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Patrik Stefan, the first-overall choice and the consensus top prospect at the time of the 1999 NHL Draft, will always be remembered for his struggle to live up to his first-overall billing.
Some of these criticisms are unfair, as Stefan was damaged goods by the time he was drafted: three concussions in his draft season with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL.
The player that most don't remember, however, is the fourth-overall selection: Pavel Brendl. His story is a little bit different.
Brendl was regarded as the consensus second-best prospect in the draft, behind only Stefan. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked him #2; the Sedins followed at #3 and #4. A supremely talented goal scorer, Brendl was also perhaps the most peculiar character in the entire draft. He was a slob who loved to boast about the copious amounts of food he could eat; he hated to play defence; he was rude and obnoxious. His skill, however, allowed him to score 73 goals, 134 points in his 17-year-old rookie season with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL.
Scouts and executives across the hockey world were infatuated with this player's talent to the extent that they ignored his peculiarities and the red flags associated with his personality and behavior.
He still holds 14 Calgary Hitmen all-time records:
http://hitmenhockey.com/club-records
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=5213
Career Highlights:
[collapse=careerhighlights]
Some of these criticisms are unfair, as Stefan was damaged goods by the time he was drafted: three concussions in his draft season with the Long Beach Ice Dogs of the IHL.
The player that most don't remember, however, is the fourth-overall selection: Pavel Brendl. His story is a little bit different.
Brendl was regarded as the consensus second-best prospect in the draft, behind only Stefan. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked him #2; the Sedins followed at #3 and #4. A supremely talented goal scorer, Brendl was also perhaps the most peculiar character in the entire draft. He was a slob who loved to boast about the copious amounts of food he could eat; he hated to play defence; he was rude and obnoxious. His skill, however, allowed him to score 73 goals, 134 points in his 17-year-old rookie season with the Calgary Hitmen of the WHL.
Scouts and executives across the hockey world were infatuated with this player's talent to the extent that they ignored his peculiarities and the red flags associated with his personality and behavior.
Brendl dogged by critics: Knocked for his diet and defence, Czech could still be top draft pick.: [Final Edition]
MacIntyre, Iain. The Vancouver Sun; Vancouver, B.C. [Vancouver, B.C] 06 May 1999: D3.
KAMLOOPS -- He goes through more hot dogs than a Little League baseball team and supplements his off-ice training by watching hours of television, which for most of this season was the extent of his cultural integration. He hovers near centre ice about as much as the scoreboard, treats defence like an evil whose necessity he is still pondering, and - as if that were not enough to send National Hockey League teams scurrying for cover - the voice of reason in his life belongs to Petr Nedved.
And Wednesday, Pavel Brendl found himself suspended from the fourth game of the Western Hockey League final for making an obscene gesture towards referee Mike Hasenfratz near the end of Tuesday's game. But even that will do little to lower Brendl in the eyes of a pro league starved for goals and marquee players -- a need that has made the 18-year-old Calgary Hitmen star the hottest player in hockey and the best pure scorer available in next month's NHL entry draft.
Brendl's ejection Tuesday for arguing an offside call, then mocking Hasenfratz with applause - this preceded the player's final act of using his hand in a motion normally associated with shaking dice or cleaning a car antenna - only reinforced the impression he has more baggage than the cargo hold of a 747. But his deficiency in judgement and taste will no more overshadow his rare scoring ability than have his deficiencies on the ice.
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"There is a European component to his game," Vancouver Canuck general manager Brian Burke said diplomatically, "in that he does not compete on every shift. But you don't score 73 goals by not competing on enough shifts that the rest don't matter. There were a lot of questions posed about another guy named Jaromir Jagr. You don't draft guys like this to backcheck."
Most teams won't get a chance to draft Brendl. If the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are the top seed in the NHL draft lottery, don't take Brendl with the first pick, chances are the Atlanta Thrashers will grab him at No. 2 . . . Scouts and management-type NHL people easily outnumbered the media in Kamloops.
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So well that Brendl moved up to the No. 2 ranking in Central Scouting's most recent list of North American-based draft prospects. Minor-league Czech sensation Patrik Stefan is No. 1, but concerns about two concussions he suffered this season may see the Long Beach Ice Dog drop a place or two on draft day. The fact Stefan is a centre, the same position as the Lightning's 1998 first-overall pick Vincent Lecavalier, may encourage Tampa to take Brendl, a winger from from the Czech Republic town of Nove Mesto Nad Metuji.
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Hitmen coach Dean Clark said Brendl felt snubbed when Central Scouting ranked Stefan ahead of him. The final rankings will be issued before the draft.
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Of his training and diet, in which a green vegetable is as rare as his backcheck - he recently said, seriously: "Hot dogs and wieners is the best food for me" - Brendl concedes he must do better . . . "I've got to play better defensively. I was really bad, but now I'm getting better. I never played defence in Czech Republic; I was there for scoring goals and other guys played defence."
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"When I don't want to hear something, I just turn my head and I don't hear it," he said. "I still have a bit of a language problem, so if I don't want to hear something, I don't."
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Brendl displays huge appetite for hockey CUTTING THE MUSTARD Czech rookie eating up Western Hockey League and he's expected to go high in NHL draft
Maki, Allan. The Globe and Mail; Toronto, Ont. [Toronto, Ont] 02 Mar 1999: S.3.
Calgary -- The kid can't help himself. Sometimes during the day but most often at night before he collapses in bed and sleeps 'til noon, Pavel Brendl will reach into the refrigerator for a six-pack and indulge himself. It usually takes less than an hour for him to down all six and come back bloated, looking for more. He says it's not a problem. He says he can handle it. They all do.
"Once, I did eight in 45 minutes. Maybe 30 minutes," he proudly explains. A personal best. He is smiling. At 17, Brendl is a boy in a man's body with a man's appetite. Eight in 45 minutes. Eight wieners. Cooked and uncooked. No wonder this kid has so much hot dog in him. Call him Oscar Meyer Brendl. Call him two buns shy of a dozen. Call him that wild and crazy guy from the Czech Republic who has a $17-a-day hot dog habit with a few hamburgers tossed in for variety. "Hot dogs and wieners is the best food for me," Brendl says, and if you don't believe him take a look at what this six-foot, 204-pound arena frank has done in the Western Hockey League this season. The phrase eating it up naturally springs to mind.
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"Pav can score from anywhere on the ice," Hitmen coach Dean Clark said. "He can wear people down. He's the kind of player who gets stronger as the game goes on.". . . Brendl, a right winger, is ranked the second-best North American player heading into the draft, according to the NHL's Central Scouting Bureau.
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"Sure I think about the draft," he said. "I would like to be picked high. But I don't care where I go. I just want to play. That is why I came here. So I could play."
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"You watch him in a game and you might say, 'Geez, how does that guy get so many goals?' " Hitmen assistant coach Jeff Maher said. "But then it's, boom! The puck's in the net. He's got that touch because he's got confidence in himself." . . . Brendl doesn't go to school. He billets with a family in suburban Calgary and majors in sleep. In fact, next to hockey and eating wieners, Brendl's most favourite thing is a 12-hour nap. Brendl has learned a sizable chunk of his English from Joey, Chandler, Phoebe and the rest of the gang on Friends, the TV show. He's also picked up a few words watching M*A*S*H. His teammates on the Hitmen have helped fill in the blanks. Brendl's diet would raise an elephant's cholesterol. He eats wieners, doughnuts, wiener schnitzel, mashed potatoes, hot dogs and the extremely occasional vegetable. He also loves garlic soup but only his mom's garlic soup, which sources say is strong enough to keep a dozen vampires at bay.
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"I saw him play against Prince Albert in late November and I didn't know much about him. The more I watched, the more I couldn't take my eyes off him. He was big and rangy. His skating was fine but capable of being more efficient. He had the look of an outstanding player . . . A young guy, no matter how good a skater he is, needs to work on it," Renney said. "I think he has deceptive speed. It's not unlike Frank Mahovlich. You're asking yourself, 'Is he really putting out?' Then all of a sudden he's on top of you. I think he's a good character. He competes hard. It's a blank page right now. He can write his own story."
Brendl has said he's ready to do more than just eat, sleep and play hockey. He has promised to begin taking English lessons. His parents, Milan, a mill worker, and Stanislava, recently visited their son in Calgary and filled him up on noodles, dumplings and garlic soup. Milan watched Pavel play. Milan had been his son's coach until Pavel turned 14.
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NHL teams lining up to cash a cool Czech: Hot-shot Hitman high on draft list: [Final Edition]
Jamieson, Jim. The Province; Vancouver, B.C. [Vancouver, B.C] 04 May 1999: A36.
KAMLOOPS -- "I came, I saw, I played," said Pavel Brendl, the wondrously talented Czech left winger who's conquered the Western Hockey League this season as clinically as Caesar suppressed the Gauls.
The 18-year-old from the village of Nove Mesto Nad Metuji in the northeast of the Czech Republic has dominated the WHL like few others and threatens to capsize the Kamloops Blazers' plans of capturing their fifth league title this decade.
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"When I first came over, my English wasn't very good," Brendl said. "I had three years of English in school back home, but the first two years all I did was read the newspaper."
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" . . . Brendl's skating is just fine -- you don't score 73 goals in that league if you can't skate," Burke said.
"I think he's going to be a prolific goal scorer in the NHL. He's got a hard, accurate shot and he's strong on his skates.
"He's a can't miss."
Brendl loves the night life: Especially when the Hitmensniper wheels and deals on ice
BYLINE: Mike Board, Calgary Herald
SECTION: Sports; D1 / FRONT
LENGTH: 1180 words
Calgary Herald (Alberta, Canada)
February 15, 1999, FINAL
He is definitely not a morning person. But that's all right. National Hockey League scouts are not interested in what Pavel Brendl does in the morning. It's what the talented Czech-born junior hockey player does at night, on the ice in the Western Hockey League, that's important. Blessed with size, good skating ability and special goal-scoring hands, Brendl has been scouted by every NHL team this season as he continues to rip up the western junior circuit --58 goals and 104 points in just 53 games.
''He sees an empty net and he is one of those guys whose eyes get bigger,'' says Hitmen general manager Kelly Kisio. ''He sees a goal and he gets faster.''
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One scout compares him to Jari Kurri and Mike Bossy because of his quick release shot -- which Brendl uses from anywhere on the ice. ''He has the potential for those hard one-timers from far out,'' says the scout.
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When Brendl arrived on North American soil, he knew little English. ''All I knew was 'I'm hungry and I'm thirsty','' says Brendl. His teammates quickly began teaching him English. ''And some swear words, too,'' grins Brendl. At the Boesenkools, the family and the player used a Czech-English translation book to start out. The book is now long gone.
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The Hitmen suggested that Brendly enrol in morning English classes. ''They want me to go to school but I don't want to wake up in the morning,'' laughs Brendl.
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There were things to learn on the ice, too. Like where the defensive zone is and where his goalie is. ''He is 100 per cent better now,'' says Hitmen coach Dean Clark. ''The way they played in Czechoslovakia, he would go from the red line into the other team's end. He never got into his own zone. I don't think he got back into our end for the first month. He didn't know who Foamy (Hitmen goalie Alex Fomitchev) was. We said, 'here, introduce yourself to our goaltender.'''
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Brendl doesn't watch a lot of hockey on television. He bought himself a Playstation and plays hockey and games in front of the television in the basement. ''The first few months he found it hard. So he bought himself the Playstation and would be downstairs playing for hours. He is damn good at it,'' said John. ''I'm certainly not going to challenge him on it. He has such great hands.''
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Brendl has no hockey heroes. He doesn't mention any great Czech players in the NHL, not even leading scorer Jaromir Jagr, one of the most talented players in the game. ''I think I want to be myself. I don't want to be anybody else. No favorite players.'' . . . Among other adjustments, there was the food. ''The vegetables, they are not perfect for me,'' says Brendl. Pizza? ''No, no, no, not pizza. I can eat it but not every time after a game.'' At Christmas, he bought Ruth Boessenkool a Czech cookbook. Ruth made a meal from the book.
''He said it was good but not as good as his mother's,'' says Ruth. Stanislava brought Czech noodles and flour to Canada and all week has been cooking Pavel's meals in the Boessenkool kitchen. She made apple dumplings and Czech pasta - large noodles with bacon, milk and eggs all mixed in together. Ham is a big hit. So are the wieners.
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Charles' hard work gives Hitmen edge: Scout has helped deliver talent to high-flying squad
BYLINE: Todd Kimberley, Calgary Herald
SECTION: Sports; D2
LENGTH: 803 words
DATELINE: KAMLOOPS, B.C.
Calgary Herald (Alberta, Canada)
May 06, 1999, FINAL
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It seems a near-miracle that the Calgary Hitmen, after an inaugural two years of turmoil, are battling for a Western Hockey League championship in only their fourth season of operation -- but for that, Paul Charles can take a rather large bow.
Charles, Calgary's head scout, has often said that the Hitmen's hiring of head coach Dean Clark in October 1996 was ''the smartest thing we ever did,'' but bringing Charles on board way back in early 1994 was a pretty shrewd move in itself.
Charles, the 41-year-old resident of St. Albert, is the only full-time employee remaining from the birth of the Hitmen franchise five years ago.
And a quick scan of the Hitmen's bench and protected list shows why Charles is considered one of the best bantam-aged scouts in Canada, as well as the club's top talent assessor.
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And, of course, Charles made the call on Czech rookie sensation Pavel Brendl in last summer's Canadian Hockey League import draft, when the 17-year-old right winger appeared to be a long shot -- ''if we were going to get a European, we figured we might as well hit the home run,'' shrugged Charles.
Call it a tape-measure dinger. Brendl, ranked No. 2 among North American skaters for June's National Hockey League entry draft, became the only rookie in WHL history to win the league's scoring derby, with 73 goals and 134 points in 68 games, and prior to Wednesday night led the WHL in playoff points with 45.
In mid-July of last summer, two weeks after selecting Brendl, Charles finally got a chance to see him practise with other European picks at a Sherwood Park arena.
Brendl's ice time was short and sweet -- he bruised his shoulder crashing into the end boards after just 10 minutes -- but it was enough for Charles.
''The guys in the stands were bugging me, because he wasn't doing anything at first -- just kind of hanging around the red line,'' said Charles. ''But all of a sudden the puck came to him, and he just exploded.
