Justin Lemcke – McKeen's Hockey

2015 NHL Draft – McKeen’s Top 120 Rankings

McKeen's Hockey — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:17:44 +0000

Ilya Samsonov made the most of his opportunity in front of NHL scouts last month in the Czech Republic.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound native of Magnitogorsk helped lead Russia to victory at the Five Nations Tournament.

Samsonov showcased a full package of skill and smarts while upsetting Team USA in a 5-4 overtime win - being outshot 51-to-16 - and then shutting down Sweden 5-1 in the final game.

He played this season in the MHL with Stalnye Lisy, Magnitogorsk's junior team, and will get another chance to bolster his draft stock at the U18 World Championships next month in Switzerland.

A number of Samsonov's U18 teammates could draw some draft interest with strong showings in Zug and Lucerne, the two host cities for the U18 Worlds.

Big, strong-shooting winger Denis Gurianov of Lada Togliatti is rated in the second round - 40th overall - on the McKeen's Top 120 rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft.

Mikhail Vorobyev (Salavat Ufa) is rated 78th overall and is a smart, well-structured pivot in the classic old Russian style, while diminutive winger Kirill Kaprizov (Novokuznetsk) is listed as a late third-rounder - 89th overall. Just 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Kaprizov was a creative force throughout the Five Nations and demonstrated that he has the courage and work ethic to help overcome the size factor.

Samsonov is the top-rated goaltender in the McKeen's rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft - debuting in the first round in the 29th spot.

Drafting goalies in the opening round has becoming increasingly less common. In fact, only six goaltenders have been selected in the first round over the past eight drafts (2007 to 2014). That compares to the five-year period from 2002 to 2006 in which a total of 14 goalies were first-round picks.

Samsonov is one of 11 goaltenders to earn spots in the McKeen's Top 120 rankings.

Mackenzie Blackwood of the Barrie Colts is next on the goalie list - ranked as an early second-rounder at 33rd overall - while a pair of QMJHL goalies hold down the next two spots - Callum Booth of Halifax at 61st and Samuel Montembeault of Blainville-Boisbriand in the No. 68 spot.

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	Connor McDavid	C	Erie (OHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-97
2	Jack Eichel	C	Boston University (HE)	6-2/195	28-Oct-96
3	Noah Hanifin	D	Boston College (HE)	6-3/205	25-Jan-97
4	Mitchell Marner	C	London (OHL)	5-11/160	5-May-97
5	Ivan Provorov	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jan-97
6	Lawson Crouse	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-4/210	23-Jun-97
7	Zach Werenski	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/205	19-Jul-97
8	Dylan Strome	C	Erie (OHL)	6-3/190	7-May-97
9	Pavel Zacha	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/210	6-Apr-97
10	Mathew Barzal	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/175	26-May-97
11	Travis Konecny	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/175	11-Mar-97
12	Mikko Rantanen	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-3/210	29-Oct-96
13	Timo Meier	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/210	8-Oct-96
14	Kyle Connor	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/185	9-Dec-96
15	Thomas Chabot	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-97
16	Jakub Zboril	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-97
17	Nick Merkley	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	23-May-97
18	Joel Ek Eriksson	C	Farjestads (Swe)	6-2/180	29-Jan-97
19	Colin White	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	30-Jan-97
20	Paul Bittner	LW	Portland (WHL)	6-4/210	4-Nov-96
21	Brandon Carlo	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-5/200	26-Nov-96
22	Jeremy Roy	D	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-0/190	14-May-97
23	Evgeni Svechnikov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-2/200	31-Oct-96
24	Jake DeBrusk	LW	Swift Current (WHL)	5-11/170	17-Oct-96
25	Jacob Larsson	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/190	29-Apr-97
26	Jonas Siegenthaler	D	ZSC Zurich (Sui)	6-2/220	6-May-97
27	Oliver Kylington	D	Farjestads (Swe)	6-0/185	19-May-97
28	Brock Boeser	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Feb-97
29	Ilya Samsonov	G	Magnitogorsk (Rus)	6-3/200	22-Feb-97
30	Jack Roslovic	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	29-Jan-97

