There may have been a lot of scoring at the 2012 CHL Top Prospect game, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort on the part of Daniil Zharkov. I hadn’t seen the gifted Russian winger play live yet this year, but was very impressed by his compete level. He took the puck to the net with authority, went into the dirty areas of the ice, and showed a physical edge to his game that I had no idea existed. Put that together with the fact that the 17-year-old has an array of offensive weaponary at his disposal, and you have yourself a potential top 6 forward at the NHL level. At 6-foot-3, 200-pounds, Zharkov is blessed with both size and skill, which should have the pro scouts at least a little mesmerized. He has good wheels and is strong on his skates, a tremendous shot, protects the puck well, can stick-handle with the best of Read more »
Being based in Vernon, BC, I’ve been lucky enough to see numerous great players come and go with the Vernon Vipers. This season, Adam Tambellini caught my eye right from day one, as the rookie has come in and played with the savvy of a BCHL veteran. The 6-foot-2, 171-pound centre has 39 points, on 21 goals and 18 assists in 42 games thus far, which sits him 3rd overall on the team in scoring, and 6th overall among the league in rookie scoring. An impressive feat, especially since the BCHL is loaded with some talented first year players this season, with Tambellini being one of the youngest, and not NHL Draft eligibile until 2013. Not that we should be shocked, as he definitely has the bloodlines, with his brother Jeff, and of course his father Steve both having great hockey careers. The youngest Tambellini has good wheels, a pro calibre shot, Read more »
I caught Arttu Koivula in action early this season, and was instantly impressed by the talented young blueliners size and offensive ability. The 17-year-old left Finland this past summer to suit up with the SISEC Varsity squad, hoping to polish his skills and take the next step to junior hockey. Thus far, it’s been positive, as his 9 goals and 23 points in 16 games sits him in 4th overall in CSSHL scoring and 1st among defensemen. And, his 8 goals and 18 points in 22 games while playing with SISEC against opponents from the Northern Alberta Midget AA League, also puts him among the top scorers from the back end as well. The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Koivula has a canon-like shot, is a nice skater with a powerful stride, loves getting engaged physically, rarely panics with the puck, and generally makes smart decisons. Along with his offensive skill set and power play Read more »
It may be fitting in a year where high-end defenseman are in abundance for the 2012 NHL Draft, that the CHL’s Top Prospects game finished with it’s lowest total of goals scored in it’s 17-years of existence, as Team Orr edged out Team Cherry 2-1. My personal highlight had to be shaking Pat Quinn’s hand a few hours before puck drop. But, in a game where Dumba radiated confidence and Grigorenko failed to impress due to injury, there were some kids that I definitely noticed. Not the least of which was Dane Fox of the OHL’s Erie Otters, who was a last minute replacement to participate. And, while Fox was held off the scoresheet, the 6-foot, 185-pound pivot played a smart, mature and very efficient game for the most part. He was excellent on faceoffs, created some scoring chances, and was strong at both ends of the ice. The 18-year-old Read more »
Timothé Bozon, of the Kamloops Blazers, is quickly making a name for himself as a top prospect for the 2012 NHL Draft, and is currently ranked 39th overall among North American skaters by Central Scouting. Not that we should be surprised, the 17-year-old definitely has the bloodlines as his father is former St. Louis Blues winger Philippe Bozon. Timothé has been one of the most consistent players, on a Blazer squad that has had a remarkable turnaround compared to previous seasons. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound left winger has scored 25 goals and 49 points in 49 games so far, ranking him second overall among WHL rookie scorers. He was tremendous in the game I saw him play against the Prince George Cougars in early December, displaying unbelievable poise and maturity, en route to sniping a pair of goals and an assist. Bozon has Read more »
The Calgary Edge Mountaineers Prep squad has a loaded group of youngsters who potentially could make an impact at the junior level. Kids such as James Robinson, Mitch Ferguson and Cam Amantea just to name a few, but crafty centre Jeremy McNeil shouldn’t be overlooked. The 5-foot-6, 155-pound McNeil was excellent in the games I saw at the recent 2012 Kelowna International Midget Tournament, racking up 3 goals and 7 points in 5 games, en route to helping his club into the gold medal game. The youngster is very durable and is built like a human wrecking ball. He is a strong skater who is extremely shifty and elusive, protects the puck very well with his low center of gravity, has tremendous vision and hockey sense, a good accurate shot, plays a lot bigger than his size as he works hard along the boards and goes into the Read more »
I was first told about Cody Ceci two years ago by Zack Kassian, he said the kid was going to be a beauty, and he was bang on. So if Kass ever decides to get into the hockey scouting gig, I’m sure it would be an easy transition for the hulking Sabres forward. Ceci has all the tools to be a dominant NHL defenseman, which has many scouts drooling with anticipation for the 2012 Draft. He is smooth-skating, and very agile for his size, has a big shot, makes smart decisions with the puck, never panics, uses his long reach and big body to perfection when defending, and has the hockey IQ of a seasoned veteran. Currently the 18-year-old sits second overall in scoring by OHL blueliners with 38 points (8G,30A) in 41 games, behind only the Niagara IceDogs bluechip d-man Dougie Hamilton, who Ceci has very similar intangibles to. The Read more »
The New York Rangers scouts hit the jackpot when they selected 6-foot-3, 200-pound power forward Steven Fogarty in the third round (72nd overall) of last years NHL Entry Draft. So far the native of Edina, Minnesota has been a force in his rookie BCHL season, racking up 16 goals, 23 assists, and 16 penalty minutes in 32 games for the Penticton Vees. Those totals sit the 18-year-old 10th overall in league scoring, and has helped the Vees to a remarkable 26-3-0-2 record thus far. Fogarty amassed 44 goals, 36 assists, and 80 points in 55 games the previous two seasons with his Edina High Hornets before bringing his game North of the Border, so we shouldn’t be surprised by any of his on ice accomplishments. He can simply terrorize opponents when he is on his game, with his size, speed, vision and hockey IQ. Fogarty has Read more »
Don’t call it a comeback, I’ve been here for years is a lyric that may be suited for not only Victoria’s return to the WHL, but also for centre Logan Nelson, who is enjoying a rise to fame after a sub-par rookie season in the USHL last year. So far the Royals rookie blue blood has netted 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points in 30 games, a big improvement from the 9 points in 41 games he had last season with the Des Moines Buccaneers. The 6-foot-2, 182 pound forward is the type of kid you win with, as he has a grinding ege to his game, as well as some scoring prowess. He is an all-round athlete, that also played lacrosse, baseball, competed in track and field, and was the quaterback for his high school football team in Rogers, Minn. Nelson skates well for a big guy, has decent hands, excellent vision and hockey sense, and loves getting Read more »
It’s not like Mikhail Grigorenko needs anymore hype, I mean let’s face it, the 17-year-old phenom has already been compared to Joe Thornton and seems destined to be the next great NHL playmaker. That being said, it is hard not to marvel at his talents, as he can simply take over games, and at times looks eerily like a young Mario Lemiuex. At 6-foot-2, 191-pounds, he is a lumbering giant, that makes the game look easy every time he sets foot on the ice. This season, Grigorenko racked up 35 points, on 17 goals and 18 in assists in 43 games against men for CSKA-Krasnaja Armija Moskva, while helping them capture the MHL Championship. He simply dominated the 2011 IIHF World Under-18’s and helped Russia win the bronze, with 4 goals and 18 points in 7 games, and was also incredible during Read more »