''In two shifts, he demonstrated more skills to me than I've seen in many, many players in a whole game. I said to the guys I was sitting with, 'I think I've seen enough. We can go now.' ''
Prospects look good for Beech: Hitman eager to face off against elite
BYLINE: TODD KIMBERLEY, CALGARY HERALD
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. D3
LENGTH: 904 words
Calgary Herald (Alberta, Canada)
December 4, 1998, Friday, FINAL EDITION
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The top 40 major junior prospects in Canada, based on the opinions of NHL clubs plus Central Scouting, will receive invitations to the event in mid-January. Beech, along with the Hitmen's rookie Czech right-winger, Pavel Brendl, both appear to be locks for the Top Prospects Game.
"Playing against all the elite players, and showing what I can do within that group, is probably the biggest benefit of that game," said Beech, who's fourth in Hitmen scoring with 24 points in 27 games. "You rarely see all the top players in Canada together. It's a good chance to get compared."
Added the 17-year-old Brendl, who's ranked No. 11 overall by the Red Line Report and No. 2 in the WHL by NHL's Central Scouting: "It'll be a fun game. I'm very excited about it.
"I didn't know about it" until recently, said Brendl, who leads the WHL in goals with 23. "I would like to score some goals, but if not, it doesn't matter. It's one game in the total season."
For the fourth straight year, broadcaster Don Cherry and former NHL great Bobby Orr will be the two celebrity coaches, while each of the CHL's three leagues will send one coach as an assistant.
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Scouts watching Czech phenom: Brendl on stage at the Memorial Cup: [Final Edition]
Spencer, Donna. Expositor; Brantford, Ont. [Brantford, Ont] 18 May 1999: B3.
OTTAWA - No matter what he does at the Memorial Cup, Calgary Hitmen forward Pavel Brendl has left his mark this year.
NHL scouts have seen all year what the Czech phenom can do, scoring 73 goals in the regular season and 21 in 20 playoff games as a rookie.
"I don't think a scout would change his mind even if Pavel didn't score any goals here," said Anaheim Mighty Ducks chief amateur scout Alain Chainey. "He is a natural goal-scorer, a real big-time sniper. It takes 10 or 15 years to find those guys."
With the June 26 NHL entry draft just around the corner, Brendl's stock was solidified before the Memorial Cup even began.
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"I remember years ago . . . when Mario Lemieux had a horrible Memorial Cup, but he still went first overall because of what he did during the season," Chainey said.
Brendl, ranked No. 2 by the NHL's central scouting bureau for the entry draft, has brought his reputation with him to the Memorial Cup. In Calgary's first game against the Belleville Bulls on Sunday, the Bulls tried to corral the six-foot-two, 190-pound right-winger in his favourite spot between the red line and their own blue-line to keep him from taking off on one of his patented breakaways. Although Brendl didn't score, he contributed two assists in Calgary's win and gave the opposition the headache of trying to contain him, thus freeing up the rest of his team. His defensive play is suspect and was non-existent at the beginning of the season.
"I think at the start of the year, we made jokes that he had to go back and introduce himself to (goaltender) Alexandre Fomitchev because he didn't know who he was until Christmas," said Hitmen coach Dean Clark. "But I think he's really improved that part of his game. It still needs some work, but the guy was still a plus-68 and our top plus- minus player."
Defensive play can be taught, but goal-scoring can't, so it isn't likely a bottom-feeding NHL team would let Brendl get away, said Chainey, who compares Brendl's goal-scoring ability to that of Ducks star Teemu Selanne.
"His hands, his wrist-shot, his accuracy is phenomenal, his anticipation also. He knows when to go between the two defencemen. He always trails in the neutral zone a little bit, finds the open ice and bang, he's gone. . . . He's got that real special dimension to be a real sniper and that's very rare right now."
Fellow Czech Patrik Stefan of the IHL's Long Beach Ice Dogs is the No. 1-rated prospect for the draft with 11 goals and 24 assists in 33 games with the Dogs.
Stefan has been playing at a professional level and will be better prepared for the NHL, making him higher-rated than Brendl, said Chainey.
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"Brendl will go top three, but he might go first or third or second," said Chainey.
The best, but not No. 1: Patrik Stefan is regarded as the top prospect for the '99 NHL draft, but a history of concussions causes worry. Allen Panzeri reports.: [Final Edition]
Panzeri, Allen. The Ottawa Citizen; Ottawa, Ont. [Ottawa, Ont] 11 June 1999: B1 / FRONT.
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While one of Stefan's three concussions was minor -- "It only kept me out one or two days," he said -- the other two were severe.
The first one, which occurred in November, when he was checked by Brent Hughes of the Houston Aeros, kept Stefan out for three months.
The second one, on March 31, when he ran into the knee of Las Vegas Thunder forward Kevin Kaminski, knocked him unconscious and ended his season.
Stefan has since been living in Edmonton with his agent, Rich Winter, but doctors haven't yet cleared him to skate, and he has been restricted to light workouts.
The young Czech will be examined again before the June 26 draft by doctors, including James Kelly of Chicago, who treated LaFontaine, and these reports will determine his future.
"I can just say right now, I feel very, very well," Stefan said yesterday.
"I feel fine. I don't know if (the concussions) will hurt me. I hope not.
"Of course it's your head, and you never know what's going to happen to your head in the future. But, like I said, I've had two concussions and I feel normal right now. Doctors have said I'll be OK.
"The injury is part of hockey."
While Stefan is the most impressive talent, and the only player that NHL scouts agree can make an immediate impact, the gamble may be too great.
If he is not deemed unfit to play, it's likely Brendl will become the first pick, which belongs to Rick Dudley and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Tampa Bay is already loaded at centre with Vincent Lecavalier, Chris Gratton and Darcy Tucker, and could use a winger with Brendl's size (6-0, 204 pounds) and scoring touch.
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NHL AMATEUR DRAFT'S IMPACT IS UNCLEAR FOR FLYERS THIS TIME / THE PLAYERS, AS ALWAYS, ARE UNPROVEN. AND THE FLYERS DO NOT HAVE A REALLY HIGH PICK.
BYLINE: Tim Panaccio, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. C02
LENGTH: 971 words
DATELINE: BOSTON
The Philadelphia Inquirer
JUNE 26, 1999 Saturday D EDITION
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Of the top 15 players expected to be selected today, six are European, a higher number of non-North Americans than in past years.
Flyers GM Bob Clarke says many European players should be listed as North Americans because they played their formative years of hockey in Canada, not overseas. For instance, Czech star Pavel Brendl, who played with Calgary of the WHL, is expected to move ahead of top-rated Patik Stefan (Long Beach, IHL), another Czech, in today's draft.
Stefan is considered by most NHL GMs to be the best player in the draft, but he had three concussions last season and did not allow NHL clubs to put him through thorough testing this spring. His stock has reportedly dropped.
Tampa Bay picks first and is expected to take Brendl. The expansion Atlanta Thrashers pick second and are expected to take Daniel Sedan, twin brother of Henrik, from MoDo of the Swedish Elite League. But if Brendl is available, Atlanta will take him.
"Stefan is definitely the most skilled guy in the draft," Atlanta GM Don Waddell said. "But he has a history of injuries the last couple of years. That throws a little bit of a question mark over him."
