Merrick Rippon – Ottawa 67’s – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 191

Date of birth: April 27, 2000

Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario

Position: Defence

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 2, 36th overall, 2016 Priority Selection (Kitchener Rangers)

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: B Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 63rd North American Skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Originally drafted by the Kitchener Rangers in the second round of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, Merrick Rippon returned to his hometown via a New Years Day trade with the Mississauga Steelheads that sent Matt Foget and draft picks to the Steelheads, Joining Rippon from the trade were Jacob Cascagnette and Shaw Boomhower.

The Steelheads had previously acquired Rippon prior to the start of training camp from the Rangers for draft picks.

Rippon played his midget hockey with the Ottawa Jr Senators during the 2015-2016 season. For the Jr Senators he posted 12 goals and 17 assists in 43 games. He also appeared in 3 playoff games adding a goal and 2 assists. He was named the league’s top defenceman.

Prior to his draft, OHL Central Scouting had this to say about Rippon:

“Merrick is a solid, versatile defenseman that has a lot of upside moving forward. His skating is well above average. He generates a lot of power from his stride and reaches top speed very quickly. Solid stops and starts in his own end allow him to close gaps on players quickly. He has deceiving puck skills

because you are so focused on how hard he plays that some miss how well he handles the puck. He has a hard and accurate shot from the point.” 

In 2015, Rippon was a first-round pick, tenth overall, of the Ottawa Jr Senators of the Central Canada Hockey League. He spent the 2015-2016 season playing Junior A with the CCHL Jr Senators and had himself an excellent season.

Rippon appeared in 59 games and scored 8 goals while adding 25 assists. He added 1 goal and 9 assists in 14 playoff games. He was named the CCHL Rookie of the Year and to the CCHL all-rookie team. He was also named to the league’s third all-star team.

Prior to the trade that brought him home this season, Rippon had appeared in 37 games for the Steelheads. He notched one goal and 11 assists in those appearances. He has since dressed in 25 games for the 67’s and has contributed 2 goals and 8 assists.

On our stat watch of draft eligible players, Rippon sat fifth among draft eligible players in scoring among defencemen and fourth in penalty minutes.

At 6’1” Rippon has decent size for a defender. He is a very good skater who gets to top speed very quickly. He possesses strong edges, very good lateral movement and switches smoothly to skating backwards.

Defensively Rippon plays very calm, seemingly never to get rattled or buckle under pressure. His skating allows him to close gaps very quickly. He’s not afraid to throw a hit to separate the player from the puck. He also uses a very active stick to take away lanes and positions his body in the right places.

Rippon can clear his zone with an excellent first pass. He is capable of slowing the pace down and waiting for options to open up and can then stretch the ice. His skating also allows him to skate out of danger or rush the puck up the ice.

Offensively, I think Rippon is capable of more than what we’ve seen especially now with the 67’s where he gets more opportunity. He sees the ice extremely well and possesses excellent hockey smarts. He has an excellent, heavy and accurate shot from the point. While he can beat a goalie, he sees plays develop and can shoot with a purpose making it difficult for goaltenders to swallow the puck and thus creating a rebound.

Rippon understands the game. He picks his spots and knows when to jump into the play and does so extremely well. He makes very good reads at the offensive blue line and knows when to pinch and when not to. If he gets into trouble, he can usually skate back to redeem himself. He certainly has all the tools to be a top 4 d-man at the next level.

The trade to Ottawa may have been a blessing in disguise for Rippon. There are ten draft eligible players on the 67’s roster, the most of any OHL team. Six of them are ranked on NHL Central Scouting’s mid-term rankings and only the London Knights have as many ranked. So, there are a lot of eyes in Ottawa this season.

I’m confident Rippon has opened some of those eyes.

Stat page of Merrick Rippon from Elite Prospects 

 

Semyon Der-Arguchintsev – Peterborough Petes – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 168 pounds

Date of birth: September 15, 2000

Hometown: Moscow, Russia

Position: Center

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 2, 27th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: C Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 58th overall, North American skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

Diminutive Peterborough Petes’ pivot Semyon Der-Arguchintsev played minor midget hockey for Hockey Eastern Ontario AAA League’s CIHA Voyageurs White during the 2015-2016 season and thus eligible for the Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection as opposed to the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. He scored 21 goals and added 49 assists in 46 games in AAA.

Der-Arguchintsev led the HEOMAAA in assists, points and was named the top rookie.