31	Erik Cernak	D	Kosice (Svk)	6-3/200	28-May-97
32	Guillaume Brisebois	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-2/170	21-Jul-97
33	Mackenzie Blackwood	G	Barrie (OHL)	6-4/215	9-Dec-96
34	Tom Novak	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/180	28-Apr-97
35	Jansen Harkins	C	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/180	23-May-97
36	Filip Chlapik	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-1/195	3-Jun-97
37	Blake Speers	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/180	2-Jan-97
38	Daniel Sprong	RW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/190	17-Mar-97
39	Matthew Spencer	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/200	24-Mar-97
40	Denis Gurianov	RW	Lada Togliatti (Rus)	6-2/185	7-Jun-97
41	Noah Juulsen	D	Everett (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Apr-97
42	Jordan Greenway	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-5/225	16-Feb-97
43	Alexander Dergachyov	RW	SKA St. Petersburg (Rus)	6-4/200	27-Sep-96
44	Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson	C	Omaha (USHL)	6-1/195	31-Oct-96
45	Jeremy Bracco	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-9/175	17-Mar-97
46	Zachary Senyshyn	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/195	30-Mar-97
47	Anthony Beauvillier	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-10/175	8-Jun-97
48	Ryan Gropp	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/185	16-Sep-96
49	Dennis Yan	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	6-1/180	14-Apr-97
50	Jens Looke	RW	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	11-Apr-97
51	Robin Kovacs	RW	AIK (Swe)	6-0/170	16-Nov-96
52	Glenn Gawdin	C	Swift Current (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Mar-97
53	Nikita Korostelev	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-1/195	8-Feb-97
54	Travis Dermott	D	Erie (OHL)	5-11/195	22-Dec-96
55	Gabriel Carlsson	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-4/185	2-Jan-97
56	Adam Musil	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	6-2/200	26-Mar-97
57	Mitchell Vande Sompel	D	Oshawa (OHL)	5-10/180	11-Feb-97
58	Christian Fischer	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/215	15-Apr-97
59	Brendan Guhle	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-1/185	29-Jul-97
60	Dennis Gilbert	D	Chicago (USHL)	6-2/200	30-Oct-96

61	Callum Booth	G	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/200	21-May-97
62	Sebastian Aho	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	5-11/175	26-Jul-97
63	Ryan Pilon	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/210	10-Oct-96
64	Nicolas Roy	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-4/200	5-Feb-97
65	Austin Wagner	LW	Regina (WHL)	6-1/180	23-Jun-97
66	Graham Knott	LW	Niagara (OHL)	6-3/195	13-Jan-97
67	Michael Spacek	C	Pardubice (Cze)	5-11/190	9-Apr-97
68	Samuel Montembeault	G	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-2/165	30-Oct-96
69	Yakov Trenin	LW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-2/195	13-Jan-97
70	Daniel Vladar	G	Kladno (Cze)	6-5/185	20-Aug-97
71	Kyle Capobianco	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-1/180	13-Aug-97
72	David Kase	C	Chomutov (Cze)	5-11/170	28-Jan-97
73	Bailey Webster	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-3/210	8-Sep-97
74	Felix Sandstrom	G	Brynas (Swe)	6-2/190	12-Jan-97
75	Jesper Lindgren	D	MoDo (Swe)	6-0/160	19-May-97
76	Keegan Kolesar	RW	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/215	8-Apr-97
77	Kevin Davis	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/185	14-Mar-97
78	Mikhail Vorobyev	C	Salavat Ufa (Rus)	6-2/195	5-Jan-97
79	Vince Dunn	D	Niagara (OHL)	6-0/185	29-Oct-96
80	Nathan Noel	C	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/175	21-Jun-97
81	Gustav Bouramman	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/185	24-Jan-97
82	Matej Tomek	G	Topeka (NAHL)	6-2/180	24-May-97
83	Lukas Jasek	RW	Trinec (Cze)	5-11/165	28-Aug-97
84	Nicolas Meloche	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-2/200	18-Jul-97
85	Roope Hintz	LW	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	6-2/185	17-Nov-96
86	Mitchell Stephens	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/185	5-Feb-97
87	Jean-Christophe Beaudin	RW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/185	27-Mar-97
88	Filip Ahl	LW	HV 71 (Swe)	6-3/210	12-Jun-97
89	Kirill Kaprizov	LW	Novokuznetsk (Rus)	5-9/185	26-Apr-97
90	John Marino	D	South Shore (USPHL)	6-0/175	21-May-97