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Brendl WHL's Scoring Sensation: Hitmen's Big Bear is hot
BYLINE: Todd Kimberley, Calgary Herald
SECTION: News; A1 / FRONT
LENGTH: 1016 words
Calgary Herald (Alberta, Canada)
May 14, 1999, FINAL
Last October, in a hotel room somewhere in the mountains of British Columbia, Pavel Brendl turned in for a much-needed nap and grumpily ordered Calgary Hitmen roommate Brad Moran: ''Don't wake up the big bear.'' Apparently, no one listened. There was clearly no hibernation this winter for the Western Hockey League rookie quickly dubbed Big Bear by his Hitmen teammates. Brendl, the flashy 18-year-old right winger from the Czech Republic, shattered all kinds of Hitmen scoring records and attracted nationwide attention as the only rookie to win the WHL scoring derby in the league's 33-year history. . . . Brendl is said to rate a serious chance at being picked No. 1 overall at the National Hockey League's annual entry draft in Boston on June 26.
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''The way he's played, he's got a lot of people talking about him possibly going No. 1 overall,'' said Hitmen head coach Dean Clark, whose club plays its first of four round-robin games against Ontario champion Belleville Bulls Sunday. ''He's come miles in maturity, and he's one of the best team-oriented guys we've got.''
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''He's probably been one of the best players around the net in the Western Hockey League in a long time,'' said Brad Robson, Calgary- based Western Canadian head scout for the NHL's Dallas Stars.
''He's got a quick release, an excellent wrist shot and backhand. He's a smart player, very skilled, great hands -- probably one of the best offensive players to come around in a long, long time. He just keeps getting better and better.''
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Brendl set Hitmen records for most goals (73), points (134), game-winners (12), short-handed goals (10) and highest plus-minus ranking (+68) in a season, and scored at least a point in 20 straight games from Dec. 2 to Jan. 26.. . . On March 23, at the WHL's awards banquet, Brendl carried away the Bob Clarke Trophy as the league's top scorer -- the only rookie ever to do so -- the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year and the plus-minus award.
''I like everything about junior hockey,'' said Brendl. ''Only one thing I hate -- when we are on the road, waiting after warmup for almost 30, 40 minutes (until the start of the game). Sitting in the dressing room, I'm getting sleepy. I really hate it.''
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Added Ruth: ''Pavel is a nice kid. He's into golfing, and he loves his golfing . . . ''
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''To get to the next level, he's got to improve his defensive awareness, and be stronger in the legs for the quick acceleration and the contact,'' said Robson.
''He's got so much skill that it's easy to criticize him -- but at the same time, he always has the puck.''
A shot out of nowhere: The Hitmen's Pavel Brendl wasn't a big name a few years ago, but everyone knows him now, writes Ken Warren.
BYLINE: Ken Warren
SECTION: Sports; C2
LENGTH: 766 words
The Ottawa Citizen
May 17, 1999, FINAL
Twenty five seconds into his Memorial Cup debut yesterday, Pavel Brendl found himself all alone in front of the net at the tail end of a two- on-none break, the puck on his stick.
A fantastic sliding stop from Belleville Bulls goaltender Cory Campbell kept him from scoring, but it didn't hide the obvious: how is it possible that a player of Brendl's calibre could slip through the cracks so early in such a big game?
The Calgary Hitmen's 18-year-old wunderkid shouldn't have been a secret to the Belleville Bulls coming into the tournament, after all.
Brendl scored 73 goals and 134 points in 68 games, becoming the first rookie in the history of the Western Hockey League to win the scoring title. He added another 21 goals and 46 points in 20 playoff games to lead the pack again.
The larger question, of course, is how a player with Brendl's combination of size (6-2, 195 pounds), skill and patience -- and that uncanny ability to read where the puck is going -- could have gone unnoticed by so many in hockey circles for so long.
Brendl, a left-winger with an overpowering shot, has been compared favourably this season to Jaromir Jagr of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Peter Forsberg of the Colorado Avalanche.
''He's got Mike Bossy's hands,'' said Ottawa Senators chief scout Andre Savard, referring to the New York Islanders' star goal-scorer during the '70s and '80s.
Now considered a ''can't-miss'' prospect by Vancouver Canucks general manager Brian Burke and most others (he's a possible first overall selection by the Tampa Bay Lightning in next month's NHL draft), Brendl did pretty much came out of nowhere this season.
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Whatever the reason, Brendl is a living, breathing example that diamond-in-the-rough stories still exist, even in an era when players are scouted in the earliest stages of development. Unknown at 16, unforgettable at 17.
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Brendl is the Hitmen's deep threat, so to speak, often circling outside the blue-line while play is around his team's net, waiting for the breakout pass.
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''Definitely any time you have a 17-year-old rated second in the draft, you're probably going to put a little extra pressure on yourself,'' said Moran.
''But with him, when things aren't going his way, you know he'll be back next game. It's not that he played bad, he just didn't get the bounces.''
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High-rated juniors on ice in WHL final : Canucks pick first, third or fourth but won't send extra scouts to Kamloops-Calgary series.
BYLINE: Elliott Pap
SECTION: Sports; F2
LENGTH: 612 words
The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia)
April 29, 1999, FINAL
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Brendl is a 6'2'', 200-pound right-shot left winger who led the WHL in scoring during the regular season, collecting 73 goals and 134 points. A native of the Czech Republic, he is the first rookie to ever capture the WHL scoring title. Brendl, 18, also leads all playoff scorers with 19 goals and 41 points in 16 games.
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As far as Brendl is concerned, his assets appear to be his hockey sense and an ability to finish. He is not considered an exceptional skater or an incredibly hard-working player without the puck.
''The knock against Brendl is that he can't skate well but he skates fine, he just hasn't had the desire to do it,'' said Nonis, sounding an ominous note. ''He knows where to go without exerting himself at that level. Whether he can beat someone one-on-one with pure speed, it remains to be seen because he doesn't have to do it.
''In the offensive zone, he knows where to go and he's always moving. He's not moving fast but he knows where the net is and when he gets an opportunity, it's usually in the net. In the defensive zone, he hasn't had to be great because his team is so strong.''
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http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/355/rangers_draft_review99/ANOTHER SCORING PAVEL SURE TO BE TOP-FIVE PICK
SECTION: SPORTS
LENGTH: 308 words
The Toronto Star
February 7, 1999, Sunday, Edition 1
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Brendl, who was chosen by the Hitmen in the 1998 import draft, has vaulted himself into the top five for the 1999 entry draft in the minds of many scouts.
''He makes plays that are unbelievable,'' one scout said. ''He scores goals in a variety of different ways. He does it with skill and with his mind and you can't teach that to a player.''
It also helps that Brendl is playing on the powerhouse Hitmen, ranked No. 3 in the Canadian Hockey League. Of course, part of the reason why they're so good is because Brendl is playing for them.
''This guy is definitely in the 'A' group of prospects,'' another scout said. ''He can do things not many players can do. He's reaching his peak and he's getting better day-to-day.''
But respect among scouts for Brendl has not been universal. Some say he should be tougher and more difficult to knock off the puck for a guy who's 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. And despite the fact Brendl has more goals than fellow Hitmen draft prospect Kris Beech has points (54), some feel Beech is the better all-around prospect.
''(But) there were 14 teams that thought there were better players out there than Mike Bossy, too,'' a scout said.
...
Rangers Draft Review 99
By pbadmin
June 27th, 1999
...
Pavel Brendl, the offensive catalyst of the WHL Calgary Hitmen was theirs. Without a second thought the Rangers made their move and got what they have not had since Mike Gartner, a pure scoring sniper.
