No promises, no guarantees...just a hope 17-year-old Martin Beck will be an impact player for the Western Hockey League's Moose Jaw Warriors.
The Warriors are hoping Beck, a 17-year-old Czech Republic centre, will be the League's next Pavel Brendl, the 1998-99 WHL and Canadian Hockey League Rookie of the Year and first round pick - fourth overall - of the New York Rangers.
"We're pleased...we think he's going to be a pretty good player," said Warrior general manager Ralph Schmidt who picked Beck in the first round - 31st overall - in Thursday's Canadian Hockey League import draft.
"We're hoping he'll be coming to camp. His agent wants to keep him (in Canada) and we'd love to see him here in August."
While a relative unknown commodity to the Warriors, Beck does have at least one thing in common with Brendl, besides being a European forward. Beck's father was Brendl's coach before the Czech sensation came over to Canada to star with the Calgary Hitmen.
The 6'0", 163-pound Beck is presently training at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
"He's a little light right now but the guy I've been talking to at Dalhousie says he's solid and very good in traffic," Schmidt said. "He's been playing with university players and pros and the guy at Dalhousie sounds very excited about him.
"His agent really wants him to stay in Canada and he sounded pretty positive that he'll come (to Moose Jaw)."
Round 2 of the import draft goes today, though the Warriors will pass on their pick. Clubs are only allowed two import players and the Warriors now have their two - Beck and netminder Rastislav Stana who will be entering his second year with the club this fall.
Alex Andreyev is also an import, though as a 20-year-old this season he'd be considered a non-import. Andreyev has signed with the Phoenix Coyotes and that, plus the fact the Warriors will have an abundance of 20-year-olds this season, means it's unlikely Andreyev will fit into the Warriors' plans this season.
Beck, however, might be a different story.
A member of the Czech Republic's under-18 national squad, there's a chance Beck will return home next month for the world under-18 tourney - to be held in his homeland - though Schmidt hopes to see him at the Moose Jaw Civic Centre, perhaps as early as Aug. 16 when conditioning camp begins.
By Rick Moore
Times Herald Sports Editor
Taken from the Moose Jaw Times Herald (Friday, July 9, 1999)
