Silver Sticks

Reynolds is as smooth and dynamic as they come for Bantam minor. Reynolds picks his spots with intelligence, but when he goes he can go. Reynolds showed great burst on his net drives. He shoots to score and showed he can score in a number of different ways. When the game calls for poise Reynolds excels, he can slow the play down and manipulate defenders to create grade A opportunities for his teammates. It didn’t appear he lost a face-off in the three games we watched, which is incredible at any level. He also showed versatility, dropping back to defense when the team needed and quickly picking up assist on a laser 100 foot pass up the middle.

Brown is a power forward playing for the Nashville Predators. Brown was outstanding on the power-play. He showed great sense to find lanes for this teammates to feed him. When given the opportunity Brown generally finishes. He was heavy along the wall and won a ton of battles leading to solid puck possession for his team in both games we watched.

Bevilacqua is a big smooth defender for Don Mills. There is no panic in Bevilacqua’s game; no matter where he is on the ice, he wants to make a play.. Bevilacqua showed great feet, pivoting seamlessly and constantly facing the play. Offensively, Bevilacqua showed a nice, accurate snap shot from the point.

McDaniel is a crafty defenseman for the Nashville Jr Preds. McDaniel showed great footwork, puck handling with his eyes up, and a clean wrist shot from distance.He runs the top of the first power-play unit and does so effectively. He is able to drag killers where he wants and distribute to his skilled flank players. McDaniel used quick edge work to evade forecheckers and create clean exits with stretch passes.

Kenny was a dominant force for Chatham. Kenny’s incredible edge work and balance stood out. He is able to maintain balance through contact, whether the defender had a good angle or not- Kenny stayed on his feet. His puck-possession skills were evident all weekend. Kenny attacks the middle with creative puck handling and deception. Kenny showed incredible vision, hitting teammates on the tape before defenders could react.

Garant was perhaps the top Defender at the event. Garant does it all for Chatham Cyclones. He shut down odd-man rushes and defended well in-zone. He uses a good stick and is strong through body contact. Garant runs the power play and loves to shoot the puck.Garant displayed a powerful and accurate one-timer that he used often. Off the rush, Garant possesses sneaky speed, creating chances as the extra attacker.

Cieslak is dynamic. Cieslak was dominant in the two games we watched, scoring in multiple ways. Cieslak’s anticipation is incredible; he found himself loose in coverage often. He has a high-end skill set — quick hands, smooth skating, and a deadly wrist shot.

Naydenoff is a heady defenseman for Team Illinois. Naydenoff is slippery and unpredictable, throwing off forecheckers with his movement. He has a heavy shot from the back end. He released one of the few accurate slap shots we saw all weekend.. Naydenoff is able to drive the offense with his teams top powerplay unit. His puck movement and shooting made him one of the more dangerous defenseman on the weekend.

Freeman is a smooth operator on the back end for Team Illinois. He holds pucks with confidence and doesn’t rush plays, consistently scanning to identify passing lanes up ice while maintaining control. He also loves to activate—jumping into the rush with or without the puck to help create offense

Kim drives offense with his pace and skill — always moving and hard to defend. His cross overs are efficient and his foot speed is elite. He uses his speed to push back defenders creating space for his teammates. His focus and work ethic are evident, constantly denying space and disrupting breakouts. Kim loves to score and is relentless in that pursuit each shift. Kim is a 200 ft player, his skating allows him to defend, transition and go on the attack.

Ladouceur is listed as a Forward but we saw and liked him on the back end. He is a powerful skater, blowing by defenders off the rush or recovering with speed. Ladouceur is north south, but does so gracefully. He has a laser shot and got pucks through consistently.

Crump was a workhorse for a good York Simcoe team. He drove wide with powerful strides and protected the puck well. He likes to take it to the net and is successful in doing so. Crump was excellent along the wall, winning battle after battle.

Nicholson is a smooth forward for North York. Nicholson has great mitts, showing quickness and reach on several plays. Nicholson loves to shoot and he can rip it. Nicholson is smart, he reads his teammates well and seemed to always find soft spots in the defense.

Malfara is a powerful defenseman for the North York Rangers. Malfara controls the game when he’s on the ice, shutting down his half before plays even develop. Malfara has exceptional split vision. He makes plays with his eyes up which allows him to deceive and read the play. He showed great accuracy on difficult seam passes.

Jiang stood out for North York due to his unique skating. He moves effortless in 4 directions. His backwards skating may have been the best at the event, allowing him to keep everything in front of him defensively.

Albanese is a crafty forward for North York. He plays a slippery game as an undersized forward, weaving in and out of traffic. The D have trouble tracking Albanese. He showed a great top-shelf shot from a tough angle.

