In talking to Borna Rendulic, who last week became the first Croatia-born player to score an NHL goal, the Avalanche rookie obviously has been sheltered from the world’s premier league and even international mainstream hockey. Typically, those familiar with the game know that Patrick Roy’s last name is pronounced “Wah.” But Rendulic goes by Roy, like Roy Rogers, the late American singer and actor.
Someday, maybe every hockey fan will know that Rendulic is pronounced Rehn-dew-lich.
Rendulic’s Hockey Hall of Fame knowledge is understandably low, because in his country hockey isn’t nearly as big as soccer, basketball or even handball. Rendulic, signed by the Avs as a undrafted free agent last summer, was born and raised in Croatia’s capital, Zagreb. The country’s largest city (800,000) has just two hockey rinks, Rendulic said, and the youth programs are weak. Similar to how it was in Colorado 20 years ago, children interested in hockey must practice early in the day or late at night to get on the ice.
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For those with big dreams, financial support is crucial because young Croatians must leave their country to get high-level competition and coaching.
Rendulic, 22, managed to beat the odds and become the hockey rock star of his country. His future with the Avalanche and in the NHL appears bright, although he likely will split time with the Avs and their AHL affiliate in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.
He began the season, his first in North America, in Cleveland before being called up by the Avs and becoming the second Croatian to play in the league.
Wednesday, a day after his second minor-league call-up, , in just his fourth NHL game.
“Hockey is nothing in Croatia,” Rendulic said. “There’s a KHL (Kontinental Hockey League) team but they have a lot of problems, money problems. I don’t know if they’re going to play next year. There’s no Croatian players, only like Canadian guys. Croatia recruits Canadian players, and if they get a passport they can play for the national team.”
Rendulic has been a true Croatian national since 2008, when he played for his country in the 18-under World Championship. He has played in the KHL and several Finnish leagues and was spotted by scouts last season while playing in Finland for HPK. The Avs’ point man in signing him was director of player development David Oliver, who was named to that position July 1.
“I wanted to come here, to the NHL,” Rendulic said. ” It was my goal. It doesn’t matter (about) money but it was like gambling, because I had to choose, and I chose Colorado because of David Oliver. You talk to those guys and sometimes you just don’t like them, how they talk, and ‘Oli’ was a fair guy and I liked him. It was Colorado.”
Rendulic hopes that his hard-earned path to the NHL leads to more Croatian players in the league.
“We have really good young players, but they don’t have money and you have to leave at age 13 or 14 and go to a hockey country,” he said. “And some players are really good but start to smoke and drink beers, and just don’t care. My parents sold a few cars to get the money and send me to Finland.”
Rendulic’s parents in Croatia watched him make history on television, but he didn’t think about the true meaning of the goal until later.
“It didn’t go through my mind. I was just happy to score a goal, and it was a big confidence boost,” he said. “Right now it’s just like, ‘Give me another day.’ I’m living day by day here.”
Roy has said Rendulic has a chance to stick with the big club because of injuries to forwards Jamie McGinn, Patrick Bordeleau and Jesse Winchester.
Mike Chambers: mchambers@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikechambers
