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Tomas Mrsic is expected to make his debut with the Medicine Hat Tigers this weekend. The 15-year-old forward was taken eighth overall in last week's WHL Prospects Draft.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
“For Tomas, it’s not just his skill, it’s his leadership and character that are really great too.”
That was one of the first things Medicine Hat Tigers head coach and general manager Willie Desjardins said about eighth overall pick Tomas Mrsic after signing him on Monday.
Desjardins didn’t boast about the centreman’s 27 goals and 58 points in only 16 games this season with the Delta Hockey Academy Prep team, but made it clear that Mrsic is bringing leadership qualities to the Tigers.
“I’ve heard so many great things about him as a person, his leadership and whenever you hear that you know that comes out of the family,” Desjardins said Monday. “It kind of reflects not only on him but his family. They’ve done a great job. Just with his skills, he’s an all-around player that’s going to fit into our program.”
Mrsic described himself as someone who can play at each end of the ice, and both dish and shoot the puck. Just like Desjardins, the 15-year-old calls himself a leader.
“I think I bring leadership,” Mrsic said. “On my team this year I am assistant captain so I bring the boys up, make them better.”
Having the influence of a head coach with NHL experience is something that Mrsic says made signing with the Tigers even more attractive. It isn’t lost on him to hear Desjardins compliment his skills and abilities.
“It’s meant a lot. Obviously any NHL coach saying really good things about you just makes you want to be better and play better,” Mrsic said.
The Surrey, B.C. product has been practising with the orange and black this week and looks to dress for his first WHL action this weekend in the Tabbies home-and-home series on Friday and Saturday against the Lethbridge Hurricanes.
Tigers associate coach Joe Frazer said Tuesday that Mrsic has fit right in during practice.
“You can tell he’s got high hockey IQ, lots of skill and he can really shoot a puck,” Frazer said. “So it’s been great to see him so far.”
Mrsic says the rest of the Tigers have been good to him in practices so far, and that he’s enjoyed the drills. He said most of those drills have been similar to what he’s been doing with the Delta Hockey Academy, as his coach there, Sumeet Wareh, was an assistant coach and video coach with the Tabbies.
Mrsic said Wareh and Delta’s assistant coach Yogi Svejkovsky, Lukas’ dad, told him a lot about the Tigers before he signed in the Hat.
“Sumeet said it was great spot so that’s one of the reason’s I wanted to come here and Yogi’s kid’s here and I know he’s really skilled, so that made me want to come here,” Mrsic said.
Lukas Svejkovsky had high praise for Mrsic after practice Tuesday.
“I’ve known him ever since he was little, knowing his family a little bit, but that’s a huge pick for the future of this organization,” Svejkovsky said. “He’s a really good player, super skilled and smart, which you don’t see many guys like that nowadays. He’s going to be a huge key to the future here.”
When he’s not at the rink working on his shot, Mrsic spends a majority of his time watching sports. Whether it’s cheering on the Canucks, his Chicago Bears or golfer Bryson Dechambeau, Mrsic is always following sports.
He says he likes Dechambeau for his ability to play well and hit the ball far and thinks very highly of his own game.
“I’m pretty good.”
Being good at golf is a common trait of excelling at hockey and with confidence in his golf game and the stats to back up his play on the ice, the trend seems true with Mrsic.
The second half of the trend applies to his teammates with Delta Hockey Academy, as 12 of them joined Mrsic in being selected in this year’s WHL Prospect Draft. Including the newest Tiger, five of them went in the first round.
Mrsic said it was an exciting day for the team and academy.
“Everyone was very excited obviously, some guys didn’t know where they were going but everyone where they ended up was extremely excited,” Mrsic said.
He found out where he would start his WHL career after getting off the ice from finishing practice.
“We were on the ice so as a couple of guys were in the dressing room as soon as I came off they were like, ‘you went eighth overall to the Tigers,'” Mrsic said. “I was so excited I didn’t know what to do.”
One of the other 12 players drafted from Delta was forward Cayden Lindstrom, who went 54th overall to Medicine Hat. Mrsic says he was very happy to hear he would be joined in the WHL by his teammate.
“We are very good boys, we have classes together, always hang out together and we live near each other. He’s a great guy,” Mrsic said.
Tigers forward Oren Shtrom had high praise for Mrsic and says that after only two practices with him, he’s probably the best ’06-born player he’s seen, if not the best, and added he’ll be a great addition for the up-coming years.
That’s been the same message Mrsic says the Tigers have told him. Get ready for next year in the WHL.
“They’ve just been saying work hard and prepare for next year because they want me to be a good player in the league next year,” Mrsic said.
