"The Rookie" - Article on Chris Tanev issued and published by Hockey Canada

[Law of Goalies]

I just read this article and it seems quite fitting for Chris Tanev as it explains his road to success and being a "rookie" for team Canada.

 

I searched everywhere and couldn't find it posted so the link is here: "The Rookie"

 

THE ROOKIE

One of the oldest players on Canada’s National Men’s Team, Chris Tanev is the youngest in national team experience

Wendy Graves

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May 12, 2016

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Favourite (2)

 

Six years ago, as a freshman at the Rochester Institute of Technology, Chris Tanev was equal parts optimist and realist.

According to the defenceman’s bio for the 2009-10 Tigers season, Tanev “would like to obtain a career in professional hockey or have a job in the financial sector in the next 10 years.”

“I thought I was going to college for four years,” he says. “If I did well, maybe I’d have a chance to play somewhere.”

Tanev had reason to hedge his bets. At the time, he had flown mostly under the radar – of professional and national team scouts alike – and taken a path that didn’t resemble one that typically leads to being a top-pair defenceman in the National Hockey League and, now, a member of Canada’s National Men’s Team at the IIHF World Championship.

At 26, Tanev is the oldest member of Canada’s blue-line in Russia; he’s also the only defenceman playing for Canada for the first time.

It’s not unheard of for a player to make his first national team appearance at the world championship; only last year, Jake Muzzin, David Savard and Patrick Wiercioch did just that. And two years ago, then-32-year-old Kevin Bieksa – a former teammate of Tanev with the Vancouver Canucks – served as captain his first time representing his country.

But few faced the same bumps – and breaks – along the way. If Tanev didn’t necessarily take the longer road to the NHL and Canada’s National Men’s Team, he certainly took a scenic route.

Success initially came early for the Toronto native. At age nine he won a league title with the Novice AAA North York Canadiens. (His teammates included P.K. Subban and Steven Stamkos.)

From there he joined the Toronto Red Wings and continued in the Greater Toronto Hockey League until he was 15.

By then he was maybe five feet tall and 120 pounds, at the most. The next season he couldn’t find a team to play on. He attended tryouts for seven different Midget teams and didn’t make the cut for any of them.

For two years, Tanev didn’t play high-level hockey; instead, he joined his high school team at East York Collegiate Institute and played inline hockey in the spring.

But repeatedly being told no left a long-simmering wish to return to a more competitive game.

“I didn’t play for a few years and obviously missed not playing with all the guys I grew up playing with,” he says. “You’re watching them play, so it definitely motivated me once I started playing again to try and get as good as I can.”

He landed with the Durham Fury of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, then the Stouffville Spirit, where he saw limited ice time. Partway through the 2007-08 season, he was traded to the Markham Waxers.

“We saw in him the heart and desire to compete and excel at that level,” says Joe Cornacchia, then the general manager of the Waxers. “We couldn’t understand why the other team wouldn’t play him. It became our luck and their loss.

“He was the type of player who never quit and worked so hard all the time. I always found that the [the difference] between success and failure is taking the game seriously and applying yourself, and that kid was the ultimate. He just worked hard all the time – never took a shift off, never took a day off, never took a moment off.”

His first year Tanev was named Markham’s most improved player and helped it win a division championship. The following year he was named the team’s top defenceman.

From there it was on to RIT, where Tanev did more than what he hoped for. As the Atlantic Hockey Association rookie of the year in 2009-10, he posted a +33 and led RIT to its first trip to the NCAA tournament and an eventual berth in the Frozen Four.

He was noticed by an old acquaintance. Dave Gagner was then the director of player personnel with Vancouver. Gagner had been Tanev’s inline coach and before that seen him play in the GTHL against his son, Sam.

Tanev signed as an undrafted free agent with the Canucks and left school three years earlier than expected.

In his first NHL game in January 2011, he stopped a three-on-one late in regulation to preserve a point against the Colorado Avalanche. (The Canucks lost 4-3 in overtime.) Two years after playing Junior A hockey, Tanev was playing in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.

“Everyone has their own way of getting where they are,” he says. “[Mine] definitely motivated me, just trying to be as good as I can, looking up to guys who are already there and seeing what kind of habits they had, and trying to emulate them as much as I could.”

After splitting time between Vancouver and the American Hockey League for three years, he’s been a fixture on the Canucks blue-line the past three seasons. A defensive defenceman, he depends not on size and physicality, but rather on speed and positioning, relying on stick work and knowing what angles to play.

He’s already been an impact player at the worlds – he was named player of the game in Canada’s win over Hungary.

Despite waiting longer than most for that first national team appearance, Tanev never felt slighted.

“It’s Team Canada,” he says. “It’s the best country in the world, so it has the best players. I just go out and play as hard as I can every day and I’m happy that I got the opportunity to join the team this year.”

