Quote:
Originally Posted by Robbob
He wasn't a captain or one of the assistants, in fact he was one of the handful of 18 year olds on the team. The majority of the team were 19 year olds.
In the American game he was on the top line and the ice for all three goals that the Slovaks scored (none against). I can't find any ice times from the juniors, but I don't recall him being benched. His line was typically the first one on after the Slovaks got scored on.
He was probably touted as one of the more skill players on the Slovak team, but they were always picked as a team that would struggle to score. I doubt many had them making it to the quarter finals.
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You can still be a leader without having a letter on the jersey. I recall from this past WJC that Ruzicka was one of just 3 Slovak players that were drafted. What this says to me is that he has had the experience of being part of an NHL development camp, playing in the Penticton tournament with other NHL-caliber prospects, etc. such that other players hoping to be drafted would look to him for advice. I agree that Ruzicka was touted as one of the more skilled players on the Slovak team, but he did not live up to those expectations because he didn't have the drive or compete. He didn't look good in my viewings. Of course, this is looking through the lens of an extremely small sample size but I also look to this years OHL playoffs where he struggled as well. That is why I have him ranked lower.