...
Pavel Brendl: The Kid is listed as a RW but he played LW down in the WHL, most of the time. This kid knows how to score… actually let me restate that, this kid IS AN OFFENSIVE FACTORY!!! Every once in a while there is a kid who sees things before they happen and changed the outcome of a game without trying. It happened in 1990 when a young Czech named Jagr fell into the Penguins laps in the first round. It may happen again when another young Czech fell into the Rangers laps on June 26th. Ten years from now this kid could be a superstar, world class player. Regardless of his lack of defense, this kids scoring makes up for it. Defense can be taught to the extent it is no longer a drawback. Offense is either there or it isn’t. The Rangers hit the jackpot on this one. Listed at 6’0 in CSB, Brendl is probably closer to 6’2 as he grew this year. He is also said to read in around 204 pounds. Brendl matured as the year went on and slowly realized the value of conditioning. Some reports have him at a leaner 195 which seems more correct. Ranger fans should remember this day, because this could prove to a monumental in Rangers history thanks to one certain Right winger.
...
It's quite remarkable that Mr. "Hot Dogs and Wieners" was almost the first-overall pick in the 1999 NHL Draft.NEIL CLAIMS PICKS ARE READY TO PLAY
BYLINE: MARC BERMAN
SECTION: All Editions; Pg. 064
LENGTH: 782 words
The New York Post
June 28, 1999, Monday
...
None of the Rangers' brass have concerns about the 18-year-old Brendl's NHL readiness next season. He is big enough at 6-foot, 204 pounds but several scouts have talked about his distaste for defensive hockey.
"It's probably not one of his strengths, but I don't know if he goes back to juniors next year, he'd become a better defensive player anyway," said Rangers Western scout Darwin Bennett, who saw him play 15 times.
Brendl scored 94 goals in the WHL last season for the Calgary Hitmen. Bennett says his 21 goals in the playoffs impressed him the most because every team had set up systems to shut him down.
"[Twenty-one] goals in the playoffs when everyone knew he was going to score," Bennett said. "He's a great shooter. He always gets his shot on net."
The Rangers' scouts have let slip comparisons to Teemu Selanne and Mike Bossy. Coach John Muckler believes it would be too much to ask Brendl to play first-line right wing next season but he believes he can be a contributor and power-play performer.
"You don't know who else might be there either," said Muckler, a not-so-veiled reference to Theo Fleury. "The key is he believes he should play next year and wants to.
"It's why I'm here," Brendl said. "I came to play in the NHL one day. Now I've got the opportunity to play next year. We'll see after training camp but I believe I can make the step."
...
He still holds 14 Calgary Hitmen all-time records:
http://hitmenhockey.com/club-records
Club Records
Individual Records
Single Game
Most Goals: 5 (Pavel Brendl Nov 11/2000 vs P.A.)
Most Goals In A Period: 4-Two Times (Owen Fussey Feb 6/2002, Pavel Brendl Oct 18/2000)
Most Shorthanded Goals Scored: 2 (Three Times-Ryan Getzlaf Nov 1/2002, Pavel Brendl Feb 25/2000, Brodie Dupont Nov 26/2006)
Single Season
Most Points: 134 (Pavel Brendl 1998/99)
Most Goals: 73 (Pavel Brendl 1998/99)
Fastest To 50 goals: 43 Games (Pavel Brendl 1998/99)
Longest Point Streak: 20 Games (28g 21a 49pts) (Pavel Brendl Dec 2/98-Jan 26/1999 )
Most Hat Tricks: 12 (Pavel Brendl 1998/99)
Most Shorthanded Goals: 10 (Pavel Brendl 1998/99)
Most Game Winning Goals: 14 (Pavel Brendl in 1999/00)
Best +/-: +68 (Pavel Brendl 1998/99)
Most Points By A Rookie: 134 (Pavel Brendl 1998/99)
Fastest Two Goals In A Game: * 2 secs apart Oct. 3,1998 in 6-4 win at Red Deer (Pavel Brendl scored at 19:40 of third, Brad Moran at 19:42)
Career Regular Season Records
Goals: 2. Pavel Brendl (172)
Assists: 6. Pavel Brendl (148)
Points: 2. Pavel Brendl (320)
Career Playoff Records
Goals: 1. Pavel Brendl (35)
Assists: 3-T Pavel Brendl (43)
Points: 2. Pavel Brendl (78)
http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=5213
Career Highlights:
[collapse=careerhighlights]
[/collapse]Career Highlights
1998-1999
CHL All-Rookie Team
CHL First All-Star Team
CHL Memorial Cup All-Star Team
CHL Rookie of the Year
CHL Top Draft Prospect Award
CHL Top Prospects Game
WHL (East) First All-Star Team
WHL Best Plus/Minus (+68)
WHL Champion
WHL Most Assists by Rookie (61)
WHL Most Goals (73)
WHL Most Goals by Rookie (73)
WHL Most Points (Bobby Clarke Trophy) (134)
WHL Most Points by Rookie (134)
WHL Playoffs Most Assists (25)
WHL Playoffs Most Goals (21)
WHL Playoffs Most Points (46)
WHL Rookie of the Year (Jim Piggott Trophy)
1999-2000
AHL Calder Cup Champion
CHL Third All-Star Team
WHL Most Goals (59)
2000-2001
U20 WJC All-Star Team
U20 WJC Best Forward
U20 WJC Best Plus/Minus (+8)
U20 WJC Gold Medal
U20 WJC Most Assists (6)
U20 WJC Most Points (10)
2005-2006
AHL Player of the Week (Jan. 29)
2006-2007
SHL Most Goals (34)
SHL Most Points by Foreigner (57)
Spengler Cup Most Points (7 pts)
2007-2008
SHL Most Points by Foreigner (55)
2008-2009
KHL All-Star Game
KHL Most Goals (35)
2011-2012
Spengler Cup Winner (Davos)
2013-2014
Czech Silver Medal
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/1382/rangers_future_forward_part3/#more-1382HOCKEY; Rangers' Top Pick Is a Bust On Day 1
BYLINE: By JASON DIAMOS
SECTION: Section D; Page 7; Column 1; Sports Desk
LENGTH: 812 words
DATELINE: BURLINGTON, Vt., Sept. 5
The New York Times
September 6, 1999, Monday, Late Edition - Final
Pavel Brendl said he had worked on both his skating and his conditioning in Western Canada this summer. The way he looked this morning, however, the highly touted 18-year-old should have worked much harder. A weary Brendl later said he had a touch of the flu. But after he had barely made it through his first National Hockey League practice on the opening day of Ranger training camp, Brendl's ego had to hurt as much as his legs did from cramps.
"Now, you have to hope he does have the flu," Neil Smith, the Rangers' president and general manager, said after watching the inauspicious debut of this summer's fourth overall draft choice. "You have to write it off, or you'll drive yourself crazy. As in, 'Oh, my God. I gave up Sundstrom, Cloutier and a first-round pick for him. What if he's not sick?' "
...
"He was ill," Muckler said. "He didn't show any enthusiasm. But I think he has an excuse for that."
Brendl, who scored 73 goals in 68 regular-season games and then 21 more in 20 playoff games playing junior league hockey for Calgary of the Western Hockey League last season, said that he thinks he can play much better. "But it was the first day and I was a little bit sick," he said. "I'll get better every day."
