Tnias Mathurin – North Bay Battalion – Player Profile

HT	WT	DOB	POS	SHOOTS	OHL DRAFT	NHLCS	COUNTRY
6’3	197	1/15/04	D	L	41st 2020	126 NA	CANADA

SEASON	LEAGUE	TEAM	GP	G	A	PTS
2019-20	Under-16	Ajax/Pickering Raiders	35	7	12	19
2020-21	OHL	North Bay Battalion	0	0	0	0
2021-22	OHL	North Bay Battalion	44	3	12	15

If there is one player the lost season due to the pandemic has hurt the most, I look at Tnias Mathurin of the North Bay Battalion. And that’s because not only did he lose an entire season a year ago, but he missed one-third of this season due to injuries. So, are 44 games enough to get a read on Mathurin?

Here’s what we do know. At 6’3” and pushing 200-pounds he has size. And for his size he moves extremely well. He doesn’t have after burners but his speed is more on the acceptable size. His mobility is very good laterally and in backwards skating.

Defensively, Mathurin continues and will continue to work on his game. He is very good at defending the rush, he holds his blueline and he closes and keeps his gaps close very quickly. He also boxes out the front of his net very well. He’s learning to be a more physical player and his size will certainly help there.

In transition, he collects the puck quickly and when given time and space Mathurin uses that to go on the offense with his skating or a very good first pass. But if you take that time and space away, he chooses to make the safe play and chip it out of his zone. But he can also be prone to a turnover here and there.

What is difficult to get a read on is Mathurin’s offensive game. He hasn’t played a full season of hockey since 2018-2019 – his Under-15 year.

Mathurin showed a lot of promise to start the year and through the first half of the season. But then on February 4, 2022 he suffered an injury that would keep him out of the lineup until March 24.

What Mathurin did display was an ability and confidence to pinch at the opposition blue line to keep plays alive but he also picked his spots carefully. He also displayed good vision and an ability to make good passes. And when there was no pass available, he would move his feet to get himself into position to take the shot himself.

It would be great to have a larger body of work to base an opinion on. One thing I believe is that he can find his place at the NHL level as a shut down defenceman. The offensive aspect of his game won’t be known until next season with the Battalion.