[sureLoss]

Burke on Johnny:
http://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/20...O0K/story.html

“There is everything but his size to like about him,’’ said Burke, who generally prefers to stock his rosters with bigger, rougher sorts. “Sure, it’s a question. But his skill set is so high. His hockey IQ. His vision. His passing. His scoring. When he’s on the ice, he makes everyone around him dangerous. Will he fill out to, say, 180 pounds? Well, he hasn’t grown much in the last couple of years, so we’re not counting on that. But it’s reasonable to think he can add another 10 pounds of weight, muscle.


“You see him play, he leaps out at you. So it will be a challenge, but I’d say if there’s a kid who can do it, he’s the one.’’

York on Johnny compared to other former smaller BC players:

“Johnny is a little more cerebral. He sees things more and utilizes his other players more than, say, Atkinson and Gerbe and Gionta,’’ said York. “He is more of a chess player on the ice. Gionta, Gerbe, Atkinson all were little fire hydrants, where Johnny is just, well, there’s hardly anything to him at all. But he’s very elusive.

“His ability to create something out of nothing is incredible. He will see you over here, almost like a great point guard, like a Larry Bird or Magic [Johnson]. It surprises people. If it was a basketball [his passes] would hit you on the head.’’

Like many of the his best players over the years at BC, said York, Gaudreau also is without ego.

“If I brought you into our locker room and I walked you around the room and you thought, ‘OK, who is the difference-maker here?’ you’d walk right by him. His whole demeanor. He is very, very quiet. There’s nothing that would make you stop at his stall and say, ‘This guy is the difference-maker in tonight’s game.’ You’d never expect that. He just sort of blends in, where Gionta and Gerbe had more, ‘Hey, I’m standing up . . . I’m the guy.’ Their persona was like that. Then Johnny, the game starts and all of a sudden it’s, ‘Whoa! This is the guy . . . this is the guy!’ ’’