Jack Parker is often reserved, but mention David Warsofsky, and the Boston University hockey coach has trouble containing his excitement.
Jarmo Kekalainen, the assistant general manager of the St. Louis Blues, also believes his club has a winner in the diminutive defenseman from Marshfield, who will head to BU this fall after being chosen by the Blues in the fourth round (95th overall) of the National Hockey League draft in July.
Standing 5 foot 9 and weighing 168 pounds, the 18-year-old has spent a young career erasing doubts caused by his size.
"He's such a talented player and a competitor," said Parker. "He's one of the top players in the world at his position. He's not the biggest defenseman in the world, that's for sure, but he's got everything else."
Kekalainen said, "We think he's going to be an NHL player some day. People might pass on him because he's short, but I don't think that's the whole thing."
Warsofsky, despite the absence of a bruising frame, has world-class hockey sense, dynamic offensive skills, and excellent skating ability. He was captain of the US National Under-18 team this year, finishing third on the team in scoring.
Warsofsky has had his puck passport stamped in Ashburnham and in Ann
"I'm really excited," he said by phone, after having dinner with his parents in Marshfield. "I've been away from home for three years."
He's come back to where he got his first taste of hockey - Mark and Dawn Warsofsky's driveway. That's where he battled with older brothers Ryan, now a sophomore defenseman at Sacred Heart, and Adam, an assistant coach at Curry College.
David went on to play against top local talents such as Dorchester's Jimmy Hayes and fellow BU import Andrew Glass in junior leagues, then spent his freshman season at Marshfield High under coach Dan Connolly. As a sophomore, he transferred to Cushing Academy. US national team coach John Hynes invited him to the Under-18 program after Warsofsky scored 49 points in 29 games his senior year at Cushing. Warsofsky was the Under-18s' second-leading scorer (9-31-40 in 56 games) last year.
"I think the thing that's special about him is his hockey sense," said Hynes. "He can anticipate where the puck's going to go."
Parker agreed. "He's got Larry Bird court sense," said the BU coach. "He sees things before everyone else can see it."
Independent scout Kyle Woodlief, who has seen Warsofsky play since his Cushing days, likens the defenseman's skills to NHL players Brian Rafalski and Kimmo Timonen."He's a guy who can move the puck and beat the neutral-zone trap with a home-run pass," said Woodlief.
Parker says Warsofsky isn't limited to one position. "We figure on him playing a big role for us," said the longtime BU boss. "He's a freshman, so he has to step in and earn his ice time, but at the same time he's projected as being a power-play defenseman and an offensive force 5-on-5 as well. He's also a solid defenseman. I think he can be physical when it really needs to be done, but I think he can avoid that and take the puck off a guy's stick. He's pretty clever."
According to his coaches, he's also a leader.
Nearly all the U-18s had played together the previous season as Under-17s, but though he had been in Ann Arbor only a few months, Warsofsky's new teammates voted him captain at midseason. "He came in and he was extremely hungry to learn and make his game better," said Hynes, who instantly plugged in Warsofsky on both power-play units.
In February, Woodlief was in Varkaus, Finland, watching Warsofsky lead the United States to gold at the Five Nations Tournament. Woodlief said he was impressed by how Warsofsky played ice general, quarterbacking the power-play, leading the rush, and even positioning his teammates on face-offs.
"He was the only kid who was out there doing that," said the scout.
Warsofsky captained the United States at April's IIHF Under-18 championships in Kazan, Russia. The Americans dreamed of gold, but they lost a semifinal match to Russia and had to play Sweden for the bronze. Warsofsky paced the team in tournament scoring (7 points), but Hynes said it was his off-ice leadership that carried the squad. "We fell short, and less than 24 hours later we had to go back and play," said Hynes. "At the bronze medal stage, it's all about a team's ability to bounce back and lay their hearts on the line. When you're successful in those games, your captain's a major part of it."
"We practiced the whole year to win that gold medal," said Warsofsky. "It was kind of a heartbreaker, but we rebounded well."
Warsofsky might have his shot at international redemption this December, but on a grander stage. Though he's younger than most of the players, he might have played his way onto the US roster for the Under-20 World Junior Championships in Ottawa. He scored twice during the Aug. 1-9 National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, N.Y., impressing US coach Ron Rolston with his wicked one-timer and puck sense. "We're always looking for a couple of guys who can create offense from the blue line," said Rolston.
NHL teams feel the same way. Warsofsky's skill set is suited to the way the game has changed in recent years. Puck movers are in high demand, and Warsofsky looks to have a long career.
Since returning home from a trip to St. Thomas, Warsofsky has been working out three days a week and playing pickup with Ryan Whitney, Keith Yandle, and Jim Fahey of the NHL. He took summer classes at BU in July. His parents are longtime BU season ticket holders, so they're even more excited about their son's rise.
But there will always be questions about his size.
"I think whenever I talk to someone it's about my height," he says. "They ask, 'How do you think you're going to get to the next level being that size?' It just makes me work that much harder. I think I've proven that at every level so far."
His new coach has no doubts about Warsofsky's ability.
"Not at all. Not at my level and not at the next level," said Parker. "I think he's got a real good shot of making a living at this."
Warsofsky has no doubt about his own ability.
"Who says I can't make it?" he asks.
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