canada's u-18 camp report
Posted 8:03 PM ET | Comments 0
This past weekend I attended Canada’s u-18 selection camp. Here’s my opinion of how the u-18 camp went and some scouting reports on the players there
Louis Boileau-Dominque- very solid in net, showed very good positioning, athletic ability and quickness. Imo was the best goalie in camp
Calvin Pickard- was also very solid and calm in camp. Big, goalie who is well coached and plays his angle well. What he lacks in athletic ability he makes up for with his positioning. Had a very strong camp too.
Tyler Bunz- Played very good for a late roster add. Good solid butterfly goalie who looked a little shaky in the 1st game but was rock solid and calm in the 2nd game.
Kent Simpson- Fairly big athletic butterfly goalie. Made some real nice saves but lacked focus on a few soft goal including one from centre ice
Brandon Gormley- played unbelievable, best player in on the ice in all 3 games. I thought fowler was the best D at 17 I’d ever seen, I’m not so sure any more. Every time he was out there he was making great passes, finishing hits, breaking up 2 on 1’s, shutting down forwards, beating guys 1 on 1. had a goal and 4 assists in 3 games. His skating is good, he has tons of skill, his poise is unreal, whenever a forchecker came at him he made them miss and made a tape to tape pass or skated by them and out. Nothing rattles the kid.
Troy Rutkowski- had one of those camps where he would look good 1 shift and then bad the next 2. good skater with a lot of skill and offensive upside. Seemed to turn the puck over when pressured.
Jérôme Gauthier-Leduc- very smooth skater who moves the puck well, very solid in his own end and along the boards. Finishes his checks. Had 1 assist in the 3 games
Ryan O'Connor- played very well too and plays a lot bigger then the 5”8 he’s listed at although he looked bigger then 5”8, 5”10 is more like it. Can skate the puck out of the zone or pass it out nicely too. Had 2 or 3 big hits also. Good skater, with an fair bit of skill. Played solid in his own end and added a goal and an assist.
Mark Pysyk- was a little disappointed in his offensive game but he played a rock solid defensive game and was very physical around the net. He looks to be a real fast smooth skater who was very hard to beat 1 on 1 . no points in 3 games was a bit of a disappointment to me as I think of him as of a pp qb type d and well and playing well in this own end
Brock Beukeboom- very mobile, big D who plays a real simple game, get the puck out of his end or knock someone on their butt. No points but I think he threw twice as many hits as anyone in the 3 games with 6 or 7 dion phaneuf type open ice hits.
Erik Gudbranson- big, mobile, physical D who is a real leader on the ice. Watching him play you hear him talking to teammate letting them know what is going on around them. He struggled a lot out there in his own end and was out there for quit a few goals against, some of it I think was due to not knowing his teammates and some might be a bit of rust from having the summer off. Was strong in the corners but got out worked on a few rebound goals. With his talent and character I bet he bounces back with a good u-18. no points in 3 games.
Samuel Carrier- smooth skating D who makes nice outlet passes. Solid in his own end but did turn the puck over when under a physical forcheck. 1 assist in 3 games
Morgan Ellis- good skating D but struggled in the corners at times and was out of position every now and then. Showed some nice skill at times but needs to be more consistent. Very good at holding the puck in the zone. 1 assist in 3 games
Nathan Chiarlitti- great skating D who is not afraid to jump into the rush. Carries the puck with speed and has very good skill, solid in his own end but needs to get stronger and battle more in the corners. Imo team whites best all around D in the 3 games. 1 assist in 3 games
Alexander Petrovic- big, smooth skating, rock solid, stay at home D. has a very good stick and is very hard to get around. Nasty in front of his own net. Would like to see him hit more but he’s good in the corners, in front of the net and he gets the puck out. Not sure on his skill, no points in 3 games but very solid in his own end.
Stephen Silas- maybe a tad above avg skating D, looked scared during the 3 games and didn’t really get in the corners and battle much. Has some skill and made a few nice passes ,but forced a ton which lead to turnovers. Hope it was just rust and he can come back at the u-18’s. 2 assist in 3 games.
Christian Thomas- unreal speed, drives the net fearlessly and doesn’t back down from anyone. He’s a little guy with an edge to his game who finishes his checks. His speed and aggressive play caused many turnovers. His skill and shot are decent and he backchecks hard. Had 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games and imo was the fastest player on the ice. Guessing his size and strength was a concern and why he was left off the team
Cédrick Henley- Big very physical winger who skates well for his size, works very hard in the corners and blocked a few shots as well. his size opens up a lot of space for his line mates. a little in consistent though, played great the 1st game but was so/so in the other games. 3 assists in the 3 games
Jaden Schwartz- good skater who just seemed to be in the right place at the right time to score. has pretty good skill and shot. Good on face offs. 4 goals in the 3 games
Michaël Bournival- was very impressed with him, another guy who's a great skater, who plays hard in all 3 zones and finished his checks. has an nhl level shot already, imo the best release at the camp. showed a lot of poise as well, never looked worried or nervous all camp. very interested in watching him this year. 1 goal in 3 games but had a few posts and lots of chances
Brooks Macek- good skater who played a solid 2 way game. showed a bit of skill every now and then but play fairly conservative. scored his only goal in the 3 games on a lucky shot from centre
Steven Shipley- big winger who has good hands and skill. skates well for his size and competes hard in the corners. 1 assist in 3 games
Tyler Seguin- great speed, skill and vision, back checks very good and plays in all 3 zones. was the best forward on the ice in the 2nd game. scored a beauty in the shootout where the goalie was beaten bad. 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 games
Tyler Toffoli- good speed and skill, beat a few D's 1 on 1. could be a bit more physical and work a bit harder in his zone. scored 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 games
John McFarland- great skater with blazing speed who will go by you or through you. plays with very physical, nasty edge. a real leader on the ice who willed his team to goals when he was on the ice. only real flaw I though he has is like most young forwards he runs around a bit in his own end and needs to work on that part of his game and from time to time he forced a few bad passes. overall he looks like the next jerome iginla, with better speed. 1 goal and 5 assists in 3 games. should have a big u-18 tourney
Brendan Ranford- speedy little winger who works hard and is a great passer. makes his line mates better with his passing and stick handling. 4 assists in 3 games
Freddie Hamilton- wasn't really noticeable out there in any of the games. seemed to be a good skater who played solid in his own end but didn't get involved in the offensive zone. no points(only team red forward) in 3 games
Mark Stone- very hard worker who skates well for his size, hits any chance he gets, blocked a few shots and was never out worked while he was out there in all 3 zones. got rewarded with 2 goals in the 3 games
Brandon Hynes- small forward with avg skating at best. didn't really come back into his own end at all. in the 1st game didn't look to be trying hard at all, 2nd game he at least hit a little but still never really came back into his zone. only real positive I saw with him was he's got a great shot and will shoot from any where. no points in 3 games
Brad Ross- hard working defensive forward who hits anyone, works hard, is tough to play against and has a bit of offensive upside. good skater who finishes his checks. was solid in his own end, drove to the net well and worked hard. scored 1 goal in the 3 games
Ryan Spooner- good speed and skill, makes nice passes, works hard and makes his teammates better. played a little to much on the outside, I’d like to see him go into the corners more and to the front of the net a bit more. 1 goal and 3 assists in 3 games
Jordan Weal- bit of an out side player with good speed and great skill. had some nice set ups and beat some guys 1 on 1 but didn't get any points to show for it. went into the corners and to the front of the net from time to time but wasn't strong enough to do much when he got there. showed a good stick and strong positioning in his own end. imo his only flaw was his size and strength.
Ryan Harrison- great speed and skill, passes and shoots the puck well, beat several guys 1 or 1. could work a little harder in his own end and hit a bit more but I was really impressed by his skill. had 1 goal in the 3 games.
