Halak drafted by Lewiston (QMJHL)

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

24 Lewiston (QMJHL) 1:15 Jaroslav Halak May 13/1985 G Bratislava/Slovakia 5.11 165 03-MTL

- www.ontariohockeyleague.com/events/pop.php?id=225

[LoupDogg]

I don't get it. Why is that relevant?

Thanks

[HabbaDasher]

'Cause the Habs own him?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Goo said:

I don't get it. Why is that relevant?

Thanks

He might come over here and play rather than stay in Slovakia, and get accustomed to North American rink size, pace of game, culture, etc. Much closer for the Habs to keep tabs on him.

[NWTHabsFan]

Good news, I hope to see young Halak develop in NA hockey as he has fared quite well in the Slovakian juniors (put up best save % etc.) and it is a lot closer to Hamilton from Maine than it is from Bratislava. Plus, all those in the Eastern provinces will get some first hand viewing of this young player.

I also hope some team picks up Alexei Yemelin (part of our "Reggie" twins taken this past weekend), so that we can get reports on Kasparitis-junior from closer than Siberia, or wherever his Russian team was based.

[blaise]

I see that a number of the recent NHL draftees were drafted by QMJHL teams.

[NWTHabsFan]

Vancouver Giants of the WHL have drafted Andrej Mezsaros and Marek Schwarz in this draft so far. Darn good improvement to that team if they both come over!!

[montreal]

M. said:

He might come over here and play rather than stay in Slovakia, and get accustomed to North American rink size, pace of game, culture, etc. Much closer for the Habs to keep tabs on him.

I heard some talk last week or so that Halak might want to come over to the CHL cause he wouldn't get a spot with the mens team, and didn't want to return to the junior league in Slovakia. Don't know how true it is, but seeing Halak get drafted makes me think we could see him in the Q in a few months.

[mic]

Just two questions :

- First : do the teams know if the players are coming ? Do the players have to subscribe to the draft or is it a gamble the the CHL teams, hoping that the players would come ?

- Do the CHL teams have a scouting office ? How do they chose the players ?

Thanks

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

mic said:

Just two questions :

- First : do the teams know if the players are coming ? Do the players have to subscribe to the draft or is it a gamble the the CHL teams, hoping that the players would come ?

It's basically a lottery for the North American junior rights to these players.

- Do the CHL teams have a scouting office ? How do they chose the players ?

Thanks

I don't have the answer to that question. I suppose that it all depends on the organization and its resources. I suspect many of them read HabsRus and "montreal's" articles.

[montreal]

mic said:

Just two questions :

- First : do the teams know if the players are coming ? Do the players have to subscribe to the draft or is it a gamble the the CHL teams, hoping that the players would come ?

- Do the CHL teams have a scouting office ? How do they chose the players ?

Thanks

Teams will usually talk to players agents ahead of time, as they dont want to waste a high pick on a player unless they think they will come over. But it happens, some teams will take a gamble that a player will come over only to lose out. It gets expense to, as you have to pay the Canadien Federation 250K, then the transfer fee to the club from the player you drafted. I heard that Shishkanov, cost the remparts 50K one of the higher transfer fees paid by a junior club.

I know that redline puts up a guide for the Euro Import draft.

[mic]

Thanks to you, Mr. Bozo and montreal, for your explanations !

So it seems to be quite a gamble, quite an expensive gamble ! 250'000$ and transfer fees ? How can the CHL teams make this investment worth it ?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

mic said:

Thanks to you, Mr. Bozo and montreal, for your explanations !

So it seems to be quite a gamble, quite an expensive gamble ! 250'000$ and transfer fees ? How can the CHL teams make this investment worth it ?

Certainly it's a risk, but do not forget that junior hockey is quite often the only (sports) game in town during the long Canadian winter. For example, a town like Rimouski, with Sydney Crosby in the lineup will sell out, guaranteed (at home or on the road). Besides, since the kids are amateurs there are no salaries to be paid.

[montreal]

M. said:

Certainly it's a risk, but do not forget that junior hockey is quite often the only (sports) game in town during the long Canadian winter. For example, a town like Rimouski, with Sydney Crosby in the lineup will sell out, guaranteed (at home or on the road). Besides, since the kids are amateurs there are no salaries to be paid.

The players get 42 dollars a week in salary.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

montreal said:

The players get 42 dollars a week in salary.

$168 a month ain't gonna get you much. Of anything. Good thing that there are supportive local families willing to take in wayward young hockey players.

[Montrealer]

montreal said:

The players get 42 dollars a week in salary.

More than enough to pay for their wacky tabacky.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Montrealer said:

More than enough to pay for their wacky tabacky.

