LV. Leedahl, Dawson, LW [6'01, 200] Everett, WHL (70•8•24•32•-3•66): I only caught him once and didn't see enough to properly evaluate him as a prospect. INTERESTING STAT: His -6 rating in the playoffs in 5 games was more than doubly worse than his regular season number in 70 games. His 66 regular season penalty minutes was enough to rank 3rd on his team. QUOTE: ANONYMOUS, Everett website: "Dawson is a strong two-way player with skill who can score. He has good leadership qualities on and off the ice and competes hard." From 2011
LV. Nogier, Nelson, D [6'02, 193] Saskatoon, WHL (37•1•5•6•-2•25): I never managed to catch him before his season-ending surgery. INTERESTING STAT: Scored 6 points in 13 games in November, but didn't have another point in any of his other 24 games. QUOTE: JARROD BRODSKY, then-Saskatoon Assistant General Manager: “Nelson is a physical defenceman who plays with an edge. We feel that he has good upside and is the type of player who plays for keeps.” From May 2011
LV. Thomson, Jordan, D, [5'11, 174] Saskatoon, WHL (29•1•12•13•-14•22): Played 20 games early in the season, but returned to Manitoba to deal with a personal matter, then traded Saskatoon late in the season. I never managed to catch him, this year, after his return to the WHL. INTERESTING STAT: Would have topped 30 points had he played a full season in the WHL. QUOTE: GUY CHARRON, Kamloops coach: “He’s getting exposed right now. The games are getting tighter. As the year goes on, we’re playing in closer-checking games. Jordan is getting a little frustrated because some mistakes seem important....Jordan is learning how to play at this level. Tough mistakes can end up in your own net...At times he can really step up on a player and keep his gaps, but at other times he still gets beat. One on one, he can be exposed...He’s going to be an impact player at this level. Right now he’s dealing with the fact that he’s a young sixteen-year-old player. I’d love to see him as an 18-year-old right now with his abilities on the ice.” From December 2012
60. Ralph, Brandon, LW [6'02, 183] Edmonton, WHL (46•8•2•10•1•34): Smart, solid playmaking forward handles the puck well. Makes safe, simple plays in the defensive zone and is a good forechecker. INTERESTING STAT: His 8 goals put him ahead of teammates such as Dysin Mayo, Griffin Reinhart and Luke Bertolucci. His +1 rating was tied for third worst on the team. QUOTE: DEREK LAXDAL, Edmonton Oil Kings coach: "Brandon Ralph really had a great rookie camp and a main camp for us. The rapid speed of his development really allowed him to stay longer at training camp and it allowed us to sign him. We're really happy with his progression. He's bigger, stronger and he's not far off. Probably any other year he'd have a really good chance of making our hockey club." From September 2012
59. Skapski, Mitch, LW [5'09, 165] Victoria, WHL (50•3•7•10•12•35): Diminutive forward has great straight-ahead speed. Tons of grit and routinely out-battles much-larger defenders. Was traded to Victoria this season by Everett. INTERESTING STAT: His +12 rating puts him in 8th on the team leader-board, despite his low point totals.. QUOTE: GARRY DAVIDSON, Everett GM: "He's known for his high level of compete and energy and plays a much bigger game than his size suggests. Having Mitch here sooner will give him added experience that should help him going into next year." From December 2012
58. Alfaro, Matt, C [6'02, 181] Kootenay, WHL (65•2•12•14•-3•16): Grinding forward always plays physical, yet rarely takes penalties. Has a decent finish on his shot. Plays mainly an energy line role but can be bumped up to higher lines in a pinch where his hard-work often inspires his teammates. Decent skater who can beat a defender wide, just doesn't have the puck skills to do much when he does. INTERESTING STAT: Had nearly identical point-per-game ratios in the regular season (0.23) and playoffs (0.22) QUOTE: ALFARO, on himself: "Just doing the best I can, trying to put some points on the board and just be a plus-player." From December 2013
57. Bauer, Lane, C [5'11, 187] Edmonton, WHL (47•7•16•5•8): Makes smart simple plays and uses solid skating and quickness to make quick cuts and lose defenders. Drives to the net and works hard every shift. Not a natural finisher yet has a tendency to forget his teammates now and then and try to play one-on-one. INTERESTING STAT: Had just 8 penalty minutes in 47 games with the Oil Kings this season. QUOTE: MERIT WALDROP, Alaska Jr. Aces coach: "In the 100 or so games he's played with me, he's scored in every game. Every single game. At least one... Natural goal-scorer, great kid. He is the hardest worker in practice and in games, and the most skilled player." From December 2012
