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Islanders making transition easier for Tavares

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Updated Oct 12, 2009 10:22 PM ET
     
 
As befits a young man groomed for hockey greatness and followed by a media spotlight since 14, John Tavares has developed a way with cliches when the cameras turn to him. But once in a while, a teenaged kid peeks out from behind the polished exterior and serious, all-business tone. "It was a dream of mine since I was probably 3 years old to be here in the National Hockey League, and at times you pinch yourself and think this is pretty awesome and a lot of fun," said Tavares, 19, a goal-scoring dynamo picked first overall by the New York Islanders in last June's NHL draft. "But I'm able to separate that pretty well." Tavares is clearly not the type to be distracted by the novelty of it all, which helps explain his singular determination and how he has willed himself to such a lofty station. "You don't want to get too complacent or too comfortable; you want to make sure you're on your toes every day, ready to go and get to work," he said. "It's definitely a challenge, and it's something I've wanted for a long time, so I'm pretty focused on that." Tavares seems freakishly well adjusted for a 19-year-old who has spent a quarter of his life on an athletic pedestal. As Islanders coach Scott Gordon marveled this week: "I don't think there's going to be any hockey player that's going to come out of junior who's going to be better prepared (for the NHL). "The thing we've tried to impress upon him is that he understands he's not the savior of our franchise," Gordon said. "He could be that guy, but we don't want him to feel that way now." While Tavares may be a can't-miss gem to his new employers, for the grizzled vet who serves as his mentor, he's an even more valuable commodity: a free, live-in babysitter. Or so goes the theory. "I'm sure trying to get him to (babysit)," Islanders captain Doug Weight said of his lodger, Tavares. "The other day, my wife went into the city and stayed with some friends and I said, 'Hey, we'll cook some steaks, and we've got the kids tonight.' And he said: 'Oh, I'm going to the Yankee game.' So I said: 'Guess you only have one ticket, eh? That's great.' I was on my own for that night." If Tavares is precocious when it comes to on-ice matters — Weight said he has outstanding vision and is a far more nimble skater than critics suggest — the responsibility for helping him adjust to the daily realities of adulthood and hockey stardom rests on Weight. And so far, the evidence suggests Tavares' adjustment to pro hockey has been smooth. He scored in his first NHL game and picked up an assist in a loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday in his first foray into Canada since propeling the national team to gold at the world junior hockey championship last January. It's also no accident. The Islanders were mindful of the way the Pittsburgh Penguins brought along Sidney Crosby, who lived with team owner Mario Lemieux and his family during his rookie season. Gordon said the Isles had Weight's mentoring role in mind when they re-signed the veteran this summer. Weight, 38, remembers all too well what it was like to adjust to life as an NHL rookie. Tavares was barely 6 months old when Weight, the 1990 New York Rangers draft pick, scored his first NHL goal. "I'm wondering: What hell is this? Rent, checks, bank accounts, you know, trying to find a place, furniture, TV, I was two months deep before I had a TV," Weight recalled. "He's squared away; he's in my house. I got him a car, he's hanging out, and all he has to worry about is hockey." And the care and feeding of Tavares also explains why the Isles signed 25-year-old free agent Matt Moulson, a career minor-leaguer who has played just 30 NHL games, mostly with the Los Angeles Kings. Moulson has known Tavares since childhood — his younger brother played in the same lacrosse league as Tavares — along with Montreal Canadiens prospect P.K. Subban. Ask Tavares about his old pal, and the kid emerges again. "I remember when [Moulson] first introduced me to our trainer, imagine that five years down the road he gets an assist on my first goal in the first game we're playing on the same line. It's a pretty cool story," Tavares said. "It's awesome for both of us and both our families."
Tagged: John Tavares, Doug Weight, Canadiens, Rangers, Senators, Matt Moulson, Islanders, Penguins, Kings

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