2010 U17 Players to Watch

WU17.007.09
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December 28, 2009
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ATLANTIC

BRENT ANDREWS

good hockey sense … strong skater … good maturity with and without the puck … plays both ends of the ice … hard to knock off the puck … sees the ice well … good hands … played for Atlantic at 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

DARCY ASHLEY

high hockey IQ … excellent at protecting the puck … sniper … terrific set of offensive skills … very accurate, hard shot … true competitor … great work ethic … a leader on the ice despite his age … good vision … good skater

TAYLOR BURKE

strong two-way player … very smart … strong in the face-off circle … good at protecting the puck … knows how to score … outstanding along the boards … rarely loses puck battles … not a big player, but likes the physical game

BRYCE MILSON

playmaking centre … quick feet … very fluid skater … dangerous in one-one-one situations … uses his speed to beat defenders … very good skill set … great hands … good shot … won TELUS Cup with Notre Dame in 2009

ANDREW RYAN

great hand-eye coordination … tall and lanky … more of a playmaker … very good hands … finds open passing lanes … sees the ice well … good skater … very creative with the puck … very aware of opponents around him

CZECH REPUBLIC

MILAN DOUDERA

very good skater … excellent instincts around the puck … doesn’t give up much defensively … great offensive upside … good shot … tremendous on the power play … can throw the body … battles well in corners and in front of net

TOMÁŠ HYKA

good skater … great offensive abilities … natural shooter … puck will go to the net when on his stick in the offensive zone … controls the puck well on perimeter … looks for lanes to the net … takes advantage of time and space

LUKAS KRALIK

excellent offensive skill set … quick release … accurate shot … great size … uses size to his advantage … tremendous work ethic … very good poise with the puck … likes to play physical … not afraid to go into corners or to the net  

MATĚJ MACHOVSKÝ

great size … tremendous quickness … makes great reactionary saves … good lateral quickness … very good work ethic … makes a lot of second-effort saves … quick glove … plays the puck well … tough to beat when playing well

MICHAL ŠVIHÁLEK

good hands … strong shot … quick release … strong on his off wing … dangerous scoring option … deadly off the rush … intelligent away from the puck … good hockey sense … strong skater … sees the ice very well … good passer

FINLAND 

JOEL ARMIA

top scoring threat … great pure shooter … isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty … very intelligent with the puck and away from it … has prototypical size and skill package … good hands for a big player … a rising star in Finland

SANTERI AROUSVA

solid two-way defenceman … good gap control … strong skater … good skill package … has high potential … good shot, but needs time to set it up … tough to beat one-on-one … played for Finland at 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

MARKUS GRANLUND

explosive with the puck … talented offensive threat … quick hands … very agile with the puck … fantastic playmaking ability … has ability to make jaw-dropping plays … can bring the crowd to its feet … brother of top Finnish prospect Mikael 

JESPER KOKKONEN

big and strong … goal-scoring power forward … plays an aggressive and edgy style … good shot … quick release … extremely tough to win space or possession against … uses size to his advantage … good offensive skill set

RASMUS RISTOLAINEN

extremely high hockey IQ … tremendous poise with the puck … can score from the point or off the rush … offensive-minded defenceman … doesn’t give up a lot defensively … great instincts … quick passer … hard working … tremendously talented

ONTARIO

DOUGIE HAMILTON

good size and frame … moves well despite size … uses long reach to extend range and ability to defend … good puck-handling skills … moves the puck effectively and efficiently … plays in all key situations despite age

BOONE JENNER

big centre … lots of skill … strong skater … good stride … good balance … tough to knock off the puck … uses size, strength and skill to beat defenders one-on-one … very competitive … displays nice touch around the net

LUCAS LESSIO

very skilled … physical winger … plays hard at both ends of the rink … good puck skills … nice scoring touch around the net … uses size well … difficult to contain … best when playing with an edge … played for Canada East at 2009 World Junior A Challenge

RYAN MURPHY

skilled offensive defenceman … makes good first pass … makes crisp, accurate passes … handles puck with poise and confidence … skates to open ice well … moves puck up the ice quickly … excellent puck distribution … ideal power play quarterback

MATTHEW PUEMPEL

reads the play well … good anticipation … uses size well during battles along the boards and in front of the net … great work ethic … plays hard every shift … strong skater … good stride … nice touch around the net … great finish

 PACIFIC 

MARK MCNEILL

good size and frame … does good job of fighting through checks … good moves with puck in tight … very good hand-eye coordination … often wins battles for loose pucks in corners and along boards … above average offensive instincts

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS

very good skater … great acceleration … responsible at both ends of the ice … great hands … excellent passer … outstanding offensive abilities … hard, accurate shot … doesn’t mind contact … first overall pick in 2008 WHL draft

TY RATTIE

dangerous sniper … very good shot … above average skater … gets into scoring positions … good stickhandler … good puck control … great hands … very quick with the puck … plays in all situations … strong work ethic … defensively responsible

DUNCAN SIEMENS

smooth skater … good mobility … good stick … takes away passing and shooting lanes well … takes contact well … solid in the defensive zone … makes hard, crisp passes … good offensive instincts … uses size to his advantage in corners and front of the net

ZAC YUEN

skates well when he gets going … good size … strong and physical … at his best when playing physical … good, hard shot … protects the puck well … doesn’t get knocked off the puck … good gap control … very responsible in his own zone

