TRAVERSE CITY -- Everything is new for Jakub Kindl this year. Well, almost everything.
The 20-year-old native of the Czech Republic and Red Wings' defensive prospect is still very much at home on the ice; it's the off-the-ice stuff that's taking some getting used to.
Kindl signed his first professional contract this year. He has been relying heavily on former OHL teammate and fellow Red Wings prospect Evan McGrath for help with such things as cell phones and living arrangements. McGrath, 21, has been there before and knows the ropes.
"I know Evan well; I'm kind of annoying to him now with all my questions," Kindl said with a laugh Friday at CentreIce. "I'm asking him about cell phones because I want to call home (to Sumperk in the Czech Republic). All the little details that come up, I turn to Evan for help."
The Red Wings' brass believe that Kindl could be the answer to the Detroit's future defensive needs, especially if he develops as expected. The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Kindl, a first round pick in 2005 known for his edgy play and booming slap shot, very nearly made the Detroit roster out of training camp in the fall of 2006.
After playing the regular season with Kitchener of the OHL for the third straight year and finishing as runner-up for OHL Defenseman of the Year honors, he was called up to Grand Rapids as an amateur invitee to be part of the Griffins' playoff roster. It was the second straight year that Kindl received a call from Grand Rapids, but the first time he saw any on-ice duty.
"When they called me up this time, they put me on the first team power play unit and played me way more than I expected," Kindl said. "It was a really good experience."
Kindl had two assists with a plus-1 rating in seven playoff games and -- by all accounts -- acquitted himself well. Griffins general manager Bob McNamara was impressed with Kindl's skills and the improvements he showed over the previous year.
"He's really matured," McNamara is quoted as saying on the Red Wings Central Web site. "He's stronger and the defensive side of his game was noticeably improved. He's a guy we could use in most situations and he was very good on the power play."
It is likely that Kindl will be assigned to Grand Rapids for the 2007-08 season, though Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill does not rule out Kindl playing for Detroit this season.
"He played well with Kitchener in the OHL and he looked good when he played for Grand Rapids," Nill said. "He moves the puck well and has a good, strong shot on the power play. He's an offensive defenseman. Like all young kids, he needs to develop more consistency. That's the main thing we're looking for: consistency on every shift every time out on the ice."
Nill sees Kindl as a "number two to four defenseman" down the road. If he plays well enough in Detroit's training camp, however, the road may lead to Detroit quicker than anticipated.
"We'll see how camp goes," Nill said.
Kindl is more concerned with maintaining a high level of play in camp than he is with where is going to end up this year.
"I'm so excited, so pumped to be here," Kindl said. "I turned 20 in February and my dream has been to play in the NHL. I came here (to play for Kitchener) three years ago and I feel there is a time for everything. There is a time for playing in the OHL and a time for turning pro. Now I'm a pro and I'm taking the next step. This is the way it has to be."
Kindl had 11 goals and 44 assists for Kitchener last year with a plus-23 rating. He is the kind of player you love to have on your side and hate to play against.
He accrued 143 penalty minutes last season and drew the wrath of London Knights' coaches and players after a hit he laid on Knights' captain Bob Drummond in a February contest resulted in a concussion. Later retaliation against Kindl by Knights' players resulted in 30 games worth of suspensions.
There's no question that Kindl possesses the booming shot to be a power play regular and the mentality and physical presence to be the tough guy that playing defense in the NHL demands. He is working on honing his defensive skills and avoiding costly mistakes.
"In the OHL, you can get away with some mistakes; at Grand Rapids, every mistake you make can be a goal for the other team," he said. "Everybody is faster and stronger the higher up you go. I want to be better defensively. That's my focus, the part I'm working at the most."
Whether the road takes him to Detroit sooner or later, it seems inevitable that he will eventually find a place on the big club. And when he does, it'll be time for a whole new set of off-the-ice adjustments. At least this time around he'll have a cell phone if he needs to call home.
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