Nolan Maier – McKeen's Hockey

WHL 2019-2020 Season Preview – Eastern Conference

Vince Gibbons — Thu, 03 Oct 2019 22:00:28 +0000

One of the joys of junior hockey is that the age limitations force roster turnover of top teams in 3-4-year cycles creating a new league every couple of seasons. This ensures that no team stays at the top of the league for too long. The class of the league last season was the Prince Albert Raiders. Wire to wire the top team in the WHL with three lines of scoring, three defenders with over 40 points each, and an NHL-drafted goalie prospect in Ian Scott, they ticked all the boxes of a team that was able to dominate the league.

This year they will be without three graduated top overage forwards in Dante Hannoun, Noah Gregor, and Sean Montgomery, who combined for an impressive 101 goals. Top scorer from last year Brett Leason is still in pro camp and could play in the AHL this season if he continues to show well. If he does that is another 36 goals no longer with the roster. Does this leave the door open to another team in the WHL to dominate the 2019-2020 regular season? Does Prince Albert have the staying power to remain at the top? These articles will try to answer those questions months in advance. (Teams are listed in their projected divisional rankings). Today we look at the Eastern Conference. The Western Conference article will be published tomorrow.

Peyton Krebs. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL

East Division

Winnipeg ICE (1^st)

No team has had more season-over-season change than Winnipeg. Formerly based in Kootenay, the roster looks substantially different with a plethora of scoring options up front, something they have struggled mightily with the past few seasons. The import draft provided the ICE two gifted forwards in Michal Teply (Chicago, 4^th 2019) and Nino Kinder (undrafted). Both have been impact players in the early part of the season at well over one point per game. Peyton Krebs (Vegas, 1^st 2019) will be playing with some talent this year when he returns from his off season injury and will get a chance to showcase his playmaking skills on a team with finishers on both wings. Connor McClennon is their top prospect for this year’s draft; the smallish winger is like a waterbug out on the ice with some high end offensive skills. Perhaps the most interesting player on the roster though, is 2004 born Matthew Savoie who was not granted exceptional status for this season. Rumors of him sticking with the team all season anyway are out there so it will be fascinating to watch this all unfold, regardless. There is a ton of scoring talent in Winnipeg to potentially pace them to the top of the division.

Saskatoon Blades (2^nd)

The Blades roster lost Max Gerlach’s 42 goals but for the most part remains intact up front. Kirby Dach (Chicago, 1^st 2019) remains in camp and will likely get a few games in the NHL but should return to Saskatoon, where he will lead a very strong group. Eric Florchuk (Washington 7^th 2018) and Chase Wouters will have to provide more offense especially while Dach is still in the NHL. Kyle Crnkovic had a very solid draft minus one season and look for him to produce a lot of offense on the wing of one of the top two lines. Despite his size, he could force his way into a middle round pick in the upcoming draft. The final difference maker on this roster is between the pipes, where undrafted Nolan Maier has shown the pedigree to be a top goaltender in the WHL. Last season his .910 save percentage was in the top half of the league and with the relative stability of the defensive corps, he will look to build on that.

Prince Albert Raiders (3^rd)

Despite the loss of talent already mentioned this team still boasts a strong roster. Returning import player Aliaksei Protas (Washington, 3^th 2019) has hit the ground running with five points in his first three games this season. Playing with Cole Fonstad (Montreal, 5^th, 2019) expect for Protas to have productive minutes and improve on last season’s totals. Both players will be counted on to be primary producers this year rather than the secondary roles they had previously. Two draft eligible players of note on the roster are winger Ozzy Wiesblatt, who has good speed and vision, and Kaiden Guhle, a solid two way defender. This year they should be on both special teams units because of their high hockey IQ and solid passing skills. Recently acquired Boston Bilous was brought in to stabilize the net with Ian Scott having a shot at a pro hockey this year. These players make this roster dangerous and a tough out on any given night.

Brandon Wheat Kings (4^th)

Just missing the playoffs last season, Brandon has plenty of young talent looking to take a step forward. Led by Luka Burzan (Colorado, 6^th 2019) and his impressive 40 goals last season, this team is flush with ’02 born talented players. Ty Thorpe, Nolan Ritchie, Ridly Greig and Riley Ginnel plus late ’01 birthday Jonny Hooker have all shown flashes of being quality forwards. On the back end they have one of the WHL’s top draft eligible defenders in Braden Schneider who logs a lot of minutes. In goal, they have used an overage and an import spot for Jiri Patera (Vegas, 6^th 2017) to protect the blue paint which enables them to compete every night.

Moose Jaw Warriors (5^th)

The offseason trade of Jett Woo coupled with the graduations of Justin Almeida and Josh Brook has left Moose Jaw at the start of a rebuild. Brayden Tracey has looked the part in Ducks camp, exceeding expectations, but should be back in Moose Jaw soon enough. He is the last remaining part of a lethal power play unit from last season and will be expected to continue producing despite recent graduates. In terms of this year’s NHL draft, Daemon Hunt looks to be the top prospect on the Warriors. They also have an impact players for further down the road with Ryder Korczak a late ’02 and ’03 birth year Eric Alarie who have been torching the league in preseason and are both ready to contribute regularly.

Regina Pats (6^th)

The Regina Pats are going through what most host cities of the Memorial Cup go through. After trading away futures to ensure a strong showing, the cupboard looks a little barren with no Bantam first round picks on their roster, save overager Dawson Holt. Austin Pratt, who led the team in scoring last season, returns as a 20 year old and should be a point per game player this year. He is an intriguing player that never took off the way it was expected when he came up from Minnesota. He has a huge frame and good skating but has never been consistent enough to take over a game and garner much pro hype. With the roster in Regina he should get every opportunity to be successful.

Dylan Cozens. Photo by Erica Perreaux - Lethbridge Hurricanes

Central Division

Calgary Hitmen (1^st)

The Hitmen possess a roster with some serious depth at every position. The acquisition of Jett Woo in the offseason makes their defense corps one of the best in the WHL. Yegor Zamula (Philadelphia, UDFA 2018) Luke Prokop, Dakota Krebs, and Jackson van de Leest can all play a tough physical brand of hockey and play the game with a real edge. At forward they have a top list of options led by overage player Mark Kastelic (Ottawa 5^th, 2019). He has great size and plays a heavy game. Fellow overager James Malm has shown good offensive skills despite being a little undersized. With drafted centerman Riley Stotts (Toronto, 3^rd 2018) and Carson Focht (Vancouver, 5^th 2019) also capable of filling the net they have as well balanced a team as anyone. Riley Fiddler-Schultz and Adam Kydd have some offensive tools and both could hear their names called on draft day in 2020.

Edmonton Oil Kings (2^nd)

Despite being without the services of Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus, 7^th 2018), one of the more dynamic offensive weapons in the WHL the past few seasons, Edmonton looks the part of a playoff team. Matthew Robertson (NY Rangers, 2^nd 2019) leads a strong, experienced blue line. Up front they boast six bantam draft former first round picks in Dylan Guether, Liam Keeler, Quinn Benjafield, Jake Neighbours, Brendan Semchuk, and Josh Williams. With Neighbours being one of the top draft eligible players in the WHL this year, he will be a large part of the offense as Edmonton battles for tops in the division. Relying on experience in overage goalie Dylan Myskiw and 2000 born Todd Scott to hold down the crease, Edmonton looks capable of pushing for top spot in the East this season.

Medicine Hat Tigers (3^rd)

Medicine Hat will be led by a couple of Danish born players (checks notes again), yes two Danish players. Jonathan Brinkman and Mads Sogaard (Ottawa, 2^nd 2019) both hail from Aalborg, Denmark. Sogaard was a revelation last season starting in both the WJC and Top Prospects Game and having a huge role in Medicine Hat sticking with Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs. Brinkman is looking to make his mark in the WHL after going undrafted last season. The Tigers also possess a team with lots of experience with James Hamblin, Bryan Lockner, Brett Kemp, and Ryan Chyzowski all in as undrafted 19 and 20 year olds. Eric Van Impe leads the team defensively and plays a nice brand of physical hockey coupled with some pretty good offensive upside which should get plenty of looks from NHL scouts this year.

Lethbridge Hurricanes (4^th)

Any team with a player as dynamic as Dylan Cozens (Buffalo, 1^st 2019) has the ability to win on any given night. This year he will do it on his own back as there as Lethbridge’s depth took a serious hit in the offseason. Likely graduated players Jordan Bellerive (Pittsburgh, UDFA 2018), Jake Elmer (NY Rangers, UDFA 2019), Nick Henry (Colorado, 4^th 2017) and Jake Leschyshyn (Vegas, 2^nd 2017) will create opportunities for younger players like Logan Barlage and recently acquired Dino Kambeitz. Calen Addison (Pittsburgh, 2^nd 2018) is still there to quarterback the powerplay and has shown he can produce as well as any forward in the WHL. The crease is a platoon style early as both guys have started a couple of games and shown well. If the goaltending is good enough they will be a playoff team in the East, however they will be in tough competing with the depth of some other teams.

Red Deer Rebels (5^th)

Last season was disappointing in Red Deer despite the Rebels making the playoffs. This year with the youth the team is ‘blooding’ expectations are pretty low. There is no dynamic scorer in any of their overage players and Brett Davies (Dallas, 6^th 2017) has been underwhelming since coming over in trade last season. It will be scoring by committee if they have any success this year. The likes of Josh Tarzwell, Cameron Hausinger, and Chris Douglas will have to up their games as none have had a 20 goal season in a Rebels’ uniform. There is reason for optimism though, particularly along the blue line, as Red Deer sports a number of young up and coming defenders. Led by Dawson Barteaux (Dallas, 6^th 2018) and draft eligible Christoffer Sedoff on the top pairing, and youngsters Blake Gustafson, Mason Ward, and Joel Sexsmith will also garner scouts attention as the season goes on. With two solid WHL goalies on the roster, both Byron Fancy and Ethan Anders are capable of carrying a young team into the season with the stability they provide in the crease. The playoffs would be a stretch for them this year, especially with the strength of the Eastern Division likely competing for both Wild Card spots.

Swift Current Broncos (6^th)

Swift Current is just two seasons removed from a Memorial Cup and have a roster that lacks experience going into this season. The highlight of their roster is a pair of draft eligible Finnish players, winger Joona Kiviniemi who returned after leading the team in goals last season, and looks to improve on his 16 goals from a season ago, and Kasper Puutio who the was the first overall pick in the latest CHL Import Draft. Pro scouts will be following the progression of these two in the North American game and they should keep fans interested as the season moves along. Ben King has also shown flashes of potential as a power forward but has not been able to put it together night in and night out as of yet. Expect another long season out in Speedy Creek.

MCKEEN’S 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: Final Rankings – Top 217 Plus 100 Honourable Mention

Iain Morrell — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 17:52:23 +0000

MCKEEN'S RELEASES FINAL 2019 NHL DRAFT RANKINGS

KOSICE, SLOVAKIA - MAY 13: USA's Jack Hughes #6 and Finland's Kaapo Kakko #24 shake hands following a 3-2 overtime win for team USA during preliminary round action of the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship at Steel Arena on May 13, 2019 in Kosice, Slovakia. (Photo by Matt Zambonin/HHOF-IIHF Images)

American center Jack Hughes or Finnish Winger Kaapo Kakko?

That is the decision facing the New Jersey Devils who won the draft lottery for the second time in the past three seasons and hold the top pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Hughes (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) led the USA Hockey National Team Development Program under-18 team in scoring while setting the NTDP career record for assists (154) and points (228) in two seasons (110 games) with the program.

He earned the highest Overall Future Projection (OFP) score of 64.50, as per the 20/80 grading system developed by McKeen's Director of Scouting Ryan Wagman.

Skating, shooting, puck skills, hockey IQ, physicality - these are the attributes measured for skaters using the 20/80 grading system to arrive at an Overall Future Projection (OFP) score.

Six areas are assessed for goalies: athleticism/quickness, compete/temperament, vision/play reading, technique/style, rebound control and puck handling.

BROADWAY KAAPO

Kakko (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) earned the next highest OFP score at 64.00.

The Turku, Finland native will go to the New York Rangers with the second pick, their highest draft position since taking Brad Park in 1966 before expansion (1967-68).

Kakko led Finland with six goals while winning gold at the 2019 World Championships at just 18 years, 102 days old to become the youngest player in IIHF history to win gold at the Under-18, Under-20, and WM (World Men) levels, supplanting Connor McDavid of Canada (19 years, 130 days) from the record books.

The Chicago Blackhawks have the number three pick with the top defenseman Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants next on the McKeen's OFP scale (63.40).

Seven players in total received OFP scores of at least 60.00 this season, up from five in 2018 - and just two in 2017 when the Devils selected Nino Hischier first overall.

The next five spots in the rankings are all centers - Kirby Dach of Saskatoon (63.20 OFP), Dylan Cozens of Lethbridge (61.40), the NTDP duo of Trevor Zegras (61.25) and Alex Turcotte (60.00), and Peyton Krebs of Kootenay (59.65).

ALL AMERICAN

Spencer Knight. Photo courtesy of the USNTDP.

Spencer Knight of the NTDP is the top-rated goaltender available (55.75 OFP) at No. 32 in the McKeen's rankings.