Der-Arguchintsev, Semyon (1)
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev of the Peterborough Petes. Photo courtesy of OHL Images

Der-Arguchintsev has a September 15 birthdate, making him the youngest player in the draft class. Had he been born one day later, he wouldn’t be eligible for the National Hockey League Draft until 2019. With that comes a lot of projecting as to what type of player he can become.

Der-Arguchintsev broke onto the OHL scene a season ago with the Petes. He scored 8 goals and 21 assists in 63 games. He finished the season 10th in assists among rookies and 13th in points.

Der-Arguchintsev currently sits tied for third on the Petes with 39 points – 9 goals and 30 assists. What is impressive is how effective he is with the man advantage – at least when comparing them to his overall stats. He has 5 goals and 14 assists on the power play – half of his production.

Der-Arguchintsev is more of a playmaker than a shooter. His 9 goals come on 83 shots (10.8%) so it’s not like he doesn’t possess some goal scoring ability, but his low shot total suggests that he looks to make a play before he shoots himself. The eye test will draw the same conclusions. That’s not a bad thing as long as you are playing with a sniper. He currently sits tenth among draft eligible players in assists.

Adding some much-needed muscle is important for Der-Arguchintsev. He has difficulty fighting through checks, winning puck battles and the strength to get to those hard areas. But there is no doubt when given the space, he has some of the softest hands, as shown on the powerplay with the extra space.

Der-Arguchintsev has excellent vision and is an extremely skilled passer. Finding lanes and making tape-to-tape passes is his bread and butter. If he can improve on his skating, he could create more space for himself and with that comes more opportunity.

Shooting more will give Der-Arguchintsev another dimension to his arsenal. He doesn’t possess an overpowering or heavy shot. However, accuracy is not an issue. Adding the already mentioned muscle could also help.

There is always room for a very skilled playmaker on an NHL lineup. Projecting whether Der-Arguchintsev will be more than a powerplay specialist will be key to his draft slot.

Stat page of Semyon Der-Arguchintsev from Elite Prospects

OHL Writers’ Draft Eligible Player of the Month for February

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

With eight goals and nine assists in nine games during the month of February, Barrie Colts forward and top prospect for the 2018 National Hockey League Draft Andrei Svechnikov is our draft eligible player of the month for February.

Despite missing two months of the season with an injury, Svechnikov now has 31 goals and 24 assists in just 36 games on the season. He leads all draft eligible players in goals.

Andrei Svechnikovof the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Svechnikov posted points in each of his nine games in February. Six of his none games were multi point games including a hattrick on February 3rd, a 6-2 victory over the Windsor Spitfires at home. He is currently on a 15-game point streak, dating back to January 13th when the North Bay Battalion kept him off the scoreboard.

The Ontario Hockey League named Svechnikov the Rookie of the Month for February. He was named one of the games three stars 5 times in his 9 games in February, receiving first star honours once, second star once and third star on three occasions.

Svechnikov gets our nod on consecutive months following back-to-back consideration for Evan Bouchard of the London Knights in November and December.

Speaking of Bouchard, we gave him some serious consideration this month after scoring 5 goals and 11 assists in 11 games. Consideration was also given to Bouchard’s teammate Liam Foudy, who scored 10 goals and 6 assists in 11 games as well as Allan McShane of the Oshawa Generals with 6 goals and 12 assists in 12 games.

Player of the Month

Andrei Svechnikov – Barrie Colts (February)

Andrei Svechnikov – Barrie Colts (January)

Evan Bouchard – London Knights (December)

Evan Bouchard – London Knights (November)

Brady Hinz – Sarnia Sting (October)

Matthew Struthers – Owen Sound Attack (September)

OHL’s Draft Eligible Statistical Leaders: February

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

With all due respect to London Knights’ star defenceman Evan Bouchard, were it not for a two-month absence of Barrie Colts’ superstar Andrei Svechnikov, things may look a little different then they do statistically as we roll into the final couple weeks of the Ontario Hockey League season.

As you may be aware by now, I am a big fan of Bouchard, but one cannot deny that a healthy Svechnikov would change the leader board. However, for the third time this season, both were named by the OHL as best defenceman and best rookie respectively.

