>During an offseason workout in June, Jiri Kulich was standing in front of the goalie at ICERINK, a facility southeast of Prague’s city center, when suddenly a loud, booming voice erupted nearby.
>Radek Duda, the skills coach who has guided Kulich’s summer training each of the past three summers, put a stop to the drill by yelling: “That’s why you’re not playing NHL!”
>Kulich nodded in agreement, then, with a stoic expression on his face, got back in line to try again. Even though he was in the spot on the ice where Duda and the Buffalo Sabres urged the 20-year-old forward to go, Kulich was going through the motions instead of battling with a defenseman or preparing to tip the puck.
>“He’s a really crazy guy,” Kulich told The Buffalo News, chuckling softly outside the Sabres’ dressing room after a recent training camp practice with the NHL team. “I was a little bit scared to go to the net, but Radek taught me how to not be scared. I need dirty goals, too. I can’t just be a shooter.”
>Even though Kulich may not play against New Jersey, and an assignment to Rochester next week seems inevitable, he has proven over the past month that he is a more complete player and better prepared to help the Sabres win.
>“His confidence went through the roof,” Kondras said. “He was talking to me in a way like he was an NHL player already. Probably the most memorable thing he said to me was, ‘Dom, I don’t want to give them any reason to put me back in the AHL.’ ”
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>During an offseason workout in June, Jiri Kulich was standing in front of the goalie at ICERINK, a facility southeast of Prague’s city center, when suddenly a loud, booming voice erupted nearby.
>Radek Duda, the skills coach who has guided Kulich’s summer training each of the past three summers, put a stop to the drill by yelling: “That’s why you’re not playing NHL!”
>Kulich nodded in agreement, then, with a stoic expression on his face, got back in line to try again. Even though he was in the spot on the ice where Duda and the Buffalo Sabres urged the 20-year-old forward to go, Kulich was going through the motions instead of battling with a defenseman or preparing to tip the puck.
>“He’s a really crazy guy,” Kulich told The Buffalo News, chuckling softly outside the Sabres’ dressing room after a recent training camp practice with the NHL team. “I was a little bit scared to go to the net, but Radek taught me how to not be scared. I need dirty goals, too. I can’t just be a shooter.”
>Even though Kulich may not play against New Jersey, and an assignment to Rochester next week seems inevitable, he has proven over the past month that he is a more complete player and better prepared to help the Sabres win.
>“His confidence went through the roof,” Kondras said. “He was talking to me in a way like he was an NHL player already. Probably the most memorable thing he said to me was, ‘Dom, I don’t want to give them any reason to put me back in the AHL.’ ”