QUÉBEC

OLIVIER ARCHAMBAULT

good hockey sense … quick and agile skater … good foot speed … sees the ice well … dangerous in one-on-one situations … knows how to score … can play in all three zones … good shot … first overall pick in 2009 QMJHL draft

ALEXANDRE CHÊNEVERT

good hockey sense … strong on the penalty kill … good skater … good mobility … wins battles in the corners and in front of the net … solid two-way defenceman … not the biggest defenceman, but uses size well … hard shot 

DILLON DONNELLY

reads the play well … good size and strength … tough to play against … defensive defenceman … good gap control … tough to beat one-on-one … average puck skills … learned from his father Gord, a former NHL defenceman

JONATHAN LAVOIE

very good skater … sees the ice well … good puck skills … works hard … tremendous work ethic … solid core and balance for size … carries the puck with speed … show good hockey sense in offensive zone … uses size to his advantage

JEAN-FRANÇOIS LEBLANC

big, talented centre … protects the puck well … excellent size … good skater … good mobility … tremendous offensive skills … plays well in all three zones … uses his size to his advantage in corners and in front of the net

RUSSIA 

MIKHAIL GRIGORENKO

great blend of size and skill … dominating with the puck … explosive player … opportunistic … terrific offensive skill set … had ability to dominate older and bigger players … tough to move in corners and in front of the net

MAXIM KAZAKOV

a pure sniper … good hands … very skillful with the puck … has ability to beat defenders one-on-one … good speed … very dangerous from the blue line in … willing to make or take a hit to make a play … doesn’t avoid traffic

ALEXANDER KHOKHLACHEV

talented goal scorer … excellent shot … very good skating ability … agile … can beat defenders one-on-one … plays bigger than his size … is not afraid to go into corners on to the net … terrific offensive skill set … very good hands

ANDREY MAKAROV

challenges shooters well … good size … takes up a lot of the net … high level of compete … high work ethic … square to the puck … moves well laterally … quick feet … quick glove … doesn’t give up a lot of big rebounds

ALEXEY SHAMIN

extremely talented … dangerous offensive skills … excellent stickhandling … excellent command of his shot … very good skating ability … highly skilled player … bright future … versatile enough to play on blue line if necessary

SWEDEN 

VIKTOR ARVIDSSON

tremendous skater … excellent offensive skill set … energetic … explosive with the puck … sees the ice well … makes other players around him better … plays bigger than he is … does not let small stature affect his game

VICTOR RASK

great size …  tremendous work ethic … dominant crease crasher … tough to move in the corners and in front of the net … powerful puck protector … a board battler … not afraid to play physical … finishes his checks … powerful shot

KARL JOHANSSON

small, but mobile … smooth skater … very good poise with the puck … smart and talented passer … tremendous offensive upside … a dangerous shootout option … terrific hands … hard shot … offensively-minded defenceman

RICHARD RAKELL

smart and effective … two-way forward … bangs and crashes to the net … above average shot … able to play multiple roles, in multiple situations … defensively responsible … does not lose many puck battles … good, hard shot

JONATAN NIELSEN

tall and lanky defenceman … tons of room to build on his frame … strong skater for size … intelligent gap and lane control … has a big shot … good hands … tough to beat in one-on-one situations … can be physical when necessary

WEST

BRENT BENSON

plays physical style of game … finishes his checks … hard shot with good accuracy … plays at a high speed … powerful stride … protects the puck well … gets into scoring position … won TELUS Cup with Notre Dame in 2009

TYLER BORSTMAYER

big player with good frame … good skater for his size … shows ability to rush the puck up ice … excellent shot from the point … solid at both ends of the ice … good offensive instincts … uses size to his advantage in own zone

JESSE FORSBERG

solid frame … able to stand his ground physically … likes to finish checks … good, hard shot … reads play well … above average hockey sense … powerful skater … can rush puck from end to end … good vision … makes good first pass

ZACHERY FRANKO

extremely quick feet … very good speed down the wing … creates offensive chances with speed … handles the puck well … willing to fight through checks … uses speed to get by defenders … offensively skilled … accurate shot

MICHAEL ST. CROIX

very quick with the puck … distributes well to others … excellent stickhandler … very good skater … reads play well … very comptitive … hard to knock off the puck … played for West at 2009 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge

UNITED STATES

TYLER BIGGS

good size … prototypical power forward … good balance … protects the puck well … drives the net hard with or without the puck … has foot speed to beat defenders wide … strong, hard shot … quick release … good puckhandling skills

ROCCO GRIMALDI

dynamic player … exceptional hands … very strong wrists … hard shot … not shy to play physical … very good puck skills … a playmaker … excellent speed … quick feet … great confidence … has a presence on the ice at all times

BARRETT KAIB

physical defenceman … likes to finish his checks … has an on-ice presence … let’s opposition know he is on the ice … solid in the defensive zone … clears the front of the net well … has a heavy point shot … moves the puck up ice well

J.T. MILLER

quick, accurate shot … dangerous from all angles … true goal scorer … sees the ice well … shows good puck anticipation … good skater … good balance … strong on the puck … plays hard each shift … willing to play physical despite size

ROBBIE RUSSO

smooth and consistent defenceman ... great skating mobility ... loves to rush the puck and does it well ... very intelligent player ... can quarterback the power play ... elite puck distribution skills ... has confidence of a seasoned veteran

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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