Andrei Svechnikovof the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Andrei Svechnikov of the Barrie Colts. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Bouchard led all draft eligible players in points with 76. He is followed by Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs with 68. A trio of players that includes Aidan Dudas of the Owen Sound Attack, Ryan McLeod of the Mississauga Steelheads and Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm are tied for third with 58 points. Only Allan McShane of the Oshawa Generals lies between them and Svechnikov.

It goes without saying then that Bouchard also leads defencemen in scoring. Not only the draft eligible defencemen but all defencemen, and barring a meltdown in the final 9 games, he should end the season at the top of the list. Merkley sits in second place while Rasmus Sandin of the Soo Greyhounds places third with 39 points.

Despite playing in 20-plus fewer games, Svechnikov leads the way in goal scoring with 31. He is followed by Dudas with 28. Pavel Gogolev of the Peterborough Petes, who is climbing fast, comes in third with 26 goals.

Here is a list of leaders (first time draft eligible players) in a variety of categories. For official stats, always refer to the OHL website.

Points Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Evan Bouchard London Knights 58 21 55 76
Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 59 19 49 68
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 59 28 30 58
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 60 19 39 58
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 54 12 46 58
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 59 17 39 56
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 36 31 24 55
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 57 20 34 54
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 57 19 35 54
Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 59 23 27 50
Goal Scoring Leaders
Player Team GP G GPG
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 36 31 0.86
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 59 28 0.47
Pavel Gogolev Peterborough Petes 57 26 0.46
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 54 25 0.46
Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 59 23 0.39
Evan Bouchard London Knights 58 21 0.36
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 57 20 0.35
Liam Foudy London Knights 56 20 0.36
Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 59 19 0.32
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 60 19 0.32
Assist Leaders
Player Team GP A APG
Evan Bouchard London Knights 58 55 0.95
Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 59 49 0.83
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 54 46 0.85
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 59 39 0.66
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 60 39 0.65
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 57 35 0.61
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 57 34 0.60
Nathan Dunkley London Knights 51 32 0.63
Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 43 31 0.72
Semyon Der-Arguchintsev Peterborough Petes 59 30 0.51
Defencemen Point Leaders
Player Team GP G A Pts
Evan Bouchard London Knights 58 21 55 76
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 54 12 46 58
Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 43 8 31 39
Giovanni Vallati Kitchener Rangers 57 3 20 23
Merrick Rippon Ottawa 67’s 59 3 18 21
Riley McCourt Flint Firebirds 48 4 16 20
Caleb Everett Saginaw Spirit 50 5 14 19
Connor Corcoran Windsor Spitfires 54 3 16 19
Plus/Minus Leaders
Player Team GP +/-
Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 43 +33
Barrett Hayton Soo Greyhounds 57 +26
Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 52 +21
Ryan Roth Soo Greyhounds 60 +19
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 36 +16
Evan Bouchard London Knights 58 +16
Nathan Dunkley London Knights 51 +15
Curtis Douglas Windsor Spitfires 57 +14
Alec Regula London Knights 58 +12
Holden Wale Soo Greyhounds 33 +11
Penalty Minutes Leaders
Player Team GP PIM M/G
Tyler Tucker Barrie Colts 52 75 1.44
Kevin Bahl Ottawa 67’s 50 72 1.44
Daylon Groulx Owen Sound Attack 49 70 1.43
Merrick Rippon Ottawa 67’s 39 63 1.62
Curtis Douglas Windsor Spitfires 57 61 1.07
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 54 59 1.09
Max Grondin Saginaw Spirit 58 59 1.02
Faceoff Leaders  (minimum 200 faceoffs)
Player Team GP FOA FOW %
Billy Moskal London Knights 57 633 371 58.6
Nathan Dunkley London Knights 51 564 314 55.7
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 59 737 410 55.6
Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 59 992 535 53.9
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 60 1238 662 53.5
David Levin Sudbury Wolves 41 342 176 51.5
Blade Jenkins Saginaw Spirit 60 244 123 50.4
Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 59 1292 647 50.1
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 57 913 455 49.8
Max Grondin Saginaw Spirit 58 636 317 49.8
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 59 815 404 49.6
Longest Goal Scoring Streak
Player Team From To Gms Goals
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 1/26 2/9 7 11
Brady Hinz Sarnia Sting 10/9 10/19 5 7
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 2/2 2/19 5 6
Kody Clark Ottawa 67’s 10/12 10/21 5 6
Nathan Dunkley Kingston Frontenacs 11/26 12/3 4 5
Longest Assist Streak
Player Team From To Gms Assts
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 10/22 11/16 9 13
Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 9/30 10/19 8 10
Evan Bouchard London Knights 2/10 2/25 8 10
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/27 11/9 6 9
Rasmus Sandin Soo Greyhounds 12/29 1/10 6 6
Longest Point Streak
Player Team From To Gms Pts
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 1/18 2/25 15 29
Ryan McLeod Mississauga Steelheads 10/6 11/10 14 20
Akil Thomas Niagara Ice Dogs 12/9 1/13 12 18
Allan McShane Oshawa Generals 1/27 2/19 11 19
Ryan Merkley Guelph Storm 11/19 12/15 10 16
Shooting Percentage
Player Team GP G S %
Serron Noel Oshawa Generals 54 25 95 26.32
Andrei Svechnikov Barrie Colts 36 31 137 22.63
Nathan Dunkley London Knights 52 18 87 20.69
Brady Hinz Peterborough Petes 60 18 89 20.22
Cam Hillis Guelph Storm 57 19 98 19.39
Shots On Goal Leaders
Player Team GP SOG
Evan Bouchard London Knights 58 252
Ty Dellandrea Flint Firebirds 59 215
Aidan Dudas Owen Sound Attack 59 203
Akil Thomas Niagara IceDogs 59 177
Pavel Gogolev Peterborough Petes 57 161
Goaltenders Leaders – Goals Against Average
Player Team GP Min GA Avg
Jordan Kooy London Knights 21 1000 52 3.12
Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 16 750 40 3.20
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 14 741 40 3.24
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 38 2136 134 3.76
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 9 390 26 4.00
Goaltending Leaders – Save Percentage
Player Team GP SH  SVS SV%
Jordan Kooy London Knights 21 529 477 0.902
Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 16 371 331 0.892
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 14 342 302 0.883
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 38 1098 964 0.878
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 9 209 183 0.876
Goaltending Leaders – Wins
Player Team GP W L OL
Jacob Ingham Mississauga Steelheads 39 13 20 2
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 14 9 1 1
Jordan Kooy London Knights 21 8 7 1
Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 16 7 4 0
Cameron Lamour Saginaw Spirit 15 5 5 1
Goaltending Leaders – Shutouts
Player Team GP SO
Mario Peccia Oshawa Generals 9 1
Nick Donofrio Hamilton Bulldogs 14 1
Kai Edmonds Barrie Colts 16 1