Quinton Howden- a very fast skater for a guy his size, when he fills out he could be scary. has real good 1 on 1 skills, and can shoot the puck. very physical, comes out of the corners a lot of the time and always finishes his checks. works hard in his end also and blocked a few shots. over the 3 games team whites most consistent player. 1 goal in 3 games
Brett Connolly- played a lot in the 1st game and was the best players on the ice for his team, 2nd and 3rd games didn't play as much, guessing the coaches seen enough and wanted to look at the other guys or he got banged up. when he was out there against team red's top guys he shut them down, when asked to score he put up points. very good skater, with crazy skill who has really rounded out his game, plays much more physical and added a bit of size to his frame. should be real fun to watch at the u-18's and in the dub this year. 2 assists in 3 games
Sean Couturier(2011 draft)- Big player who skates well and has good hands down low. worked pretty hard at both ends but didn't really stand out to me. finished his checks regularly and battled hard in the corners. had 2 assists in the 3 games
Gabriel Desjardins(2011 draft)- showed good speed and skill, did a good job fishing pucks out of the corners and other players skates. back checked well. had 1 goal and 1 assist in the 3 games
Gregg Sutch- Hardest working player at the camp, this kid never quits on the play no matter how tired he looked. was all over the ice getting to pucks first, finishing checks, and pressuring D's. has real good speed, had a couple of breakaways. blocked shots and threw some big hits, any time he went in the corner he came out with the puck. was rewarded for his hard work by leading team white with 3 goals
Guillaume Asselin- my major disappointment this camp. I went in thinking this kid was a 1st rd talent after the year he had last year and left wondering how he put up those numbers. showed he has a ton of skill in the warm ups but when it came time to play he just seemed to watch the game. his skating look avg at best and he never once challenged anyone 1 on 1 he would just dump the puck in. not sure if he was injured or not but 0 points in 3 games was very disappointing to see.
Jeffrey Skinner- good speed and skill. was solid in his end and worked hard. would have liked to see him be a little more aggressive but overall he had a solid camp with 2 assists in 3 games.
Well that’s how I viewed the players at camp. Hope this sheds some insight on why some players made the team and why some missed. I also hope this sheds some light and gives people some info on the players in the 2010 draft.
Louis Boileau-Dominque- very solid in net, showed very good positioning, athletic ability and quickness. Imo was the best goalie in camp
Calvin Pickard- was also very solid and calm in camp. Big, goalie who is well coached and plays his angle well. What he lacks in athletic ability he makes up for with his positioning. Had a very strong camp too.
Tyler Bunz- Played very good for a late roster add. Good solid butterfly goalie who looked a little shaky in the 1st game but was rock solid and calm in the 2nd game.
Kent Simpson- Fairly big athletic butterfly goalie. Made some real nice saves but lacked focus on a few soft goal including one from centre ice
Brandon Gormley- played unbelievable, best player in on the ice in all 3 games. I thought fowler was the best D at 17 I’d ever seen, I’m not so sure any more. Every time he was out there he was making great passes, finishing hits, breaking up 2 on 1’s, shutting down forwards, beating guys 1 on 1. had a goal and 4 assists in 3 games. His skating is good, he has tons of skill, his poise is unreal, whenever a forchecker came at him he made them miss and made a tape to tape pass or skated by them and out. Nothing rattles the kid.
Troy Rutkowski- had one of those camps where he would look good 1 shift and then bad the next 2. good skater with a lot of skill and offensive upside. Seemed to turn the puck over when pressured.
Jérôme Gauthier-Leduc- very smooth skater who moves the puck well, very solid in his own end and along the boards. Finishes his checks. Had 1 assist in the 3 games
Ryan O'Connor- played very well too and plays a lot bigger then the 5”8 he’s listed at although he looked bigger then 5”8, 5”10 is more like it. Can skate the puck out of the zone or pass it out nicely too. Had 2 or 3 big hits also. Good skater, with an fair bit of skill. Played solid in his own end and added a goal and an assist.