OK, now I understand.

[blaise]

Most youngsters in eastern Europe get even less tha $42/week.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Blaise said:

Most youngsters in eastern Europe get even less tha $42/week.

Is their wacky tabacky subsidized?

[blaise]

M. said:

Is their wacky tabacky subsidized?

Too flippant, I'd say. Those kids are just happy to get new skates and pads. Do you remember how in the last Olympics the Canadian team donated equipment to the Byelorus team to take back with them?

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Blaise said:

Too flippant, I'd say. Those kids are just happy to get new skates and pads. Do you remember how in the last Olympics the Canadian team donated equipment to the Byelorus team to take back with them?

I remember being thrilled to get a hockey stick as my only Christmas present when I was growing up. And God forbid if I broke it.

I also know that, for better or for worse, wacky tobacky is partaken of the world over.

[Habs_fan_in_LA]

M. said:

I remember being thrilled to get a hockey stick as my only Christmas present when I was growing up. And God forbid if I broke it.

I also know that, for better or for worse, wacky tobacky is partaken of the world over.

I remember my Dad bringing me a real Montreal Canadiens Victoriaville hockey stick, (four blue stripes). He put so much tape on it so that it wouldn't break, I couldn't shoot a lifter. At that time I played for Benny Farm and sticks cost:
$0.50 one piece stick
$0.75 two piece stick
$1.25 three piece stick

(all sticks were solid wood, straight blades, no fiberglass tape yet)

[blaise]

I have a pile of wooden sticks in the closet. They look prehistoric.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Habs_fan_in_LA said:

I remember my Dad bringing me a real Montreal Canadiens Victoriaville hockey stick, (four blue stripes). He put so much tape on it so that it wouldn't break, I couldn't shoot a lifter. At that time I played for Benny Farm and sticks cost:
$0.50 one piece stick
$0.75 two piece stick
$1.25 three piece stick

(all sticks were solid wood, straight blades, no fiberglass tape yet)

The Victoriavilles were my favourite as well. Heavy and durable, yet flexible enough. Sher-Woods and CCMs were also good. Lousiest, most brittle stick was the Hespeler Green Flash.

Black tape on the blades (from heel to toe - nakedness was a sin). The more courageous hotshots began taunting coaches with the use of white tape.

I expect you did your shopping at Wilson Sports (Doug Harvey's store)?

[Toronthab]

M. said:

The Victoriavilles were my favourite as well. Heavy and durable, yet flexible enough. Sher-Woods and CCMs were also good. Lousiest, most brittle stick was the Hespeler Green Flash.

Black tape on the blades (from heel to toe - nakedness was a sin). The more courageous hotshots began taunting coaches with the use of white tape.

I expect you did your shopping at Wilson Sports (Doug Harvey's store)?

Wilson's Oh my God! Could you get a slap shot off the ice with the phlegmatic Hespeler "Practice"? Easier with the multicultural "Mic Mac". Who'd a thought that a town named after an old English queen could make an exciting hockey stick? "Northern Pro" ring a bell or did I just invent it? WHat were the CCM brand names? Hespeler as you may well already know is is a small Ontario town West of Toronto, near Cambridge/ Kitchener.

Wilson's. wow.
I remember playing baseball one day and Doug Harvey being at the game, but damned if I can remember the name of the park that was filled with hockey rinks for house league all winter. I'll have to look it up. I lived on Rosedale near Sherbrooke, and aged (I can't really say "grew up") in Trenholme Park.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Toronthab said:

Wilson's Oh my God! Could you get a slap shot off the ice with the phlegmatic Hespeler "Practice"? Easier with the multicultural "Mic Mac". Who'd a thought that a town named after an old English queen could make an exciting hockey stick? "Northern Pro" ring a bell or did I just invent it? WHat were the CCM brand names? Hespeler as you may well already know is is a small Ontario town West of Toronto, near Cambridge/ Kitchener.

I stopped attempting slapshots with the Green Flash after I splintered two consecutive weeks paper route (the monstrously big Montreal Star) money. Made from the finest Canadian balsa pine.

Can't for the life of me remember stick model names, though the name of another manufacturer, Koho, popped into my head.

Wilson's. wow.
I remember playing baseball one day and Doug Harvey being at the game, but damned if I can remember the name of the park that was filled with hockey rinks for house league all winter. I'll have to look it up. I lived on Rosedale near Sherbrooke, and aged (I can't really say "grew up") in Trenholme Park.

Benny Park?

I grew up among the Cosentinos, Farentinos, Cioffis, Pascarellis, DiMarcos, et al on Trenholm across from what was then called Patricia Park. As we alarmingly discovered during city league play, Patricia is a girl's name.