Blade Jenkins – Saginaw Spirit – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 195 pounds

Date of birth: August 11, 2000

Hometown: Jackson, MI

Position: Left Wing/Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 4th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

NHL Central Scouting pre-season: C Prospect

NHL Central Scouting mid-term: 24th – North American Skaters

NHL Central Scouting final rank: Not available at this time

One season ago, Saginaw Spirit left winger Blade Jenkins was playing for Team USA in the United States Hockey League with well-known names such as Brady Tkachuk, Quinn Hughes, and Oliver Wahlstrom. He scored once and added 4 assists in 34 games, one season after the Saginaw selected him with the 4th overall pick at the 2016 OHL Priority Selection.

Prior to his OHL draft, Jenkins played for the Compuware Under-16 squad in which he scored 15 goals and 21 assists in 22 games.

Jenkins has made an impression in this, his rookie OHL season. He has 18 goals and 20 assists in 58 games and his 38 points are good for fifth on the Spirit. He sits fourth among OHL rookies in goals and points and fifth in assists.

Jenkins’ 18 goals come on just 115 shots, good for a 15.7 shooting percentage. He’s won 118 of 238 faceoffs, or 49.8% of his draws. That’s not bad for an OHL rookie.

Internationally, Jenkins has represented Team USA on two occasions. A season ago, he appeared in 5 games with the Americans at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 scoring once. In August of 2017, he was on the American Squad at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament but was held off the scoresheet in 4 games.

Fans on both sides of the 49th parallel get a little annoyed when a player commits one way and then decides to head the other way.

Which brings us to this Blade Jenkins tweet:

https://twitter.com/blade_jenkins20/status/860265146542960640

Jenkins had committed to play in his home state of Michigan for the NCAA Michigan Wolverines. There is no doubt it was a massive gamble for the Spirit to use the fourth overall pick to select a player that had already committed to going the NCAA way. But Saginaw is less than a two-hour drive from his home and maybe management knew something the rest of us didn’t. I just want to say “Get over it. It happens both ways and players and their families will do what they believe is best for their careers.”