Mark Pysyk- was a little disappointed in his offensive game but he played a rock solid defensive game and was very physical around the net. He looks to be a real fast smooth skater who was very hard to beat 1 on 1 . no points in 3 games was a bit of a disappointment to me as I think of him as of a pp qb type d and well and playing well in this own end
Brock Beukeboom- very mobile, big D who plays a real simple game, get the puck out of his end or knock someone on their butt. No points but I think he threw twice as many hits as anyone in the 3 games with 6 or 7 dion phaneuf type open ice hits.
Erik Gudbranson- big, mobile, physical D who is a real leader on the ice. Watching him play you hear him talking to teammate letting them know what is going on around them. He struggled a lot out there in his own end and was out there for quit a few goals against, some of it I think was due to not knowing his teammates and some might be a bit of rust from having the summer off. Was strong in the corners but got out worked on a few rebound goals. With his talent and character I bet he bounces back with a good u-18. no points in 3 games.
Samuel Carrier- smooth skating D who makes nice outlet passes. Solid in his own end but did turn the puck over when under a physical forcheck. 1 assist in 3 games
Morgan Ellis- good skating D but struggled in the corners at times and was out of position every now and then. Showed some nice skill at times but needs to be more consistent. Very good at holding the puck in the zone. 1 assist in 3 games
Nathan Chiarlitti- great skating D who is not afraid to jump into the rush. Carries the puck with speed and has very good skill, solid in his own end but needs to get stronger and battle more in the corners. Imo team whites best all around D in the 3 games. 1 assist in 3 games
Alexander Petrovic- big, smooth skating, rock solid, stay at home D. has a very good stick and is very hard to get around. Nasty in front of his own net. Would like to see him hit more but he’s good in the corners, in front of the net and he gets the puck out. Not sure on his skill, no points in 3 games but very solid in his own end.
Stephen Silas- maybe a tad above avg skating D, looked scared during the 3 games and didn’t really get in the corners and battle much. Has some skill and made a few nice passes ,but forced a ton which lead to turnovers. Hope it was just rust and he can come back at the u-18’s. 2 assist in 3 games.
Christian Thomas- unreal speed, drives the net fearlessly and doesn’t back down from anyone. He’s a little guy with an edge to his game who finishes his checks. His speed and aggressive play caused many turnovers. His skill and shot are decent and he backchecks hard. Had 1 goal and 2 assists in 3 games and imo was the fastest player on the ice. Guessing his size and strength was a concern and why he was left off the team
Cédrick Henley- Big very physical winger who skates well for his size, works very hard in the corners and blocked a few shots as well. his size opens up a lot of space for his line mates. a little in consistent though, played great the 1st game but was so/so in the other games. 3 assists in the 3 games
Jaden Schwartz- good skater who just seemed to be in the right place at the right time to score. has pretty good skill and shot. Good on face offs. 4 goals in the 3 games
Michaël Bournival- was very impressed with him, another guy who's a great skater, who plays hard in all 3 zones and finished his checks. has an nhl level shot already, imo the best release at the camp. showed a lot of poise as well, never looked worried or nervous all camp. very interested in watching him this year. 1 goal in 3 games but had a few posts and lots of chances
Brooks Macek- good skater who played a solid 2 way game. showed a bit of skill every now and then but play fairly conservative. scored his only goal in the 3 games on a lucky shot from centre
Steven Shipley- big winger who has good hands and skill. skates well for his size and competes hard in the corners. 1 assist in 3 games
Tyler Seguin- great speed, skill and vision, back checks very good and plays in all 3 zones. was the best forward on the ice in the 2nd game. scored a beauty in the shootout where the goalie was beaten bad. 3 goals and 1 assist in 3 games
Tyler Toffoli- good speed and skill, beat a few D's 1 on 1. could be a bit more physical and work a bit harder in his zone. scored 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 games
John McFarland- great skater with blazing speed who will go by you or through you. plays with very physical, nasty edge. a real leader on the ice who willed his team to goals when he was on the ice. only real flaw I though he has is like most young forwards he runs around a bit in his own end and needs to work on that part of his game and from time to time he forced a few bad passes. overall he looks like the next jerome iginla, with better speed. 1 goal and 5 assists in 3 games. should have a big u-18 tourney