91	Chaz Reddekopp	D	Victoria (WHL)	6-3/220	1-Jan-97
92	Adam Marsh	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/165	22-Aug-97
93	Parker Wotherspoon	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/170	24-Aug-97
94	Loik Leveille	D	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	5-11/220	25-Sep-96
95	Adam Gaudette	C	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	6-1/175	3-Oct-96
96	Justin Lemcke	D	Belleville (OHL)	6-2/200	13-Feb-97
97	Gabriel Gagne	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	6-5/190	11-Nov-96
98	Thomas Schemitsch	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-3/205	26-Oct-96
99	Jesse Gabrielle	LW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/205	17-Jun-97
100	Jonne Tammela	LW	KalPa (Fin)	5-10/180	5-Aug-97
101	Christian Jaros	D	Lulea (Swe)	6-3/200	2-Apr-96
102	Ales Stezka	G	Liberec (Cze)	6-3/180	6-Jan-97
103	Ethan Bear	D	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/200	26-Jun-97
104	Mathieu Joseph	RW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/165	9-Feb-97
105	Jeremiah Addison	LW	Ottawa (OHL)	6-0/185	21-Oct-96
106	Devante Stephens	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Jan-97
107	Michael McNiven	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-0/205	9-Jul-97
108	Jeremy Lauzon	D	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-2/195	28-Apr-97
109	Luke Opilka	G	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	27-Feb-97
110	Philippe Myers	D	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-5/195	25-Jan-97
111	Adam Werner	G	Farjestads (Swe)	6-5/185	2-May-97
112	Brendan Warren	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-0/190	7-May-97
113	Julius Nattinen	C	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	6-2/190	14-Jan-97
114	Colton White	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/185	3-May-97
115	Samuel Dove-McFalls	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-2/205	10-Apr-97
116	Veeti Vainio	D	Blues (Fin)	6-2/170	16-Jun-97
117	Matt Bradley	C	Medicine Hat (WHL)	5-11/185	22-Jan-97
118	Tyler Soy	C	Victoria (WHL)	5-11/170	10-Feb-97
119	Dmytro Timashov	LW	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/190	1-Oct-96
120	A.J. Greer	LW	Boston University (HE)	6-2/205	14-Dec-96

2015 NHL Draft – Top 20 OHL Prospects

McKeen's Hockey — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 03:00:37 +0000

Making an impact on a stacked team can be problematic for young players looking to impress in their draft seasons.

Such has not been the case however for Blake Speers and Zachary Senyshyn of the powerhouse Soo Greyhounds.

The duo have contributed a combined 48 goals to the OHL's top-scoring team - a significant total considering the logjam of forwards on the Greyhounds swelled with the additions of Nick Ritchie and Justin Bailey.

The Soo stormed to the top of the league during a commanding 12-game winning streak recently that saw Senyshyn erupt for nine goals.

The Nepean, Ontario native is tied for fourth on the team with 26 goals - and second overall in OHL rookie scoring to Erie's Alex DeBrincat.

Speers sat out the final six games of the streak due to a shoulder injury (strain) - but has been a creative force in the few games since returning.

