Parental support is vital in the development of most youth hockey players, it’s safe to say. It has been especially beneficial for Detroit Red Wings draft pick Oscar Plandowski.
His mother, Jill, is a power skating coach in Halifax, and his father, Darryl, is a longtime NHL scout who worked for Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman in Tampa Bay.
Detroit selected Plandowski, a 6-foot, 190-pound defenseman from Charlottetown of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, in the fifth round this year (155th overall).
“I met Oscar when he was a little boy,” Yzerman said. “I haven’t seen him play; I’ve seen video of him play. Good size, very good skater, good shot. Our guys liked his size, his skating ability, and he’s a right-shot D.”
Plandowski fills an organizational need as a right-shooting defenseman, one of only two the Red Wings drafted the past two years (they selected six left-shooting defenders).
He does not take for granted his connections to the hockey world.
“Hockey is my No. 1 passion,” Plandowski said. “It’s been my dream to get drafted. I definitely get to see a different side of it, being able to witness it growing up, my dad preparing for drafts. Just having him has been huge. I definitely wouldn’t be anywhere without both my parents. They’ve been a huge part of my career. I’m definitely grateful to have parents in hockey.”
Plandowski said he “wouldn’t be close to where I am today” without his mother’s help.
“She taught me how to skate,” he said. “Ever since I can remember (his father) has been traveling and away a lot. She was a huge part of my upbringing, driving me to rinks, doing whatever she could to help me get better. She knew I loved the game, so she dedicated everything. So, this is all on her. I’m really fortunate to have her.”
His dad is the director of amateur scouting for the Arizona Coyotes and has been an NHL scout for more than two decades, working previously for Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay.
“Believe me, I grew up with some pretty constructive criticism,” Plandowski said. “When I get it from coaches it’s not as bad. I’ve grown up being able to take heat.
When I was a lot younger, I’d get more upset at him when I got criticism. But in the long run it’s pretty helpful having someone who knows the game to be able to critique me.”
There are positives and negatives.
“As a little kid it was the coolest being able to go into games for free, walking in with my dad, going to see junior games, traveling with him on the road the occasional time,” Plandowski said. “It has its perks; it also has its negatives as a kid. When your dad’s not there most of the winter, that can be tough. But I think the positives outweigh the negatives, especially preparing for the draft, it was definitely huge.”
EliteProspects 2021 NHL Draft Guide said of Plandowski: “He can pretty much do all the skating moves you want. The handling and shooting skills are there, too. … He’s elusive.”
“I’d like to think I’m a two-way defender who plays really strong defense and can add in the offense if I make good passes and join in the rush and the transition game,” Plandowski said. “I think it all starts with my skating and my gaps. It helps me defensively and helps me join the play as the fourth guy.”
He looks up to Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh.
“My dad worked with him for quite a while, so that’s who I kind of grew up watching,” Plandowski said. “I think he’s about my size. He’s a good skater. He keeps the game simple by making great plays and playing great defense. That’s kind of how I want to translate my game to the next level.”
His close friends include Red Wings prospects Ethan Phillips, a 2019 fourth-round pick playing at Boston University, and Jared McIsaac, a 2018 second-round selection preparing for his first full season with AHL Grand Rapids.
Plandowski said waiting for his name to be called was one of the tougher things he has experienced.
“I hoped to be drafted a little higher,” he said. “The biggest thing is just being drafted. When the rounds keep going by and you see your buddies get called it’s kind of painful.
“At the end of the day, I’m with a team that wanted me the most, so I wouldn’t change anything.”
More: Steve Yzerman, Kris Draper evaluate Red Wings’ 2021 draft picks
from WordPress https://ift.tt/3sYqipD
via IFTTT
No comments:
Post a Comment