Pavel Brendl: The Ridiculous Story ("Hot dogs and wieners is the best food for me.")

[seventieslord]

Awesome work!

Now do Alexandre Volchkov.

Yes, please!


Here's a start:

Having had enough of his poor attitude and chronic underachieving, the Capitals traded Volchkov to the Edmonton Oilers on February 4, 2000, for a fourth round draft pick, but he never played with the parent club. Former Oilers’ GM Kevin Lowe, then the team’s coach, recalled his first training camp meeting with Volchkov in which the player insisted on being referred to as ‘The Volch-inator‘. After just twenty-five games with the Oilers’ minor league affiliate Hamilton Bulldogs, team management soured on his poor attitude, and he returned to play in Russia.”

 

[sr edler]

I get that some guys in their young 20s are immature and has poor attitudes but if he really insisted that his NHL coach called him the "Volchinator", that's....

I don't have words.

 

[aemoreira1981]

I get that some guys in their young 20s are immature and has poor attitudes but if he really insisted that his NHL coach called him the "Volchinator", that's....

I don't have words.

The Barrie Colts of that era were just something! The only player to have any repute in the NHL was Martin Skoula, although Sheldon Keefe could be a future NHL head coach.

 

[aemoreira1981]

Could you compare him to Kirill Kabanov? Seems like he was a semi-similar case to Brendl.

I remember Kabanov's draft year, he was insanely hyped, had world class talent, excellent shot.. but in the end it just didn't work out for him.

Kirill Kabanov, who has been cut by two KHL teams and is now a free agent, just has a bad attitude and doesn't like to be coached...not unlike Nikita Filatov. A difference is that Kabanov was red-flagged early and fell through the draft. His only productive season since leaving North America was 2014-15 with Skelleftea in the SHL. He might be done with hockey and he isn't 25 yet.

No rebound Filatov might be a better option. Was he red flagged before the draft?

 

[decma]

No rebound Filatov might be a better option. Was he red flagged before the draft?

I remember a lot of discussion about how much the team that drafted him would have to pay to the KHL, but I don't recall reading anything about him having a bad attitude or anything like that.

Re his failure in Clb, Brassard and Voracek also struggled there, and were much maligned. All three were labelled as draft busts. Maybe the issue wasn't with them but with the organization.

 

[Mayor Bee]

[deleted]

 

[decma]

I thought that Brassard and Voracek were doing fine in Clb, and were unfairly blamed for the team's struggles. They were widely viewed as being draft failures.


From Edmonton Journal, Feb 4, 2010 (right after Hitchcock was fired):

Hitchcock, who has 533 career wins, was done in by several things:

- -Shaky goaltending from 2009 rookie of the year Steve Mason, who has a 3.28 goals-against average and .890 save percentage this season after recording 10 shutouts last year. Last year, Mason got the Blue Jackets into the playoffs with the players feeding off his inspired play. This season, he has looked like a nervous Nellie.

- -Young centre Derrick Brassard, their top draft in 2008, has also struggled badly this season. He has scored only 24 points and has a minus-20 rating. His average ice-time is only 14 minutes.

- -Winger Jakub Voracek, a first-rounder in 2007, only has 28 points and is minus-12. There was constant carping that Hitchcock was too hard on the kids, but he had reportedly backed off after the team's troubles through late November and December.

- -Veteran defenceman Mike Commodore, a huge part of the shutdown pairing with Jan Hejda last year, has suffered through medical problems and indifferent play. There were also injuries to one of their best blue-liners, Rostislav Klesla, and very ordinary work by another defensive mainstay, Fedor Tyutin, which kept the puck in the Columbus end far too long.

From Ottawa Citizen, Oct. 24, 2011:

The Blue Jackets have failed to take advantage of the draft, the NHL's chief way of helping uncompetitive franchises recover as quickly as possible. Take a look at their top 10 picks over the years: Rostislav Klesla, Pascal Leclaire, Rick Nash, Nikolai Zherdev, Alexandre Picard (the forward, not the defenceman), Gilbert Brule, Derick Brassard, Jakub Voracek and Nikita Filatov. Nash, the first overall selection in 2002, is the lone star of the bunch.