Mashinter is a 2012 forward for North York. Mashinter’s explosive crossovers and long stride helped him separate all weekend. Mashinter has a nice touch around the net, demonstrating little dips and fakes to move the goalie. Mashinter plays in all situations for North York and was instrumental in their undefeated weekend.

Watson pushed the pace for Ottawa Valley, constantly looking to advance zones with deceptive skating. Watson is creative in all spots on the ice, he has the edges and puck control to execute his ideas. He showed a clean shot and good movement on the power play.

Sparling is a dynamic forward for Ottawa Valley. He attacks defenders’ space with ease and confidence. He has confidence in his play making and made decisive passes all weekend. Sparling showed a great shot when given time and space.

Giordano was a force for the Halton Hurricanes. An explosive skater Giordano blew past defenders in the neutral zone with speed. Giordano buzzes around the offensive zone with pace and deception. We saw a sequence where he looked shot and made a perfect seam pass to a teammate for a near miss- Giordano grabbed the rebound out of the corner and went short side high. Giordano showed heart, making a great defensive play after a all out back check.

Martins is a crafty player for Barrie. Martins operates well on the flank as a power play option. His timing on routes on the flank were well thought out. When he needs to Martins protects pucks and finds his open teammate.

Kanyo’s effort is constant — often F1 on the forecheck or carrying the puck in himself. Kanyo has nice cross overs and smooth edges. Kanyo plays a gritty game which pairs nicely with his skill set.

Blaise is a smooth defenseman for the Barrie Colts. He showed great poise and deception when given any time up top. His mobility and shot were very effective on the power-play. Defensively Blaise takes intelligent angles and isn’t afraid of contact.

Jarvi hovers on the ice. He has a constant and effortless speed that allows him to catch defenders off guard or get first touch on a loose puck. Jarvi also showed a great set of hands on a five hole break away finish.

Martin is a crafty tall forward for Little Caesers. Don’t reach on Martin — he’ll pull the puck away in a flash. He showed great shot deception to open space for himself and teammates. He uses his frame well to protect the puck and is heavy on the boards.

Lee was on the move all weekend for Little Caesar’s. Lee has a great frame, smooth edges and a top speed for the age group. Lee advanced zones easily for his team and attacked from there. He showed a heavy shot from the point or off the rush.

Sutherland is the backbone of the 67’s. He stopped grade A after grade A in the game against little Caesar’s. Sutherland is exceptional post to post. He is lean and athletic side to side. He showed great compete, whether its fighting to see through traffic or stopping 2nd and 3rd opportunities Sutherland never gives up.

Hare is a tall lean defenseman for the 67’s. Hare was excellent defensively, keeping opponents wide and using his length to deny scoring opportunities. Hare loves to rush it, his long stride allows him to do so and set his team up in the o-zone. He is solid up top, getting pucks through both 5 on 5 and on the power play.

Harwood was a driving force for the 67’s. It seemed anytime they were on the attack Harwood was buzzing around the zone. He has a great first step and drew multiple penalties driving wide. Harwood handled the puck confidently out in front, pushing it to areas only he could reach. Undersized Harwood is not afraid of contact and is willing to play in the middle of the ice.

Lantz is a speedy, shifty forward for the Toronto JR Canadians. He is dynamic with the puck in open space, demonstrating great hands and creativity. Picking the right spots to stretch the zone and create breakaways is Lantz’s strength. He loves to score goals and did so in bunches all weekend.

Erat was perhaps the most crafty player at the event. Erat’s game is built on deception — skating, passing, puck control, and decision-making. Running the top right on the power-play Erat showed a laser wrist shot and great vision on seam passes low. Erat plays a 200 foot game and excels in the face-off circle. Erat is having an exceptional season accounting for a huge percentage of his teams scoring.

When Sima was on the ice everyone in the rink knows. Every touch put his Predators team in a better position. Sima possesses a strong frame, elite edge-work, and high-end puck handling. He builds speed with explosive cross overs in the neutral zone and enters the zone with pace and awareness. Sima showed accuracy and exceptional vision on backdoor feeds for goals.He showed exceptional positioning and movement from the bumper spot on the power play. In the two games we watched Sima had goals/ assists, but perhaps his best tool is his combination of work ethic and IQ. He can start a play on his own goal-line and finish the play in the slot. He is constantly working above pucks in the O-zone and keeps it between him in the net in the D-zone, Sima is relentless.

Simmons was a brickwall for the Fury. Simmons plays over the puck extremely well, anything around the net he was square too. We saw Simmons have 50 plus saves against very strong competition. Nearly impossible to beat on the first shot, Simmons forced teams to score gritty goals if at all.

Zuccaro stood out right away for the Fury. The 2012 forward is an explosive skater. Zuccaro waits patiently for opportunities to arise — and when they do, he’s gone. He was excellent in one on one situations. Showing quick hands and good creativity to ensure a shot on goal.