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Theo Fleury enjoying the Gaudreau show
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“He’s got great vision, obviously. And great patience. He doesn’t panic and just throw the puck away. He makes plays that more seasoned guys usually make.
“That second goal (Sunday) night? Where he went in, button-curled and found (Jiri) Hudler in the slot? That’s the kind of stuff you’ve got to do. He’s SO quick. And he can do things in small spaces that big players absolutely cannot do.
“That’s what makes him special.
“He’s handled the pressure really well. I don’t know if he was a guy coming out of the Western league whether he’d be able to handle that kind of hype, but being from Boston College he’s had three years of seasoning there, they play a more mature game than in the Western League, and he’s really been impressive.
“His route to the NHL was very well planned out. And obviously he’s had great coaching and you can tell from the way he talks in interviews that he’s got a great family, had a great upbringing, so he’s mature for his age.”
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“He’s got some skill, no doubt about that,” lauds Fleury. “And he’s figured out pretty quickly how to play at that level. As a small player, you have to understand how to get room on the ice. And he has.
“In similarity, I see a guy who I played against most of my career, Cliff Ronning. Same kind of players. Small but really skilled.
“Cliffie almost ended up with 1,000 points in the NHL. Pretty good, right? If Johnny goes on to have a career like that, it’d be fantastic.”
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“And this, the Flames, is an ideal situation for him. Young team. Bring him along. I never had that luxury. I had to come in, on what was already a very good team, and make an impact immediately. Whereas he’s coming into an organization that’s upgrading its talent level. And he’s being looked at one of those upgrade guys.”
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“In this league, if you can get your team to work hard every night, from top to bottom, you’ve got a chance to win. A team like Montreal, went to the conference finals, in a city that absolutely loves them, adores them, they’re reading their press clippings right now and a team like Calgary goes in, out-competes them and beats them 6-2.
“When I played in Colorado for Bob Hartley, we had a talented team, but it was always about working hard and playing the system. And he’s changed his approach to coaching since then. You have to. When coaches move from place to place they learn, they get softer in their approach. There’s no other choice nowadays. You can’t have that old-school approach all the time anymore.
“Jacques Cloutier is a great guy. Marty Gelinas is a great guy. They’ve got good chemistry in their coaching staff and they’re playing like it. They’re playing like they believe they can win every night. When you get that going, anything can happen.”
Who exactly isn't enjoying the Gaudreau show? I like watching skilled guys like Kane, Jagr, Datsyuk, etc. Watching guys with an array of offensive moves and incredible skill is always such a treat as a hockey fan. Even if you aren't a Calgary Flames fan at all, it is just fun watching Gaudreau do his thing.
Who exactly isn't enjoying the Gaudreau show? I like watching skilled guys like Kane, Jagr, Datsyuk, etc. Watching guys with an array of offensive moves and incredible skill is always such a treat as a hockey fan. Even if you aren't a Calgary Flames fan at all, it is just fun watching Gaudreau do his thing.
Our favorite Flames supporter, Glenn Healy.
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Those are all excellent points by Theo. He'd make a better pundit than most of the jokers on Sportsnet and TSN these days.
Cliff Ronning is a decent comparison (which I've seen elsewhere but can't remember who made it). It's a bit more grounded than the Kariya and Gretzky comparisons.
I was thinking last night about how Gaudreau makes plays and can see special opportunities only because he is smaller and has that different P.O.V.. Should be food for thought for those who always said "If only he was 6 inches taller!"
Cliff Ronning is a pretty good comparable with Gaudreau having a bit more jitter bug in him. He's kind of like a cross between Ronning and Barry Sanders. His lateral moves at high speed can make defenders look ridiculous.
I see a bit of Alex Mogilny in him. Bigger than Johnny at 5'11, more of a goal-scorer but had the speed, hands, and ability to make plays in full flight that you don't see very often.
__________________ "If the oceans was whiskey and I was a duck, I'd swim to the bottom and never come up, but the oceans ain't whiskey, and I ain't no duck, so I'll play the Jack of Diamonds and toast to my luck..."
Cliff Ronning was more of a pure speedster versus Johnny, who if continues to succeed has more lateral movement in his game.
Ronning was pretty greasy in tight situations as well, and Johnny has some pretty decent wheels. I like the comparison, although no comparison is perfect.
Denis Savard was kind of on a whole different level compared to his peers at the time. Watching old highlights of his though, I can't help but think that his style would not do well in today's NHL.
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"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
I know people hate it, but for me, the quick choppy strides, the lateral movement that almost seems video-game-ish and not real, making plays from behind the net with quick changes in direction, and the incredible passing skills, remind me of one player. More than any one else has ever reminded me of him.
I just don't see what the problem is in making that comparison - doesn't mean I expect him to be as good.
Edit: also, I saw Gretzky a lot when he was younger - growing up in Ontario, as a kid, through junior, etc. People always said he wouldn't be able to handle the physicality but he would dart around bigger players with his choppy strides and frustrate the hell out of them. Different than the poised, smoother player that he became later in his career.
Last edited by Enoch Root; 11-04-2014 at 09:10 AM.
"No comparison is perfect" — hit the nail on the head. There hasn't really ever been a player like Gaudreau. Maybe that's why he's so damned exciting.
The way he gathers the puck in the neutral zone, gathers speed and flies over the opposition's blue line is reminiscent of Fleury. I haven't heard the dome get so excited about a player since Theo's days either. The size is about the same, but they are very different players in many other ways.
I expect him to put up similar point totals to Theo, but maybe more of an assist/goal ratio.
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If anyone knows what Gaudreau needs to do to be successful in the NHL -- it's Fleury. And what not to do, too.
Gaudreau reminds me of Steve Sullivan when he was at the top of his game in Chicago. Hopefully Gaudreau avoids the injuries that plagued Sullivan's career. But Sullivan had a knack for creating goals out of thin air and was incredibly shifty.
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Funny. Both similar in size, but Fleury was like a bull in a china shop, and Johnny's like a swan diving into water...
Truth is Fleury did a lot of hitting but except for the odd beating in front of the net he didn't get hit much, he was very elusive in traffic and along the boards. he took a lot of cheap shots though because of his big mouth.
Theo Fleury enjoying the Gaudreau show
