Thomas Vanek, Austrian Hero

NHL.com has an article up about Flyers prospect Andreas Nodl (nodle?  noodle?  know-dle?), and he has some very nice things to say about Thomas Vanek:

“He’s an idol in Austria,” Nodl said to NHL.com. “You want to use him and see someone from Austria that did it. He was the reason I came over here (from Austria). He hooked me up with a tryout in the USHL and he kept in touch the first year to see how things were going.”

Nodl played with the Sioux Falls Stampede, the same USHL outfit where Vanek played before heading to Minnesota.  Great to see him helping out a fellow countryman, even if it makes the Flyers better in the future.