Knight will likely go in the opening round of what will be a record haul for the U.S. National Team Development Program as upwards of eight players could be taken in the top 31 selections.

As for past records, the Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) had four players taken in the opening round of the 1979 NHL Draft - as did the Toronto Marlboros (OHA) in 1972 and the Montreal Junior Canadiens (OHA) in 1969.

Along with Hughes (1st), Zegras (6th), and Turcotte (7th), wingers Matthew Boldy and Cole Caufield are ranked at No. 12 and 13 on the McKeen's list, with defenseman Cam York at No. 17 and center John Beecher at 30th.

Caufield (5-foot-7, 165 pounds) scored 14 goals at the U18 World Junior Championship, tying Alex Ovechkin's single-tournament goals record. However, the United States lost in a shootout to Russia in the semi-finals.

There are also four others in the program ranked in the 32 to 62 range (second round) - all defensemen - Marshall Warren (35th), Alex Vlasic (54th), Henry Thrun (58th) and Drew Helleson (62nd).

In total, 16 players from the NTDP are ranked among the top 100.

SWEDE GOLD - SWEET SEIDER

ORNSKOLDSVIK, SWEDEN - APRIL 23: Swedens Philip Broberg #4 makes a pass during preliminary round action against Russia at the 2019 IIHF Ice Hockey U18 World Championship at Fjallraven Center on April 23, 2019 in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. (Photo by Steve Kingsman/HHOF-IIHF Images)

Sweden won a first-ever gold medal at the U18 World Juniors.

Four blueliners on that Swedish team are first-round candidates led by Philip Broberg of AIK, named 'Top Defenceman' at the U18 tournament, and Victor Soderstrom of Brynas, ranked No. 9 and 10 respectively on McKeen's.

U18 captain Tobias Bjornfot of Djurgardens is ranked 19th and Albert Johansson of Farjestads is 26th.

Following Dominik Bokk's selection in 2018 (25th to St. Louis), Germany will produce another first-round pick this year in Adler Mannheim defenseman Moritz Seider.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound, right-shot blueliner displayed impressive skills and maturity for his age while appearing at the 2019 World Championships (5-2-0-2).

Seider earned an OFP score of 57.50 and is ranked No. 15.

He will become the highest-selected German-born player at the NHL Draft since the Edmonton Oilers took Leon Draisaitl third overall in 2014.

Here are our final 2019 NHL Draft Rankings. They are a culmination of a season’s worth of prospect analysis and coverage on mckeenshockey.com and the tremendous work put in rinks and looking at screens and numbers from our committed team. Enjoy!

RANK	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
1	Jack Hughes	C	NTDP (USA)	5-10/170	14-May-01	USA
2	Kaapo Kakko	RW	TPS Turku (Fin)	6-2/195	13-Feb-01	Finland
3	Bowen Byram	D	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/195	13-Jun-01	Canada
4	Kirby Dach	C	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-3/200	21-Jan-01	Canada
5	Dylan Cozens	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-3/185	9-Feb-01	Canada
6	Trevor Zegras	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/170	20-Mar-01	USA
7	Alex Turcotte	C	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	26-Feb-01	USA
8	Peyton Krebs	C	Kootenay (WHL)	5-11/180	26-Jan-01	Canada
9	Philip Broberg	D	AIK (Swe 2)	6-3/200	25-Jun-01	Sweden
10	Victor Soderstrom	D	Brynas (Swe)	5-11/180	26-Feb-01	Sweden
11	Vasili Podkolzin	RW	SKA-1946 St. Pete. (Rus Jr)	6-1/190	24-Jun-01	Russia
12	Matthew Boldy	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/190	5-Apr-01	USA
13	Cole Caufield	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-7/165	2-Jan-01	USA
14	Raphael Lavoie	RW	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-4/195	25-Sep-00	Canada
15	Moritz Seider	D	Adler Mannheim (DEL)	6-3/185	6-Apr-01	Germany
16	Simon Holmstrom	RW	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	24-May-01	Sweden
17	Cam York	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/175	5-Jan-01	USA
18	Alex Newhook	C	Victoria (BCHL)	5-10/195	28-Jan-01	Canada
19	Tobias Bjornfot	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	6-0/200	6-Apr-01	Sweden
20	Philip Tomasino	C	Niagara (OHL)	5-11/180	28-Jul-01	Canada
21	Arthur Kaliyev	RW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-2/190	26-Jun-01	USA
22	Ryan Suzuki	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/180	28-May-01	Canada
23	Samuel Poulin	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/205	25-Feb-01	Canada
24	Thomas Harley	D	Mississauga (OHL)	6-3/190	19-Aug-01	Canada
25	Ryan Johnson	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-0/175	24-Jul-01	USA
26	Albert Johansson	D	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/165	4-Jan-01	Sweden
27	Robert Mastrosimone	LW	Chicago (USHL)	5-10/160	24-Jan-01	USA
28	Connor McMichael	C	London (OHL)	5-11/175	15-Jan-01	Canada
29	Matthew Robertson	D	Edmonton (WHL)	6-3/200	9-Mar-01	Canada
30	John Beecher	C	NTDP (USA)	6-3/210	5-Apr-01	USA
31	Pavel Dorofeyev	LW	Magnitogorsk (KHL)	6-1/170	26-Oct-00	Russia
32	Spencer Knight	G	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	19-Apr-01	USA
33	Bobby Brink	RW	Sioux City (USHL)	5-10/165	8-Jul-01	USA
34	Brett Leason	RW	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-4/200	30-Apr-99	Canada
35	Marshall Warren	D	NTDP (USA)	5-11/170	20-Apr-01	USA
36	Egor Afanasyev	RW	Muskegon (USHL)	6-3/205	23-Jan-01	Russia
37	Ville Heinola	D	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-11/180	3-Feb-01	Finland
38	Nolan Foote	LW	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Nov-00	Canada
39	Samuel Fagemo	RW	Frolunda (Swe)	6-0/195	14-Mar-00	Sweden
40	Nick Robertson	LW	Peterborough (OHL)	5-9/160	11-Sep-01	USA
41	Nils Hoglander	RW	Rogle (Swe)	5-9/185	20-Dec-00	Sweden
42	Jamieson Rees	C	Sarnia (OHL)	5-10/175	26-Feb-01	Canada
43	Jakob Pelletier	LW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-9/165	7-Mar-01	Canada
44	Antti Tuomisto	D	Assat Pori (Fin Jr)	6-4/190	20-Jan-01	Finland
45	Lassi Thomson	D	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/190	24-Sep-00	Finland
46	Michal Teply	LW	Bili Tygri Liberec (Cze)	6-3/185	27-May-01	Czech
47	Brayden Tracey	LW	Moose Jaw (WHL)	6-0/175	28-May-01	Canada
48	Arseni Gritsyuk	RW	Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr)	5-10/170	15-Mar-01	Russia
49	Yegor Chinakhov	RW	Omskie Yastreby (Rus Jr)	6-0/175	1-Feb-01	Russia
50	Mattias Norlinder	D	MoDo (Swe Jr)	5-11/180	12-Apr-00	Sweden
51	Karl Henriksson	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	5-9/165	5-Feb-01	Sweden
52	Vladislav Kolyachonok	D	Flint (OHL)	6-1/185	26-May-01	Belarus
53	Nikola Pasic	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	16-Oct-00	Sweden
54	Alex Vlasic	D	NTDP (USA)	6-6/200	5-Jun-01	USA
55	Pyotr Kochetkov	G	HK Ryazan (Rus 2)	6-1/175	25-Jun-99	Russia
56	Albin Grewe	RW	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/190	22-Mar-01	Sweden
57	Trevor Janicke	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-10/195	25-Dec-00	USA
58	Henry Thrun	D	NTDP (USA)	6-2/190	12-Mar-01	USA
59	Yegor Spiridonov	C	Stalnye Lisy Mag. (Rus Jr)	6-2/195	22-Jan-01	Russia
60	Patrik Puistola	LW	Tappara (Fin Jr)	6-0/175	11-Jan-01	Finland
61	Ilya Nikolayev	C	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-0/190	26-Jun-01	Russia
62	Drew Helleson	D	NTDP (USA)	6-3/195	26-Mar-01	USA
63	Graeme Clarke	RW	Ottawa (OHL)	5-11/175	24-Apr-01	Canada
64	Ronnie Attard	D	Tri-City (USHL)	6-3/210	20-Mar-99	USA
65	Mads Sogaard	G	Medicine Hat (WHL)	6-7/195	13-Dec-00	Denmark
66	Oleg Zaitsev	C	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/185	7-Jan-01	Russia
67	Isaiah Saville	G	Tri-City (USHL)	6-1/190	21-Sep-00	USA
68	Kaedan Korczak	D	Kelowna (WHL)	6-3/190	29-Jan-01	Canada
69	Adam Najman	C	Benatky nad Jizerou (Cze 2)	5-11/175	23-Jan-01	Czech
70	Mikko Kokkonen	D	Jukurit (Fin)	5-11/200	18-Jan-01	Finland
71	Michael Vukojevic	D	Kitchener (OHL)	6-3/210	8-Jun-01	Canada
72	Patrick Moynihan	RW	NTDP (USA)	5-11/185	23-Jan-01	USA
73	Michael Gildon	LW	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	21-Jun-01	USA
74	Judd Caulfield	RW	NTDP (USA)	6-3/205	19-Mar-01	USA
75	Vladislav Firstov	LW	Waterloo (USHL)	6-1/180	19-Jun-01	USA
76	Hugo Alnefelt	G	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-3/195	4-Jun-01	Sweden
77	Gianni Fairbrother	D	Everett (WHL)	6-0/195	30-Sep-00	Canada
78	Jackson Lacombe	D	Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHS-MN)	6-1/170	9-Jan-01	USA
79	Ethan Keppen	LW	Flint (OHL)	6-2/210	20-Mar-01	Canada
80	Anttoni Honka	D	JyP Jyvaskyla (Fin)	5-10/180	5-Oct-00	Finland
81	Roman Bychkov	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-11/160	10-Feb-01	Russia
82	Ryder Donovan	C	Duluth East (USHS-MN)	6-3/185	4-Oct-00	USA
83	Nathan Legare	RW	Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)	6-0/205	11-Jan-01	Canada
84	Billy Constantinou	D	Kingston (OHL)	6-0/185	25-Mar-01	Canada
85	Vojtech Strondala	C	Slavia Trebic (Cze 2)	5-7/155	17-Dec-00	Czech
86	Case McCarthy	D	NTDP (USA)	6-1/195	9-Jan-01	USA
87	Simon Lundmark	D	Linkopings (Swe)	6-2/200	8-Oct-00	Sweden
88	Zac Jones	D	Tri-City (USHL)	5-10/175	18-Oct-00	USA
