Voici un article de Mike Toth de Sportsnet.ca à propos d'un nouveau prodige... Le prochain Eric Lindros dit-on! En anglais seulement, désolé.
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He's the next, Next One. A player from Iceland about to take the NHL by storm.The history books tell us that Vikings discovered Iceland in the ninth century.
But hockey in Iceland?
That fact is just beginning to dawn on the NHL, and it's all because of a red-hot prospect in an ice-cold country.
His name is Sloof Lirpa, and you've probably never even heard of him. But when the NHL holds its entry draft in Vancouver this June, sources tell Sportsnet there's a good chance Lirpa will make his way to the podium. Squib Jackson spent the 1980's and early-90's bird-dogging for the Toronto Maple Leafs and now runs an independent scouting service.
"There hasn't been a lot of buzz around this kid," says Jackson. "But then again, Iceland isn't exactly on the beaten track."
No kidding.
With apologies to Squib, that's like saying he and the Leafs made an error in judgment when they took Jim Benning instead of Al MacInnis in the first round of the 1981 draft. Squeezed between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, Iceland's population is under 300,000. But in the tiny town of Reykjavik, big Sloof Lirpa cuts an imposing figure. Built like a Norse god, Lirpa is a chiseled 6' 4 and 240 lbs.
"He's exactly the same size as Eric Lindros and even though Sloof's only 18 years old, you can see that he's got loads of skill," raves Jackson.
Playing with the Reykjavik Reindeer in the Iceland Elite League, Lirpa is the loop's leading scorer. He's chalked up 62 goals and 74 assists in 36 games and with just a few days left in the regular season, the Reindeer have wrapped up first place.
But therein lies the problem.
You see, there are only two professional teams in Iceland; the Reindeer and the Akureyri Icebergs. And to be honest, even Aki Berg could be an all-star in a two-team league. In fact, three years ago, the league actually tried to stage an all-star game. But after realizing that every player in the league had been awarded a spot in the mid-season classic, the idea was put on the shelf after only one attempt.
"Sure, it would be great to see Sloof play against more competition," admits Jackson. "But I haven't seen a player with this much natural talent since I was with the Leafs and we picked Scott Pearson in the first round in 1988."
Ultimately, of course, that move didn't quite work out. But Jackson isn't the only one who has high hopes for Lirpa. Red Turner is the coach of the Reindeer. He moved to Iceland 20 years ago following a lengthy stint behind the bench at Northwest in the Winnipeg high school hockey system. Turner is the one who discovered Lirpa and will never forget the day he first laid eyes on him.
"One of the reasons I moved to Iceland is that I love the outdoors. About ten years ago, I was on my way to a whale hunt when the lead dog on my sled suddenly keeled over. Fortunately, the Lirpa family farm was just down the road and Mr. Lirpa came to the rescue, mushing his dog sled……..and Sloof was at the front with three Huskies pulling the darn thing!"
It turns out Lirpa's father is a fitness fanatic and often strapped young Sloof to a dog sled as the ultimate strength-building exercise. Because of erosion from numerous volcanic eruptions, there are almost no trees in Iceland. But Lirpa's legs are as large as the trunk of the biggest oak known to man.
"The kid has tremendous power," says Turner. "That's why I play him on the wing. When he uses his size and strength, he's almost impossible to keep away from the net."
Pete Gordon skated for Turner at Northwest High back in Winnipeg and is now a 38-year-old veteran playing out the string in Iceland. He centres Lirpa's line with the Reindeer and they've developed a close bond.
"I don't mind watching out for him because he's young and he's a good-looking kid, too," grins Gordon. "Last summer, my sister, Sarah, came over for a visit and I had to keep a close eye on Sloof because Sarah is set on becoming a nun."
So, Lirpa has an eye for the ladies but as the NHL draft approaches, he's doing his best to stay disciplined.
"Right now, we're working on his foot-speed," says Turner. "One of our favorite Sloof foot-drills is to have him stand out in the middle of a lake during the spring thaw. When the ice starts to melt, you've got to run like hell to make it to shore and Sloof's getting closer and closer every year."
So, it's old-school training for a new breed of hockey player.
His name is Sloof Lirpa
If you're smart, you'll study his name, front to back and back to front.
And trust me.
The Leafs are already checking him out.
After all, that's how they landed Landon Wilson in the first round back in '93.
I'll talk with you next week.
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Sam 1 Avr 2006 - 13:04
