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Monday, November 8, 1999
Kaberle brothers on fire
Frantisek Kaberle Sr. will visit North America this week, with a dilemma that would delight any puck poppa in the world.
When he flies in from the Czech Republic, should he spend the two-week visit mostly with his younger son Tomas, the highest scoring defenceman on the sizzling Maple Leafs?
Or does he stay on the plane and catch up with Frantisek Jr., a surprise starter on the Los Angeles Kings blue line and in contention for the NHL's rookie scoring lead.
"I think he is going to see Frantisek first," Tomas Kaberle said with a grin after Toronto's 3-3 tie with New Jersey on Saturday. "After Christmas, it's my turn for a long visit."
Not that Tomas needs any pep talks from his dad, a Czech national-team hero who coached Jaromir Jagr as a junior. Frantisek Sr. made a stop here last year when the Leafs were in the playoffs.
Frantisek Sr. always regretted the Iron Curtain came down too late for him to play in the NHL after he won five medals for his country. He is coaching a junior team in his homeland and running two sports equipment stores.
Tomas is maturing at an accelerated rate for a team that failed to develop many defencemen in the 1990s. The 21-year-old was a perfect match for new coach Pat Quinn's motion-oriented attack and his value was highlighted in the final two games of the road trip when the Leafs were without Alexander Karpovtsev.
Kaberle's ice-time was second only to Dmitry Yushkevich in Washington at more than 27 minutes and Kaberle led all Leafs with 26:38 against the Devils.
When he is coming out of the Leafs' zone, he shows great lateral vision and has an uncanny knack for hitting a teammate with a neutral-zone pass no matter what kind of traffic he encounters.
"They know more of what I can do now," Kaberle said. "I'm happy to be getting some power-play time, too. But I also know I am a defenceman, not a forward."
He and Bryan Berard lead the defence with seven points each, but Kaberle's patience stands out compared to the latter's often reckless rushes.
Frantisek, who turns 25 today, is a third-round draft pick who had played a few years in Sweden when the Kings chose him in June. Going into tomorrow's game against the Oilers in L.A., Frantisek had more assists (seven) than any other Kings' defenceman. He also was paired with Kings veteran Garry Galley on the blue line.
"He's doing fine," Tomas said. "He is playing about 17 or 18 minutes a game and is seeing some time on the first power-play (unit)."
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