The Sault Ste. Marie native has also excelled in the classroom earning OHL 'Academic Players of the Month' honours for both November and December.

Speers is ranked eighth among OHL players (37th overall) in the McKeen's rankings for the 2015 NHL Draft, while Senyshyn sits 10th - and 46h overall.

A third Greyhounds' player - Swedish import Gustav Bouramman - earned a spot in the OHL Top 20 list - and is ranked 17th among OHL players - and 81st overall.

OHL	ALL	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	1	Connor McDavid	C	Erie (OHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-97
2	4	Mitchell Marner	C	London (OHL)	5-11/160	5-May-97
3	6	Lawson Crouse	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-4/210	23-Jun-97
4	8	Dylan Strome	C	Erie (OHL)	6-3/190	7-May-97
5	9	Pavel Zacha	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/210	6-Apr-97
6	11	Travis Konecny	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/175	11-Mar-97
7	33	Mackenzie Blackwood	G	Barrie (OHL)	6-4/215	9-Dec-96
8	37	Blake Speers	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/180	2-Jan-97
9	39	Matthew Spencer	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/200	24-Mar-97
10	46	Zachary Senyshyn	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/195	30-Mar-97
11	53	Nikita Korostelev	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-1/195	8-Feb-97
12	54	Travis Dermott	D	Erie (OHL)	5-11/195	22-Dec-96
13	57	Mitchell Vande Sompel	D	Oshawa (OHL)	5-10/180	11-Feb-97
14	66	Graham Knott	LW	Niagara (OHL)	6-3/195	13-Jan-97
15	71	Kyle Capobianco	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-1/180	13-Aug-97
16	79	Vince Dunn	D	Niagara (OHL)	6-0/185	29-Oct-96
17	81	Gustav Bouramman	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/185	24-Jan-97
18	86	Mitchell Stephens	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/185	5-Feb-97
19	96	Justin Lemcke	D	Belleville (OHL)	6-2/200	13-Feb-97
20	98	Thomas Schemitsch	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-3/205	26-Oct-96

McKeen’s 2015 NHL Top 75 Draft Rankings (Jan-2015)

McKeen's Hockey — Fri, 16 Jan 2015 20:24:53 +0000

A quick demographic breakdown of the McKeen's Top 75 rankings suggests the 2015 NHL Draft is shaping up to have not only good depth but also balance.

The five primary regions are represented fairly equally with the QMJHL leading the way with 17 prospects ranked - followed closely by the OHL (16), Europe/International (16), the WHL (15), and the U.S. (11).