89	Erik Portillo	G	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-6/210	3-Sep-00	Sweden
90	Daniil Misyul	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/180	20-Oct-00	Russia
91	Daniil Gutik	LW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/180	31-Aug-01	Russia
92	Hunter Jones	G	Peterborough (OHL)	6-4/195	21-Sep-00	Canada
93	Michael Koster	D	Chaska (USHS-MN)	5-9/175	13-Apr-01	USA
94	Aliaksei Protas	C	Prince Albert (WHL)	6-5/205	6-Jan-01	Belarus
95	Blake Murray	C	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/190	5-Jul-01	Canada
96	Cole MacKay	RW	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	5-10/190	13-Jun-01	Canada
97	Trent Miner	G	Vancouver (WHL)	6-0/185	5-Jan-01	Canada
98	Semyon Chistyakov	D	Tolpar Ufa (Rus Jr)	5-10/170	7-Aug-01	Russia
99	Leevi Aaltonen	RW	KalPa (Fin Jr)	5-9/175	24-Jan-01	Finland
100	Antti Saarela	C	Lukko Rauma (Fin)	5-11/185	27-Jun-01	Finland
101	John Farinacci	C	Dexter (USHS-MA)	5-11/185	14-Feb-01	USA
102	Marcus Kallionkieli	LW	Sioux City (USHL)	6-2/195	20-Mar-01	Finland
103	Andre Lee	LW	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-4/200	26-Jul-00	Sweden
104	Kirill Slepets	RW	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	5-10/165	6-Apr-99	Russia
105	Shane Pinto	C	Tri-City (USHL)	6-2/190	12-Nov-00	USA
106	Jordan Spence	D	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/165	24-Feb-01	Canada
107	Keean Washkurak	C	Mississauga (OHL)	5-10/185	16-Aug-01	Canada
108	Owen Lindmark	C	NTDP (USA)	6-0/195	17-May-01	USA
109	Matej Blumel	RW	Waterloo (USHL)	5-11/200	31-May-00	Czech
110	Jack Malone	RW	Youngstown (USHL)	6-1/190	13-Oct-00	USA
111	Jayden Struble	D	St. Sebastian's (USHS-MA)	6-0/195	8-Sep-01	USA
112	Artemi Knyazev	D	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-11/180	4-Jan-01	Russia
113	Maxim Cajkovic	RW	Saint John (QMJHL)	5-11/185	3-Jan-01	Slovakia
114	Matvey Guskov	C	London (OHL)	6-1/180	30-Jan-01	Russia
115	Nikita Okhotyuk	D	Ottawa (OHL)	6-1/195	4-Dec-00	Russia
116	Valeri Orekhov	D	Barys Astana (KHL)	6-1/190	17-Jul-99	Kazakhstan
117	Zdenek Sedlak	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin)	6-2/205	23-Mar-00	Czech
118	Alexander Yakovenko	D	Muskegon (USHL)	5-11/175	22-Feb-98	Russia
119	Yannick Bruschweiler	C	GC Kusnacht Lions (Sui 2)	5-10/175	29-Aug-99	Switzerland
120	Ilya Mironov	D	Loko Yaroslavl (Rus Jr)	6-3/200	15-Mar-01	Russia
121	Albert Lyckasen	D	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-10/180	29-Jul-01	Sweden
122	Keegan Stevenson	C	Guelph (OHL)	6-1/185	31-Dec-00	Canada
123	Ilya Konovalov	G	Lokomotiv Yaroslavl (KHL)	6-0/195	13-Jul-98	Russia
124	Cole Schwindt	RW	Mississauga (OHL)	6-2/185	25-Apr-01	Canada
125	Domenick Fensore	D	NTDP (USA)	5-7/155	7-Sep-01	USA
126	William Francis	D	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	6-5/210	16-Nov-00	USA
127	Simon Gnyp	D	Kolner (Ger Jr)	5-11/180	10-Sep-01	Germany
128	Tuukka Tieksola	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-10/150	22-Jun-01	Finland
129	Ethan Phillips	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-9/150	7-May-01	Canada
130	Linus Pettersson	RW	MoDo (Swe)	5-7/145	11-Apr-00	Sweden
131	Matias Maccelli	LW	Dubuque (USHL)	5-11/170	14-Oct-00	Finland
132	Anthony Romano	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-11/185	7-Oct-00	Canada
133	Nikita Alexandrov	C	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	6-0/180	16-Sep-00	Germany
134	Arturs Silovs	G	HS Riga (Lat)	6-4/205	22-Mar-01	Latvia
135	August Hedlund	G	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-4/185	7-Jan-00	Sweden
136	Nicholas Porco	LW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/175	12-Mar-01	Canada
137	Joe Carroll	C	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-2/200	1-Feb-01	Canada
138	Alex Beaucage	RW	Rouyn Noranda (QMJHL)	6-1/195	25-Jul-01	Canada
139	Luke Toporowski	C	Spokane (WHL)	5-11/180	12-Apr-01	USA
140	Sasha Mutala	RW	Tri-City (WHL)	6-0/200	6-May-01	Canada
141	Harrison Blaisdell	C	Chilliwack (BCHL)	5-11/180	18-Mar-01	Canada
142	Valentin Nussbaumer	C	Shawinigan (QMJHL)	5-11/165	25-Sep-00	Switzerland
143	Dustin Wolf	G	Everett (WHL)	6-0/155	16-Apr-01	USA
144	Ondrej Psenicka	RW	Sparta Praha (Cze Jr)	6-5/195	7-Jan-01	Czech
145	Juuso Parssinen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	6-2/205	1-Feb-01	Finland
146	Mitchell Brewer	D	Oshawa (OHL)	6-0/205	20-Mar-01	Canada
147	Lukas Parik	G	Liberec (Cze Jr)	6-4/185	15-Mar-01	Czech
148	Grant Silianoff	RW	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	5-11/170	4-Jan-01	USA
149	Josh Nodler	C	Fargo (USHL)	5-11/195	27-Apr-01	USA
150	Bryce Brodzinski	RW	Blaine (USHS-MN)	6-0/195	9-Aug-00	USA
151	Colten Ellis	G	Rimouski (QMJHL)	6-1/190	5-Oct-00	Canada
152	Rhett Pitlick	LW	Chaska (USHS-MN)	5-9/160	7-Feb-01	USA
153	Dillon Hamaliuk	LW	Seattle (WHL)	6-3/190	30-Oct-00	Canada
154	Aleksei Sergeev	C	Quebec (QMJHL)	5-9/185	22-May-00	Russia
155	Jack York	D	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/190	17-Sep-00	Canada
156	Jacob LeGuerrier	D	Sault Ste Marie (OHL)	6-1/200	22-Nov-00	Canada
157	Zach Uens	D	Wellington (OJHL)	6-1/180	13-May-01	Canada
158	Josh Williams	RW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-1/195	8-Mar-01	Canada
159	Elmer Soderblom	RW	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-6/220	5-Jul-01	Sweden
160	Kyle Topping	C	Kelowna (WHL)	5-11/185	18-Nov-99	Canada
161	Albin Sundsvik	C	Skelleftea (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	27-Apr-01	Sweden
162	Cameron Rowe	G	NTDP (USA)	6-2/200	1-Jun-01	USA
163	Filip Lindberg	G	Massachusetts (HE)	6-0/180	31-Jan-99	Finland
164	Liam Svensson	C	Frolunda (Swe Jr 18)	6-3/195	2-Feb-01	Sweden
165	Xavier Simoneau	C	Drummondville (QMJHL)	5-6/170	19-May-01	Canada
166	Pavel Gogolev	RW	Guelph (OHL)	6-0/175	19-Feb-00	Russia
167	Danil Antropov	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-1/185	20-Dec-00	Canada
168	Daniel D'Amico	LW	Windsor (OHL)	5-9/185	26-Jan-01	Canada
169	Vladimir Alistrov	LW	Edmonton (WHL)	6-2/175	12-Feb-01	Belarus
170	Reece Newkirk	C	Portland (WHL)	5-11/175	20-Feb-01	Canada
171	Sergei Alkhimov	LW	Regina (WHL)	6-0/210	3-Jul-01	Russia
172	Adam Beckman	LW	Spokane (WHL)	6-1/170	10-May-01	Canada
173	Alexander Campbell	LW	Victoria (BCHL)	5-10/150	27-Feb-01	Canada
174	Taylor Gauthier	G	Prince George (WHL)	6-1/195	15-Feb-01	Canada
175	Max Crozier	D	Sioux Falls (USHL)	6-1/195	19-Apr-00	Canada
176	Santeri Hatakka	D	Jokerit (Fin Jr)	6-0/175	15-Jan-01	Finland
177	Kalle Loponen	D	Hermes (Fin 2)	5-10/185	13-Mar-01	Finland
178	Eric Ciccolini	RW	Toronto Jr Canadiens (OJHL)	5-11/160	14-Jan-01	Canada
179	Aku Raty	RW	Karpat Oulu (Fin Jr)	5-11/170	5-Jul-01	Finland
180	Arvid Costmar	C	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	5-11/180	7-Jul-01	Sweden
181	Matt Brown	LW	Des Moines (USHL)	5-9/180	9-Aug-99	USA
182	Sven Leuenberger	C	Zug (Sui)	5-10/185	18-Feb-99	Switzerland
183	Jasper Patrikainen	G	Pelicans (Fin)	6-0/175	1-Jul-00	Finland
184	Jack Williams	G	Springfield (NAHL)	6-3/175	21-Jun-01	USA
185	Mikhail Abramov	C	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/160	26-Mar-01	Russia
186	Ben Brinkman	D	Minnesota (B1G)	6-0/215	4-Oct-00	USA
187	Chris Giroday	D	Green Bay (USHL)	6-1/175	13-Dec-00	Canada
188	Petr Cajka	C	Erie (OHL)	6-0/170	11-Dec-00	Czech
189	Mark Kastelic	C	Calgary (WHL)	6-3/215	11-Mar-99	USA
190	Kevin Wall	RW	Chilliwack (BCHL)	6-0/190	1-Feb-00	USA
191	Lucas Edmonds	RW	Karlskrona (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	27-Jan-01	Sweden
192	Carter Gylander	G	Sherwood Park (AJHL)	6-5/175	5-Jun-01	Canada
193	Ethan de Jong	RW	Quinnipiac (ECAC)	5-10/170	12-Jul-99	Canada
194	Wiljami Myllyla	RW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	6-0/170	9-Apr-01	Finland
195	Yaroslav Likhachyov	RW	Gatineau (QMJHL)	5-10/170	2-Sep-01	Russia
196	Layton Ahac	D	Prince George (BCHL)	6-2/195	22-Feb-01	Canada
197	Alfred Barklund	D	Orebro (Swe Jr)	6-2/200	21-Oct-00	Sweden
198	Radek Muzik	LW	Lulea (Swe Jr)	6-3/180	25-Mar-01	Sweden
199	Marcus Pedersen	RW	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	6-2/165	25-May-01	Sweden
200	Filip Koffer	RW	Pardubice (Cze Jr)	5-11/175	4-Mar-01	Czech
201	Henri Nikkanen	C	Jukurit (Fin Jr)	6-3/200	28-Apr-01	Finland
202	Marc Del Gaizo	D	Massachusetts (HE)	5-9/190	11-Oct-99	USA
203	Tag Bertuzzi	LW	Hamilton (OHL)	6-0/200	18-Feb-01	Canada
204	Martin Hugo Has	D	Tappara (Fin Jr)	6-4/190	2-Feb-01	Czech
205	Jet Greaves	G	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/165	30-Mar-01	Canada
206	Mason Millman	D	Saginaw (OHL)	6-1/175	18-Jul-01	Canada
207	Janis Jerome Moser	D	Biel-Bienne (Sui)	6-0/160	6-Jun-00	Switzerland
208	Nick Abruzzese	C	Chicago (USHL)	5-9/160	4-Jun-99	USA
209	Logan Barlage	C	Lethbridge (WHL)	6-4/200	7-Jan-01	Canada
210	Carter Berger	D	Victoria (BCHL)	6-0/200	17-Sep-99	Canada
211	Nando Eggenberger	LW	Oshawa (OHL)	6-2/205	7-Oct-99	Switzerland
212	Tyce Thompson	RW	Providence (HE)	6-1/180	12-Jul-99	USA
213	Nolan Maier	G	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-0/175	10-Jan-01	Canada
214	Massimo Rizzo	C	Penticton (BCHL)	5-10/180	13-Jun-01	Canada
215	Matthew Steinburg	C	St. Andrew's (CHS-O)	6-1/185	7-Oct-00	Canada
216	Jake Lee	D	Seattle (WHL)	6-1/215	13-Jul-01	Canada
217	Luke Bast	D	Brooks (AJHL)	5-9/170	20-Nov-00	Canada