...
The Rangers had all but penciled the 6-foot, 204-pound Brendl onto their opening day roster, based on his performance last season.
"Coming in, you have to calculate a guy with his record and all the opinions there were on him that he will probably make the team," Smith said. "Then he comes in and you find out if there are some reasons why that was not a calculation to make. . . . But the year does not revolve around whether Pavel Brendl stays in the N.H.L. or not. I think our next decade does. But I'd still bet at this point he'd be on the team." And if he's not? Brendl said he isn't worrying about that right now.
"But anything can happen," Brendl said. "You never know." Brendl is just trying to adjust to his new surroundings. Even though the coaching staff has the Czech native rooming with the veteran leader Adam Graves, Brendl appears lost. And not just on the ice. . . . Brendl looked rusty, slow, uncoordinated and out of shape. He sat alone on a bench between periods instead of returning to the dressing room, prompting a visit from the team captain Brian Leetch, who was told that it was too stuffy in the dressing room for Brendl to breathe. After some post-scrimmage skating drills, Brendl dropped to all fours on the ice. And then, after he had gone through circuit-training drills, Brendl dropped as if he had been shot. Perhaps it really was the flu. Nedved insisted that Brendl has great hands.
"He's got all the potential," Nedved said. "We'll see how quickly he adjusts." But another player said privately that he and some other veterans were left wondering how the Rangers could have traded their top two prospects for Brendl. And this was after they had seen him on the ice at the Rangers' training facility in Rye, N.Y., earlier this summer, not today. Brendl, meanwhile, said he thought his conditioning could have been a little better coming into camp, but he also added that he needed some rest after the longest season of his career. After enduring one of his longest days, Brendl was asked something by Nedved in Czech. Brendl just responded with a moan. It was a fitting response to his first day.
...
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/1567/pavel_brendl_a_man_among_boys/#more-1567Rangers’ Future: Forward – Part 3
By Brandon LeBourveau
September 10th, 2000
...
A lot of people have started to label Brendl a bust, but how can you call him a bust when he has never played an NHL game? Brendl didn’t play too well in the Rookie camp in Kitchener last week, but it’s just one camp and the time for him to shine is in Burlington, Vermont this week at the main camp. Most people, including me, believe Brendl will make the team this season and force Glen Sather to trade a veteran to make room on the roster. Brendl has the potential to be an all-star in this league, but his attitude and work ethic have people beginning to write him off. If he fails to make the team this year, he will be back in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen.
...
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/2055/the_bottom_line/Pavel Brendl: A Man Among Boys
By Brandon LeBourveau
October 25th, 2000
Well, as we all know Pavel Brendl did not make the New York Rangers this season and was sent back to Calgary of the WHL for another year in juniors. Despite his unwillingness to go back to juniors and play with kids, Brendl reported to the Hitmen anyway and he has been on fire since his return.
Brendl has 11 goals and 4 assists (15 points) in 6 games, which leads the Hitmen in scoring. He is currently 4th in the WHL in goals, but if he played in every game like the 3 players ahead of him (Konstanin Panov with 12, Layne Ulmer with 19, and Mike Comrie with 21), he would be the leading scorer if he kept up this pace. The biggest highlight of his season so far probably came a couple nights ago when he scorched Jamie Lundmark’s Moose Jaw Warriors for 4 goals in the 3rd period to help the Hitmen to a 5-2 victory.
...
The Bottom Line
By Michael Theodore
March 2nd, 2001
As the 2001 season comes to an end for the New York Rangers, they must yet again gear up for another draft rather then a return to the post season. This however is not necessarily a bad thing as the Rangers will once again have a top ten pick. But before I get into that I would like to add that while not many rookies have played this year Ron Low and Sather are not to blame for this nor should they be.
...
Pavel Brendl is slipping folks. His attitude is going south again and so is his game. Regardless of whether he is bored or not he isn’t helping his case this year at all. He’s been offered in the trade talks with Phoenix and don’t be too surprised if he gets traded there soon. His skill level is great but his mental level is not. He will either be a star or nothing, but we already knew that didn’t we?
...
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/2954/young_players_looking_to_impress_at_nhl_level/#more-2954PAVEL FIRES HARD SHOTS AT RANGERS
BYLINE: BY JOHN DELLAPINA DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 56
LENGTH: 373 words
Daily News (New York)
August 20, 2001, Monday
Pavel Brendl has been around North American hockey long enough to know how the game is played. But you'll have to pardon the 20-year-old Czech if he steadfastly refuses to play along.
Born and reared in a country whose citizens only recently won the right to speak their mind, Brendl isn't going to smile and say he enjoys punishing his body to get into shape just because that's what a coach or GM wants to hear.
Not even if doing so would have kept him from being included in the Eric Lindros trade that will be formally unveiled at today's 4 p.m. Garden press conference.
"The guys who do that are just BS-ing, that's what it is," Brendl said last night. "Well, I'm not willing to do that. I don't like to lie. I'd rather say something straight to the eyes and tell the truth."
And the truth, the way Brendl sees it, is that his appearance the last month at the Rangers' prospects camp in Rye should be evidence enough of his willingness to work.
He believes the emphasis on the eight to 10 extra pounds he brought into that camp - he's since shed about six - and on the relatively dour demeanor he's traditionally brought to off-ice workouts is missing the point.
"The reason why I'm here, why I agreed to come, was only that I wanted to get in shape for training camp," he said, still waiting to hear official word from the Rangers about the deal that will send him to Philly along with Jan Hlavac, Kim Johnsson and a third-round pick in the 2002 draft.
"Why would I bother ruining the rest of my summer by training way too early? That's why I came here," he said. "And I've been doing it and getting better."
Many observers believe Brendl's obvious goal-scoring ability - he pumped home 207 goals in 218 regular-season and playoff games in junior hockey - reflects talent that ultimately will excel in the NHL.
But just as many believe his spotty work habits will preclude him from ever becoming a star.
There appears to be no middle ground when evaluating the prospect.
"Well, there are a lot of opinions of me," Brendl said. "What I believe is that I'm good enough to play in the NHL. And I guess, if I did get traded, then maybe I wasn't the right fit for this organization. But I'm still good enough to play."
Young Players Looking to Impress at NHL Level
By Mike Castor
October 1st, 2001
...
Brendl has arguably been the big story at camp. The puck just seems to follow this kid and he has the hands of a surgeon. Even his much-maligned attitude seems vastly improved– at least for now. Brendl stated that he is willing to work on any part of his game that the staff indicates is in need of improvement. Many of his critics have questioned his effort to get back to playing defense. Pavel took that to heart and said that he lead his junior team in plus minus two years ago. He seems willing to give up offensive chances to stay back and work on his defensive positioning. The combination of hard work and offensive production has won him an opening night place on the team.
After leaving the Rangers, Brendl has taken a few shots at his former organization. For one, he said that the team complained about his conditioning, yet never gave him a workout plan to follow. He also said that he felt isolated from the Rangers front office and coaching staff– he heard complaints about himself through the media, but no one ever spoke to him directly. Brendl said that in the time since Glen Sather took over as Rangers GM, he and Brendl had all of one conversation with one another.
That will not be a problem here. Barber’s greatest strength as a coach is his communication with players. And if Brendl’s efforts do not please the big club, he’ll be skating across the parking lot with the Phantoms.
