Michal Gulasi – The Tough One

By Robert Neuhauser
As a native of Ostrava, Michal Gulasi had the luck of being born in one of the traditional Czech hockey cities. The team, which made the industrial city in the north of Czech Republic famous, doesn’t carry the name Ostrava, though. It is the Vitkovice team which is usual one of the top squads in the Czech Extraleague. So it was very likely that also Michal Gulasi will have a chance on a hockey career. This is much increased when you take into account, that his dad was and still is an active hockey player. Even this season he guards the blue line of Frydek-Mistek of a Czech regional league. So since the very beginning of his life Michal had contact with the game as he often followed his dad to the practices and was sitting in the arena when he dressed up for the games. Like most kids, Michal liked to be active and do some sports. During winter his father directed his first strides at the rink and very soon the little Michal began to carry the stick in his hands.
When he was five, he wanted to really start playing organized hockey and he was succesfully admitted to perform for the youngest kids of the famed Vitkovice team. But his parents didn’t want him to be only one-dimensional in sports and so he started attending practices also of the second most popular Czech sport – soccer. It could be said that in winter Michal chased the puck and in sommer the ball.

His dedication and natural talent for hockey came out on the surface soon. Michal was willing to do extra practices to improve his agility and puck skills and as far as off-ice practices are concerned, he did a lot of workouts to be in a good shape. Since the very beginning of his career he made use of his hockey sense and smooth puckhandling skills to learn how to be defensively responsible. Michal doesn’t rush forward without having his defensive duties done first. He is a solid skater, even if his pivots and lateral movement still needs some improvement. He always takes his man and stays with him all the way. Michal also positiones himself quite well and has a great use of his stick. Whether it is to steal the puck from an opponent or to handle the puck, both Michal does with ease and confidence. His drawback is his agility which needs some improvement. Also even with blessed with solid stickhandling ability, Michal has to further develop his decision making when carrying the puck out of his own zone. In his case it looks like a thing which will come with more maturity.

As he grew in age, he became aware of how hard shooting and toughness is important in the play of a defenseman. Michal began to concentrate on improving his nasty edge and tried to throw his body around more. No wonder that he states hard-nosed Czech Atlanta Thrashers blueliner Jiri Slegr as his hockey role model, one he patterns his game after. The Philadelphia Flyers have caught his attention also due to their physical style of play and now are the former ‘Broad Street Bullies’ the favorite team of Michal Gulasi.
Upgrading his toughness payed immediate dividens as Gulasi soon became one of the toughest pee-wee aged players in the region and a cornerstone in defensive scheme of his team. One of the important moments in Michal’s career came as former NHL defenseman Milos Holan took over the coaching duties in the 6th grade team of Vitkovice. The former Anaheim Mighty Duck was fighting cancer and after winning the battle he started his coaching career with the 12-year old kids. Michal Gulasi and his teammates learned a lot of useful tips during Holan’s two-year stint with the Vitkovice’s 1986 born players. He worked with Gulasi a lot and learned him how to use the body effectively to stop the opposing forwards and how to make use of his puckhandling ability.

Albeit suffering an ankle injury, Michal Gulasi’s best season was the last season. The Vitkovice 9th grade team finished unbeaten in the regular season of the 9th grade kids league and suffered just two losses on the way to the championship tournament. Due to his injury Michal didn’t play the whole portion of the schedule, but once he laced up the skates, he was the dominant force on the Vitkovice blue line. And then came the championship tournament of the 9th grades, where besides Vitkovice took part also the eventual winner Slavia Praha and Litvinov. Vitkovice 9th grades finished third, last placed, but Gulasi’s fearless play earned him top defenseman honors on the tournament. That was without doubt the biggest individual trophy in Michal’s previous career.
Another highlight of last season for Michal was his midget Extraleague debut. As an underage he guarded the blue line for the Vitkovice midgets in 20 games, scoring his first goal and adding two helpers for a total of 3 points. He also made his presence felt in the penalty minutes cathegory, where he amassed his first 15 PIM’s.
Michal had an enjoyable last year, he also participated at the selection tournaments for the next Czech Under-16 team and eventually caught the eye of coaches Vlastimil Koci and Jaromir Sindel. After being one of the top players at the main selection tournament in April Gulasi went along with his three Vitkovice teammates, Michael Kolarz, Petr Pohl and Petr Valusiak to Nymburk for the first meeting of the 2001-2002 Czech Under-16 team.

The summer of 2001 wasn’t only important in Michal’s hockey career, but also life. After finishing the elementary school he had to decide what to do next and he chose that he wants to learn how to be a waiter in a restaurant. This is also the school he attends now.
The second solution to be done was his soccer career. With entering the midget Extraleague full time, Gulasi wouldn’t have enough time to attend soccer practices. So he decided only to play games and fully concentrate on his hockey career.

Paired with 2005 NHL prospect Michael Kolarz on the second line of the Vitkovice midgets, Michal Gulasi enjoyed a succesfull start into the 2001-2002 season. Head coach Kuridym gave him a solid portion of ice time and Gulasi soon became one of the better young defensemen in the midget Extraleague. He coped with the increased role on the team well and stunned the midget Extraleague with his hard hits and an in-your-face style of game. The regular season Gulasi finished with more than four PIM’s per game, an average which only very few midget-aged players accomplish. Now after 40 games Michal Gulasi recorded 165 penalty minutes. He also contributed offensively, posting solid numbers with 16 points for 8 goals and an equal number of assists.
His international career had also a bright start, Michal maintained his position in the Under -16 team and also participated at the Four Nations Tournament held two weeks ago. He states this fact as his biggest success in his hockey career so far. With the Under-16 team he isn’t asked to generate lots of offense, better to stay back and play as a stay-at-home blueliner, a role which seems to suit him quite well.

In his free time Michal like most players likes just to relax a bit or sleep to gain strength for the games. He likes to listen to techno or house style of music and hang out with his friends. That mixed with his hockey career, school and soccer matches forms nearly the whole of Michal’s current life.
As a player very eager to come over to try his luck in the CHL coming 2003, North American fans may have a taste of Michal Gulasi’s play quite soon. He is definitely one of the top 1986 born Czech defensive prospect, so it may be a worthy look. Good luck!