Randy Ladouceur on Tavares

Head coach Randy Ladouceur joined the Oshawa Generals organization recently, replacing Bob McGill behind the bench only last season. He now assumes the coaching responsibilities and aides in the development of one of the brightest prospects the OHL has produced since Jason Spezza in John Tavares. Ladoucuer takes a few moments of his time to talk about the play of Tavares.

McKeen's: What was John like coming into camp? Describe your first impressions of him.

Randy Ladouceur: I didn't really know much about him. I had the opportunity to see him once at the OHL Cup, and he certainly looked good there. As far as fitting into the OHL, I wouldn't say I was skeptical but I was anxious to see how he would do. Ever since his first day of training camp he got progressively better as the camp went on. He has great vision, great puck skills and is a really smart player which I think enables him to play at this level.

McKeen's: How excited were you to draft a player like John? Is he considerably better than Logan Couture for this organization?

Randy Ladouceur: That would be a better question for (General Manager) Brad Selwood or our scouts to answer. I know they were very happy that he was made available. I remember sitting with our owner, John Davies and him asking me which player I liked and I mentioned Tavares name, only for him to tell me he was a 90 (-born player) and that I couldn't have him. When he became available I know our management was very happy.

McKeen's: What are or were your expectations of John coming into this season?

Randy Ladouceur: As mentioned before, I didn't see a lot of him and I didn't know much about him. Our whole idea was kind of a wait-and-see and put him in situations that we thought he could have some success at. With our hockey team and the lack of depth that we have up front, he has been given a lot more responsibility that a first round pick probably gets on most teams. He sees PP and PK and he logs a lot of icetime, but so far we have been extremely happy with the way he has developed.

McKeen's: Are there any concerns that you may be playing him too much and burning him out?

Randy Ladouceur: That is a big concern and something myself and the coaching staff will have to monitor as the season grows older. My big concern coming in was not to put too much on him. When we had him at the beginning of the camp his fitness level really improved to when he was in our main camp here in August. He put in a lot of work for himself over the course of the summer, gotten a little bit bigger and a little bit stronger and I think that has really paid off for him. My number one concern during the course of the season is that he stays physically healthy.

McKeen's: How have the veterans responded to John's arrival with him being so young - has it been an issue?

Randy Ladouceur: We have a really good group here with (Peter) Tsimikalis and (Adam) Berti being our leaders. He (John) is actually living with Tsimikalis and Dale Mitchell, so he is in a good environment. Our players understand the situation that he is a unique player in a unique situation. John is very humble and doesn't make a big deal about any of this and sometimes to a certain degree is almost embarrassed by the notoriety that he is getting.

McKeen's: What is his work ethic like in practice? Is he easy to coach?

Randy Ladouceur: He is very receptive to what you have to say. He works very hard and is always on the bike after practice and after games and he is doing the right things.

McKeen's: What are some of the areas in which you have helped him to develop?

Randy Ladouceur: A lot of the things that he is doing right now, like the puck skills he has developed on his own. Our scouts said that his lacrosse background really helped. He has some really good skills and, like any player that has always had the puck, more attention needs to be put on the defensive side of the game and that is an ongoing process.

McKeen's: What do you foresee in John's future with the Generals, Hockey Canada and the NHL?

Randy Ladouceur: His future is really bright for a kid to come in at this age at this level of competition and do what he is doing. I think as he gets more comfortable he is just going to keep moving forward.