My opinion is that the Flyers are trying to be vocal in their praise for his efforts so far in order to show Brendl that the work ethic he has since the trade is exactly what they want and expect from him. Also, there is a PR benefit to having this kid make the team out of camp. It makes the Lindros deal with the Rangers look like more of a steal for the orange and black. Even so., Brendl came to camp having to win a roster spot– it is now his to lose.
...
http://www.canescountry.com/2009/6/11/904491/pavel-brendl-khl-superstarTim Panaccio: For the Flyers, Czech prospects fall from favor
BYLINE: Tim Panaccio Inquirer Columnist
SECTION: SPORTS
LENGTH: 994 words
The Philadelphia Inquirer
March 31, 2002 Sunday
...
You're probably wondering where that leaves Brendl, who can play right wing and center, but remains a bit of a puzzle.
"He's had some good stretches and some not-so-good stretches," Holmgren said. "He's a work in progress."
Again, Clarke was more direct.
"It's a concern with me," Clarke said. "Brendl has more ability than any player right now in the AHL. Unless he figures out that he has to work hard every single game, he won't make the NHL.
"He's improved a lot. All my years in this organization, we built around guys who worked hard. It's hard for me to see this. I watch him and I think to myself, 'Why don't you just work harder? You'll be an NHL player.' I'm not sure he understands himself. He has to figure it out."
According to those who were there, Clarke made sure Brendl understood where he was coming from when he told the 21-year-old last week: "I've got your number on speed dial."
...
http://cardiaccane.com/2016/11/12/better-know-carolina-hurricanes-pavel-brendl/Pavel Brendl - KHL Superstar
by Bob Wage Jun 11, 2009, 10:02pm EDT
...
With all of this talk about some KHL stars possibly returning to the NHL, I looked up the league stat sheet to see where these guys stood. Much to my surprise, who was at the top of the goal scoring heap? None other than ex-Hurricane, Pavel Brendl.
The Hurricanes acquired Brendl from the Philadelphia Flyers back during the 2002-03 season when they traded away fan favorite, Sami Kapanen, in a salary dump move. The deal also included spare parts, Ryan Bast (to the Flyers) and Bruno St. Jacques, (to the Canes). Kapanen was once dubbed, "the fastest skater in the NHL". Little did the Canes know that they would be replacing him with the exact opposite.
The Czech native was an enigma his brief time in the NHL. The New York Rangers selected him fourth overall in the 1999 NHL entry draft. He was a scoring machine in the juniors, knocking in 73 goals and 61 assists in just 68 games in his first season with the Calgary Hitmen. He finished his three year juniors career by scoring an amazing 172 goals in 178 games and had 320 total points. But instead of being a phenom in the big leagues, he turned out to be a dud.
In 2001, the Rangers traded the prospect to the Flyers in a multi-player deal which brought superstar Eric Lindros to Broadway. The Flyers played him 50 games over a two year period before giving up on him, but he played even fewer games for the Canes, (26). In 2003-04 he was eventually sent to the minor leagues where he languished until Carolina traded him in 2005 to Phoenix for Krys Kolanos. (Eventually, Kolanos was included in the trade to the Pens for Mark Recchi).
Word on the street was that the youngster had a very poor work ethic. While he was able to excel using skill alone in the junior league, his skill could not translate to success in the NHL without enough elbow grease to go along with it. His nonchalant, seemingly lazy attitude did not sit well with many fans and some Caniacs nicknamed him "Krispy Kreme" because he was allegedly seen multiple times at the doughnut place in North Raleigh. It also looked like the skater gained some weight, (unconfirmed), during his brief stay in Carolina.
...
http://redblackhockey.blogspot.ca/2005/09/b-team-canes-lose-in-shootout.htmlBetter Know A Carolina Hurricanes: Pavel “Krispy Kreme” Brendl
by Matthew Barlowe
11/12/2016
...
Like in Philadelphia, Brendl spent the majority of his time switching between the AHL and the NHL club. Brendl spent even less time in the NHL with the Canes than he did with the Flyers. Coaches and the media began to question his commitment to the team. His effort on the ice was questioned along with his diet. It appeared that Brendl put on some weight while he was with the Hurricanes. Several Canes fans noted that he was also a regular at certain donut shops in north Raleigh, leading to the nickname “Krispy Kreme.”
...
http://redblackhockey.blogspot.ca/2005/09/big-joe-shines-again.htmlMonday, September 19, 2005
B-team Canes lose in shootout
Posted by d-lee at 12:16 PM
After decimating the Capitals on Friday night, the Canes sent in a different lineup against the Panthers. On Sunday, we didn't see Rod Brind'Amour, Corey Stillman, Justin Williams, Oleg Tverdovsky, Ray Whitney or Andrew Ladd¹. Those are some pretty key guys to miss, but that's what pre-season is all about; we've gotta give everyone a shot. We already know those guys (except Ladd) are on the team, and we already know about their work. We need to see what everyone else has.
...
Krispy is absolutely HORRIBLE. I focused on him for a little while, and I watched him hanging out by the Florida blue line, while Florida was down in our end having an unofficial powerplay. I'm not kidding. He was just STANDING there, 100 feet away from the action. He did this on two different occasions. He's a bum. A total bum. Oodles of raw talent, but no drive. We've been overly patient with this guy, and he hasn't paid dividends. We need to relegate him to Lowell, or maybe even release him outright.
...
http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showpost.php?p=40372&postcount=12Friday, September 23, 2005
Big Joe shines again
Posted by d-lee at 12:02 PM
...
Here's a guy with loads of raw talent, but very little desire. I've written this dozens of times. He signed a two-way contract where the disparity was significant. If he had made the big club, he would have made $899,745. Unfortunately for him, he didn't put forth any effort in training camp, so he will make a meager $35,000 playing in Lowell. I'm disappointed in his lack of effort, but relieved that he won't be on the big club, frightening us on a nightly basis. For Brendl, the lack of effort cost him $864,745. In terms that are easier for him to understand, that's 157,226 dozen original glazed doughnuts from Krispy Kreme ¹.
...
¹ based on the local price of $5.19/dozen plus tax.
http://www.coyotescorner.net/viewtopic.php?p=32458&sid=d736ca7d69013db23e9901af64f61650#p32458Stats, schmats.
Pavel Brendl is the laziest player I've ever seen. And trust me, I had plenty of opportunity to taunt him ... I mean ... watch him "play" (if that's what you called it) in Lowell.
A friend of mine talks to scouts, and they've told her that he's scored some of the laziest goals they've ever seen (including the laziest hat trick). Yes, maybe he tips a few in, but he doesn't do more than stand in front of the net.
I also heard Kelly Hrudey say (in the game where Pavel got hurt, but the intermission before he got hurt) that the kid was lazy and it looked like he didn't want to play the game. Hrudey said if that was the case, Brendl should get off the ice and leave the slot for someone who does.
There's a good reason why every time the guy hit the ice last year, the Lowell fans all yelled "BREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN-DEEEEEEEEEEEEEL".
