Adam Tambellini's Player Profile:
http://www.bchl.ca/leagues/rosters_profile.cfm?clientID=1413&leagueID=2393&teamID=378208&playerID=821203
This was in the Vancouver Province Newspaper:
NHL Draft: Adam Tambellini of the Surrey Eagles is expected to be first BCHL player picked on Sunday
By Jim Jamieson, The ProvinceJune 26, 2013
You might think that Adam Tambellini’s hockey bloodlines are enough to get him to a professional hockey career, but he’s done enough on his own to show he’s got a bright future, even if his name were Smith or Jones.
Son of Steve Tambellini — the one-time NHL player, former Canucks executive and ex-Edmonton Oilers GM — and brother of Jeff, who has 242 NHL games under his belt, including a season in Vancouver, Adam is also the grandson of Addie Tambellini — a member of the 1961 world champion Trail Smoke Eaters.
Adam is ranked 42nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting and he’s expected to the first B.C. Hockey League player taken in Sunday’s NHL Draft, possibly as early as the bottom of the second round.
If there has been a burden of expectation because of his last name, Tambellini isn’t showing it.
“I think it’s great to have that,” said Adam, 18, who was born in Port Moody, but moved to Edmonton in 2008 when his father was hired as the Oilers GM.
“I get to look up to those guys and see what they did in their careers to make them successful. All three of those guys are extremely hard working and if I can take a little bit from their game and how they treat people and the way they do their business, I’ll do that for sure.”
A left-shot centre who’s close to 6-foot-3 and a lanky 172 pounds, Adam is taking a similar route to Jeff, 29, though with different stops. He’s just finished his second and final season in the BCHL, beginning with the Vernon Vipers and finishing up with the Surrey Eagles via a mid-season trade this season — whereas Jeff played in Chilliwack during his BCHL days. After the trade Adam scored nearly two points a game and a point a game in the playoffs as Surrey won the BCHL championship. The performance also boosted his Central Scouting rank from 62 at mid-season.
“He’s definitely his own person, taking his own route and wanted to be his own player,” said Jason Williamson, head coach of Vernon Vipers. “That’s really impressive about Adam, wanting to make his own name for himself.”
He has already with Williamson.
“He’s very smart for his age and anytime he gets the puck on the offensive side of the red line he’s very dangerous,” said Williamson. “His shot, his release are at an NHL level already so once he packs on a few more pounds it’s going to be quite scary.”
Getting thicker and stronger is the focus and that’s why Adam has chosen to play U.S. college hockey at University of North Dakota – not Michigan, where his brother played.
“I’d had North Dakota in the back of my mind for a while,” said Adam. “And when they brought me down there and showed me around and what they were offering me, I really couldn’t say no.”
A late-bloomer who was never drafted by the WHL, the college route will give him time to add some bulk onto his frame.
“U.S. college is a lighter schedule and there’s just more time in the gym during the week,” he said. “I can fill out a little more and hopefully be ready for the pro game.”
At the recent NHL Combine, Adam had the lowest body for any of the attendees (an amazing five per cent). He had interviews with 21 NHL teams at the combine, including the Canucks.
“It’s been kind of fun, watching him grow up from a shy little kid to this guy who’s 6-foot-4,” said brother Jeff, who’s signed to play for Modo in the Swedish Hockey League next season. “He’s always been a talented player.”
Williamson summed it up:
“I think he’s a lot more like his dad than his brother. The bloodlines don’t hurt, but if you give him a different last name, we’d still be talking about the same player.”
No comments:
Post a Comment