Saginaw Spirit – McKeen's Hockey

The curious case of Blake Clarke

McKeen's Staff — Thu, 01 May 2014 13:00:34 +0000

It seemed easy to project Blake Clarke at first.

A first round pick of the Brampton Battalion in the 2012 Ontario Hockey League priority selection (15^th overall), the native of Wildwood, Mo. appeared on the fast track to success as a rookie. Clarke played a big role on the Battalion as a rookie, scoring 19 times and adding 32 assists for 51 points in 68 games.

Whether one wants to attribute his second season as a sophomore jinx or the signs of a once highly-touted prospect who lost his touch, no prospect saw their production fall off quite so dramatically as Clarke’s. After suffering an injury early in the year, Clarke then asked the Battalion, who moved to North Bay in the summer, for a trade.

A change in scenery only brought more of the same for Clarke, who couldn’t tap back into his offensive prowess once dealt to the Saginaw Spirit. A disappointing two goals, 10 assists in 54 games may have taken him out of draft consideration altogether.

In some ways, Clarke could have learned from teammate and fellow draft eligible prospect Dylan Sadowy. Although not considered an offensive force, Sadowy did the dirty work Clarke was unwilling to do and as a result, found himself in the Spirit’s top six, where he flourished with his north-south style.

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Blake Clarke (2014), LW

Few players’ stock dropped more than Clarke’s, whose production dropped by a stunning 39 points, including 17 fewer goals than he scored as a rookie .. a shoulder injury sustained during the All American Prospect Game derailed his season (missed 14 games) and subsequently resulted in him requesting a trade from North Bay .. an offensive-minded player with good instincts for the game, he can create with the puck in his possession and put it into good positions .. a bow-legged skater with a deceptive quality, he has good short-term quickness but only exhibits it below the offensive blue line .. does not play with any type of aggression in either zone and looked apprehensive to engage -- always kept plays to the outside, refusing to attack the dirty areas of the ice .. an easy player to play against on the defensive side of the puck as he doesn’t engage in open ice and loses board battles quite regularly .. coasts back into plays and far too often separated himself from the action .. Clarke has potential due to his impressive first year totals and untapped offensive ability .. he needs to find a return to his 2012-13 form and should get plenty more ice time next season with Saginaw to develop.

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Dylan Sadowy (2014), LW

Sadowy registered a 25 goal improvement from his rookie season largely in part to a promotion in January into the top six playing alongside Kea and Moutrey .. the sum of his parts, Sadowy plays a simple yet effective game as he habitually drives and heads to the net as soon as his line-mates have possession of the puck .. his goals come as a direct result of his hard work -- he stays with plays, has better than average hand/eye coordination and is not afraid to sacrifice his body to score dirty tallies in the crease .. does a very good job of positioning himself well inside the offensive zone and has a knack for getting his stick on pucks .. competes at both ends of the rink but can be guilty of not moving his feet at times in the neutral zone as he gets caught behind the play .. Sadowy is an average skater with no explosiveness in his stride or prevailing gear .. also lacks balance as he tends to fall down too much .. although not a physical force, he can play a pestering style that gets under the opposition’s skin .. Sadowy put up Cy Young numbers with his goal to assist ratio (27-9).

2014 NHL Draft: Saginaw Spirit game reports, Dylan Sadowy, Blake Clarke, Brandon Prophet

David Burstyn — Wed, 26 Mar 2014 15:03:48 +0000

The Saginaw Spirit underwent an unspeakable event with the passing of teammate Terry Trafford recently.

The Spirit rallied in the face of adversity and are giving the heavily-favoured Erie Otters all they can handle in their first round playoff series.

Once considered a promising prospect for this draft, Blake Clarke’s stock began falling well before being traded by North Bay to Saginaw. The Chesterfield, Mo. native actually gets lower marks for playing through injury.

Dylan Sadowy, meanwhile, found his game while playing alongside two big bodies, making him an intriguing prospect for the draft. Brandon Prophet’s eagerness is noteworthy, yet his effectiveness doesn’t always correlate to his work ethic.

McKeen’s Hockey Director of Scouting David Burstyn profiles three Spirit prospects from a recent game report.

Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Dylan Sadowy (2014), RW

Confidence has been growing since lining up with two of the Spirit’s bigger players, Justin Kea and Nick Moutrey .. added an offensive element to the line .. numbers look similar to a Cy Young award-winning pitcher with 27 goals to accompany nine assists (68-27-9-36) .. modest size that could stand to fill out more to avoid slight appearance on the ice .. plays a consistent two-way game but can be prone to stop moving his feet at times in the neutral zone and subsequently being caught out of position .. an average skater with a sluggish first step, slight knock-knee and struggles with balanc and isprone to falling down .. skill-set is not elite, meaning his goals are a direct result of his hard work .. stays with plays, willingly drives the net and is not afraid to sacrifice his body .. shows strong determination inside the offensive zone and keeps his game simple showing that he can contribute .. skating needs to improve and he mustbulk up to be effective at the pro level.

