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Werbik departs for WJC tryouts
By Brian Dzenis
YOUNGSTOWN
Usually, it’s an unwanted occurrence when a team loses its leading scorer, but for the Youngstown Phantoms, it means somebody could be playing on a big stage.
Starting Thursday, Phantoms’ center Nicolas Werbik will be in tryouts for Team Czech Republic in the World Junior Classic. He’ll miss several games as the team will have camp and play in a few exhibition games across Canada. Should he make the team, the Classic begins Dec. 26 in Helsinki, Finland.
“I’m pretty excited about it. It’s a big chance to get in a team for a junior championship,” Werbik said Tuesday. “I’m sorry I’m leaving Youngstown, but I believe the guys can do it without me.”
The Phantoms and coach Brad Patterson are accustomed to such departures. For example, ex-forward Yushiroh Hirano briefly left the team to participate in Olympic qualifiers for Japan last season.
“You look back the past four or five years and we’ve lost guys to the World Challenge team or World Junior Classic and there was ‘Yush’ last year,” Patterson said. “It’s a great honor for those guys and we’re all happy to support them.
“I’m sad to lose [Werbik] for a bit, but you draw on those experiences and it’s time for other guys to step up and I’m sure that’s going to happen here,” Patterson said.
Werbik leads the team (11-9-1-1) in overall scoring with 10 goals and 12 assists, making him the No. 8 scorer in the USHL.
He spent the first five years of his junior hockey career in his native country before playing for Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL, his first North American stop. This is his first season with the Phantoms.
“I wanted to be a main part of the team. I wanted to play on the power play and help the team win every game,” Werbik said. “I think I’ve been doing that and I’ll keep doing it until the end of the season.”
Patterson is a fan of Werbik’s shot.
“He’s got a great skill set. He’s one of the only guys in the league where it doesn’t matter where he is on the ice, he can get a puck on his tape and release it with a shot in microseconds,” Patterson said. “That’s a quality not a look of people have. Nik has it, he finds the net and often, they go in.”
Werbik likes his chances to make the team as the 19-year-old is one of the team’s more veteran players. He’s also played for the Czech Republic’s U16 and U18 teams.
He’s adjusted well to the North American game and he can take some of the momentum he’s gained in Youngstown to the international stage.
“I’m trying to work as hard as I can and I hope I will make my dream come true and be drafted by an NHL team,” Werbik said.