skates like the wind," Kovalchuk said. "He's got unbelievable talent and there is a lot of fire in his eyes. I've very excited that they kept him here."