Blake Clarke (2014), LW

No player has seen a decline in their offensive numbers more so than Clarke with a meagre 12 points through 54 games (54-2-10-12) .. after skating a regular shift on Brampton’s first line last season, he was shipped to Saginaw just before the Christmas break for Zach Bratina .. participated at the All American Top Prospects Game where he played through a shouldeinujuryr which heneglected to tell the training staff which resulted in a slow start .. unable to find his groove in Saginaw despite possessing solid offensive instincts and better than average puck skills .. can make plays with the puck in his possession but too often bails on plays and does not compete hard enough for the puck .. skating is OK; he is a bow-legged skater with deceptive quickness and can accelerate with the puck .. always a step behind without the puck, which negatively affects his defensive contributions .. consistently loses board battles, making him easy prey for the opposition .. apprehensive to engage and plays a more perimeter game, refusing to attack the dirty areas of the ice or driving lanes without the puck .. Clarke has soft hands and can architect plays but he needs to regain his confidence as he has shown he can produce at this level.

Brandon Prophet (2014), D

Jesse Graham’s addition was a boon for Prophet as the two play together, alleviating pressure on Prophet to ignite the offence by rushing the puck up ice and making plays offensively .. offensive zone reads and pinches are often miscalculated, subsequently leading to odd-man rushes the other way .. skating is plausible -- lateral quickness needs to be addressed and forward skating is a tad jerky .. skates with his feet too close together which affects his stride and overall speed .. pivots and overall fluidity get exposed when smaller, skilled players dance around him .. ordinary puck skills , average decision making and creativityand is not a threat to make a play up ice.. a big body who plays with some jam and is good on the PK due to his size and the amount of ice he can cover.

Untapped Hayden McCool lands in Niagara, OHL draft picks 6-10

Sean Lafortune — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:42:26 +0000

In the second installment of the OHL’s first-round, scouting reports highlight the players drafted in picks six-through-10.

The Niagara IceDogs began their rebuild by taking the imposing Whitby forward with the catchy name, Hayden McCool. McCool is a team-player that can play at both ends of the rink. He’s got most of the tools, but just needs the toolbox now to reach his long-term potential.

Kyle Capobianco became the third defenceman to hear his name called when the Sudbury Wolves tapped him for the seventh pick. Capobianco will bring his dynamic skating and offensive creativity to the Nickel City.

Mitchell Stephens, a former teammate of Connor McDavid’s on the Toronto Marlboros, went eighth to Saginaw. The smooth-skating forward is a bit of a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde given the wide-ranging levels of inconsistencies from game-to-game. He can dazzle when he’s at his best.

The Sarnia Sting are hoping Nikita Korostelev can fill some pretty big skates next season. The Sting are banking on Korostelev and Nikolay Goldobin’s past playing experience to provide instant chemistry.

The Battalion franchise will move from Brampton to North Bay but the drafting of Brett McKenzie at No. 10 signals their philosophy won’t change. McKenzie is a responsible two-way player with a potent wrist-shot.

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Hayden McCool (C, 2015), Whitby Wildcats - 6'3"- 185 pounds - April 11, 1997

Drafted sixth-overall by the Niagara IceDogs

McCool played his first year in Whitby after spending his bantam year with the Clarington Toros .. a large-bodied forward, possesses a significant among of tools .. opportunistic and competitive, willing to battle for loose pucks .. digs his feet in when in front of the net, using his elite hand-eye coordination to tip in shots and bat in rebounds .. hands are soft and fast, possesses excellent stick-handling abilities and one-on-one elusiveness .. his upper-body skill separates him from his peers as a prospect .. boasts a multidimensional shot, highlighted by its multiple release points .. displays a sharp sense for protecting the puck in traffic, shielding it from pressure as he drives the net .. wins board battles, exploiting an expanded reach and good balance .. finishes checks, however, not overly-aggressive by nature .. high commitment level and focus in his defensive zone .. provides support for his defencemen by sacrificing offense to ensure defensive success .. does attain good mobility once he hits top speed .. not the most graceful start-ups and tends to struggle with explosiveness .. will benefit from adding both length and strength to a somewhat choppy stride .. prone to tunnel vision, gets fixated on things which can limit his selection process .. projects as a strong, two-way forward with untapped offensive abilities .. may be more effective as a winger at the next level given his size .. will initially slot into a depth role for the Niagara Ice Dogs, continuing to see more responsibilities as he matures .. has an intriguing long-term ceiling given his size and developing puck skills.

