[ah123]

Cool article about Johnny's "welcome back tour". Love the comparison to Doug Flutie

York first saw Gaudreau play at age 15, at a hockey festival in Syracuse. While other coaches and scouts scoffed at his size, York had a knack for developing undersize players like Brian Gionta, Nathan Gerbe and Cam Atkinson. York realized Gaudreau took advantage of his superior vision to compensate for size deficiencies.

“He was like 135 coming to school,” said York, who was talking about his weight and who thought a more fitting football comparison for Gaudreau was to Doug Flutie, the 5-foot-10 Boston College alumnus who played 12 years in the N.F.L. “You had to be concerned. But once you watched him play, it became not a factor. He knows how to utilize the whole ice surface. His hockey I.Q. is right off the charts. He’s elusive and knows where to go and handles the puck well.”

Another affirming moment occurred when the Rangers visited Calgary in December. Gaudreau had dinner with Hayes and Martin St. Louis, a 5-foot-8 player, whom he grew up idolizing.
“Marty was asking him questions, Johnny was asking him questions; it was a pretty cool experience,” Hayes said.
Last month, Gaudreau was also able to get advice from players like Jonathan Toews at the All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio. The charisma of Johnny Hockey quickly became the buzz of the weekend.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/25/sp...ef=hockey&_r=0