DRUMHELLER DRAGONS

Team Player Stats

#3 Keenan Martens 01/13/93

Martens, a Calgary native, is the only rookie blueliner for the Dragons. He is an offensive defenseman that is able to start the rush from his own zone. He’s very patient with the puck when skating, allowing for a nice first pass out of the zone. Although like most offensive defensemen, Martens has his struggles defensively. He sometimes chases out of position in his own zone and he needs to get more physical clearing players out from infront. He also needs to watch the stretch pass across his own zone. In the neutral zone, he has good anticipation to step up and force the play back to the offensive and also finishes his checks.

#9 Sam Lawson 08/31/93

Lawson is one of those players that you have to pay attention too when he has the puck. He is very gifted offensively and has some nice dangles if you give him enough space. He does get carried away with too many moves at the blueline, drawing people offside or turning it over. He does make some nice passes and is able to accept passes heading up the ice under difficult terms – from skate to stick. Lawson should also have a better shot selection and not rush a poor shot if necessary.

#11 Dylan Schellenberg 03/22/93

Schellenberg, a Kootenay Ice draft pick, is a converted forward that I saw this season. The 6’1, hometown kid uses his big frame for huge hits and intimidating opposing defensemen. His compete level seems to come on and off and sometimes is hesitant to engage in the game. He is positionally aware and doesn’t over commit defensively. Schellenberg also creates plays by going hard to the net and retrieving pucks from down low. His support on face-offs is also a help for winning draws throughout the ice.

#38 Cole Cheveldave 06/08/93

Good use of the stick, deflects puck to corners to keep play moving instead of holding it, looks to play the puck quickly, doesn’t over commit, good side to side for save, blocker is solid hand, tried to shoot high-short and goes down, great side to side, great last ditch effort to rob someone on powerplay, quick pads down low, secondary chances could be an issue at next level, got his paddle down with fight down low and made save, big save point blank – quick reaction

Cheveldave was among 5 players that caught my eye by mid season. The reason that I like his play was because of his compete level for the full 60 minutes. That also includes when the team was in the opposite end, he was still focused on the play and looking to keep the momentum alive.

Cole is a butterfly type goalie and sometimes goes down a bit early on shots from outside. I recognized teams that picked up on that and 85% of their shots were aimed for the top shelf. He usually angles the puck to the corner instead of trapping and then moving the puck, but also is very efficient playing the puck and helping in the transition game. He does handle the puck well for a goaltender. He has quick pads down low and competes to the whistle, while never taking himself out of position.

OKOTOKS OILERS

Team Player Stats

#12 Josh Clark 04/06/93

Clark is a solid 2 way winger with the South Division champs. In each game that I was able to see Clark, he played a solid overall game. His transition game throughout the neutral zone led to his eventual goal. He attacks on the forecheck very well and finishes checks. His defensive play could improve, but is good enough to not cause any problems and as he stays in his lane. Another part of the game that impresses me is that he knows how to play without the puck and help in support. The part of the game that he could improve is to get stronger on his skates and work on handling the puck better.

#16 Riley McDougall 07/10/93

Riley McDougall’s hockey sense is something that I noticed right away and mentioned in my mid-season report . He’s got a good sense of passing as well and that included a one touch pass in traffic for a goal. He continues to be clean in the face-off circle and that helps for work on the penalty kill. He is very effective on the powerplay as he fills his lane correctly. He has solid breakaway speed and was able to beat both defenseman because of it.

#18 Connor Collett 01/18/93

Collett, like McDougall, has a very good hockey sense and that’s why they work well together on the same even strength line and penalty kill. His hockey sense leads to good positioning on the ice and support throughout each zone. His overall play impresses me the most as he seems to be forming into a complete player. He has good balance, above average speed and has good patience with the puck. The only knock that I could recognize is that he tends to keep his head down a little too often and could run into something.

OLDS GRIZZLIES

Team Player Stats

#8 Lucas Grundy 01/08/93

Lucas Grundy is a big physical defenseman for a young Olds Grizzlies team. He seems to thrive in the role on a shutdown pair, while throwing his weight around. Although finishing every hit, he sometimes takes himself out of the play by chasing after. He makes smart choices about when to jump into the rush, but needs to improve his skating as it does seem a little rough on his edges.

#12 Bart Moran 12/07/92

Better puck handling, good work down low, good stick check to take away puck, knows where to be in the offensive zone

#14 Dylan Hubbs 10/31/92

Hubbs, a native of Beaumont Alberta, is an undersized forward that plays with a lot of heart. He plays solid 2 way hockey and competes on every shift. It would be very rare to see him take a shift off, as it seems like his motor is going for the full 60 minutes. He does have a good speed burst, but needs to start his feet moving quicker when breaking out of his own zone. He also needs to be harder on stick checks and better attention to his passing.

#15 Spencer Dorowicz 08/04/93

Even though Spencer Dorowicz may not look like a physical player (5’10, 155 lbs), the rookie forward for the Grizzlys plays that way. He has very nice body control with the puck and it is hard to take off the puck or down with a hit. His nice positional play and decision making helps in his 2 way hockey skills. His compete level on the forecheck creates pressure and he does work the puck well down low and takes it to the net well. Areas in which Dorowicz could improve are making safer plays in his own zone (stretch pass across) and being more aware of his responsibilities on the penalty kill.

#20 Evan Thompson 09/01/93

With his first full season with the Grizzlys, Evan Thompson’s play improved throughout the season. Thompson is a nice skater and has learned well to play without the puck. His compete level is on and off though, and took a penalty at one game I was at by reaching with the stick in his own zone instead of skating. The offensive side of the game impressed me by the way he drove to net, was able to make smart passes up the ice with good vision and he seemed to have a quick release on his slapshot. His defensive zone work could improve a bit as he gave too much space for the defender.

#22 Tanner Dunkle 01/24/93

Tanner Dunkle is another undersized forward for a young Olds team, but seems to play a foot bigger than what he’s listed at. He isn’t afraid to go to the net and he does his best work finishing each check and working in the corners. He has good puck retrieval skills and makes good passes when he has the puck. The knocks on Dunkle woud be that his skating should improve and seems to be a step behind on the transition part of his game.

Tags: Bart Moran, Cole Cheveldave, Connor Collett, Drumheller Dragons, Dylan Hubbs, Dylan Schellenberg, Evan Thompson, Josh Clark, Keenan Martens, Lucas Grundy, Okotoks Oilers, Olds Grizzlys, Riley McDougall, Sam Lawson, Spencer Dorowicz, Tanner Dunkle

About the Author: Andrew Choquette