56. Uhrich, Josh, RW [5'11, 195] Lethbridge, WHL (68•9•11•20•-9•105): A bit of an awkward skater who never stops working. Very physical; throws some bone-rattling checks and fights. Not really strong on the puck. Good anticipation on defensive side. INTERESTING STAT: Posted 8 of his 20 points during the month of November, which was double the total of his next highest month. QUOTE: UHRICH, on himself: "“I told myself that I needed to be in the gym more, I was going five times a week. Definitely my quickness (was something I focused on), moving into the WHL which is faster than midget AAA I had to get my foot speed up, and I was doing power skating to improve.” From August 2013
55. Andrlik, Tomas, D [6'00, 185] Prince Albert, WHL (71•2•18•20•-4•52): Defenceman went down rather easily at the start of the season but strength on his skates became a strong point by the end of the season and he was able to stand up forecheckers. Has a bit of a slow acceleration which causes him to lose races to loose pucks. Not a flashy player but makes good simple plays with the puck. Hard and accurate point shot. INTERESTING STAT: His -4 rating was actually 2nd on the his team amongst defencemen. QUOTE: BRUNO CAMPESE, Prince Albert GM: “Tomas Andrlik is a solid 2-way defenceman that his hard to play against. He can move the puck efficiently and see the ice very well.” From July 2013
54. Welykholowa, Landon, C [5'11, 172] Calgary, WHL (34•1•4•5•-6•8): After an early-season trade to Calgary he only played 16 regular season games with the Hitmen. Injuries in the playoffs necessitated his insertion into the lineup and he surprised by quadrupling his WHL career totals with 4 goals in 5 games. Seems to be a guy who gets to the right place at the right time, whether it be to screen the goalkeeper or to acquire rebounds. Has explosive speed and a good wrist-shot and a sizzling one-timer. Is a good net-front presence. Works hard and excels at cycling the puck. Makes a few too many low-percentage passing attempts. INTERESTING STAT: Scored no goals in 16 regular season games with Calgary, but had 4 goals in just 5 games in the playoffs. QUOTE: CAMERON HOPE, Victoria GM: "Landon had a very good camp this week. He has earned this contract..." From August 2013
53. Ruopp, Sam, D [6'04, 179] Prince George, WHL(64•5•11•16•-15•55): Gets his big body in front of shots well on the defensive side. Seems to have a short stride for someone his size, but gets around all right and has quick feet laterally. Looks confident skating the puck out of his own zone. Gets his point shot through. Brother Harrison is a Pittsburgh prospect. INTERESTING STAT: His 5 goals were the second most by a defender on his Prince George team. QUOTE: NORMAN JOHNSTON, Regina AAA Head Coach: "Sam Ruopp competes and will be a very good player...competes at practice and every shift that he plays and is very coachable and well liked by his coaches and teammtes." From April 2012
52. Taylor Cooper, LW [6'00, 186] Lethbridge, WHL (65•12•12•24•-17•42): Got off to an excellent start with Brandon but was traded to Lethbridge in the Ryan Pilon deal. Scoring winger has speed to burn and isn't afraid to play physical. Solid stickhandler is learning to shield puck with his body. Needs to minimize poor turnovers. INTERESTING STAT: 7 of his 12 goals were scored in his 23 games with Brandon prior to the trade. Only had 5 goals in 42 games with Lethbridge. QUOTE: BRAD ROBSON, Lethbridge GM: “[Cooper and Nick Walters] are character guys that will be solid additions to our lineup...will fit in to the systems we’re trying to teach and give us some secondary scoring.” From November 2013
51. Wong, Tyler, Lethbridge, WHL (52•17•14•31•-33•56): Undersized forward has speed to burn and never stops working, playing every shift with unmatched desperation. Often deployed as a forechecking missile who launches his minimal frame into opposing defenders. Leave himself open to getting hit and takes some hard hits from some big players but always gets back up. Excellent hand-eye-coordination and a solid shooter and passer but he is very easily knocked off the puck. Doesn't have a real developed defensive game, chases too much, but he tries. Suffered a concussion in practice on January 12th and missed a month and a half. INTERESTING STAT: Scored 26 of his 31 points before Christmas. Only played 12 games over the last three months of the regular season. QUOTE: DRAKE BEREHOWSKY, Lethbridge Coach: "I think Tyler’s success started right off of the bat, as he came to our team in tremendous shape. That helped him get off to a good start, and his hard work really showed in his improved point total.” From April 2014