There is no doubt that Blade is among the elite of hockey names. But names do not a hockey player make. So, who exactly is Jenkins the hockey player?

Jenkins got off to a very slow start on the season with just a goal and two assists in his first dozen games. Since then, he’s posted 17 goals and 18 assists in 46 games. There were questions raised about his skating coming in, and the slow start reinforced those concerns for some.

Personally, I don’t think it was a skating issue and it was more about getting comfortable with the OHL speed and game. That’s not to say he couldn’t use a better first few strides or better top end speed or even a separation gear – he certainly could, but I don’t think it hinders his ability.

At 6’1”, 195 pounds and still room to grow, Jenkins possesses decent size. He uses that size to his advantage and battles well along the walls and in front of the opponent’s net. He’s learning how to be dominant with each passing shift. He drives the net hard with or without possession and he’s extremely strong playing the cycle game.

Jenkins also possesses good hockey sense. He has shown that he can be elusive and make himself open for teammates to find. He can also play patient and wait for lanes to open up when he has puck possession. He can play the playmaker game, but at the same time, he can beat you with a very heavy shot.

Defensively, Jenkins’ game is a work in progress. On a lot of nights, you will walk away knowing he was one of the most noticeable players on the ice. Evidence that he will put the work in where he requires it.

Blade Jenkins

Stat page of Blade Jenkins from Elite Prospects

 

Matthew Struthers – North Bay Battalion – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 210 pounds

Date of birth: December 26, 1999

Hometown: Milton, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 3, 55th overall, 2015 Priority Selection (Owen Sound Attack)

As the captain of the minor midget Halton Hurricanes during the 2014-2015 season, Matthew Struthers provided the Canes with 20 goals and 20 assists in 36 games. He added a goal and an assist for the Canes in 4 games at the OHL Cup. And he represented Team OMHA White at the OHL Gold Cup scoring 2 goals and adding 3 assists in 5 games.

The Owen Sound Attack would select Struthers with the 55th overall pick at the 2015 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection.

Matthew Struthers of the Owen Sound Attack. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Matthew Struthers acquired from the Owen Sound Attack on January 3, 2018. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

During his 2015-2016 rookie season, Struthers would score 5 goals and 8 assists in 47 games. He would win a gold medal with Team Canada White at the 2016 World Hockey Challenge Under-17 scoring once and add an assist in 6 games.

During his second season with the Attack, Struthers would appear in 66 games in which he scored 10 goals while assisting on 9 others. He would add 2 goals and 3 assists in 17 playoff games.

This season Struthers’ offense wasn’t really where it should have been after scoring 9 goals and 9 assists for the Attack despite being named our draft eligible player of the month in September.  On January 3, 2018, the North Bay Battalion came calling and acquired Struthers and picks in a deal for Brett McKenzie.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Since being acquired by the Battalion, Struthers has averaged a point-per-game on 8 goals and 10 assists. With the exception of a 4-game pointless streak, he’s been a model of consistency putting up points in 11 of the remaining 14 games.

So, what does Struthers bring to the table?

Well, for beginners, at 6’2” he has pretty good size. I don’t project Struthers to be an offensive stalwart at the next level, but more a bottom-six forward who plays hard on pucks drives the net and will park himself there and will end up being a decent faceoff guy.

Struthers has a long, powerful stride in his skating and is extremely strong on his skates. But he lacks an explosiveness in his first few strides and really doesn’t possess a separation gear. So, he relies on his hockey smarts and very good vision to make plays or to put pucks in areas where his teammates are more likely to retrieve them. His passing is slightly underrated and most of his goals will come from going to those dirty areas.

Scouts will like Struthers because of his size and because he plays the game the right way in all three zones, with or without the puck. He plays hard down low at both ends and wins more battles than not for pucks. His defensive awareness is pretty high and positioning excellent- exactly what you’d expect from a Stan Butler coached team.

Struthers was ranked as a C prospect on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch List. A C prospect is typically a 4th, 5th or 6th round candidate. On their mid-term rankings, Struthers was ranked 108th among North American Skaters.

Struthers is the highest ranked Battalion, ahead of draft re-entry candidates Justin Brazeau, Luke Burghardt and Adam Thilander.

Cam Hillis – Guelph Storm – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 163 pounds

Date of birth: June 24, 2000

Hometown: Enniskillen, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 2, 29th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

As the captain of the York Simcoe express, Guelph Storm center Cam Hillis scored 25 goals and 47 assists in 33 games during his minor midget AAA season. He would lead the Express to an OHL Cup Championship with a goal and 7 assists in 7 games.