RANK	PREV	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB
1	1	Connor McDavid	C	Erie (OHL)	6-1/195	13-Jan-97
2	2	Jack Eichel	C	Boston University (HE)	6-2/195	28-Oct-96
3	3	Noah Hanifin	D	Boston College (HE)	6-3/205	25-Jan-97
4	6	Mitchell Marner	C	London (OHL)	5-11/160	5-May-97
5	5	Lawson Crouse	LW	Kingston (OHL)	6-4/210	23-Jun-97
6	7	Dylan Strome	C	Erie (OHL)	6-3/190	7-May-97
7	11	Zach Werenski	D	Michigan (B1G)	6-2/205	19-Jul-97
8	22	Ivan Provorov	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jan-97
9	4	Pavel Zacha	C	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/210	6-Apr-97
10	9	Nick Merkley	RW	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	23-May-97
11	18	Mikko Rantanen	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-3/210	29-Oct-96
12	10	Mathew Barzal	C	Seattle (WHL)	5-11/175	26-May-97
13	17	Jeremy Roy	D	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-0/190	14-May-97
14	8	Kyle Connor	C	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/185	9-Dec-96
15	26	Evgeni Svechnikov	LW	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-2/200	31-Oct-96
16	13	Travis Konecny	C	Ottawa (OHL)	5-10/175	11-Mar-97
17	14	Oliver Kylington	D	Farjestads (Swe)	6-0/185	19-May-97
18	12	Colin White	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/185	30-Jan-97
19	16	Paul Bittner	LW	Portland (WHL)	6-4/210	4-Nov-96
20	NR	Thomas Chabot	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-97
21	15	Jakub Zboril	D	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-1/185	21-Feb-97
22	20	Matthew Spencer	D	Peterborough (OHL)	6-1/200	24-Mar-97
23	30	Jake DeBrusk	LW	Swift Current (WHL)	5-11/170	17-Oct-96
24	NR	Timo Meier	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-1/210	8-Oct-96
25	19	Brandon Carlo	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-5/200	26-Nov-96
26	28	Daniel Sprong	RW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/190	17-Mar-97
27	24	Jansen Harkins	C	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/180	23-May-97
28	NR	Guillaume Brisebois	D	Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)	6-2/170	21-Jul-97
29	NR	Brock Boeser	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/195	25-Feb-97
30	NR	Jens Looke	RW	Brynas (Swe)	6-0/180	11-Apr-97
31	NR	Mackenzie Blackwood	G	Barrie (OHL)	6-4/215	9-Dec-96
32	21	Jacob Larsson	D	Frolunda (Swe)	6-2/190	29-Apr-97
33	25	Dennis Yan	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	6-1/180	14-Apr-97
34	NR	Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson	C	Omaha (USHL)	6-1/195	31-Oct-96
35	NR	Callum Booth	G	Quebec (QMJHL)	6-3/200	21-May-97
36	NR	Jonas Siegenthaler	D	ZSC Zurich (Sui)	6-2/220	6-May-97
37	29	Tom Novak	C	Waterloo (USHL)	6-0/180	28-Apr-97
38	NR	Blake Speers	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-11/180	2-Jan-97
39	NR	Alexander Dergachyov	RW	SKA St. Petersburg (Rus)	6-4/200	27-Sep-96
40	NR	Nikita Korostelev	RW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-1/195	8-Feb-97
41	NR	Sebastian Aho	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	5-11/175	26-Jul-97
42	23	Nicolas Roy	C	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	6-4/200	5-Feb-97
43	NR	David Kase	C	Chomutov (Cze)	5-11/170	28-Jan-97
44	NR	Yakov Trenin	LW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-2/195	13-Jan-97
45	NR	Gabriel Carlsson	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-4/185	2-Jan-97
46	NR	Filip Ahl	LW	HV 71 (Swe)	6-3/210	12-Jun-97
47	NR	Glenn Gawdin	C	Swift Current (WHL)	6-1/190	25-Mar-97
48	NR	Adam Musil	RW	Red Deer (WHL)	6-2/200	26-Mar-97
49	NR	Jeremy Bracco	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-9/175	17-Mar-97
50	NR	Ryan Pilon	D	Brandon (WHL)	6-2/210	10-Oct-96
51	NR	Filip Chlapik	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-1/195	3-Jun-97
52	NR	Nathan Noel	C	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/175	21-Jun-97
53	NR	Graham Knott	LW	Niagara (OHL)	6-3/195	13-Jan-97
54	NR	Daniel Vladar	G	Kladno (Cze)	6-5/185	20-Aug-97
55	27	Jordan Greenway	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-5/225	16-Feb-97
56	NR	Michael Spacek	C	Pardubice (Cze)	5-11/190	9-Apr-97
57	NR	Anthony Beauvillier	LW	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-10/175	8-Jun-97
58	NR	Ryan Gropp	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-2/185	16-Sep-96
59	NR	Felix Sandstrom	G	Brynas (Swe)	6-2/190	12-Jan-97
60	NR	Parker Wotherspoon	D	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/170	24-Aug-97
61	NR	Nicolas Meloche	D	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-2/200	18-Jul-97
62	NR	Roope Hintz	LW	Ilves Tampere (Fin)	6-2/185	17-Nov-96
63	NR	Noah Juulsen	D	Everett (WHL)	6-1/175	2-Apr-97
64	NR	Zachary Senyshyn	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/195	30-Mar-97
65	NR	Erik Cernak	D	Kosice (Svk)	6-3/200	28-May-97
66	NR	Brendan Guhle	D	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-2/180	29-Jul-97
67	NR	Mitchell Stephens	C	Saginaw (OHL)	5-11/185	5-Feb-97
68	NR	Mitchell Vande Sompel	D	Oshawa (OHL)	5-10/180	11-Feb-97
69	NR	Adam Marsh	LW	Saint John (QMJHL)	6-0/165	22-Aug-97
70	NR	Jesse Gabrielle	LW	Regina (WHL)	5-11/205	17-Jun-97
71	NR	Denis Gurianov	RW	Lada Togliatti (Rus)	6-2/185	7-Jun-97
72	NR	Rasmus Andersson	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/215	27-Oct-96
73	NR	Dmytro Timashov	LW	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/190	1-Oct-96
74	NR	Justin Lemcke	D	Belleville (OHL)	6-2/200	13-Feb-97
75	NR	Matej Tomek	G	Topeka (NAHL)	6-2/180	24-May-97