Kyle Capobianco (D, 2015), Oakville Rangers - 6'0" – 155 pounds - August 13, 1997

Drafted seventh-overall by the Sudbury Wolves

Capobianco played with the Oakville Rangers after spending last season with the bantam Toronto Marlboros of the GTHL .. he was one of 42 Canadians who were selected to participate in the 2012 All Canadians camp .. biggest gift is his high-end skating ability .. undersized defenceman is an exceptional skater who is powered by a strong, controlled stride .. he has the ability to change his pace at the drop of a hat .. a natural puck rusher who has the innate ability to shift through open ice and skate past opposing defenders with ease .. anticipates the game well and makes a strong first pass, which is aided by his strong poise and puck-handling ability .. needs to work to add power to his slap-shot .. must continue to add power and strength to his wiry frame .. gets beat down low by size and strength, and goes static at times, losing his focus and coverage .. a risk taker, he pinches aggressively and forsakes defensive responsibilities .. prone to over-handling the puck from time to time .. will be in the Wolves’ lineup initially, adding offence to a defensive core that will lose veteran Charlie Dodero .. expect him to be a strong power-play option right off the bat .. will need to continue to work on his strength and one-on-one effectiveness in the defensive zone.

Mitchell Stephens (C, 2015), Toronto Marlboros - 5'10" - 166 pounds – February 5, 1997

Drafted eighth-overall by the Saginaw Spirit

Stephens is playing his second year of minor midget after seeing a lot of ice with the ‘96 Toronto Marlboros, a team that featured current OHLers Connor McDavid, Joshua Ho-Sang and Sam Bennett .. biggest gift is his excellent footwork and extremely-strong skating stride .. he’s a remarkable skater with a great range of speed .. generates tremendous thrusts from his long and powerful skating stride .. his first few steps are powerful, quick and explosive, which allows him to get a quick step on opposing skaters and creates separation with the puck .. at his best when aggressively driving into lanes and striving to show off an elite shot .. has shown an ability to read the ice and improvise at a moment’s notice, without compromising his puck protection .. a shoot-first player, he looks to take the puck to the net instead of making higher-percentage outlet passes .. needs to continue to work on his core strength and improve his overall ability to win battles down low and along the boards .. struggles with consistency; looks like a star one game while struggling to make an impact the next .. should slot initially into Saginaw's top-nine forward core and be a factor in penalty killing situations .. his speed and shot could be an asset to the Spirit immediately .. has the potential to be a top-line forward at the OHL level, however, patience will be needed.

Nikita Korostelev (RW, 2015), Toronto Jr. Canadiens - 6'0" - 176 pounds - February 8, 1997

Drafted ninth-overall by the Sarnia Sting

This was Korostelev’s second season in minor midget after spending the second half of last year with the Vaughan Kings of the Greater Toronto Hockey League .. his biggest weapon is a powerful and accurate snap-shot that features an extremely-dangerous release .. has the ability to simply take the puck into his body and let off a hard, strong shot with little-to-no effort .. has high-end puck-skills, as he has displayed the ability to dangle in one-on-one situations or make a smart touch pass .. generates a surprising amount of speed and acceleration from his long and lunging skating stride .. plays with a chip on his shoulder at times and can have a bit of pushback when challenged physically, but that pushback isn’t always consistent .. has shown that he can struggle with puck battles .. has gained a significant amount of weight on his frame compared to where he was last year, but he still has room to be bigger and stronger, particularly in his upper-body .. despite his Russian descent, was deemed eligible for the 2013 OHL draft as opposed to the CHL import draft .. will need to make an immediate impact in Sarnia given the Sting's loss of Reid Boucher, Alex Galchenyuk, Charles Sarault and others .. should find instant chemistry with import Nikolay Goldobin, given that the two have played together in the past in Russia.

Brett McKenzie (C, 2015), Oakville Rangers - 6'1" - 175 pounds - March 21, 1997

Drafted 10^th overall by the North Bay Battalion

A high-potential forward playing his first year in Oakville after playing last year with Eastern Ontario of the OEMHL .. led the Rangers offensively all season and was a significant factor in the team winning the organization’s first OHL Cup championship .. industrious, strong-skating forward with good skills for a big man .. powered by quick, able footwork and lateral mobility .. smooth puck-handler, who rushes and distributes the puck well, displaying patience and awareness in possession, as well as an ability to use his size and mobility to create space and make plays in motion .. adept at shifting the puck out wide, exploiting his large wingspan .. a versatile, hardworking and positionally-responsible player .. packs a heavy wrist-shot that gets prime power from a compact, efficient release .. can play a rugged and scrappy physical game, however, can lack intensity and let up on the fore-check at times .. could be meaner and more belligerent in one-on-one puck battles and positional battles in front of the net .. must continue to elevate his intensity level, however, does bring an understated compete level .. a responsible defender who supports his teammates below his own red line .. possesses a good positional sense and awareness .. a player who can contribute on both the power-play and the penalty kill .. has the frame, but must continue to build muscle mass .. projects as a responsible top-six forward who can contribute at both ends of the ice at the OHL level .. a perfect fit for the Battalion .. McKenzie is going to an organization that has a history of allowing younger players to take on more responsibility .. will probably slot into the third line centre role initially while he learns his craft, but may quickly move up the team’s depth chart.