[sockeye]

Thanks.  It was a great article.  Tanev is probably my favourite defenceman on the Canucks.  He's a very smart player,  He hardly ever turns over the puck.  Also, he rarely is forced to take a penalty because he rarely is out of position.  I new about some of his history but this article is more complete.

[Twilight Sparkle]

great article. he's come a long way in 5 years to become one of the smartest defenseman in the league. definitely doesnt get enough credit

[CHodgson9]

A true gem, reading some of his comments too, his attitude is fantastic.

 

Thank you, Chris!

[canuckledraggin]

Tanev and Hutton #2 and #3 and yes it's a shame that Edler isn't the #1 that everyone would like him to be. But if you have a 2A 2B, then there isn't much difference.

 

Hutton and Tryamkin are going to be a revelation next year. Finally we have  a true top 4, I consider Edler/ Tanev a true top pair. They have played together for a long time and they are only going to get better together.

 

Hutton took over 1st line minutes and Tryamkin was making the opposition look tiny. In 1 season we got a #3 and a #4 to back up Edler and Tanev. Anyone sleeping on Tryamkin is nuts. The guy is legit. 

 

Tanev is ours and not for sale. There's going to be a battle for spots next year, but Tanev and Edler won't be a part of it.

 

[smithers joe]

maybe we'll find another in stecher.....

[bigbadcanucks]

Every passing season, my appreciation for Chris Tanev grows. 

[Green Building]

Good read, good kid.

 

Let's keep him!

[Hairy Kneel]

I think we may have a young defenseman surprise us again and crack the line up with stellar play...we have spots available to anyone who can prove himself.

[Top_Shelf]

What a fantastic article, was a great read. He's a valuable kid with an amazing  attitude. 

[HerrDrFunk]

Hopefully we keep him around for a good long while. It's nice to see his stock rising throughout the hockey world.

[cuporbust]

One out of best finds in years. I remember posting about him when we first signed him. Was really excited we got him from the start. Probably our best find since burrows. 

[Stelar]

I would say this is another reminder that we all really have no idea the limits, ceilings or floors of any prospect.  High draft picks can be busts and undrafted players can excel.  It's really a crapshoot as to who will succeed.  

 

Like the kid they signed yesterday. Most already claim they know his ceiling when in actuality they have no idea. 

[Glory_Days]

Let's package him up along with our 5th ovr pick and trade to get into the top three!!

 

Or trade him, McCann and our 2nd for another top 10 pick!!

 

He's not that good anyways...he's not physical and doesn't put up a lot of points, on almost every other team he would be a 2nd pairing D only.

 

*Sarcasm, in case the exclamation points weren't a dead giveaway. Sadly others have said pretty much same thing but in all seriousness

[Hectic]

12 hours ago, sockeye said:

Thanks.  It was a great article.  Tanev is probably my favourite defenceman on the Canucks.  He's a very smart player,  He hardly ever turns over the puck.  Also, he rarely is forced to take a penalty because he rarely is out of position.  I new about some of his history but this article is more complete.

I feel like "Boring Sean Monahan" wrote this response lol 

[thrago]

1 hour ago, Stelar said:

I would say this is another reminder that we all really have no idea the limits, ceilings or floors of any prospect.  High draft picks can be busts and undrafted players can excel.  It's really a crapshoot as to who will succeed.  

 

Like the kid they signed yesterday. Most already claim they know his ceiling when in actuality they have no idea. 

You are absolutely correct all a GM can do is make an educated guess as to how a prospect will turn out.  Some GM's are just more educated then others.  90% is up to the prospect themselves as to how hard are they are willing to push themselves to succeed. Injuries are a big part too and out of every ones control.

 

Tanev is a good example and so is Burrows of player's who weren't gifted with all the attributes a GM looks for but out of shear willpower made great hockey players out of themselves. There are many more examples of players who had it all but the willpower and because of that failed to make a career or had a much worse one then they could have.

 

 

[Glory_Days]

@thrago  Alexei god damn Kovalev! Perfect personification of someone who had all the talent in the world, but just didn't give two sh!$*. The man oozed talent and god given gifts, hard to imagine how great he could have been if he had the drive and willpower of some of these other players.

[Crabcakes]

For all of you who can't understand why Benning signs guys like Laplante.  You never know.  Thanks for posting.

[Qwags]

You can't truly predict the ceiling of a prospect, Tanev proves that.

[fourtwentyfour]

On 17/05/2016 at 10:56 AM, thrago said:

You are absolutely correct all a GM can do is make an educated guess as to how a prospect will turn out.  Some GM's are just more educated then others.  90% is up to the prospect themselves as to how hard are they are willing to push themselves to succeed. Injuries are a big part too and out of every ones control.

 

Tanev is a good example and so is Burrows of player's who weren't gifted with all the attributes a GM looks for but out of shear willpower made great hockey players out of themselves. There are many more examples of players who had it all but the willpower and because of that failed to make a career or had a much worse one then they could have.

 

 

Example, kassian.