Brendan Ranford- speedy little winger who works hard and is a great passer. makes his line mates better with his passing and stick handling. 4 assists in 3 games
Freddie Hamilton- wasn't really noticeable out there in any of the games. seemed to be a good skater who played solid in his own end but didn't get involved in the offensive zone. no points(only team red forward) in 3 games
Mark Stone- very hard worker who skates well for his size, hits any chance he gets, blocked a few shots and was never out worked while he was out there in all 3 zones. got rewarded with 2 goals in the 3 games
Brandon Hynes- small forward with avg skating at best. didn't really come back into his own end at all. in the 1st game didn't look to be trying hard at all, 2nd game he at least hit a little but still never really came back into his zone. only real positive I saw with him was he's got a great shot and will shoot from any where. no points in 3 games
Brad Ross- hard working defensive forward who hits anyone, works hard, is tough to play against and has a bit of offensive upside. good skater who finishes his checks. was solid in his own end, drove to the net well and worked hard. scored 1 goal in the 3 games
Ryan Spooner- good speed and skill, makes nice passes, works hard and makes his teammates better. played a little to much on the outside, I’d like to see him go into the corners more and to the front of the net a bit more. 1 goal and 3 assists in 3 games
Jordan Weal- bit of an out side player with good speed and great skill. had some nice set ups and beat some guys 1 on 1 but didn't get any points to show for it. went into the corners and to the front of the net from time to time but wasn't strong enough to do much when he got there. showed a good stick and strong positioning in his own end. imo his only flaw was his size and strength.
Ryan Harrison- great speed and skill, passes and shoots the puck well, beat several guys 1 or 1. could work a little harder in his own end and hit a bit more but I was really impressed by his skill. had 1 goal in the 3 games.
Quinton Howden- a very fast skater for a guy his size, when he fills out he could be scary. has real good 1 on 1 skills, and can shoot the puck. very physical, comes out of the corners a lot of the time and always finishes his checks. works hard in his end also and blocked a few shots. over the 3 games team whites most consistent player. 1 goal in 3 games
Brett Connolly- played a lot in the 1st game and was the best players on the ice for his team, 2nd and 3rd games didn't play as much, guessing the coaches seen enough and wanted to look at the other guys or he got banged up. when he was out there against team red's top guys he shut them down, when asked to score he put up points. very good skater, with crazy skill who has really rounded out his game, plays much more physical and added a bit of size to his frame. should be real fun to watch at the u-18's and in the dub this year. 2 assists in 3 games
Sean Couturier(2011 draft)- Big player who skates well and has good hands down low. worked pretty hard at both ends but didn't really stand out to me. finished his checks regularly and battled hard in the corners. had 2 assists in the 3 games
Gabriel Desjardins(2011 draft)- showed good speed and skill, did a good job fishing pucks out of the corners and other players skates. back checked well. had 1 goal and 1 assist in the 3 games
Gregg Sutch- Hardest working player at the camp, this kid never quits on the play no matter how tired he looked. was all over the ice getting to pucks first, finishing checks, and pressuring D's. has real good speed, had a couple of breakaways. blocked shots and threw some big hits, any time he went in the corner he came out with the puck. was rewarded for his hard work by leading team white with 3 goals
Guillaume Asselin- my major disappointment this camp. I went in thinking this kid was a 1st rd talent after the year he had last year and left wondering how he put up those numbers. showed he has a ton of skill in the warm ups but when it came time to play he just seemed to watch the game. his skating look avg at best and he never once challenged anyone 1 on 1 he would just dump the puck in. not sure if he was injured or not but 0 points in 3 games was very disappointing to see.
Jeffrey Skinner- good speed and skill. was solid in his end and worked hard. would have liked to see him be a little more aggressive but overall he had a solid camp with 2 assists in 3 games.
Well that’s how I viewed the players at camp. Hope this sheds some insight on why some players made the team and why some missed. I also hope this sheds some light and gives people some info on the players in the 2010 draft.