100 HONOURABLE MENTION IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

	PLAYER	POS	TEAM	HT/WT	DOB	Nation
HM	Nathan Allensen	D	Barrie (OHL)	5-11/180	3-May-01	Canada
HM	Ethan Anders	G	Red Deer (WHL)	6-1/175	26-Sep-00	Canada
HM	Nicklas Andrews	D	Des Moines (USHL)	5-10/185	6-Jul-01	USA
HM	Tyler Angle	C	Windsor (OHL)	5-9/165	30-Sep-00	Canada
HM	Marcel Barinka	C	Halifax (QMJHL)	6-0/165	3-Jan-01	Czech
HM	Roman Basran	G	Kelowna (WHL)	6-1/195	26-Jul-01	Canada
HM	Luke Bignell	C	Barrie (OHL)	6-0/170	3-Nov-00	Canada
HM	Mathieu Bizier	C	Gatineau (QMJHL)	6-1/185	13-May-01	Canada
HM	Oscar Bjerselius	C	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/185	18-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Kaden Bohlsen	C	Fargo (USHL)	6-3/190	10-Jan-01	USA
HM	Samuel Bolduc	D	Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)	6-3/210	9-Dec-00	Canada
HM	Jakob Bondesson	D	Rogle (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	22-May-00	Sweden
HM	Cole Brady	G	Janesville (NAHL)	6-5/165	12-Feb-01	Canada
HM	Alex Brannstam	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/170	3-Jun-01	Sweden
HM	Lynden Breen	C	Central Illinois (USHL)	5-9/165	31-May-01	USA
HM	Jonas Brondberg	D	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe Jr)	6-4/190	26-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Jeremie Bucheler	D	Victoria (BCHL)	6-4/200	31-Mar-00	Canada
HM	Brett Budgell	LW	Charlottetown (QMJHL)	5-11/190	1-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Luka Burzan	RW	Brandon (WHL)	6-0/190	7-Jan-00	Canada
HM	Felix Carenfelt	LW	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-10/185	13-Feb-00	Sweden
HM	Luke Cavallin	G	Flint (OHL)	6-1/190	29-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Filip Cederqvist	LW	Vaxjo Lakers (Swe)	6-1/185	23-Aug-00	Sweden
HM	Cole Coskey	RW	Saginaw (OHL)	6-0/190	1-Jun-99	USA
HM	Braden Doyle	D	Lawrence Academy (USHS-MA)	5-11/170	24-Aug-01	USA
HM	Justin Ducharme	LW	Chicoutimi (QMJHL)	5-10/180	22-Feb-00	Canada
HM	Nathan Dunkley	C	London (OHL)	5-11/195	3-May-00	Canada
HM	Pontus Englund	D	Timra (Swe Jr)	6-3/205	15-Jul-00	Sweden
HM	Lucas Feuk	LW	Sodertalje (Swe Jr)	6-0/185	19-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Parker Ford	C	Sioux City (USHL)	5-8/170	20-Jul-00	USA
HM	Ethan Frisch	D	Fargo (USHL)	5-11/190	29-Oct-00	USA
HM	Maxim Golod	LW	Erie (OHL)	5-11/175	18-Aug-00	Canada
HM	Jacob Gronhagen	C	HV 71 (Swe Jr)	6-6/215	18-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Maxence Guenette	D	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-1/180	28-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Hugo Gustafsson	C	Sodertalje (Swe 2)	5-10/160	23-Feb-00	Sweden
HM	Mack Guzda	G	Owen Sound (OHL)	6-4/215	11-Jan-01	USA
HM	Aidan Harper	G	Skipjacks HC 18U (USPHL)	6-2/170	28-May-01	USA
HM	Ludvig Hedstrom	D	Djurgardens (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	14-Apr-01	Sweden
HM	Konsta Hirvonen	LW	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	5-11/165	1-Nov-00	Finland
HM	Eric Hjorth	D	Linkopings (Swe Jr 18)	6-3/190	8-Jan-01	Sweden
HM	Samuel Hlavaj	G	Lincoln (USHL)	6-4/185	29-May-01	Slovakia
HM	Krystof Hrabik	C	Tri-City (WHL)	6-4/220	24-Sep-99	Czech
HM	Rickard Hugg	C	Kitchener (OHL)	5-11/190	18-Jan-99	Sweden
HM	Aaron Huglen	RW	Roseau (USHS-MN)	5-11/165	6-Mar-01	USA
HM	Aarne Intonen	C	TPS Turku (Fin Jr)	5-11/180	17-Jul-01	Finland
HM	Michal Ivan	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-1/185	18-Nov-99	Slovakia
HM	Dylan Jackson	RW	Dubuque (USHL)	5-9/175	6-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Ty Jackson	C	Dubuque (USHL)	5-7/150	6-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Taro Jentzsch	C	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/155	11-Jun-00	Germany
HM	Samuel Johannesson	D	Rogle (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	27-Dec-00	Sweden
HM	Wilson Johansson	RW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/175	11-Oct-00	Sweden
HM	Brooklyn Kalmikov	C	Cape Breton (QMJHL)	6-0/165	21-Apr-01	Canada
HM	David Karlstrom	C	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	12-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Mans Kramer	D	Frolunda (Swe Jr)	6-2/180	6-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Jami Krannila	C	Sioux Falls (USHL)	5-10/160	3-Oct-00	Finland
HM	Grayson Ladd	D	Windsor (OHL)	6-1/175	1-Mar-01	Canada
HM	Martin Lang	LW	Kamloops (WHL)	5-11/170	15-Sep-01	Czech
HM	Oscar Lawner	LW	Farjestads (Swe Jr)	5-11/185	13-Feb-01	Sweden
HM	Jonathan Lemieux	G	Val d'Or (QMJHL)	6-0/185	8-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Hugo Leufvenius	LW	Sarnia (OHL)	6-3/230	26-Mar-99	Sweden
HM	Ethan Leyh	LW	Langley (BCHL)	6-0/190	7-Sep-01	Canada
HM	Josh Lopina	C	Lincoln (USHL)	6-1/175	16-Feb-01	USA
HM	Emil Malysjev	D	Saskatoon (WHL)	6-3/190	1-May-01	Sweden
HM	Matias Mantykivi	C	SaiPa (Fin Jr)	5-11/160	21-Jun-01	Finland
HM	Jeremy McKenna	RW	Moncton (QMJHL)	5-10/175	20-Apr-99	Canada
HM	Billy Moskal	C	London (OHL)	6-0/185	22-Mar-00	Canada
HM	Derek Mullahy	G	Dexter (USHS-MA)	6-0/180	20-Mar-01	USA
HM	Kim Nousiainen	D	KalPa (Fin Jr)	5-9/170	14-Nov-00	Finland
HM	Zachary Okabe	RW	Grande Prairie (AJHL)	5-8/165	4-Jan-01	Canada
HM	Oliver Okuliar	LW	Sherbrooke (QMJHL)	6-1/190	24-May-00	Slovakia
HM	Quinn Olson	LW	Okotoks (AJHL)	5-10/170	9-May-01	Canada
HM	Xavier Parent	LW	Halifax (QMJHL)	5-8/170	23-Mar-01	Canada
HM	Tommy Pasanen	D	Sioux City (USHL)	6-3/220	30-Jul-01	Germany
HM	Thomas Pelletier	D	Drummondville (QMJHL)	6-2/195	23-Aug-01	Canada
HM	Andrew Perrott	D	Owen Sound (OHL)	5-11/205	24-Aug-01	USA
HM	Kari Piiroinen	G	Windsor (OHL)	6-0/175	1-Jul-01	Finland
HM	Lukas Pilo	D	Orebro (Swe Jr)	6-1/185	7-Sep-99	Sweden
HM	Garrett Pinoniemi	C	Holy Family Catholic (USHS-MN)	5-11/150	15-Jun-01	USA
HM	Mason Primeau	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-5/205	28-Jul-01	Canada
HM	Kirby Proctor	D	Des Moines (USHL)	6-3/190	19-Apr-01	Canada
HM	Liam Ross	D	Sudbury (OHL)	6-2/195	13-May-01	Canada
HM	Henrik Rybinski	RW	Seattle (WHL)	6-0/175	26-Jun-01	Canada
HM	Nikita Sedov	D	Regina (WHL)	6-1/185	5-May-01	Russia
HM	Egor Serdyuk	RW	Victoriaville (QMJHL)	5-10/160	3-Jun-01	Russia
HM	Nikita Shashkov	LW	Sibir Novosibirsk (KHL)	5-11/180	26-Mar-99	Russia
HM	Ryan Siedem	D	Central Illinois (USHL)	6-2/190	25-Feb-01	USA
HM	Samuel Sjolund	D	AIK (Swe Jr)	6-1/175	19-May-01	Sweden
HM	Hunter Skinner	D	Muskegon (USHL)	6-2/175	29-Apr-01	USA
HM	Dominik Sojka	C	Banska Bystrica (Svk Jr)	6-5/210	16-Feb-01	Slovakia
HM	Kyen Sopa	RW	Niagara (OHL)	5-9/185	30-Sep-00	Switzerland
HM	Tyler Spott	D	Green Bay (USHL)	5-10/170	17-Jun-00	Canada
HM	Matthew Struthers	C	North Bay (OHL)	6-2/210	26-Dec-99	Canada
HM	Roope Taponen	G	HIFK Helsinki (Fin Jr)	6-0/165	14-Mar-01	Finland
HM	Jacob Tortora	LW	Barrie (OHL)	5-6/165	25-Jul-99	USA
HM	Bobby Trivigno	LW	Massachusetts (HE)	5-8/155	19-Jan-99	USA
HM	Eric Uba	RW	Flint (OHL)	6-0/195	17-Dec-00	Canada
HM	Max Wahlgren	RW	MoDo (Swe)	6-1/185	9-May-01	Sweden
HM	Carl Wang	D	Sodertalje (Swe Jr)	6-2/195	28-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Matteus Ward	G	Linkopings (Swe Jr)	6-0/170	7-Mar-01	Sweden
HM	Lukas Wernblom	C	MoDo (Swe 2)	5-9/170	22-Jul-00	Sweden
HM	Jonathan Yantsis	RW	Kitchener (OHL)	6-2/210	28-Apr-99	Canada

MCKEEN’S 2019 NHL DRAFT GUIDE: WHL – The way the ‘West’ was won

Vince Gibbons — Sat, 01 Jun 2019 13:02:06 +0000

This year perhaps more than any other year, draft eligible players have held substantial roles across the West and delivered when their teams needed it. Bowen Byram led the WHL playoffs in points, an incredible feat for a 17-year-old, let alone a 17-year-old defender. Brett Leason, an overage player who improved his skating and looks to be a gone by the 40^th pick, was second in playoff points behind Byram. CHL import player and a Leason linemate Aliaksei Protas was fifth in playoff scoring is also draft eligible. In the AJHL the Brook Bandits took the league title and then the National Junior A Championship with key minutes going to undersize defender Luke Bast. Victoria Grizzlies led the BCHL in goals and won their division on the back of the impressive Alex Newhook and his 102-point season.

This year the “West was won” with draft eligible players establishing themselves as key cogs in the wheel of their team’s success and showing legitimate NHL potential along the way. The above names don’t even include three of the top five centers in this year’s entry draft that have been honing their craft across the WHL this season. Watching draft hockey has been more intriguing in the West than any recent season I can recall. With so many events being hosted locally including the Junior “A” National Championship in Brooks, the Hlinka/Gretzky in Red Deer & Edmonton, and the top prospects game in Red Deer along with full seasons and playoffs for all leagues playing out in local barns across the West, it has been a great back drop to prepare for the upcoming 2019 NHL Draft being held on the West coast, in Vancouver.

Bowen Byram of the Vancouver Giants. Photo by Chris Relke.

NHL teams are built by drafting cornerstone players in two key positions - center and defense. The West has plenty of high-end potential at both of those positions. Bowen Byram has established himself as the top defenseman in this year’s draft. His movement with and away from the puck, his ability to jump into the rush, and his ability to move laterally along the blue line all stand out. Add to that his great hockey IQ and you have the makings of a modern day top pairing defenseman. He can pass the puck or skate it out of trouble, and has a nice tool kit of fakes and dekes and weight shifts that show high offensive potential at the next level. The only critique you could make about Byram is that he may not be dynamic at any one thing, despite that, he does everything very well and should be the first defender off the board.

After Byram the WHL has two very different defenders in Matthew Robertson and Lassi Thomson. Both look to go in the early part of the second round or sneak into the back few picks of the first, and provide real promise. Thomson is an offensive first defender that uses his skating and stick handling to drive play forward. He is an excellent transition passer and is more than a capable shooter. Robertson by contrast is a large 6’4” defender that moves around the ice well for his size. He can be punishing in his own zone and battles hard along the walls which can kick start zone exits for his team. He logs tough minutes and has shutdown potential at the next level.

Thomson’s teammate on the Kelowna blueline is Kaedan Korczak. Korczak projects to go in the mid rounds and has a nice two-way game complemented by a grittiness that NHL GM’s will gravitate towards. In the back half of the draft look for undersized Luke Bast to be called, his skating and play making ability make the North Dakota commit a legit prospect out of the AJHL. He is likely going to need all four years of college before stepping into the pro ranks.

The Saskatoon Blades Kirby Dach. Photo by Steve Hiscock.

At the center position the West has a clear advantage in terms of depth of high-end prospects. Starting with Kirby Dach who has been a little enigmatic during the regular season but elevated his game in the playoffs. He put his team on his back dragging them into a game seven with Prince Albert (the eventual champions) showing more character and intangibles than he had all year. Dach is a high-end play maker with incredible size and strength and when his game is on, he looks unstoppable. with the combination of skill and size that is a rare commodity and GM’s will likely overlook some of the season’s valley’s hoping he can maintain his playoff and early season form more consistently in the years ahead.

Dylan Cozens the pride of the Yukon Territory has been about as consistent as any player in their draft year could be. He came up big at the Hlinka/Gretzky for Canada, led a talented Lethbridge team in points all season, and had a solid performance at the IIHF U18 World Championship notching four goals and five assists in seven games for Canada. Another player with tremendous size down the middle of the ice, he has a great release and higher end playmaking skills. He moves well for a big man and loves when the game gets below the dots. He is very effective along the wall or driving to the net.

Peyton Krebs led Canada in scoring at the U18s, he stood out at the CHL Top Prospects game and looked good at the Hlinka/Gretzky. His scoring and production have been solid in every environment he has played. Couple that with his effort for a struggling Kootenay team and he looks like an all-situation, tireless worker that has elite vision and playmaking skills.

In a tier just behind those three is a fourth center in Alex Newhook. He blew the doors off the BCHL competition this season, third in goals (38), first in assists (64), and first in total points (102). Newhook averaged just under two points per game and won the scoring title by 18 points. The player in second was two and a half years older than him. Despite missing out on the Hlinka/Gretzky he represented Canada at the U-18’s and had an excellent tournament with 10 points in seven games. This group of four centers should all go in the first half of round one next month. Both Krebs and Newhook have shown great versatility this year and could be effective wingers on a team that has great depth down the middle already.

The top wingers this year are very interesting and some surprising names compared to the start of the draft season. Brett Leason projects to go early in the second round while line mate Allaksei Protas, Moose Jaw’s Brayden Tracey, and Kelowna’s Nolan Foote should follow shortly after. Leason is a large body that has some nice offensive tools and a much improved skating stride. Protas is a deft passer trapped in a 6’5 frame. His skating is a weakness but could be improved to average by the time he turns pro. Tracey and Foote led WHL 1^st time draft eligible players with 36 goals each with Foote providing a power forward type of game and Tracey being more of a skilled perimeter player with a good shot.

There is further forward depth with the likes of Oleg Zaytsev, Josh Williams, Adam Beckman, Luke Toporowski and Sasha Mutala likely to be selected at some point on day two of the draft. Consistency issues prevent these players from going in the top two rounds but there is some untapped offensive potential that could shine through as roles and opportunities start to expand for them next season. Oleg Zaytsev in particular played hard defensive minutes for most of the season under Coach Sutter which most other draft eligible players were insulated from. His 43 points seem to just be scratching the surface of what he will be able to do in an expanded role next season. All three of Mutala, Beckman and Toporowski scored over 20 goals this season despite having older and more established 19 and 20 year old players ahead of them on the roster. It’s possible a couple of these guys will look like steals a year from now.

