Tom Anastos & Michigan State Hockey Welcome More Star Power on the Attack in 2012 with LW David Bondra

It is safe to say incoming Spartan left winger David Bondra was raised with the game of hockey. “My dad taught me everything I know,” the freshman out of

It is safe to say incoming Spartan left winger David Bondra was raised with the game of hockey.

“My dad taught me everything I know,” the freshman out of Annapolis, Maryland, says, referring to his father and former Washington Capital super star Peter Bondra. “He was
fortunate enough to play in the NHL, so from shooting to passing to skating, he’s taught me it all.”

In fact, the elder Bondra helped lead Washington to the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals alongside current MSU assistant coach Kelly Miller. The younger Bondra has not let his father’s
legacy speak for him, though, and he prides himself on his work ethic.

“(Michigan State) Coach (Tom) Anastos says from the beginning that we’re gonna have to earn our ice time. I believe I’m a hard worker, and hopefully that means I’ll fit in well with the way he coaches."

Beyond his father, he looks to hockey great Wayne Gretsky for motivation.

“Gretzky said he was always one play ahead of everyone else,”Bondra says, “so I try to do that as well."

And he does a pretty good job of it. With a keen ability to quickly find the open space, he often gets to that space faster than anyone else, which helps him to create shot opportunities.

“I think my greatest asset so far is my speed,” he says.  “My dad was a pretty good skater, and he also taught me that the sport has changed.   Back when he played it was a lot more physical, and you could get away with hooking and all that stuff. Now it's more of a skating game – if you can’t skate, you’re not gonna have a lot of success in the game. Because of that, he told me to concentrate on my foot speed and keep working on my legs. Hopefully that’ll get me somewhere.”

His aggressive style of play can be considered an additional strength.

"I’m not really the kind of guy that likes to lay back and play in defensive mode,” he says. "I pride myself on blocking shots, too, so hopefully I can keep doing that at the college level.  I really like being on the penalty kill.”  He says he thinks the defensive zone is his biggest weakness but that he wants to continue to work on improving all aspects of his
game. “I consider myself an all-around player,” he says.  “I’ve learned that to win games you have to play pretty well in the defensive zone, too, which I think has prepared me pretty well for what college hockey will be like. I’m just excited to be here.”

And according to him, coming here was not a particularly difficult decision.

"Coming for my visit here and seeing all the facilities, plus (Coach Anastos) talking about the education here...I'm a big believer in education, and so is my family. They’ve
always instilled in me that it’s education first, then hockey, and I think that's what coach Anastos and the rest of the coaching staff believes, too."

“They take a lot of pride in their education, so my parents were very for me coming here, and so was I.  As soon as I walked in here, I knew it was where I wanted to be."

That does not mean it has been an instant transition, though, for Bondra and the other incoming players who recently moved into the dorms in East Lansing to begin classes and workouts. “It’s a huge campus,” he admits, “and I’ve gotten lost a couple times. But for the hockey team to bring freshmen in in the summer is definitely helpful; the upperclassmen are nice about helping us all out.”

The newcomer also says they have quickly been shown the ropes in workouts.

"We have a great athletic trainer, (Mike) Vorkapich. He’s helped all of us a lot working out every day.  Working hard is his number one thing, that and never quitting. We were all eyes wide open the first few days, but we've smoothly transitioned into it and are having a good time getting stronger. It's really benefitting us."

While he hopes to continue playing the game for many more years, Bondra says he is focusing solely on this level for now. “College hockey is my next step,” he says, “and that’s all I’m focusing on right now.  If I have successful years here then who knows; maybe I'm lucky down the road."

“I feel like I’m in good hands now, and I feel very lucky to be here.”