HOW FAILING HELPED KULICH AND ROSEN SUCCEED
The duo have been in lockstep with each other throughout their development process, even making their NHL debuts together
Nov 27, 2023
By Andrew Mossbrooks | @Mossbrooks48
You’ve likely seen the video by now. The moment when Rochester Americans head coach Seth Appert was scanning the locker room on Friday looking for his dynamic duo.
There sat forwards Jiri Kulich and Isak Rosen, who had just scored his first career overtime goal to help the Amerks push past Laval in front of over 7,000 fans at Blue Cross Arena. The two were ecstatic, as were the rest of their teammates after another overtime thriller. Afterwards, the Amerks prepared to hit the road for their next game on Saturday, but they would be doing so without their top two players.
Kulich and Rosen weren’t on their way to Lehigh Valley. They were on their way to the National Hockey League.
The pair of Sabres first-round draft picks had been called-up following Friday’s contest and are with Buffalo amid the team’s four-game road trip. Injuries to the Sabres allowed room for the door to crack open, but the play of Kulich and Rosen ripped it off the hinges. The second-year Amerks forwards are first and second in team scoring, respectively, combining for 36 points in 16 games each. Kulich’s 11 goals have him tied for fourth-most in the AHL, while Rosen’s eight goals and 19 points have him sixth in league scoring.
“They’ve been great,” said Appert following Friday’s win. “There’s been a couple of times during this eight or 10-game stretch that they’ve helped us win games without scoring, which is hard to do at any age and certainly at 19 and 20. They’re more competitive on the puck than they’ve ever been. They’re playing harder. I’m using them on the penalty kill and defensive zone situations. The growth of their game – both offensively and defensively – over the last 12 months has been immense and we’re incredibly proud of them for that.”
For now, Rosen and his other half are living out their NHL dreams, and they’re doing so together, just as they have done all along. From playing on the same line, to sitting together on bus rides, to sitting next to each other in the locker room, to Rosen helping Kulich learn the English language: what one has done, the other has also.
They’ve succeeded together, but perhaps more importantly, they’ve also failed together.
Under his watch, Appert has seen several Amerks find their way from Blue Cross Arena to the doors of Key Bank Center in Buffalo. While that’s ultimately labeled a success story, it is often not possible without failure.
“Failure in the right environment really accelerates development,” said Appert. “It’s not necessary, but adversity and failure really lead to development. They’re deep competitors, these guys we’re talking about. They want to be great, and so when they’re not great, they’re going to work to change that. Then they’re looking for solutions and answers and they start coming to the coaching staff saying ‘How do I get better?’ ‘What do I have to do?’ ‘How come I can’t score?’”
Appert has often compared the likes of Rosen and Kulich to a similar top name prospect that became a fan favorite in the Flower City: Jack Quinn.
“Jack Quinn wouldn’t have known he wasn’t a goal-scorer in professional hockey if he had 60 goals in the OHL. He got to learn that through failure by scoring two goals during the COVID year in the American League and realized he couldn’t blow his shot past goalies.”
Quinn went on that offseason to focus on improving his shot, changing his angle, and becoming the player he believed he could be. Later that year, he returned to Rochester, dominated the AHL through 45 games on his way to being named the league’s top rookie, began the following season in Buffalo, and the rest is history.
Oh, and the other half to Rochester’s original 1-2 punch that year with Quinn? A high scoring forward by the name off JJ Peterka, who just played in his 100th NHL game the same night that Rosen and Kulich appeared in their first.
“Development is about playing at a high level, facing adversity, failing, and growing your game through that failure to meet the challenge your teammates in practice are facing you with.”
Perhaps that future is a reality for the two European forwards as well, but it took failing to get them there.
“When Kulich and ‘Rosy’ (Rosen) were here last year, they were getting their butt kicked in practice every day and I’m on them every day about their habits and they’re not scoring that much in games. They were in a spot where they had no choice but to grow their game to succeed. That’s what development is all about.”