Mads Sogaard. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL

While the crease does not have a first round pick worthy goaltender from the West they do have excellent depth at the position. Mats Sogaard had an excellent season after coming over from Europe and settled into a 0.921 save percentage with his huge frame keeping some of the best shooters at bay. His puck handling is a noticeable skill which is impressive for the 6’7 goalie. There is room for improvement as his footwork is still a little clumsy and his rebound control a work in progress, but with the NHL looking at larger netminders, being the largest ever must count for something.

Dustin Wolf, Trent Miner, Taylor Gauthier, Nolan Maier and Ethan Anders all have shown they are worthy of a late round flyer with Miner and Wolf as standouts within that group. Perhaps the most intriguing late round goalie prospect is Carter Gylander from the AJHL who used his 6’4 frame in a limited role in Sherwood Park to put up impressive numbers behind a very strong Crusader roster.

The WHL, BCHL and AJHL have continually shown to be among the best leagues for the growth and development of players in North America and this year highlights that depth even more than recent years. There should be a minimum of four first round picks and as many as six coming from these leagues on the first day of the draft. Each of the four centers has a legitimate shot at being a first line player on their respective teams. Defensively the WHL has continued to produce top level draft picks and Bowen Byram is another branch on this long developing tree. In net, import goalie Mads Sogaard leads a battery of netminders who could hear their names called in the draft on day two.

After the underwhelming 2018 NHL entry draft this 2019 group is a solid rebound for the “West” especially at the forward position where Cozens, Dach, Krebs and Newhook boast some real offensive upside. Couple that high-end group with a number of complementary forwards, goaltending prospects, and the top defender, this could be a banner year for the WHL.

IIHF 2019 U18 World Tournament Team Review – Canada

Brock Otten — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 14:03:53 +0000

190427 Connor Zary of Canada celebrates after scoring 1-1 during the ice hockey semi final game in The IIHF U18 World Championship between Canada and Sweden on April 27 in Örnsköldsvik.
Photo: Johan Löf / BILDBYRÅN / COP 230

After a 5-2 defeat at the hands of the powerhouse Americans in the bronze medal game, Canada’s medal drought at the IIHF World Under 18’s extends to four years. It was a disappointing result for Team Canada, considering the talent available to them. On paper, this team was one of the strongest they have assembled for the event in years and was a similar group to the one that won gold at the 2018 Hlinka/Gretzky Cup this past summer.

So, what went wrong? Quite frankly, a lack of discipline greatly hurt Canada during the medal round as they were forced to play extended periods of time a man down against both Sweden (in the semi-finals) and the United States (in the bronze medal game). Sure, an argument could be made that the officiating in the semi-final game was one-sided. But the team failed to adjust to the way the game was being called and it was their undoing.

That said, it was the first time Canada played for a medal since 2016 and the team did have some fantastic individual performances. The tournament cannot be completely labeled a bust. The line of Jamieson Rees, Connor Zary, and Brayden Tracey was consistently fantastic and needs to be remembered two years from now when Hockey Canada is assembling the U20 squad. Additionally, Canada got relatively solid goaltending performances from Taylor Gauthier and Nolan Maier, something that has not always been consistent of late for Canada at IIHF events.

Evaluating talent at a single event such as the U18’s can be a dangerous practice. In the grand scheme of things, it is one small glimpse into a season’s worth of work. Players can go through stretches of ineffectiveness at the wrong time and that should not mean completely ignoring everything that they had done to impress previously. It can, however, effectively serve as a tool to closely compare players who are ranked near each other and give organizations one last chance to make some minor tinkering based on personal preferences.

An event like this can also serve as a springboard for players who are flying under the radar currently. Perhaps they were injured during the season and scouts failed to get a terrific read on them. Perhaps they played on a poor team and it was great for scouts to see them in a different environment. Players like Jamieson Rees and Vladislav Kolyachonok are two players who stand out in this regard from this year’s tournament.

This article aims to look at some individual performances by Canadian players and how it could have impacted their ranking ahead of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in June. It will also highlight some performances of 2020 eligible players.

RISING

Jamieson Rees (2 goals, 6 assists, 18 PIM, +6)

Perhaps Canada’s most consistent player at the event. It seemed like every time he was on the ice, he made something happen that acted as the catalyst for his team. He got into penalty trouble in the playoff round and he’s the type of player who has to walk that fine line to be effective (was suspended for eight games in the OHL this year for a blindside hit). But after an injury plagued year, he most definitely put himself on the radar as a first-round talent at this event. He showed skill, speed, tenacity, and the ability to play a multitude of roles.

Alex Newhook (5 goals, 5 assists, 0 PIM, +6)

Of Canada’s big guns, Newhook was the most consistently dangerous. It was great for him to showcase his abilities on the big stage after being cut from the Hlinka/Gretzky team this summer, and after disappointing at the World Junior A Challenge in December. After leading the BCHL in scoring this year, the Boston College commit was able to prove to scouts that he deserves to be in the upper echelon of the forward class. His speed, puck skill, and hockey IQ were all on full display and he looks like a potential impact forward at the next level.

Brayden Tracey (4 goals, 3 assists, 8 PIM, +4)

One third of Canada’s best and most consistent line with Jamieson Rees and Connor Zary, Tracey really established himself as name to remember for the upcoming draft. Playing in Moose Jaw, on one of the top teams in the WHL, there was some thought that he was being carried by some veteran linemates. But Tracey is obviously more than just a passenger. He proved to be very effective working down low and near the crease and was able to consistently exploit gaps in coverage to create scoring chances. Like Jamieson Rees, one has to wonder if he has worked himself into consideration for the back half of the first round.

Michael Vukojevic (0 goals, 2 assists, 8 PIM, +5)

An anchor on the back-end for Canada, Vukojevic was critical in keeping pucks out of Canada’s net and his work on the penalty kill was extremely impressive. Coming into the event, I had some concerns as to how his mobility would hold up, but he more than held his own. He was a physical beast and was even very sure handed with the puck, proving that he can make quick decisions when required. There’s a good chance that he secured a place in the top 75 with his performance.

NEUTRAL

Peyton Krebs (6 goals, 4 assists, 4 PIM, +9)

The captain of this Team Canada entry, Krebs tied with Newhook for the team lead in scoring. There were instances where turnovers were an issue in the offensive end, but for the most part, Krebs was an integral part of Canada’s attack. He showcased his well-rounded game, excelling in all three zones and on the penalty kill. After playing for a poor Kootenay team all year, it was great to see Krebs in a different light. He definitely showed why he is considered a potential top 10 selection for June.

Thomas Harley (1 goal, 3 assists, 8 PIM, +2)

A minute eater for Canada at five on five, who also anchored the team’s powerplay unit. Harley’s fantastic skating ability was on full display as he paced Canada’s attack. His offensively oriented style of play does come with some risk, as he did make his share of mistakes. But on the flipside, Harley’s defensive game was actually more than adequate, and he showed more intensity and physicality in his own end than he did during the OHL season. While he was not the best defender at the tournament, Harley did enough to show why he is a potential lottery selection come June.

Philip Tomasino (1 goal, 4 assists, 2 PIM, +3)

Got a later start to the tournament after his Niagara IceDogs were eliminated from the OHL playoffs and was as advertised. Unfortunately, Brett Gibson could not seem to find linemates for Tomasino to give Canada a solid and consistent third scoring line. But his energy level was extremely high, and he showed great speed on the attack and playmaking ability below the dots. Anchored the secondary powerplay unit. This is the tenacious playmaker that has climbed the draft rankings pretty steadily all season long and seems to have made himself a very likely first round pick in June.

DISAPPOINTING

Dylan Cozens (4 goals, 5 assists, 4 PIM, +8)

The stat line does look impressive as Cozens had nine points in seven games. But five of those points came in a thrashing of Belarus, leaving him with four points in the other six games. On the Newhook, Krebs, and Cozens line, I found him to be the least effective. And yes, he showed flashes of dominance due to his skating ability, size, and playmaking ability. But consistency from shift to shift was lacking. I thought that a lot of plays died on his stick, as he was not able to corral passes from his linemates that would have resulted in quality scoring chances. He is obviously still going to be considered a top 10 selection, but I came away wanting more after being so impressed by his performance this summer at the Hlinka/Gretzky.

Ryan Suzuki (0 goals, 1 assist, 0 PIM, -1)

Perhaps no player on team Canada needed a strong performance more than Suzuki, who has been tumbling down draft lists in the second half of the season. But an injury kept him out early and when he returned, he failed to find chemistry or any rhythm. A terrific playmaker with great vision and anticipation, Suzuki was largely kept to the perimeter and was a virtual non-factor in all of Canada’s games at the event. Already a threat to fall out of the first round, Suzuki did not help himself in Sweden.

Jakob Pelletier (0 goals, 2 assists, 0 PIM, +3)

Rumours have him fighting an injury while in Sweden that could have limited his effectiveness. But Pelletier was pretty much a non-factor for Canada. At times, he seemed a step behind the play and was not able to showcase his shiftiness with the puck or his playmaking ability. Injury or not, Pelletier did not close out the season well with a disappointing QMJHL playoff performance and a weaker showing here. What effect that has on his draft stock remains to be seen.

Samuel Poulin (1 goal, 1 assist, 2 PIM, -1)

A feisty playmaking winger, Poulin is often billed as a power forward with skill. But he was not one of Canada’s most physical forwards and was one of only two players on the roster (along with Suzuki) to finish the tournament with a (-) rating. While there were glimpses of his ability to control the possession game, it was not consistent enough and as such, his ice time fluctuated. Like the others listed here, one must wonder if it affects his status as a fringe first round talent.

2020 OUTLOOK

Braden Schneider (2 goals, 1 assist, 2 PIM, +9)

Named as one of Canada’s top players at the event, Schneider was the unlikely candidate to emerge as the team’s top defender. He was a lockdown defender with Mike Vukojevic and his mobility/size combination was mighty impressive, especially considering the physicality he also brought to the table. Schneider’s offensive involvement also increased as the tournament went on as he began to showcase some nice puck skill and a big point shot. The late September 2000 born Brandon Wheat Kings defender definitely looks like a potential first round pick next year.

Connor Zary (4 goals, 3 assists, 6 PIM, +5)

The late 2000-born Kamloops Blazer center was a big-time standout for Team Canada as part of the line with Jamieson Rees and Brayden Tracey. His compete level was very high. and he excelled in nearly every situation. His determination and strength on the puck in the offensive zone were very impressive. And he showed great finishing ability in tight. As someone who had not yet suited up for Hockey Canada (at the U17’s or the Hlinka/Gretzky), he certainly left his mark. Once an unheralded prospect for the 2020 Draft, Zary now is a name to remember for this time next year.

Jamie Drysdale (0 goals, 2 assists, 0 PIM, +7)

One of only two 2002-born players on the roster, Drysdale was a standout. His +7 rating was among the best on the team and he showed such great poise and composure with the puck for an underage player. He used his dynamic skating ability to make plays in all three zones and I can’t remember seeing him making a mistake all tournament long. Drysdale is a likely captain candidate for the Hlinka/Gretzky team this summer and is most definitely a potential top 10 selection for 2020. I have seen some Duncan Keith comparisons and those are quite apt.

IIHF 2019 U18 World Championship Preview – Canada

Brock Otten — Mon, 15 Apr 2019 21:51:02 +0000

Team Canada at the Gretzky/Ivan Hlinka Tournament 2018

The IIHF World Under 18 Hockey Championships can often be a challenging event for Hockey Canada due to the fact that they are often not able to ice their most competitive roster. This is because the event runs simultaneously with the Canadian Hockey League playoffs and subsequently some of the best talent is not able to participate. Canada has won the gold medal only twice in the last 15 years of the U18’s and has failed to medal in the last three. In contrast, Canada has dominated the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup that occurs in the summer for U18 players, winning 22 of the 28 gold medals in the history of the event. But just as Canada does not send its best to the IIHF event, many other nations (especially the United States) do not send their best to the Hlinka.

This year, Canada may actually be able to ice a very competitive team. From the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup team that won gold this past summer, Canada will have three of their top six scorers available (Suzuki, Cozens, and Krebs), and a fourth (Kirby Dach) joining the team now that Saskatoon is eliminated at the hands of the powerhouse Prince Albert Raiders. In addition to that, Canada will have three defenders and a goaltender from this summer’s roster too. As such, Team Canada has a very real chance of breaking their medal drought at the event.

Up front, Canada’s likely to be led by a very strong top two scoring lines which features two WHL players (Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs), one OHL player (Ryan Suzuki), one QMJHL player (Nathan Legare), and two Tier 2 players from the BCHL and AJHL (Alex Newhook, Dylan Holloway). Additionally, Pascal Pelletier, Samuel Poulin, and Kirby Dach are likely additions after their teams were eliminated in the second round of the CHL playoffs. That group will be able to compete with the best that the rest of the world has to offer in the age group.