The Storm would select Hillis in the second round of the 2016 Priority Selection with the 29th overall pick. He would also be selected at the United States Hockey League’s Futures Draft in the 4th round, 56th overall in 2016 by the Youngstown Phantoms.

Cam Hillis of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images
Cam Hillis of the Guelph Storm. Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Following those drafts, Hillis would go on to play a season for St. Andrew’s College. There, he helped St. Andrews win the CISAA (Conference of Independent Schools Athletic Association) championship scoring 9 goals and 13 assists in 15 games and then adding 2 goals and 5 assists in 5 games en route to the title.

Hillis would also represent Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 but was held pointless in 5 games.

Hillis’ transition to the Ontario Hockey League this season was rather seamless and has shown he can produce at this level. He sits tied for second among Storm players in goals (19), assists (33) and trails only Ryan Merkley (56) in points. His 52 points leads all rookies.

Hillis’ 19 goals come on just 93 shots, making for an impressive 20.4% shooting percentage. Even more impressive is that 9 of his 19 goals have come with the man advantage. Faceoffs, where he has 425 wins on 863 opportunities for 49.2%, continue to be a work in progress.

His pre-draft OHL Central Scouting report read as follows:

Cameron is an undersized center that plays the game with a lot of energy. He is very good skater that uses his speed to gain advantages in the offensive zone by getting to loose pucks or beating players to the net. He competes hard every shift and is not afraid to go to the dirty areas against any player. He has very good puck skills, good vision with the puck and was the leading scorer in the ETA. He is used in all situations and is very effective on the penalty kill. 

Hillis has added some size since then as he’s playing at 5’11”. As for his skating, he possesses an explosive first step with above average top-end speed. He works his edges extremely well and has excellent lateral movement making him hard to contain. It also helps Hillis defensively. He back checks hard, quickly gets into lanes with his body or sick and combined with his high-end hockey smarts, regularly breaks up plays.

Offensively, Hillis has an ability to gain the zone, and when he does he is able to keep possession. He can slow the play down and be patient, waiting for the play to develop. He uses those assets wisely and when paired with his very good vision and passing abilities, makes him a dangerous playmaker. Those skills come to the forefront on the powerplay.

Hillis was ranked as a B prospect (2nd or 3rd round pick) on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch List. On their midterm rankings, Central Scouting had Hillis 59th among North American skaters.  He was 56th overall on Bob McKenzie’s mid-season rankings.

Cameron Hillis

Stat page of Cam Hillis from Elite Prospects

 

 

Akil Thomas – Niagara IceDogs – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 170 pounds

Date of birth: January 2, 2000

Hometown: Brandon, Florida

Position: Right Wing

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 1, 12th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

For Brandon Florida native and Niagara IceDogs pivot Akil Thomas, there are some bloodlines in the hockey family. While they never carved out a National Hockey League career, his father Kahlil Thomas carved out a hockey career while getting a cup of coffee in the American Hockey League and the International Hockey League. Ditto for his uncle Leo Thomas, who finished his hockey career two years ago in the East Coast Hockey League.

Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.
Akil Thomas of the Niagara IceDogs. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

Thomas played his minor midget hockey with the Toronto Marlboros during the 2015-2016 season. In 56 games with Toronto he notched 33 goals while setting up 39 others.

Thomas is an OHL Gold Cup Champion. He led the tournament with 11 points on 6 goals and 5 assists during the 2015-2016 season. In the same year, he won silver at the OHL Cup, again leading all scorers with 13 points with 6 goals and 7 assists in 7 games and being named to the OHL Cup All-Star Team.

With dual citizenship, Thomas chose to represent Canada. He hit the international stage a season ago at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 as a leader for Canada White, where he scored twice and added an assist in 6 games. Later that season, he was kept off the score board at the World Junior Championships Under-18.

Last season was also Thomas’ rookie Ontario Hockey League season where he finished third in goals (21), assists (27) and points (48) in 61 games. He was named to the OHL All-Rookie squad.

This season began in August 2017 for Thomas when he represented Canada once again at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. He won gold with the Canadians and helped the cause with 2 goals and 4 assists in 5 games.