Ottawa Citizen, July 5, 2012:

It's no great secret that the Blue Jackets haven't capitalized on the draft. Nash is the only big success story. The club's early first-round picks have included Rostislav Klesla, Pascal Leclaire, Nikolai Zherdev, Alexandre Picard, Gilbert Brule, Derick Brassard, Jakub Voracek and Nikita Filatov.

Some of them were rushed too soon, some of them clashed with coaches and some didn't develop.

 

[Merya]

Not so fast, my friend! Pavel Brendl reminds me of Pat Falloon with 10 times worse conditioning, or the NHL's version of JaMarcus Russell.



Western Hockey League regular seasons aren't much shorter at 72 games.

SHL and KHL are 60. Junior games can't really be compared.

 

[RandyBobandi]

I remember him just floating around the red line in junior waiting for a pass lol Thanks for posting that was a great read!

 

[threetimer*]

Brendl: "Hurry up and take picture so I can get weiners out of equipment bag and roast them on my hockey stick. Mmmmm, roasted weiners."

Has anyone else noticed Brendl has fingers like a female harpist? And he is clenching a hockey stick. Not sure where all the wiener meat went.

When you think about it, his pets have it good. Unless he is too lazy to pat.

 

[Fantomas]

Yes, please!


Here's a start:

I think Mr. Kevin Lowe just has a poor sense of humor. "This ridiculous Russian, who barely spoke any English, once insisted to be called Volchinator and he was completely serious I insist!"

 

[seventieslord]

I think Mr. Kevin Lowe just has a poor sense of humor. "This ridiculous Russian, who barely spoke any English, once insisted to be called Volchinator and he was completely serious I insist!"

that's definitely possible.

 

[GarbageGoal]

Random thought: I'm pretty sure Bret Hart once wore his number 8 Hitman jersey on an episode of WCW Monday Nitro.

 

[popo]

Random thought: I'm pretty sure Bret Hart once wore his number 8 Hitman jersey on an episode of WCW Monday Nitro.

Yup...

 

[Brodeur]

If there was ever a jersey which personified Bret's time in WCW........

 

[GMR]

If there was ever a jersey which personified Bret's time in WCW........

I gotta tell you, I really enjoyed this thread and actually like Pavel Brendl more now after reading it. I didn't know about these stories. This guy was a character. Sort of a Jagr-esque personality.

 

[Brodeur]

I wish this article was still archived, if only to serve as a reminder to not make definitive statements the day after the draft:

Smith's moves sure to pay off

By ERIC FRANCIS -- Calgary Sun
It's a scary day when Neil Smith and his New York Rangers walk away the clear winners of the NHL entry draft.

More accustomed to trying to buy proven talent, Smith did well to pick up future superstars Pavel Brendl and Jamie Lundmark who will, in the long run, be better players than the Bobbsey Twins in Vancouver, who many figure would be lost without one another.

 

[billybudd]

Incredible stuff. Always wondered what his problem was.

There's a "Beech" mention in there. That guy was a real piece of work, too. What a draft class.

 

[popo]

I wish this article was still archived, if only to serve as a reminder to not make definitive statements the day after the draft:

I think there is already enough evidence in existence to conclude not to listen to anything Eric Francis has to opine.

 

[Brodeur]

Incredible stuff. Always wondered what his problem was.

There's a "Beech" mention in there. That guy was a real piece of work, too. What a draft class.

I need to upload this NHL Cool Shots segment with behind the scenes snippets from that draft. Some unintentionally hilarious stuff on there. One in particular is Caps GM George McPhee being excited because "there's a guy who's exactly what we need" and then the camera cuts to Kris Beech in the crowd.

 

[NickLidstrom]

Wasn't Brendl a random beast on the NHL games a couple years ago ?

He could be a PPG player on NHL 10.

 

[CrazyCanucks]

And people dont give the due respect to the Twins. What an asshat Brendl is. Henrik already there and Danny getting to 1000 next year they are HoF players, soooo glad Burkie traded for them they way he did!

 

[JA]

You Brendl fans out there can enjoy this GIF of Pavel's breakaway goal at the 1999 Memorial Cup Final.

 

[Damisoph]

I wish this article was still archived, if only to serve as a reminder to not make definitive statements the day after the draft:

lol Eric Francis...one of the biggest homers this side of Jack Todd.

 

[Kravchuk]

Yes, please!


Here's a start:

Another vote for the Volchinator!

Thanks for a great read!