On the backend, Thomas Harley will be an integral component. He will quarterback the team’s powerplay and look to get the puck to the team’s talented forward group in transition. Canada will also rely on their three returning Hlinka/Gretzky team members in Kaedan Korczak, Braden Schneider, and Mike Vukojevic. Underager Jamie Drysdale is likely to play an integral part too. His skating ability will be a major asset on the big ice. Moncton’s Jordan Spence is a possible addition as well following Moncton’s second round loss. He would be able to run the powerplay with Harley and give Canada another competent puck mover.

And in net, Taylor Gauthier is likely to be the workhorse as a returning Hlinka/Gretzky member. He was terrific in the summer for Canada and is highly ranked as a potential top three round pick for this year’s NHL draft. With all the firepower at this year’s event (especially from the United States), Gauthier will have to be at his best for Canada to take home the gold. Although if Saskatoon does indeed get eliminated, there is a chance that Nolan Maier is brought in, which would give Canada their exact duo from the summer U18’s.

As is the case every year for Canada at the IIHF Under 18’s, the team will take a wait and see approach before naming their final roster should any other highly regarded players come available (due to playoff elimination). Kirby Dach of Saskatoon was already mentioned and he would be an impact player. Others available now that their playoffs are done include Samuel Poulin, Jordan Spence, Quinton Byfield, and Nolan Maier. All of these players would elevate Canada’s roster and make them more of a contender for a medal.

Top 10 to Watch:

Dylan Cozens

Cozens will arguably be Canada’s most important player at this event. The Lethbridge Hurricanes forward can suit up at center or the wing and his speed and skill will be on full display. He also enters the event as Canada’s top ranked player for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft (recently ranked 6th by McKeen’s’ April draft rankings). His 84 points (34 goals and 50 assists) led Lethbridge in scoring this year. It also made him the highest scoring U18 player in the WHL. At 6’3, Cozens is physically imposing and when paired with an explosive skating stride, it makes him very difficult to stop in transition. This is especially true given his excellent puck control while at full speed.

Peyton Krebs

Krebs is a player who has been difficult for scouts to get a read on this season because he plays for one of the worst teams in the WHL, the Kootenay Ice. But the talented, playmaking forward remains a potential top 10 selection due to his competitiveness and complete game. Already the captain of Kootenay at 18, he led the Ice in scoring by a pretty significant margin (16 points). Krebs can do it all. He can skate. He can dominate the offensive zone with his puck control ability. He can play in all three zones. And his hockey IQ is considered to be extremely high. Because of those aforementioned leadership skills, he is going to serve as the captain of this Canada team. Currently ranked 8th by McKeen’s in April, Krebs has a chance to improve that ranking with a strong U18 performance (away from Kootenay).

Ryan Suzuki

Speaking of playmaking centers, they don’t get much better than Barrie’s Ryan Suzuki. His vision, passing ability, and creativity with the puck are among the best in the age group. His seven assists led the Hlinka/Gretzky Cup in helpers this past summer. He also registered 50 assists for Barrie of the OHL, which put him tied for second in the entire CHL among U18 players. Yet, Suzuki has found himself slowly sliding down the first round in most rankings. Now at 18 in McKeens April rankings, his inconsistent play has some doubting whether he should still be a first-round selection. Likely to be a big part of Canada’s powerplay at the U18’s, a strong performance could put him back in contention for a lottery selection come June.

Alex Newhook

Newhook was a surprising cut this past summer from Canada’s Hlinka team. Additionally, he was disappointing at this year’s World Junior A Challenge where he suited up for Canada West. Needless to say, he is a player who has a lot to prove at this year’s Under 18’s. Currently McKeens’ 16th ranked prospect for 2019, Newhook will look to utilize his speed and puck skill to be one of Canada’s offensive leaders. He finished the year as the leading scorer of the BCHL with Victoria, so expectations will be quite high. The Boston College commit is an excellent playmaker and figures to be one of Canada’s first two centers in Sweden.

Nathan Legare

With 45 goals this year for Baie-Comeau, Legare figures to be one of Canada’s pivotal goal scorers heading into the event. He finished tied for second in the QMJHL in goal scoring, thanks in part to his powerful shot, quick release, and high-end hockey sense. He also has the potential to impact the game on a physical level, which will be needed to help open up some space on the ice for Canada’s more skilled puck carriers. Despite these strengths, Legare finds himself outside the top 93 of McKeens’ current rankings because of some skating deficiencies. As such, his play on the big ice will go a long way in proving to NHL scouts that he can keep pace with the best in his age group and transition his goal scoring ability to the next level.

Dylan Holloway

Thanks to a later September birthday, Holloway is not eligible to be drafted until next year (2020), where he will likely be playing for the University of Wisconsin. This year, Holloway finished second in the AJHL scoring race for Okotoks and is the second player on this roster from outside of the CHL (along with Newhook). Holloway played more of a shutdown role for Canada at the Hlinka this summer, so it remains to be seen what role he will play at the U18’s. A versatile player who has few weaknesses, Holloway has the skill and hockey sense to play up in the lineup, but also the skating ability and intensity level to excel as more of a role player and penalty killer. But he is definitely someone to keep an eye on as a potential lottery selection in 2020.

Thomas Harley

Harley, currently ranked 21st by McKeen’s for the 2019 NHL Draft, will be an integral part of Canada’s blueline and powerplay unit at the U18’s. A fantastic skater, he is able to start the breakout and lead the transition game. He will most likely quarterback Canada’s top powerplay unit and success with the man advantage is always one of the keys to taking home a medal at an IIHF event. Harley is a finalist for the Max Kaminsky award this year in the OHL, as the league’s top defender, so expectations will be quite high for him to be a leader of the blueline. That said, he will also need to prove that he can play well in his own end and be that top minute eater that Canada requires.

Kaedan Korczak

If Harley is Canada’s most important offensive defender, then Korzcak would have to be considered Canada’s most important defensive defender. A likely partner to the explosive Harley, Korczak is a staunch two-way defender out of the defensive factory known as Kelowna in the WHL. His draft ranking is inconsistent from scouting agency to scouting agency, with some having him as a first-round pick and others like us at McKeens having him outside of the top 93 currently. With good size at 6’3, a physical approach in his own end, and adequate puck skill, Korczak will be used in all key defensive situations. With a strong performance at the U18’s, Korczak can likely be another Kelowna defender to find himself taken inside the first two rounds come June.

Jamie Drysdale

Every year Canada has an underage player perform in a starring role for them and this year that player is likely to be Erie Otters (OHL) defender Jamie Drysdale. A potential top 5 pick in 2020, Drysdale is a potentially dominant two-way defender who is the complete package. His skating ability is among the best in the OHL already as a 17-year-old and he was only the fifth U17 defender to hit the 40 point mark in the OHL in the new millenium. One of those five was Ryan Ellis, who was a standout performer on Canada’s 2008 gold medal winning U18 team as an underager. When all is said and done, I would expect Drysdale to be a top four defender in Sweden.

Taylor Gauthier

Generally speaking, a team is only as good as their goaltender at events like this. Considering the amount of firepower that the U.S., Sweden, Finland, and Russia possess this year, Taylor Gauthier may have to stand on his head at times. The Prince George (WHL) netminder was the hero for Canada at the Hlinka/Gretzky this summer, coming into the gold medal game against Sweden in the first period after Nolan Maier had given up two goals on the first three shots and shutting the door the rest of the way. He enters the event as one of the top North American goaltenders available for the 2019 Draft (ranked 5th by NHL Central Scouting at midterm) and could move himself up event further with a medal winning performance in Sweden.

Sleeper - Kirby Dach

Currently McKeens’ third ranked player for the 2019 Draft, Dach will be a huge addition if added to Team Canada now that his Saskatoon Blades were eliminated by Prince Albert in the second round of the WHL playoffs. The 6’4 center has some of the best hands and puck skill in the age group and as such is dynamic as a playmaker, especially in transition. If he comes into the event he will take a spot on Canada’s top line and top powerplay unit with the expectation that he be among the tournament’s leading scorers. He was just that at the Hlinka/Gretzky in the summer where his seven points tied him for fourth in tournament scoring. The only knock on Dach being the consistency of his engagement level, but it would be hard to see that being an issue when competing for his country on the big stage.

WHL Playoff Preview (Eastern Conference): Prince Albert dominates but Vancouver hot down the stretch

Kevin Olexson — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:12:54 +0000

After another exciting season in the Dub it took one final game to finalize this year’s playoffs. The Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers finish the season tied forcing a one-game playoff, the seventh in WHL history, to move on and play the Victoria Royals.

The Blazers made up a seven-point deficit in the last week and a half of the season, going 5-0-1 to tie Kelowna and earn a home tie-breaker game. They came in riding some momentum and sported a 6-3-1 record against the visiting Rockets this season. The Blazers were led by 16-year-old rookie goaltender Dylan Garand, who put aside 27 out of 28 shots, and forwards Connor Zary, Zane Franklin, Brody Stuart, and Captain Jermaine Loewen to earn their biggest win of the season. Next year’s Memorial Cup hosts have some work to do, as this is only the second time in the Rockets tenure that they have missed the playoffs.

The Prince Albert Raiders were far and away the top team in the Dub this year finishing with a 54-10-2-2 record for a league leading 112 points. The Vancouver Giants finished with the second-best record after going on a real tear in the last quarter of the season, as they surpassed the Everett Silvertips for the best record out of the BC and US divisions erasing a 16-point deficit. The Edmonton Oil Kings finished the season as the hottest team down the stretch winning their last 10 games to edge out the Lethbridge Hurricanes by two points for the division title.

As the quest to represent the WHL in this year’s MasterCard Memorial Cup begins, the Eastern Conference matchups look like this:

Eastern Conference

Brett Leason. Photo by Robert Murray/WHL.

The top seeded Prince Albert Raiders open their playoff series against the Red Deer Rebels boasting the best overall record, and head in to the postseason with a 7-2-1 record, where the Rebels stumbled in with a 4-5-1 record down the stretch finishing with 33 wins and 72 points. These teams played four times this season, with the Raiders taking three of the four games, losing only their first meeting of the season in Red Deer. All four games were decided by one goal, including a 2-1 shootout win by the Raiders in their most recent game played in Prince Albert.

The Raiders led the league in goals scored and finished the season with the second-best goals against. They are loaded up front with Brett Leason (36-53-89), San Jose prospect Noah Gregor (43-45-88), Montreal prospect Cole Fonstad (29-44-73), Ottawa prospect Kelly Parker (35-32-67), and Dante Hounen (29-38-67) who was acquired from the Victoria Royals and put up 31 points in 28 games with the Raiders.

The Rebels are led by Buffalo pick Brandon Hagel (41-61-102), Reece Johnson (27-26-53), and a couple of acquisitions in Cameron Hausinger (21-33-54) who put 37 points in 40 games, and Dallas pick Brett Davis (20-30-50) who produced 31 points in 41 games. On the back end, the Raiders are more than solid with Brayden Pachal (15-36-51) with 51 sporting an amazing +76, his partner Zach Hayes (3-24-27) with an equally impressive +71, Sergei Sapego (10-33-43) with a +42, and Max Martin (6-35-41) showing a +45. They have Washington Capitals 2018 first round selection Alexei Alexeyev with 43 points in 49 games, who is dealing with something but should be available, and Dawson Barteaux (7-27-34) to work their blue line.

In goal, Ian Scott has had a stellar season for the Raiders, going 38-8-1-2 with a 1.83 GAA, and a save percentage of 0.932 posting eight shutouts. The Rebels are back stopped by Ethan Anders 28-22-4-1 with a 3.09 GAA and a save percentage of 0.907 and two shutouts.

The Raiders seem to have the edge in most of the categories, but every game has been extremely close, and Red Deer was a top team last year, and anything can happen in the playoffs.

Pick - Raiders in 5

Kirby Dach

The Saskatoon Blades and Moose Jaw Warriors are set to meet as the second and third seeds in the East. The Blades have dominated the Warriors this year going 5-1 against them, including a 5-3 win near the end of the season. These are two good teams meeting, with lots of talent and players to watch.

At forward the Blades are led by top prospect Kirby Dach (25-48-73) who is slated to be a top five pick in this year’s draft, Max Gerlach (42-32-74), Washington prospect Eric Florchuk (21-29-50), and acquisitions Ryan Hughes (30-39-69) who had 29 points in 25 games, and Gary Haden (31-35-66) who scored 62 points in 55 games. The Warriors are led by line mates Tristan Langan (53-60-113) who topped 50 goals and sports a +43, and Justin Almeida (33-78-111), finishing second and third respectively in league scoring. Rookie Brayden Tracey scored 36 goals and put up 81 points in his first season with the Warriors.

On defense, both clubs have some nice features, as the Blades boast Dawson Davidson (13-62-75) and Nolan Kneen (6-39-45) with 25 points in 33 games since being acquired. One of the Warriors strengths is in their D-line, with Montreal prospect Josh Brook who scored 75 points in only 59 games, and Vancouver Canucks draftee Jet Woo (12-54-66).

In goal, Nolan Maier (36-10-6) backstops the Blades with a 2.64 GAA, a 0.910 save percentage, and four shutouts. The Warriors have used more of a committee approach as goalies Adam Evanoff (19-10-2-1) with a 2.62 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage, and Brodan Salmond (21-10-4-1) with a 2.73 GAA and 0.906 save percentage have shared the crease duties all season.