Thomas has led the IceDogs offense for most of the season, until a trade with the London Knights brought Sam Miletic in. Thomas has 16 goals and 48 assists in 55 games to date. 4 of his goals and 21 assists have come with the man advantage making him a dangerous offensive threat with the extra man. He’s firing at a 9.8 shooting percentage and has won 496 of 920 faceoffs for a 53.9 winning percentage.

There is a lot to like about Thomas. He has excellent leadership qualities having worn a letter in the past and wearing one for the IceDogs this season. His tenacity and work ethic go unmatched on most nights and his teammates seem to follow his lead.

Thomas possesses excellent puck handling skills, vision and passing abilities. He’s also a very good skater with very good speed and works his edges extremely well. When combined, he is difficult to contain in the o-zone, making him one of the better playmakers in the draft class.

Thomas is also a very good three zone player who puts as much pride and effort on the defensive side of the game as he does on the offensive side. He skates hard on the back check, puts his body or stick into lanes, doesn’t shy away from physicality and is a key cog on the IceDogs penalty kill.

Thomas was on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch List as an A prospect – typically a first-round pick. On their mid term rankings, Thomas was ranked tenth among North American Skaters. On Bob McKenzie’s mid-term rankings, Thomas was ranked 29th among all skaters.

Akil Thomas

Stat page of Akil Thomas from elite prospects

 

Aidan Dudas – Owen Sound Attack – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 156 pounds

Date of birth: June 15, 2000

Hometown: Parry Sound, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Right

OHL Draft: Round 1, 10th overall, 2016 Priority Selection

First there was the Little Engine That Could: “I think I can, I think I can.”

Then, there is Alex DeBrincat: “I know I can, I know I can.”

That was October 16, 2015 when I began my player profile on an equally small 5’7”, 160 pound Alex DeBrincat of the Erie Otters. And we all know by now that DeBrincat is a member of an ever-growing list of smaller players finding success at the National Hockey League level. The same “I know I can, I know I can” can be applied to Owen Sound Attack forward Aidan Dudas.

I’m not suggesting that Dudas is on the same level as DeBrincat. But I do believe his offense can translate to the NHL. Currently, he has 26 goals and 29 assists in 51 games for the Attack.

Dudas played his Minor Midget hockey with the North Central Predators during the 2014-2015 season. In 31 games for the Preds, he scored 25 goals and added 26 assists and was named the league’s player of the year. He’s played in both the OHL Gold Cup (1 goals, 5 assists in 5 games) and the OHL Cup (2 assists in 4 games).

The Attack would select Dudas with the 10th overall pick at the 2016 Priority Selection.

Dudas broke into the OHL during the 2016-2017 season. He would finish the season with 8 goals and 13 assists in 56 games. He would contribute 3 goals and an assist in 17 playoff games. He also represented Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 helping Canada Black win a silver medal. At the tournament he was named an Alternate Captain and posted a goal and 4 assists in 6 games.

This season began with Dudas representing Canada once again, this time in August of 2017 at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial. This time he won a Gold Medal and scored once in 5 games.

In November, Dudas was rated a C Prospect on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch list. A C prospect is considered a fourth, fifth or sixth round pick. On their mid-term rankings, Dudas was ranked 131st among North American Skaters.

Dudas was a late addition to the NHL/CHL Sherwin Williams Top Prospects Game. With the help of Central Scouting, the top 40 Canadian Hockey League players are selected to participate and Dudas did not disappoint the scouts on hand, scoring a pair of goals and adding an assist to help Team Cherry win over Team Orr.

At the end of January, Dudas ranked in the top ten in goals, assists, points, faceoff percentage and shots on goal among the OHL’s draft eligible players.

Dudas doesn’t possess elite skating speed which would be a huge bonus for him because of his size. But his speed is above average. He is strong on his skates with good agility and excellent edge work. He ranked second at the NHL/CHL Sherwin Williams Top Prospects on ice testing in transition agility with the puck. With the extra work players are beginning to do with skating coaches, I have no concerns that Dudas cannot add an extra gear.

Dudas plays the game with an elevated level of energy and an undeniable work ethic. He puts that effort into use in all three zones. You will often see Dudas as the first player back on the back check with a never give up mentality.

Dudas is at his best with the puck on his stick. He has excellent puck handling skills with an ability to keep the puck out of reach of defenders. He possesses excellent vision and superb playmaking/passing skills. But he also possesses a very good shot and once he began to realize it is an effective weapon at this level, he began using it more often and climbing up the shots on goal list in the OHL. But it’s not just about firing the puck on goal. He’s getting into the danger zone for high quality chances. That in itself speaks volumes for a player of his stature.