He's not playing in Lowell this year, and I can't pretend I'm sad to hear it.
http://www.letsgocanes.com/forum/showthread.php?2454-Game-Thread-Canes-at-Toronto-2-23-04&p=73543#post73543(SCREAMING!!!!) Oh God what was Barnett thinking! Brendl is EXTREMELY LAZY!!! He has the skills but won't do anything, he has absolutely no heart according to everything i've read/heard on him since he arrived on the scene. Example: Kelly hrudey was doing commentary before a hurricanes game last nhl season for cbc and he talked about Brendl and this is almost exactly what he said: "Pavel Brendl has all the tools to be a threat in the NHL but he has quite possibly the worst work ethic I have ever seen. I watched him in the warmup tonight and he didn't even break a sweat, he just stood around and didn't skate or participate in very many of the drills and just took a few shots in the entire warmup. This is when you get ready mentally and physically for the game and he didn't do either, and it's not just tonight that i'm basing this on, this has been the main knock on this guy throughout his career, all the skills but no desire or heart to play the game." That was everything he mentionned but I don't remember how he set it up word by word but i'm very close.
Pavel, stay down. You're not doing anything tonight, so you might as well take the rest of the night off.
Kelly Hrudey showed, ad nauseum, just how "much" effort Brendl is giving tonight during the first intermission. Pathetic. I hope he's OK, but he needs a wake up call, a kick in the a$$, a ticket back to Lowell, or any combination of those.
Aaryn
BACK ON THE OFFENSIVE?; Despite an NHL-low goal total last season, Hurricanes may not necessarily go for offensive players early in entry draft
BYLINE: MIKE POTTER
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. D1
LENGTH: 927 words
The Herald-Sun (Durham, NC)
June 23, 2004 Wednesday
Final Edition
RALEIGH -- When Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford looks to the NHL Entry Draft coming up this weekend at the RBC Center, he knows he needs to pick up a few good men.
Just two seasons after playing in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Hurricanes have needs at almost every position.
The most obvious worry last season, when the Hurricanes finished 28-34-14-6 and third in the Southeast Division, was scoring.
The Hurricanes allowed a respectable 209 goals, eighth best in the Eastern Conference. But the 172 they scored were the fewest in the entire league.
"It's clear we need to score more goals," Rutherford said. "But I think we have some young guys who are going to take that next step. [Pavel] Brendl has the potential. [Justin] Williams will score 20 or more, as will [Eric] Staal and [Josef] Vasicek. Hopefully they can do it at the same time.
...
GMs look for holiday deals: Goaltending hot commodity as NHL lifts trade embargo
BYLINE: Pierre LeBrun, The Canadian Press
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. D2
LENGTH: 714 words
Ottawa Citizen
December 29, 2005 Thursday
EARLY Edition
The NHL's holiday roster freeze has come and gone and general managers were back on the phone yesterday.
The Carolina Hurricanes made a pair of minor moves, acquiring rugged winger Stephen Peat from the Washington Capitals in exchange for minor-league veteran Colin Forbes and sending forward Pavel Brendl to the Phoenix Coyotes in exchange for centre Krys Kolanos.
Both Kolanos and Peat will report to Lowell of the AHL.
"Everybody wondered when the trade market was going to open up and we were first to go," Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said half-heartedly yesterday.
...
Around the Rinks
BYLINE: Compiled by Todd Kimberley, From Herald News Services; Calgary Herald
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. D7
LENGTH: 549 words
The Calgary Herald (Alberta)
February 6, 2006 Monday
Final Edition
...
He's got 11 career NHL goals and three trades on his resume after nearly five pro seasons.
Now, Pavel Brendl is getting another chance to prove himself -- even if the former Calgary Hitmen star has "first-round bust" written all over him.
The Phoenix Coyotes summoned Brendl from AHL San Antonio on Saturday, hoping he'll discover the major junior touch that led the New York Rangers to pick him fourth overall in the 1999 draft.
"I didn't really feel that much pressure" to perform, Brendl tells the Arizona Republic.
"My own expectations were probably higher than everybody else's. It just wasn't the right team or the right time," says the Czech Republic native, who led the WHL with 73 goals and 134 points seven years ago.
"Hopefully, this is a fresh start for me and I can finally be the player that everyone expects and I expect for myself."
...
A few displays of skill and an unbelievable shot in this highlight package:TRANSACTIONS
SECTION: Section D; Column 6; Sports Desk; Pg. 4
LENGTH: 686 words
The New York Times
February 9, 2006 Thursday
Late Edition - Final
...
PHOENIX COYOTES--Assigned F Pavel Brendl to San Antonio of the AHL.
...
I used to watch him when he was with the hitmen and honestly he was one of the most impressive WHL players I have ever seen. I thought he would be a 40+ goal scorer in the NHL.
Shows what I know LOL!
Thought he was going to go number 1 in the 99 draft. Should have been able to find a PP-specialist job on the point or left circle based on his shot alone. Great realease, rather good instincts on where to bee and always seemed to get the shot off on the onetimer. Also had quite a good backhand-shot when in close. Really thoght he would be a constant 30+ scorer. A place on a second line with a decent playmaker and a cleaning lady + 1PP-dutie seemed like his low bar when drafted.
Somewhat "proved" for 4 seasons 06-07/09-10 that he can produce in high talented leauges. At least in Sweden he was "protected" on two teams with great team work ethic, letting Brendl play his game. His own work ethic on the other hand was to low for the NHL I suppose. Haven´t seened him play in a couple of years, but 2 goals in 19 games i the NLA is just terrible.
Brendls shot is one of the best I've ever seen. It is probably top3 all-time in SEL.
When he was playing for both Mora and Brynäs you knew that once they got a powerplay there was only one guy that you had to make sure couldn't shoot but it didn't matter, he would still score with his slapper anyway. His slapshot was so hard and accurate that it wouldn't matter if the goaltender could see the puck, it was still almost impossible to stop it.
One of Brendls problems was that he usually didn't have to work that hard - he would score his goals anyway because of his ability to shoot the puck alone. It sometimes felt like that he was so aware of that he would score goals that he didn't have the urge to fight to score once he had the opportunity to do so when he had to work for it. He was also a bad skater and hated to play in his own zone, that is why he was a minus -17 in two season despite scoring 112 points in 108 games (which is fantastic for SEL).
It is tempting to play with the though of Brendl playing with Malkin and Crosby on Pittsburghs powerplay, I actually think he could have scored well over 35 goals in that environment a few years ago solely based on how good his shot was.
Pavel Brendl had the best release of any prospect drafted during the dead puck era for my money. Including all the names you're thinking about right now. What he did not have was elite skating, elite conditioning, or a desire to work on any of his weaknesses provided he was filling the net. He was consistently overweight at the start of camp, disinterested unless he was playing with the NHL club, and a borderline pariah in the dressing room considering his skill level to work ethic. I remember when Carolina gave him a chance and watching him compared to Jeff O'Neill it was like ..... one of these guys scores 30 every year and and hit 40 once and it's not the guy you'd think from watching them practice. Brendl is still one of the few guys that I can say I have seen beat goaltenders consistently with unscreened wrist shots. There was just no way to tell when the puck was coming off because his release was so sneaky. There exists zero doubt in my mind that Brendl would have had the ability to score 40 goals a season even in a time when that meant a lot more. The 2003-2004 Carolina Hurricanes were literally one of the worst offensive hockey teams in the history of the sport and he posted 5 goals in 18 games when given his only legit shot to stick around in Carolina. Sadly, he would suffer an injury on a hit from Bryan McCabe if I remember and separate his shoulder and ending his season and effectively his NHL career.
The poster boy for talent vs. work ethic. He should have been great.
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Should've got a job in a wiener factory...
