Regardless of what sport is being talked about a common phrase heard is that you can’t teach size. It looks like the Spokane Chiefs and coach Don Nachbaur of the WHL agree with this when they drafted Tamás Láday a 6’7 defenceman from Székesfehérvár.
Spokane is a team that has regularly been in the WHL playoffs.
Láday has taken another giant step towards potential becoming the first Hungarian to play an NHL game. The NHL is still a ways off but making it to Canada is not, Láday was the 42nd pick in the 1st round of the 2014 CHL Import draft. In theory he will be spending the 2014-15 season with the Chiefs but he will know more once they get in contact with him.
“I think its my biggest achievement in my life so far, I'm really excited,” said Láday after being drafted. “I can’t wait for the team to get in contact with me, and the start of the season.”
With a productive season he should be able to elevate his draft stalk and should have a good chance of being picked in the 2015 NHL entry draft.
What can he expect playing in Canada and the WHL? For this question former WHL and current Miskolc forward Tyler Metcalfe gave an answer.
“He can expect to play in the best junior hockey league in the world. The CHL and specifically the WHL consistently lead the world in producing NHL players. One of the reasons why is because the league resembles the NHL structure,” said Metcalfe. “All teams are top notch organizations and the seasons see more games than European leagues (pre season games, 72 regular season, plus 4 rounds of best of 7 playoffs and maybe a Memorial Cup if you're lucky), more travel as well with some teams being more than 25 hours apart and teams bus everywhere.”
When asked to critique his game and to have an idea what the Chiefs might have seen in him Láday said “I think I'm an offensive minded defenceman I can make good passes in all three zones, I have big shot but I have to work on my accuracy.”
He did have a goal and four assists in five games at the U18 world championships and two goals, five assists at the U20 world championships this past year.
“I have the size for this sport but i have to learn how to use it.”
“Tamás’s size allows us to get bigger as a team, an area which we felt we needed to improve on,” said Chiefs Director of Player Personnel Chris Moulton on their website. “He is not afraid to engage physically.”
Láday has spent the past four seasons playing for Székesfehérvár’ U18 team as well as two season on the U20 team, both sides play in the Hungarian as well as the Austrian leagues.
Even though there are 60 teams picking through two rounds of the CHL import draft not every team used their two picks, therefore there were only 71 players drafted in this years import draft. Unfortunately there was no other Hungarians among the 70 other players drafted. Going 1st overall was Pavel Zacha from Liberec from the Czech Republic and 2nd was Vladislave Kamenev from the KHL. Kamenev was also the second round pick of the Nashville Predators in last weekends NHL entry draft.
Probably Metcalfe said it the best to understand what opportunity awaits Láday: “Getting drafted gets you in the door then the hard work begins.”
Words: Szabolcs Závodszky @Zavodszky
Photo: László Mudra