This should be a very good series to watch, and these teams are similar and should put forth an entertaining series. The Blades have dominated the regular season series, and have been the better club, and are headed in to the playoffs on an 8-2 run, but the Warriors enter on a three-game winning streak and will give them trouble, and make them earn it.

Pick - Blades in 6

Matthew Roberston, Edmonton Oil Kings

The central division winning Edmonton Oil Kings will host the Medicine Hat Tigers in the next matchup, and really seem to have the edge after going 5-0-1 against the Tigers this year, although all the games were relatively close except for one game which was a 5-0 final.

The Oil Kings Trey Fix-Wolansky (37-65-102), a Columbus Blue Jackets pick has led the charge all season and is definitely a player to watch. He is supported by Vince Loschiavo (37-25-62), Quinn Benjafield (15-39-54), and then 2019 draft prospects in Josh Williams, Vladimir Alistrov, and Jake Neighbours who will carry the load. The Tigers will rely on James Hamblin (33-44-77), Ryan Jevne (32-36-68), former Edmonton player Brett Kemp (33-27-60) who scored 21 points in 24 games for MH, and Ryan Chyzowski (27-28-55) to provide the scoring.

The Oil Kings defence is led by Conner McDonald (19-31-50), and Matthew Robertson (7-26-33) who is eligible for this year’s draft. The Tigers defence is led by Florida Panthers pick Linus Nassen (7-39-46) who will log a lot of minutes in this one. In goal, the Oil Kings have Dylan Miskew (28-11-2-3) between the pipes, who finished the season strong with his 2.53 GAA and 0.914 save percentage. He will battle the Tigers rookie Mads Sogard (19-8-2-2) with a 2.64 GAA and a 0.921 save percentage.

Even with the Oil Kings dominance throughout the regular season against the Tigers, it has been a close series and pretty equally matched. The Oil Kings ride an 11-game winning streak into the playoffs and look they have gotten hot at the right time. I like the forward depth for the Tigers and the defensive edge for the Oil Kings, and with two strong goaltenders this should be a close series. I feel it has upset potential, and despite the regular season series results, I think that Sogard can make a big difference and possibly steal this one.

Pick - Tigers in 7

Dylan Cozens

The last of the Eastern series is a central division matchup, with the Lethbridge Hurricanes playing the Calgary Hitmen. Once again, the Hurricanes dominated the season series by a 5-1 mark and scored handily as they averaged six goals a game in the series. Lethbridge has an abundance of offence, with five players who scored over 80 points, and will be a handful for the Hitmen.

The Hurricanes acquired forward Nick Henry (29-65-94) from Regina earlier this season, and the Colorado Avalanche prospect rolled on to lead the club in scoring as he put up 54 points in 44 games. Alongside of Henry, the Hurricanes also acquired Jake Leschyshyn of the Golden Knights (40-41-81) from the Pats, and he stepped in nicely as he had 49 points in 44 games. Top prospect Dylan Cozens (34-50-84), who is expected to go very early in this year’s draft, and Hurricanes Captain and Pittsburgh Penguins property Jordy Bellerive (33-50-83) filled the net regularly against the Hitmen, as Cozens had nine points in six games, and Bellerive had 13 in six. Joining them is Jake Elmer (39-42-81), who also had a very nice season and was able to knock 10 points in 6 games against the Hitmen.

As for Calgary, they have some offence as well, with line mates Mark Kastelic (47-30-77) and James Malm (34-43-77) leading the way. Malm, acquired from the Vancouver Giants put up a point a game against Lethbridge, while Kastelic scored nine points. They will be joined by Carson Focht (26-38-64), Kaden Elder (27-33-60) who was picked up from last year’s WHL champion Swift Current Broncos, Riley Stotts (19-38-57) , and Jake Kryski (19-27-46) to try keep pace with the Hurricanes.

On defense, the Hurricanes are led by Cale Addison (11-54-65), the Pittsburgh Penguins prospect will play a major role in this series and should have a good showing. He will be joined by hulking Ukranian defender Igor Merezheko (4-31-35) who will be responsible to shut down the Hitmen forwards. For Calgary, Russian defenseman Yegor Zamula (10-46-56), who was signed by the Philadelphia Flyers, and Belarussian Vladislav Yereomenko (7-26-33) will work with Dakota Krebs (4-21-25), as they have their work cut out to try and keep the Hurricanes forwards at bay, and hopefully keep the scoring to a minimum.

This will be an even more interesting series in the net, as both teams have rookie goaltenders that will duel against one another. Both goalies have been rather impressive thus far. Carl Tetachuk of Lethbridge put up a record of 24-9-1-1, with a GAA of 2.88 and a save percentage of 0.909 and two shutouts. His counterpart in Calgary, Jack McNaughton, went 25-14-3, with a GAA of 3.25 and a save percentage of 0.888, while posting two shutouts.

The Hurricanes finished the season going 9-1 down the stretch, while Calgary comes in with a 6-4 record to finish. The strong offence and forward depth of the Hurricanes should propel them to win the series, but the real story will be which 17-year-old goaltender will outplay the other, and even though McNaughton has played well down the stretch, his numbers against Lethbridge have not been good, going 1-2 against them, with a GAA of 5.16 and a save percentage of 0.838.

If the Hitmen can keep it close, and their special teams play, which was much better than the Hurricanes this year, seem to click, then they could make a good series out of this. The Hurricanes do have the experience after losing the Eastern Conference Championship two years in a row and should be extra motivated to get going for another chance.

Pick - Hurricanes in 6

LINK TO WESTERN CONFERENCE PREVIEW HERE

WHL 2018-19 Season Preview

Kevin Olexson — Tue, 09 Oct 2018 13:22:04 +0000

Another exciting season is underway in the WHL, and 2018-19 should be a good one. The 2017-18 season ended with the WHL’s Regina Pats hosting the 2018 Memorial Cup, in which they were defeated 3-0 by the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the final. This season, the Kelowna Rockets have been awarded the 2020 Memorial Cup, and as the host team, trying to retool and rebuild in transition, they have a bit of work to do before then.

The WHL had some great players move on, including prolific scorers, dynamic defenders, and some top goaltenders. Now the next draft class of players is developing into prominent roles with their respective clubs, and will see more of the spotlight and new opportunities as we head towards the 2019 draft in Vancouver.

Cody Glass of the Portland Winterhawks.

The WHL was dominated primarily by the US and Eastern Division, but there will be a change in the power and balance with all of the player turnover. The US division has established itself as the strongest division over the past few years and there is no reason to think that this season will be any different. It is likely that this division will boast five playoff teams as well. Along with the three seeded division teams, two other teams will battle for the conference wild card spots. The Portland Winterhawks and Spokane Chiefs should battle for the top spot in the division. The Hawks look poised to take the division, under the leadership of the Vegas Golden Knights first franchise pick Cody Glass, who will challenge for the WHL scoring title this season and be one of the best players to take the ice in the league. The Hawks lost two top defenders in Dennis Cholowski (Detroit) and Henri Jokiharju (Chicago), as well as forwards Skyler McKenzie (Winnipeg) and Kiefer Bellows (NYI). They have a solid supporting cast, and overage forward Joakim Blichfeld (SJ) and defender Brendan DeJong (Car) will flourish this season. They also boast two top draft prospects in defenders --Clay Hanus and John Ludvig who should produce on the back end.

Jaret Anderson-Dolan, photo by Larry Brunt/Spokane Chiefs

The Chiefs are set to push for the division title with plenty of offense even after losing Edmonton prospect and team leader Kailer Yamamoto, and graduate Hudson Elynuik (Toronto Marlies). They will be led by LA Kings prospect Jaret Anderson-Dolan (who will surely be one to watch after he returns from the NHL), Sharks prospect Jake McGrew, a nice complement of 19-year-old players, and New Jersey Devils first round selection Ty Smith who will step up his game. This season the Chiefs will also show off prospect Luke Toporowski, who will contribute with a larger role for the club.

The Seattle Thunderbirds, Tri-City Americans, and Everett Silvertips will follow up jockeying for position. The T-Birds are building and are looking to improve after a big changeover in players. The load will be shouldered by Nolan Volcan and Zach Andrusiak, who will play as 20-year- olds this season and lead the team offensively. Jared Tyszka (Montreal) will lead the blue line, and help draft eligible prospect Jake Lee. Secondary scoring will come from Noah Philp, Matthew Wedman and eligible prospect Dillon Hamaliuk. Tri-City will be anxious to get back prospects Michael Rasmussen (Detroit), and defensemen Juuso Valimaki (Calgary), but it may take some time, if they return at all. Aside from that they will have a solid set of forwards led by Kyle Olson (Anaheim), Nolan Yaremko, and top draft eligible prospect Sasha Mutala. The defence is young and could be shaky, meaning that the offence and goaltending will both have to be better. The Everett Silvertips have had the biggest turnover, losing scoring leaders Patrick Bajkov (Florida) and Matt Fonteyne, as well as elite goaltender Carter Hart (Philadelphia). They will get back forwards Riley Sutter (Washington) and Connor Dewar (Minnesota) to lead the attack. Goaltender Dustin Wolf is a top prospect and played admirably behind Hart last season. He will have his chance to be in the spotlight and shine this year. Wyatte Wylie (Philadelphia) will lead the blueliners the depth of which is a strength of this team.

Milos Roman. Photo by Chris Relke/Vancouver Giants

The B.C. division took a step back, as the powerhouse teams have slipped. Now the Vancouver Giants seemed poised to sit atop the division along with the Victoria Royals. The Giants lost forwards Tyler Benson (Edmonton) and Ty Ronning (NYR), but have a great follow up with James Malm, Brayden Watts, and prospect Milos Roman (Calgary) to lead their offence. The Giants also have a great stable of defensemen, including Alex Kannok-Leipert (Washington), Dylan Plouffe, and a definite 2019 first round selection in Bowen Byram. The goaltending is also sound with the tandem of Arizona Coyotes pick David Tendeck and highly touted prospect Trent Miner who has put up great numbers with his play between the pipes.

The Victoria Royals will also challenge for the division title, as they have a good nucleus of players, solid goaltending, and great coaching. They lost a lot of firepower in Tyler Soy (San Diego Gulls) and Matthew Phillips (Calgary), but will be led by Dante Hannoun, Dino Kambeitz, and Kaid Oliver. The back end is good with Scott Walford (Montreal), Lane Zablocki (Detroit), and Ralph Jarrett. The Royals will be backstopped by one of the top goaltenders in the league in Griffin Outhouse who will help them with their push for another division title.

Kyle Topping of the Kelowna Rockets. Photo by Marissa Baecker/Kelowna Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets, Kamloops Blazers, and Prince George Cougars round out the division, as they will jockey for the third spot and possibly a wild card. The Rockets, after winning the bid to host the 2020 Memorial Cup will have to step things up, as this season looks a bit rough for them. They lost a good portion of their team, and top players Cal Foote (TBL), Dillon Dube (Calgary), Kole Lind (Vancouver), Carsen Twarynski (Philadelphia), have graduated and the team is in transition. They do however show five top rated prospects this season including Kyle Topping, who surprisingly went unselected in last year’s draft and will lead the team offensively this season. Top prospect and projected first rounder Nolan Foote will bear a larger role and be relied on to provide some much needed offence along with Leif Mattson. The Rockets are known for turning out defensemen, and they have top rated prospects in Kaden Korczak and Lassi Thomson in the works. In goal they have Roman Basran, another top prospect who pitched a shutout in his first ever WHL game, and will share backstop duties with James Porter.

The Kamloops Blazers are looking to take a step up after going through many changes last season. The Blazers seem like they are in rebuild mode, but they will be led by Jermaine Loewen returning from the Dallas Stars. The Blazers have some young players on their roster, and the back end will be anchored by Nolan Kneen, who should be in store for a big year. The Blazers could very well surprise a lot of teams, especially if returning goaltender Dylan Ferguson (Vegas) can put up solid numbers as he should be busy. The Cougars are also in the midst of a rebuild, as they unloaded many of their assets to finish at the bottom of the division. They have a young team without any returning NHL draftees on it, but will be led by defenders Joel Lakusta, Ryan Schoettler, Rhett Rhinehart, and forwards Ethan Browne and import Vladislav Mikhalchuk. They have a top rated goalie prospect in Taylor Gauthier between the pipes, and he looks to face a lot of shots behind a weak defence.

The battle of the Central Division should come down to the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Medicine Hat Tigers, followed by the Red Deer Rebels and Edmonton Oil Kings, leaving the Kootenay Ice and Calgary Hitmen battling for the wildcard positions.

Calen Addison. Photo by Robert Murray.

The Hurricanes seemed primed and ready, as they welcome back their leaders from other camps and tryouts. The offence will certainly be dynamic with Jordy Bellerive (Pittsburgh) returning, and prospect Dylan Cozens - who will definitely be an early first round pick in next year’s draft - leading the charge as they both push for the WHL scoring title as well. The secondary scoring will be in the hands of eligible prospect Logan Barlage, Taylor Ross, and Kelti Jeri-Leon. On the back end, Calen Addison (Pittsburgh) returns to beef up this blue line and contribute from the point. The goaltending looks solid with Reece Klassen, who should have a good nucleus of defence in front of him to help him put up good numbers. Medicine Hat should also be able to keep up with Lethbridge on the offensive side of things, as they also have some firepower up front. Ryan Chyzowski and Josh Williams are one of the top tandems in the league, and Williams is a likely first round selection in the upcoming draft. Captain James Hamblin will also provide some scoring punch, as they also show a very balanced group of forwards.