[NWTHabsFan]

M. said:

(the monstrously big Montreal Star)

I lugged a few of those big babies in my day as well. The weekend editions...urgh. Balancing two of those big trendy yellow bags over the forehead. A lost art I dare say.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Published : 2004-08-28

Halak impresses in Maineiac debut

HALLOWELL - He didn't stand on his head - although at times it seemed like he could have - and he didn't even appear to break a sweat.

Jaroslav Halak saw his first game action as a member of the Lewiston Maineiacs on Friday.

While the defense was solid enough in front of him that he wasn't tested nearly as much as he would be in a regular season game, he still saw enough to show the fans a thing or two about his style.

"It is different here," said Halak. "There are different leagues all around the world, and there are different styles. The ice here is smaller, and it makes it a little faster."

Halak himself admits that he doesn't necessarily play with one specific style, but just simply gets in front of the puck the best way he knows how.

"He always finds a way to keep the puck away from the net," said coach Clem Jodoin.

In a surprising full-game appearance, Halak faced 29 shots and allowed three goals, helping the Maineiacs to a 7-3 win over the Shawinigan Cataractes at Kennebec Ice Arena in the team's final in-state tune-up prior to its home opener against Acadie-Bathurst on Oct. 1.

Maxime Mathieu and Mathieu Aubin had two goals each to lead the Maineiacs' offense, while Marc-Andre Daneau, Eric Castonguay and Sheldon Wenzel also put the puck past the tandem of Shawinigan goaltenders.

"It was a win," said Jodoin. "For that we are happy, but at the same time, they had all 17 and 18-year-old players. Is it satisfying? Not really because we had some 20-year-olds playing out there. It is what it is and we will move on from here."

Overall, though, the coaching staff was pleased with what they saw, especially from Halak.

"We knew what he could do, and now he will have to adapt to playing here," said Jodoin. "He is quick from side to side, and he moves well. A good goalie will take away five to seven good scoring chances by himself, just by moving the puck well and communicating with the defense, which is still something they all have to learn."

As for the goals Halak allowed, none seemed to be entirely his fault.

The first was a strange kick off of a forward following a rebound on a power play after a defensive letdown. The second was a breakaway from center ice on a badly missed defensive assignment, leaving Halak prone in net, and the third came with less than a minute to go, with a relaxed defense on a bad hop in front that led to a blind sweeping shot by Shawinigan forward Cedric Lalonde-McNicoll.

The team will pack up and head to Chicoutimi on Sunday with a 2-1-1 record in tow and with a much more solid idea of what to expect between the pipes.

"There is a lot of time between now and the 24th of September (the date of the Maineiacs' opening game)," said Jodoin. "We have work to do, and we will do it, but with goaltending, I am happy right now."

*

Hmmm, the redoubtable Clément Jodoin emerges from the shadows.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Halak currently third in the Q in both GAA and save% - 2.11 and .933 respectively.

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

An exceptional goalie

Thursday November 11 2004 - (RDS) - Every season several European players come to try their luck in the QMJHL. This year a 19 year old goalkeeper from the Canadiens organization suits up with the Lewiston MAINEiacs, and he's having an excellent season. The Slovak goalie Jaroslav Halak was a ninth round choice of the Canadiens in the 2003 draft.

Seldom does a ninth round choice become a front-line player in the NHL. However Halak could become an exception.

Since the beginning of the season Halak has had much success with the MAINEiacs, who selected him at the CHL European player draft. "Here, the rinks are smaller and there are more shots on goal. I prefer this style of hockey."

His coach, Clément Jodoin, had seen Halak play in Slovakia a few years ago when he worked for a player agent. He had immediately seen his potential. "I was disappointed to be selected in the ninth round. When you are selected in the first round, that opens doors", acknowledged the young goalie. "After that, for rounds from two to nine, there is no difference. In any case the main thing was that I was drafted."

The Slovak goalie took part in the Canadiens rookie camp last September. He played a match against the Florida Panthers rookies.

Jodoin categorically states that the Canadiens made a steal in the ninth round by claiming Halak. "I believe I had a good camp. I played a game that we lost 5-2 against Florida. Despite everything I believe I made a good impression."

Few European goalies venture to Canada to play junior hockey. According to Halak the reason is quite simple, Canadian goalies rank above the Europeans. "Here there are excellent goalies. Slovakia and the Czech Republic are small countries and they produce fewer goalies. I am very happy to be playing here."

- www.rds.ca/lhjmq/chroniques/166557.html

Current stats:

15 games (8-5-2), GAA 2.70 (7th in league), Save% .913 (8th in league), SO 2 (tied for second in league)