Spacek adjusting his game on the fly

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This article was published 06/07/2016 (3389 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Michael Spacek’s horizons have broadened considerably in the last year.

The 19-year-old Czech, drafted in last summer’s fourth round by the Winnipeg Jets, now has a season under his belt in North America.

He finished sixth in WHL rookie scoring with 18 goals and 54 points with the Red Deer Rebels and added 17 more games of post-season experience, including in the Memorial Cup.

At last winter’s world junior in Finland, Spacek had five points in five games.

Attending his second Jets development camp this week, the slick right-winger even did an interview Wednesday at the MTS Iceplex, an idea that would have been impossible without a translator last July.

“First time here for me I was a little bit scared because I didn’t know what would happen here,” Spacek said. “But I see every player is very good so I’m happy to be here. And my first development camp, my English is not very good.

“But because I play for Red Deer Rebels and everybody helps me with my English so I am good.”

Spacek smiled and said his list of friends has grown with his new language skills.

“First development camp, not too many because my English is not really good,” he said. “But now I think my English is way better so I’ve got more friends now. It’s good for me, I think.”

His experience in Red Deer, pretty much culture and language cold turkey, grew into a positive one, he said.

“Red Deer is best for me,” Spacek said. “Brent Sutter is a very nice coach, a very good coach. He coached the Calgary Flames and he played a long time in the NHL and he’s got the Stanley Cup. So I’ve got respect for him. I learned much. Every day in Red Deer for me is very good, every practice. Every minute on the ice.”

Last winter and only part-way through the season, Sutter said Spacek’s progress was a direct result of how invested he was in the change in homes and in his career.

“He just had to suck it up,” Sutter said then. “He’s 18 years of age and he wanted to come over here to play and this is what he chose.

“Obviously we wanted him here and there’s work involved in it, making the adjustments on and off the ice… everything, the language, culture.”

Some of that work was smoothed out by Spacek having defenceman Adam Musil as a teammate. Musil is the the Ottawa-born son of former Czech and NHL defenceman Frank Musil.

“Exactly,” Spacek said. “Adam helps me so much. A lot. He’s a very good friend and he’s a good player and I’m thankful for him for how much he helped me.”

Spacek gave the Rebels a boost of skill, plus three game-winners last season, including a pair in overtime.

He hopes better things are in store for the coming WHL season, including a more thorough understanding of how his own abilities fit in North America.

“Easy? I don’t know,” he said. “But I know Red Deer and how I will play. The second season, I will know what happens in Red Deer.

“Here is the smaller ice. It’s a little bit different because in Europe there is way bigger ice. But I like lots of one-on-one so I like the small ice, it’s better for me.”

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca