| STORIES |
- Saturday, June 25, 2011: First glance: 2011 draft
- Sunday, June 26, 2011: ‘Rolling the dice’ on injured Tvrdon
- Tuesday, November 1, 2011: Healthy Tvrdon now needs consistency
- Wednesday, December 21, 2011: Emerging Jensen explodes for rare hat trick
- Tuesday, January 3, 2012: Red Wings prospects grab WJC spotlight
- Tuesday, January 31, 2012: Defense plus, opportunity minus for Almqvist
- Wednesday, February 22, 2012: Lower risk, higher rewards
- Wednesday, November 14, 2012: Nedomlel returns focus to defensive zone
- Wednesday, May 1, 2013: Homegrown talent powers Red Wings
|
| HISTORY |
2009-10
- Finished 19th in Slovakia’s U-20 league scoring race as a 16-year-old with HK Nitra (45-25-31-56).
- Productive tournament for Slovakia at world U-18 championship (6-3-1-4).
- Selected 13th overall by the WHL’s Vancouver Giants in the 2010 CHL import draft.
|
2010-11
- Enjoyed great start to WHL rookie season with Vancouver (12-6-5-11).
- Suffered serious shoulder injury in his 12th game and required season-ending surgery.
- Selected in the fourth round (115th overall) by the Red Wings in the 2011 draft.
|
2011-12
- Healthy for the start of training camp, returned to WHL for first full season with Vancouver.
- Finished second on Vancouver and placed in WHL’s top 30 scorers (60-31-43-74, plus-1).
- Was particularly productive down the stretch, with 17 goals in final 27 games and 13 in final 17.
- Helped Slovakia to sixth-place finish at mid-season WJC (6-3-1-4, minus-4, 18 shots).
- Suspended three games by WHL in February for a spearing incident.
- Finished fourth on team in playoff scoring in first-round exit (6-3-3-6, minus-4).
- Signed three-year entry-level contract with Detroit in July 2012.
|
2012-13
- Returned to Vancouver for third WHL season and got off to good start (18-8-14-22, plus-2).
- Suffered arm infection in early November and missed rest of season.
- Joined AHL’s Grand Rapids late in season but did not appear in any games.
|
| SCOUT COMMENTS |
| “He jumped right out at me with his size, his skating and his skill. He’s a really good skater. He’s a similar player to (second-round pick and fellow Slovak) Tomas Jurco, to be honest. He’s really skilled and he’s a very good skater for his size.” — Red Wings scout Jeff Finley (June 2011) … “He knew that Detroit (director of player development Jiri Fischer) was there (for a four-point game on Oct. 21, 2011) and that was a big part of (his strong play). He has to do it every night — not just when Detroit is here. Was it a breakout game? I want to know why he can’t play like that every game. If he can do it once, he should be able to do it again and again. That’s what we want from him.” — Vancouver Giants head coach Don Hay (October 2011, Vancouver Province) … “Tvrdon showed some stuff I like — he’s a big body and he has a good feel for the game — but looks like his intensity has to come up a bit.” — Red Wings director of European scouting Hakan Andersson (January 2012).
|
| STRENGTHS |
| Excellent skater, especially for a player with his large frame … High skill level that has allowed him to produce at every level thus far … Can dominate at the junior level with his combination of size and ability … Projects as a point-producing winger who could develop a power game with time and maturity. |
| WEAKNESSES |
| Has more than enough talent to dominate games, but doesn’t do so consistently … Streaky scorer … Doesn’t play with enough intensity on a nightly basis … Not a bruiser despite having the skating ability and size to make a more significant impact … Frequently injured. |
| PROJECTION |
| Injuries have hampered Tvrdon’s development. Although he played in 60 games in 2011-12, he missed 114 of 144 games in 2010-11 and 2012-13. But there’s plenty to like about him, from his power-forward size to his impressive skill level. He’s similar to his more highly touted countryman, Tomas Jurco, but needs to play with more intensity and improve his consistency. With any luck, Tvrdon will be healthy in 2013-14 and vie for a full-time spot in the AHL with Grand Rapids. |
Player statistics powered by www.eliteprospects.com
| Season |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
|
Playoffs |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
| 2007-2008 |
HC Nitra U18 |
Slovakia U18 |
20 |
5 |
4 |
9 |
10 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008-2009 |
HC Nitra U18 |
Slovakia U18 |
58 |
50 |
33 |
83 |
113 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
HC Nitra U20 |
Slovakia U20 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009-2010 |
HC Nitra U20 |
Slovakia U20 |
45 |
25 |
31 |
56 |
90 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
HK Nitra |
Slovakia |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| |
Playoffs |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
Slovakia U18 |
WJC-18 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010-2011 |
Vancouver Giants |
WHL |
12 |
6 |
5 |
11 |
14 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011-2012 |
Vancouver Giants |
WHL |
60 |
31 |
43 |
74 |
62 |
| |
Playoffs |
6 |
3 |
3 |
6 |
0 |
| |
Slovakia U20 |
WJC-20 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
14 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012-2013 |
Vancouver Giants |
WHL |
18 |
8 |
14 |
22 |
16 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Player statistics © www.eliteprospects.com