The Tigers lost offensive defensemen David Queneville (NYI), meaning defenders Linus Nassen (Florida) and Dylan Macpherson will have to step into bigger roles to help fill that void. The goaltending will be fine with Jordan Hollett (Ottawa) stopping pucks on the back end, but the defence is young. The Rebels also have some nice players returning, and coach Brett Sutter will be happy with Brandon Hagel and Jeff DeWit coming back to lead the forward group. The Rebels also welcome back Alexander Alexeyev (Washington) and Dawson Barteaux (Dallas) to the group, as they should both have very productive seasons. The Rebels have two players of note for draft hounds with import center Oleg Zaytsev and goaltender Ethan Anders, who should both improve this season with expanded roles.

The Edmonton Oil Kings have also been in a rebuild mode, and are looking to take the next step of their transition. They have a young team who will be led by Trey Fix-Wolansky (Columbus), along with veterans Quinn Benjafield and Vince Loschiavo to play along side of draft eligible prospects David Kope, Vladimir Alistrov, and Brett Kemp. On defence, a top prospect and projected first round selection Matthew Robertson leads the blue line with fellow draft-eligibles Jacson Alexander and Conner McDonald. The Oil Kings also have some young goaltenders in their net, and could help this team move up the ranks with some solid play.

Riley Stotts. Photo by Candice Ward/Calgary Hitmen.

Calgary will have forwards Jake Kryski and Riley Stotts (Toronto) back, along with defenseman Vladislav Yeryomenko (Nashville) who will all take larger roles and provide leadership for their maturing team. The Hitmen have a hulking defender on the radar as Jackson Van De Leest is a top draft-eligible prospect. The Kootenay Ice have been developing and rebuilding for a few years now, and they are showing a lot of youth, and a top end talent in Peyton Krebs (yet another definite first round selection). He will be joined by Brett Davis (Dallas) to lead the charge for the young ICE team. They will rely on Jonathan Smart to anchor and lead their group of defensemen as this team looks to improve and make a surge for a playoff spot.

The Eastern Division standings will look different. This division has been hit the hardest as the top teams from last season have had major overhauls, and return depleted rosters. After being defeated in the Memorial Cup Final, the Pats have lost forwards Sam Steel (Anaheim), Cameron Hebig (Edmonton), and Matt Bradley from their impressive lineup of scorers. They will be led this year by Jake Leshyshyn (Vegas), Nick Henry (Colorado), Austin Pratt, and eligible prospect Koby Morrisseau to carry the load. On defence, losing Josh Mahura (Anaheim), Cale Fleury (Montreal), and Libor Hajek (TBL) opens the door for Aaron Hyman to take a leadership role, and allow eligible prospects Nikita Sedov and Jonas Harkins to play larger parts and flourish on an experienced team. In goal, they have Max Paddock, who should get some consideration, as he backstopped the Pats to the Memorial Cup final as a rookie netminder and looked good in the process.

Cole Fonstad

It looks like the Prince Albert Raiders are ready to take a major leap and push for the division crown. The Raiders are loaded up front with players to watch in Cole Fonstad (Montreal), Noah Gregor (SJ), undrafted Brett Leason, and returnee Kody McDonald leading the way. They have an experienced blue line with Sergei Sapego, Max Martin, and Brayden Pachal ready to deliver in larger roles. Goaltender Ian Scott (Toronto) is ready to be one of the top tenders in the DUB this season and lead this team. They will battle with the Brandon Wheat Kings and the Saskatoon Blades for the division crown in what should be an exciting division to follow. The Wheat Kings will also boast a stellar offence and solid goaltending. With last seasons leading scorer Ty Lewis (Colorado) eligible to return, which would add even more scoring punch to this already impressive lineup of forwards.

Ty Smith

Stelio Mattheos (Carolina), Connor Gutenberg, Cole Reinhart, and draft eligible Luka Burzan will lead the charge for the Wheat Kings. The defence will be led by Schael Higson and Chase Hartje, with youngsters Braden Schneider and Jonny Lambos getting increased minutes. Las Vegas prospect Jiri Patera will handle duties in net, and looks to be very solid for the Wheaties, which will also help push them to the top of the division. The Saskatoon Blades have also made enormous strides this year, and will take a step up as well. They have some great prospects on the roster that will make their way to the draft this spring. They also have a forward group that can fill the nets with Max Gerlach, Eric Florchuk, and Josh Paterson returning to support Kirby Dach. Dach will be a prolific scorer and early first round pick at the draft. He will be joined by import defensemen and fellow top prospect Emil Malysjev who will settle in to a prominent role by playing with the likes of Dawson Davidson and Jackson Caller. The Blades also feature a top goaltending tandem with top prospect Nolan Maier who will carry the load this season after a stellar rookie season, and Dorrin Luding, who has looked very impressive in his appearances.

Jett Woo

The Moose Jaw Warriors will find themselves in the mix as well with Justin Almeida (Pittsburgh) back in the fold, and leading the way as one of the top players in the Dub. Almeida will take the reigns of the offence after the loss of Jayden Halbgewachs (SJ), Brayden Burke (Arizona), and Brett Howden (NYR). He will be joined by Ryan Peckford, who looked promising last year despite being passed over in the draft. He will look to make amends for that with a good showing this year with an increased role on this club. He will be joined with fellow prospect Brayden Tracey and veteran forward Tristan Langan. The back end will miss top defender Kale Clague (LAK), but will be in good shape with a strong core as Josh Brook (Montreal) and Jett Woo (Vancouver) are back there. In net, the Warriors have Adam Evanoff who was great in a limited role in his rookie season, and will get to display his skills this year in a main role. He will share time with ex-Kelowna Rocket Broden Salmond who will add some experience.

Last but not least, last seasons WHL Champion Swift Current Broncos will be hit the hardest of all teams. They have lost most of their scoring, and are in a definite rebuilding mode. Gone are the likes of Glen Gawdin (Calgary), Aleksi Heponiemi (Florida), Giorgio Estephan (Buffalo), Matteo Gennaro, Beck Malenstyn (Washington), and their leader in Tyler Steenbergen (Arizona). The defence was also depleted by losing Colby Sissons (NJ), and surprisingly undrafted Artyom Minulin (who will miss lots of time with offseason surgery). This team will be led by Max Patterson, Alec Zawatsky, and defender Connor Horning. The Broncos are young, and will be in development mode for the next few seasons. Goaltender Joel Hofer (St. Louis) is the only player that has NHL labelling, and will be extremely busy throughout the year and will face a whole lot rubber. He will have to hone his skills and stop a lot of pucks, but is unlikely to steal many games for this team.

World U18 Team Preview: Canada

Scott Crawford — Tue, 17 Apr 2018 20:13:27 +0000

The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) 2018 U18 World Championship Tournament is taking place in Chelyabinsk and Magnitogorsk, Russia. This tournament presents a unique opportunity for players Hockey Canada has chosen from across the CHL and CJHL to make one last impression before the 2018 NHL Draft. It is also an early opportunity for younger Canadian players chosen by Hockey Canada not eligible in this year’s NHL Draft to make a strong first impression in front of scouts and fans.

With Canada’s first game coming against their neighbors to the south, several questions are being asked regarding how far this Team Canada squad will go. Canada has not won a gold medal in this tournament since 2013 and people are wondering whether the cast that Hockey Canada management has put together is good enough to end that streak. The other unknown is whether this cast be able to adapt to the Olympic sized ice rinks in Russia. With these players still only being 16-18 years of age, they are not likely to adapt to the wider ice surface quick enough replicate the feats of the 2014 Canada Men’s Olympic Team that played in Sochi, Russia. With all the questions asked, the roster put together by the Hockey Canada brass seems to show this might be a different year compared to past teams that attempted to end the gold medal drought.

Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Players entering the 2018 draft each have made their own impacts on their respective team’s thanks in large part to their quick development that was noticeable amongst numerous NHL amateur scouts. Several players that took part in the CHL Top Prospects Game were added to the Canada roster such as Ryan Merkley, Serron Noel, Ty Dellandrea, Allan McShane, Cameron Hillis and Liam Foudy. I personally watched Noel, Dellandrea and Merkley steal the show with their individual efforts and display what they can really do against higher competition. Merkley is known for his elite stick handling capabilities and will be a great quarterback on Team Canada’s powerplay, while both Noel and Dellandrea will set the tone with their physical play and strong offensive capabilities in front of their opponent’s net, especially Dellandrea who scored the fastest two goals in the CHL Top Prospects Game’s history. McShane, Hillis and Foudy will be a strong support cast for Canada’s roster. They may not have the flash or physique, but they are three of smartest players to come out of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Kevin Bahl of the Ottawa 67's. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Other players on this roster who dressed for the CHL Top Prospects Game were Ty Smith and Kevin Bahl. Both defenders are important roster players for Team Canada, and both carry very different styles of play. Bahl, who was named CHL Top Prospects player of the game is a big bruiser who can patrol the blue line. He does not like letting opposing players into his own zone while Smith is a more tactical offensive minded defenseman who likes to score more rather than throw the body around most of the game. Kevin Mandolese was the only goaltender from the CHL Top Prospects Game joining Team Canada and they could not have chosen a better goaltender. His natural athleticism was on display at the Top Prospects Game, as he was able to move comfortably around without jeopardizing his positioning. A hybrid goaltender Mandolese was taking shots left, right and center and using his quick reaction time to stop more shots on net than any other goaltender in the game.

Cole Fonstad. Photo courtesy of Prince Albert Raiders

Also joining Team Canada are draft eligible forwards Cole Fonstad and Chase Wouters. Fonstad, a reliable scorer who has good hands and works hard will be able to contribute top line minutes as he has been the go-to-guy for his current team in the WHL. Wouters is an interesting prospect as he comes from an unstable franchise, but he has been able to make the most of his opportunities. Being able to play both the center and wing position will make him a valuable player for Team Canada’s secondary offense.

Jonny Tychonick.

Hockey Canada went outside the CHL to include Jack McBain and Jonny Tychonick, both NCAA commits from the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL), a cross-nation parent league for Tier 2 Junior A players quickly developing a reputation for breeding high-end NHL caliber talent. Both McBain and Tychonick are considered low first round to high second round draft picks that have scouts raving about their abilities to lead their teams’ offensive attack. McBain, a forward with raw offensive abilities, is a quick decision maker with the puck and carries the ability to score while also creating offensive chances for his teammates. Tychonick is a defenseman with an offensive scoring touch. He led defensemen on his team in scoring and he was a headache for most opposing team due to his combination of quick skating and puck handling skills.

The 2019 NHL Draft is a year away, but Hockey Canada decided to go for a few up and coming players that took big leaps in their CHL rookie seasons. Leading the WHL pool are notable names like Kirby Dach, Peyton Krebs, Bowen Byram, Matthew Robertson and Nolan Maier. Dach, who plays on the same line with Cole Fonstad, made the most of his opportunities with his struggling franchise. His passing abilities were on display this season and his quick thinking of the game in an offensive capacity will help Team Canada. Krebs, another forward who had a strong season, showed scouts why he is another top prospect for the 2019 Draft. His work ethic to get to the net along with his strong shot accuracy make him a prime offensive weapon for Team Canada to use. Byram is a steady defenseman who plays with extreme confidence. He is calm with the puck and he can play in all situations on the ice. He just finished a strong playoff run offensively scoring seven points in seven games. Robertson is another big blue liner for Team Canada standing at 6-3” and 194 lbs. His WHL team did not make the playoffs, but it did not slow down his offensive production nor did it stop him from playing an aggressive game. He and Bahl, if put together, will make a strong defensive duo. Maier plays on the same team as Dach and Fonstad, but he was the main reason his team was in a playoff spot for a majority of the season. He was given season MVP by his team because of his hustle to stop the puck and his calm and mature mentality towards game pressure. He will be a good option to have for Team Canada. Graeme Clarke is the only player representing the OHL from the 2019 Draft class for Team Canada. He is also one of the smartest and most offensively creative players on the team. His rookie season was a share of highlight real plays and a smart 200-foot game that will give Team Canada another strong two-way forward to play on the second line. The lone QMJHL player for the 2019 Draft playing for Team Canada is another stud goaltender, Colten Ellis. His strong play led his team to the top of the QMJHL and helped them solidify home ice advantage going into the playoffs.

Alexis Lafrenière

As for the lone player from the 2020 NHL Draft class on the squad, Alexis Lafrenière, it comes as no surprise as to why Hockey Canada gave him a roster spot. Chosen first overall in the 2017 QMJHL Priority Draft, he tore up the league in his first season scoring an incredible 80 points and he is only 16. He is a quick decision maker that can dominate the game in any area on the ice. He can handle pressure situations and score at will. Projected to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft don’t be surprised to hear Lafrenière’s name at the World Juniors next season.

Going into this tournament, Team Canada faces a strong degree of talent from every country that is participating and a different size ice surface to complicate matters. With the talent they have selected to be on their roster this year. they may have a strong chance of ending their goal drought and becoming U18 world champions in 2018.