The thing is, even though he's a late birthdate player, he's in his 16 year old hockey season. Hockey players are grouped by birth year and are considered as a birth year for all of thier hockey lives. Players who play with players of the next birth year at the next level of hockey are considered to be "playing up" as underagers. This may be built around technicalities but that's how the system works.
The big difference over the years can be physical maturity. Players born earlier in a year often have a physical advantage over the players who are much younger. This is where actually watching the players makes all the difference. Since everyone matures at a different rate, some players who are born late in a year may have an advantage over players born earlier in a year. You can't see things like this when simply using stats as the measuring stick. Frolik might have been older in the same year of development but Czechexpert says he was much less physically developed than Frk is now. That's much more relevant in scouting than whatever point per game ratio they might have had (especially considering the factors of playing in a stronger league or having a more favorable position on the team etc.). I don't think the comparison with schooling is an appropriate one to be honest as physical maturity is far less of a factor.
All in all, age/stat comparisons are a grey area when taken out of the context of watching players on the ice. Different people may look at this in different ways for various reasons. You've admitted yourself that you've got a bit of bias as a fan of Czech hockey so I'm not surprised you've taken the angle you're taking. I'd like to think I'm being objective in trying to highlight both sides of the argument.
I've made my point and you've made yours so unless you want to keep going with it I'll leave the thread alone for updates from you and whoever else may provide them. Hopefully more people will get to see him play as time goes by and we'll have more to put on the table.
Okay, better comparison. Rostislav Olesz played in Extraleague as 15 year old. He is decent NHL player but never will be more than solid third liner at NHL level. And he was physically as matured in very early age as Frk.
I don´t say that Frk won´t be good NHL-er and I actually hope he will be good but I don´t share your optimism.
Except he isn't. That's the problem with your argument. He's an extra year ahead in development and age group based on the years you used to compare the players. The seasons that Cagney used are the appropriate ones if you want to compare based on age.
He does however look like a very good prospect for the draft based on those numbers. Someone who should with continued development go in the top ten.
Your right, that is a pretty bad error on my part but in Czech republic the lines between age groups are very blurry.
When players start playing hockey their all grouped together, usually 4-8 year olds together. By the time most of these players were older then that they begun to play in higher age groups already so there was no distinction, just look at Frks history http://www.hokejkv.cz/hrac.asp?id=441. Assuming these players started playing hockey at approximately the same age, which might not be the case anyways, then they would have all been playing together. By the time Frk for example was 9 years old he was already playing above his age group, Frolik was also and im sure Voracek too. In any case you guys did make your point although I dont agree with it. I guess at this point we can just wait and watch, personally im hoping to make my way out there eventually this year/next year and catch a few of his games. I think we can all agree though that he is the best Czech player coming up at this point, aside from Musil(who I can vouch for as being the real deal as I watch almost all his games here in Vancouver).
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He was also selected as one of the 3 best players for the Czech team by the coaches along with line mate Petr Holik and goalie Libor Kasik.
http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/211/IHM211000_85J_1_0.pdf
Tied for the team lead in points with Holik with 6games - 2goals - 5assists-7points.
2009-2010 season u20 juniors
39games - 28goals - 27assists - 55points - +8 - 184pim
playoffs
6games - 2goals - 3assists - 5points - +2 - 4pim
Keeps progressing nicely and leading at every level so far.
http://stats.iihf.com/Hydra/211/IHM211000_85J_1_0.pdf
Tied for the team lead in points with Holik with 6games - 2goals - 5assists-7points.
2009-2010 season u20 juniors
39games - 28goals - 27assists - 55points - +8 - 184pim
playoffs
6games - 2goals - 3assists - 5points - +2 - 4pim
Keeps progressing nicely and leading at every level so far.
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JeromeHP
Registered User
What the frk? This guy got drafted 3rd overall by Halifax in the import draft. Shouldn't he have gone a bit higher?
Thats not how the CHL draft works. Each team drafts players that they know will come over or are likely to come over to their respective team and league. In Frks case he might not have been willing to come to Prince George or Sarnia and they would have know that, Halifax on the other hand would have been likely a team he was willing to come to. Before Halifax drafted him they would have talked to him and he would have told them his plans.
My point is that unlike the NHL draft the CHL draft is not based on the potential of the player but the potential of the player to come to the team drafting him(and the teams talk to the players)
zorz
Registered User
- Mar 8, 2010
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Would have liked to see him develop in the OHL or WHL as he plays a very North American style of game and his physical play would thrive there much like Landeskog.
JeromeHP
Registered User
no what he's saying is that the Q is not on the same level as the whl/ohl in term of physical play
but for some people in the hockey world it tough to realized that the Q is not the high scoring/soft league it was 10 yrs ago. its a more defensive/physical league that its been given credit for
SensFan26
Registered User
I think he realizes where Halifax is, but he would have rather seen him go to one of the other leagues where they play more physically. In the Q they play a European type game on a NA ice surface, while the others are the typical North American style of hockey.
A bit strongly stated but basically what I meant to say. The OHL and WHL have records you can't ignore when it comes to player development, 1st round draft picks and the players they put in the NHL.
zorz
Registered User
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tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
bottomofthefoodchain
Registered User
zorz
Registered User
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I can understand where that mindset comes from. But it's simply not true. And I really wish people would stop subscribing to that idea, when, once again, it's simply not true.
Especially that Halifax's GM/coach is Cam Russell, who spent 10 NHL seasons working his butt off as a tough as nails defenseman.
As a GM, he's almost like the Q answer to Brian Burke. Skill in the top 6, grit in the bottom 6. And Frk has both. A perfect organization for Frk.
Just it would be nice if people could stop being so ignorant when talking about the Q in comparisons.