Whalers patient, OHL picks 16-19

Sean Lafortune — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:04:39 +0000

In our fourth and final installment of the OHL draft, scouting reports highlight the final four picks of the first round.

The Plymouth Whalers are proving patience is a virtue after drafting the highly-skilled forward Jordan Greenway with the 16^th pick. Greenway is heading to the USNTDP, which means he won’t make his Whalers debut for two more years, but once there, he should be worth the wait.

The Owen Sound Attack took Ethan Szypula with the next pick. Szypula is a wizard with the puck, but plays with a chip on his shoulder and a burning desire to make a difference.

Justin Lemcke (pictured), a big and fluid skating defenceman, followed in the 18^th pick. The Bulls took a player that will be hard to play against who could also emerge as a future leader in the Quinte region.

The London Knights closed out the first round with the supremely-skilled, but diminutive forward Mitchell Marner. The future Knight will have time to grow in a depth role on a skilled team and should emerge as a scoring sensation in the not-too-distant future.

Photo courtesy of Paul Kidd

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Jordan Greenway (LW, 2015), Shattuck St Mary’s U16 – 6’5" – 205 pounds – February 16, 1997

Drafted 16^th overall by the Plymouth Whalers

Greenway has been developing at the famed Shattuck St. Mary’s prep hockey program over the past few years, a program that has had such graduates as Sidney Crosby, Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews over its storied history .. Potsdam, NY native has the rare combination of size, mobility and puck skills that make him a real appealing option for OHL teams .. protects the puck like few at this age group, holding off checkers and dishing out seeing-eye passes .. most effective when driving the net courageously, looking to unload a heavy, accurate snap-shot .. gets his blade on tip-ins and rebounds due to his sharp hand-eye coordination .. not an elegant skater, he is somewhat stiff and slightly heavy-footed .. continues to ad fluidity and length to his skating stride .. shows flashes of a gritty, physical edge to his game, yet lacks that natural aggressive streak .. continues to add muscle and core strength to his massive frame .. still lacks defensive zone awareness at times, as he takes poor angles and doesn’t sustain consistent positioning .. currently uncommitted to a U.S. college, Greenway has multiple options at his disposal .. has reportedly committed to the USNTDP U17 program, where he will play an important role for the squad .. had the ability and potential to be a top-5 selection for the OHL Draft, but fell due to his USNTDP commitment .. the selection of Greenway seems reminiscent of the Saginaw Spirit selecting Brandon Saad in the 2009 OHL draft, where the Spirit felt that two years with Saad would be more valuable to them then other options.