Quite simply: He makes everyone around him a better player.

DeBrincat dropped to the second round in 2016 to the Chicago Blackhawks because of his size. Again, I am not suggesting Dudas is the first-round prospect DeBrincat was. But I do believe he has second round talent. There is no doubt in my mind that if he were 3 inches taller, that’s the position we’d be talking about with Dudas. The question everyone including yours truly is asking is can he translate to the NHL with his size?

Following the Top Prospects Game, Dudas gave a heart felt interview to Greg Cowen of the Owen Sound Times regarding his being left off the original group of players named to the roster and Central Scouting’s ranking. You can read that article here.

Stat page of Aidan Dudas from Elite Prospects

 

Barrett Hayton – Soo Greyhounds – Player Profile

Posted on by Dominic Tiano

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 190 pounds

Date of birth: June 9, 2000

Hometown: Peterborough, Ontario

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

OHL Draft: Round 1, 9th overall, 2016 OHL Priority Selection

He played his minor midget hockey with the Toronto Red Wings and scored 36 goals and 37 assists in 59 games. He came off an OHL Gold Cup Championship scoring 3 goals in 5 games. And in the OHL Cup, he scored 4 goals and added 2 assists in 5 games.

When Barrett Hayton was still available at the ninth spot of the 2016 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection, it was a no hesitation pick by Kyle Raftis and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Hayton had already won a championship with the Eastern Triple A Minor Midget’s Peterborough Petes. Coming into this season, he won gold with Team Canada at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial where he had 3 goals and 3 assists in 5 games.

Barrett Hayton of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terrry Wilson / OHL Images.
Barrett Hayton of the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Photo by Terry Wilson / OHL Images.

To put it simply, Hayton has won and contributed to that winning at every level. And with his Greyhounds being the top dog (no pun intended) in Canadian Major Junior, a run at an OHL and Memorial Cup championship is certainly not out of the question. That can only improve his draft stock as his performance will certainly be fresh in scout’s minds come June in Dallas for the National Hockey League Draft.

His rookie season saw Hayton score 9 goals and add 18 assists on a very deep Greyhounds roster. He also represented Canada at the World Hockey Challenge Under-17 (1 goal and 1 assist in 6 games).

But this season, Hayton is playing a more prominent offensive role with the Greyhounds. He’s posted 17 goals and 28 assists in 48 games. Among the OHL’s draft eligible players, he sits 6th in assists, 7th in points, and 8th in goals.

Coming into the season, Hayton was ranked as an A prospect on NHL Central Scouting’s Players to Watch List.  On their mid-term rankings, Hayton was ranked sixth among North American skaters. On Bob McKenzie’s ever popular mid-season rankings, Hayton was ranked 12th among all skaters. McKenzie’s rankings are done by polling NHL scouts so if you’re looking at what NHL scouts may be leaning towards, there is no better source.

When talking about Hayton, the thing that most people will say about him from the get go is “soft and incredible hands.” And that is an understatement. Along with it, he brings an above average – NHL ready – shot. He releases that shot quickly, sometimes deceptively and with a purpose.

Hayton does not lack in the hockey sense department, which means he can play any role and lineup with and against anyone. At 6’1”, he has some size and plays heavy on the puck with a relentless work ethic and forecheck. His vision is very good which allows him to make plays, and when he’s on the receiving end, as mentioned, his shot makes him a threat to score. He has a willingness to drive the net with or without the puck.

Playing in the middle is relatively new for Hayton. While he has good technique, has some agility and is strong on his skates, he needs to add some speed to his game. He plays a very good three-zone game, but I believe to play pivot at the next level, adding speed will be necessary. I agree with others who maintain that the rest of his game means he’s better suited to play the wing in the NHL. Faceoffs are not a strong suit, winning just 48.2% of his draws.

The possession game is a thriving area of Hayton’s game. His vision and passing abilities allows him to find mates and keep possession, while he is so elusive and puts himself in position for teammates to feed him and keeping possession.

Everyone you talk to speak of Hayton’s excellent leadership qualities both on and off the ice. It’s difficult to find others that work harder, and he leads by example – when you watch him work on his game, you just want to follow his lead.

Barrett Hayton

Stat page of Barrett Hayton, from Elite Prospects