KULICH'S DEFENSIVE GAME BECOMING JUST AS VALUABLE AS OFFENSIVE
Feb 19, 2023By Suzie Cool
We’re at the point in the 2022-23 American Hockey League season where the rookies aren’t looking like rookies anymore. Especially when it comes to Rochester Americans forward Jiri Kulich, who’s continuing to get better and better with each game that passes.
Not easy for an 18-year-old who’s in a new country, challenged by a different language and taking on his first year in the pros.
“He’s 18 years old now. It's just incredibly impressive how he continues gets better every week. He keeps growing his game and his work ethic and it’s very impressive,” said Amerks head coach Seth Appert when asked how much Kulich has grown since the beginning of the season.
“His (Kulich) on the puck competitiveness has grown a ton. He stays on the puck more, he goes and hunts the puck.”
Through 38 games, Kulich has posted 26 points on 11 goals and 15 assists. After being drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the first-round (28th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft, it’s not shocking that Kulich’s heavy shot and skill are what got him here.
However, it’s the defensive parts of Kulich’s game that are growing and turning him into an elite American Leaguer right now.
“His on the puck competitiveness has grown a ton. He stays on the puck more, he goes and hunts the puck,” continued Appert when discussing where Kulich has grown defensively. “When you're playing U20 hockey or U18 hockey, junior, college or whatever it is and you're that talented, you can get away with not doing those things because usually the puck is going to just come back to you magically. Now, at this level and above it doesn't, so you have to work to get it and then really value it when you have it right. Those are things that he's grown a lot.”
Over his last 10 games, it seems that Kulich has begun to play some of his best hockey of the season. Since Jan. 21, the rookie forward has gone on to post four goals and five assists for nine points, while starting to transition to the center position.
“At the end of the day, the more positions you can play, the better, right?,” said Appert when explaining the move from wing to center for Kulich. “It gives you more opportunities to get called up. It gives you more opportunities to stay once you are up. If you can play left and right wing, you have eight or nine spots available. If you can play center as well, then you have every roster spot available in the NHL. So those things are really important, that versatility and it shows that his defensive game has grown a lot and that we trust him.”
It'll be fun to watch Kulich continue to transform his game through the Amerks’ final 26 games of the 2022-23 campaign.
Kulich and the Amerks are back in action early today for Kids Day at The Blue Cross Arena with a 3:05 p.m. puck drop. Rochester’s matchup against the Syracuse Crunch will be carried on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester as well as AHLTV.