Ethan Szypula (C, 2015), London Jr. Knights – 5'9" – 154 pounds – January 28, 1997

Drafted 17^th overall by the Owen Sound Attack

A shifty skater who can create space using a deceptive change of pace and tricky stick-handling .. insightful playmaker, cleaver passer with sneaky hands plus a good, undersized shot .. soft hands, a strong puck-handler and cleaver “in close” skills .. a crafty and talented passer, has a knack for creating space and finding open lanes .. accelerates swiftly and attains good top speed from a long and powerful skating stride .. a threat in transition, generates a burst with each step, and on crossovers to produce excellent diagonals speed .. adept at holding the puck, exploiting his poise and patience .. competes -- chippy and aggressive -- willing to do what it takes to win .. gets caught flat-footed watching defensive sequences and must strive to stay involved with the play in his own zone .. prone to over-handling the puck at times .. reluctant to drive his slight frame at defenders and will peel off and relinquish possession under the threat of contact .. filling in and adding strength and mass to his frame will aid him as he moves forward .. will play an immediate depth role, and may see some select power-play time .. however, he will have to adjust to the pace and speed that the OHL brings, while also physically maturing .. once he makes that adjustment, he has the ability to be a front-line offensive force for the Attack, while also bringing a high compete level and willingness to do what it takes to win.

Justin Lemcke (D, 2015), Whitby Wildcats – 6'1" – 192 pounds – February 13, 1997

Drafted 18^th overall by the Belleville Bulls

Captain of the Whitby Wildcats .. tall, poised rearguard is an attractive skater for his size .. fluid with good range .. reaches top gear quicker having added power to a long, smooth stride .. more agile and stronger on his edges and gradually improving his turning speed .. still can lose time on his pivots and transitions .. misses elite start-up and top-end speed .. displays an understanding for when to integrate himself into the attack, aided by good puck-handling skills and a booming shot .. strong on the puck, patiently waits for outlets to open and makes a good first pass .. sustains strong gap control, defending the rush with poise while relying on his active stick .. can be overtaken time to time with his average backwards speed, as opposing skaters have the ability to skate wide on him .. lacks assertiveness in physical battles, needs to learn how to better use his frame and exploit his excellent strength .. competitive, difficult to play against, uses his thick frame to lean and grind down on opponents below the defensive red line .. can still waste energy running around and chasing the puck in his own zone .. most effective when focusing on proper execution .. must continue to bulk up his spacious frame while upgrading his offensive tools .. can struggle in possession, not making quick enough reads in the offensive zone .. should come into Belleville and play an immediate depth role for a re-tooling Bulls squad .. has the ability to be a defensive-focused player who logs a significant amount of hard minutes .. will not be a pure puck-mover, but could act as an effective trigger-man on the power-play.

Mitch Marner (C, 2015), Don Mills Flyers – 5'8" – 130 pounds – May 5, 1997

Drafted 19^th overall by the London Knights

Marner played his first year with the Don Mills Flyers after spending his bantam year with the Vaughan Kings .. used as an affiliate player for the St. Michael’s Buzzers of the OJHL, playing top-9 minutes and adding some important secondary scoring for the Buckland Cup champions .. gifted passer and shooter, imaginative, he has an excellent sense for how to create offence .. possesses some paralyzing one-on-one moves, accentuated by remarkable in-tight escapability .. dynamic, undersized speedster hunches forward and generates a blistering pace .. generates a strong start-up burst and accelerates to top gear within seconds .. opens up lanes via explosive lateral cuts at high speed .. dangerous off the rush, hard to contain gaps on .. plays a brave game in spite of a diminutive frame, displaying resilience and persistence .. continues to work on upgrading his defensive zone play .. still gets erased by bigger, stronger defenders who successfully contain his time and space .. balance and strength will be an issue moving forward .. struggles to maintain his edges and protect the puck when engaged .. has put on weight and is maturing, however needs to continue to add core strength to his slight frame .. projected as a skilled, top-6 forward at the next level whose future may be tied into his ability to upgrade his strength .. may play a depth role for the Knights next year, given the team’s deep returning forward core .. once matured, Marner has the ability to be one of the top scorers in the OHL, based on his individual puck skills and high offensive ceiling.