Louka Henault – Windsor Spitfires – Player Profile

Height: 6’

Weight: 181 pounds

Date of birth: January 31, 2001

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 5, 96^th overall, 2017 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting Rankings: Pre-season, November: Not Ranked. Mid-term: 163 North America

Born in Montreal Quebec and growing up in Etobicoke Ontario, Windsor Spitfires blueliner Louka Henault played his minor midget AAA hockey with the Toronto Marlboros during the 2016-2017 season. Henault played in 33 games and scored twice while adding 22 assists. The Spitfires would use the 96^th overall pick at the 2017 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection to draft Henault.

During the 2015-2016 season, Henault also played Minor Midget AAA hockey with the Don Mills Flyers. He would play in 39 games and score once with 5 helpers.

Henault appeared in the OHL Cup in back-to-back seasons, first with the Flyers and then the Marlboros. In 11 combined games he scored once and assisted on 4 others.

Henault broke onto the Spitfires roster during the 2017-2018 season and played in 42 games and notching 2 assists. This season Henault played in 66 games and scored twice while assisting on 20. In the four game playoff series where the London Knights eliminating the Spitfires, Henault had a goal and an assist.

If Henault is going to hear his name called at the National Hockey League Draft in Vancouver British Columbia on June 21-22, it will most definitely be on day two of the draft – if at all. That said, if an NHL team isn’t willing to use a pick on him on draft day, he is precisely the type of player that will get an invite to a Team’s Development Camp in the summer.

So, what does Henault bring to the table?

Henault is a mobile two-way defender who has his head on a swivel when in possession of the puck, almost always seemingly surveying the ice and looking for the best options available. He’s a good skater that has good mobility both north-south and east-west. He walks the offensive blue line very well and creates lanes by doing so. And he can jump up the wall and make pinches when he needs to.

Henault is known for his shot. While he hasn’t shown that he can overpower goaltenders with it, he usually finds the target and he doesn’t try to score, but to put it in areas where he can create rebounds and second chance opportunities. The fact that he averaged one shot per game and the bulk of his assists were primary assists speaks to that and his passing abilities. That said, that he only averaged one shot per game and his attempted shots were not much better, you know that he has to shoot more often.

Defensively, Henault was steady on the backend for the Spitfires who still have a young and somewhat green blueline. He understands positioning, uses his stick well to defend, and is willing to battle in all the hard areas. And he is effective at moving the puck out of his zone.

Henault is one of those players that doesn’t excel at any one thing, but you get an honest effort and steady performances at both ends of the ice.

Stat page from Elite Prospects