Game Report

Okotoks Oilers 5  Calgary Canucks 1

The Okotoks Oilers put 40 shots on the Canucks 2 goaltenders and were able to close the game with 3 goals in the third period to beat the Canucks at the Max Bell Centre in Calgary. The physical game that the Canucks play weren’t effective enough for a fast Okotoks team. The Oilers frequently engaged their defense into the play, regardless of the zone that they were playing in.

Okotok's Rhett Holland is one of the most highly touted AJHL prospects in recent years.

Okotoks Oilers

#2 Sasha Larocque (6 PIM) – I was able to see Larocque briefly last year when the Oilers were making their push towards the RBC Cup. I was very impressed with the Calgary native, and how he adapted to the play. The offensive minded d-man has really continued to develop that side of the game. He is very aggressive and steps into the play to force action. He has great vision of the ice coming from his own end and a nice patience with the puck. On the contrary, like most offensive defenseman, his defensive game has considerable room for improvement. He often gets too deep and lost in the opposite end. There was one time during this game that he got too deep and took a penalty trying to recover from a 2 on 1.

#5 Robert Hamilton – This was my first time watching Hamilton and I was impressed with the smooth skating defenseman. The way that he moved his feet and pivoted to move side to side was impressive. It was especially noticeable on the penalty kill down low. I noticed that early in the game, he was pinching down in the offensive zone to keep the play alive quite often. However, I noted that he was not the only one that would do that and that the Oilers frequently activated all of their defensemen into the play. This hemmed the Canucks in the defensive zone longer than what they wanted.

#7 Rhett Holland (17 PIM) – The 6-foot-1 future Michigan State Spartan had a tough time staying out of the box in this game. This was due to his aggressive play and partially to do with some stick work that he has to be aware of. This wasn’t the best game that I’ve seen Holland play over the past year, but you can still see his patience with puck and vision of the ice is impressive. He joined the rush at opportune times and he competes for a full shift. He does need to be more responsible in his own zone, as he took a run to the blueline to try and finish a hit and gave up a scoring chance. He also got his feet turned around too much trying to chase people coming at him. To be effective he needs to utilize his size better.

#21 Tariq Hammond – Paired with Holland for the game, Hammond played a solid defensive game. He was responsible defensively and was often the last man up the ice because of how well Okotoks activated their defense. The 6-foot defender is very noticeable on the ice, but could use his size a little more. He’s not a flashy player at all, but he plays well positionally and doesn’t wander.

Calgary Canucks

#20 Curtis Lewington – This was my first game watching the Canucks this year. I tried to watch the former Edge School Prep player closely, as he was only 1 of 2 draft eligible players on the ice for the Canucks. The type of game that Curtis plays is a very responsible defensive game. He isn’t a flashy type of player and is often the last man out of the zone.

#23 Joel Rogers (1 assist) – Rogers, a Calgary native, is a crafty player with the puck. He’s got good hands and has a nice release with his shot. Another part of the 17-year-old’s game that I was impressed with was his speed in the open spaces and with the puck. However, he was hesitant to make plays with the puck and his decision making through the neutral zone – to either dump the puck in or make a pass – was often delayed and caused teammates to be held up at the blueline or went offside. I would like to see more of his game to get a better viewing of him.

#1 Andrew Guglielmin – Guglielmin didn’t come into the game until the 8:47 mark of the 3^rd period. By that time, he was coming into the game cold and it was tough for him to get a feel for the game. It was made an even rougher start after he let in the first shot that he faced, high over the glove. However, he did make a couple nice saves down low on a last ditch effort. The 16-year-old from Calgary is a listed player for the Spokane Chiefs.

Did Not Play – 21 Mitch McAllister, 26 Trent Geiger

Tags: 2012 nhl draft prospects, AJHL, Andrew Guglielmin, Curtis Lewington, Rhett Holland

About the Author: Andrew Choquette