50. Hunt, Dryden, C [5'11, 195] Regina, WHL (62•21•19•40•-3•64): Hard working player. Quick and has a hard wrist-shot. Had two concussions last season which caused him to miss a lot of playing time, then suffered another concussion this past February. INTERESTING STAT: Had only 3 points in his first 14 games but went on to average better than 0.77 points-per-game the rest of the season. QUOTE: CHANDLER STEPHENSON, Regina teammate: "The guy works his butt off. He’s a great player and would do anything for his teammates." From February 2014
49. Folk, Carter, LW [6'01, 196] Lethbridge, WHL (50•5•4•9•-12•109): Very physical. Hit Henrik Samuelsson so hard one game that he knocked his visor clean off his helmet. Needs to pick his spots better as he hits to hurt, and sometimes hurts himself. Good straight-ahead speed and surprising acceleration. INTERESTING STAT: Had a staggering 45 penalty minutes in the month of November. Would have finished ahead of 18 players on his team in Penalty Minutes if he had only played those 12 games. QUOTE: BRAD ROBSON, Lethbdrige GM: “He is a big strong kid who brings size to the winG. He’ll also fit in well with our 1995 through ’98 age group.” From October 2013
48. Owre, Steven, C [5'11, 165]: Medicine Hat, WHL (70•12•20•32•6•42): Good stickhandler, has a stinging wrist-shot which he always gets on the net. A little light and gets hit often which leaves him vulnerable to give-aways and losing puck battles. This lack of bulk doesn't keep him from driving to the net, however and he is constantly doing so with a nice burst of speed. Well-developed defensive game and maintains an active stick in pursuit of the puck-carrier. Takes some bad penalties. INTERESTING STAT: Of his 15 goals (12 regular season, 3 in the playoffs), only 1 was on the power-play. QUOTE: MIKE GRETCHEL, Skatetown Coach: "He works harder than any kids I know, which is why he's where he is now." From July 2013
47. Shirley, Collin, LW [6'02, 181] Kamloops, WHL (70•14•13•27•-26•26): Good stickhandler and skater with a solid frame, but isn't as strong on the puck as his size would make you think. Traded to Kamloops early in the season in Tim Bozon deal but seemed to struggle to find his spot on a weaker Blazer team. Started to get more involved later in the season and use his frame more but still seemed to lack strength. INTERESTING STAT: 10 of his 14 goals came in the new year, as well as 16 of his 26 penalty minutes. QUOTE: FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS: "With his size, Shirley has the ability to pose trouble in the offensive end. The versatile forward has the ability to fill multiple roles due to his sound two-way game and solid smarts." From August 2013
46. Atwal, Arvin, D [6'01, 195] Vancouver, WHL (58•5•17•22•-9•83): Mean, physical defenceman has taken on some of the tougher customers in the WHL and held his own. Possesses a heavy shot but gets knocked off puck easier than you'd expect. Gets into shooting lanes but tries to do too much in defensive zone and is a little panicky. Skates the puck out of his zone with confidence, though and is getting better at making smart simple plays. INTERESTING STAT: Put up almost 1/3 of his 22 points in January (7) where he also put up 60% of his goals (3). QUOTE: DALTON SWARD, Vancouver Giants teammate: “He’s confident with the puck. He tries moves that I wouldn’t try in practice. And, coming into the year, I didn’t see the guy as a fighter, but he’s fought some pretty tough guys and done pretty well. Everyone has their own way of creating energy for the team, and that’s one of his ways.” From March 2013
45. Lernout, Brett, D [6'04, 205] Swift Current, WHL (72•8•14•22•7•103): Fearsome fighter and extremely physical and is always going to stick up for a teammate. Slightly awkward, at times, with the puck but doesn't look out of place on the point. INTERESTING STAT: Calmed down on the penalty minutes as his role with the team grew, had 74 in the first four months, but only 29 in the last three. QUOTE: MARK LAMB, Swift Current Head Coach/GM: “He’s a young right-handed shot who fits the identity and style of our hockey team well. We have seen strong improvements in his game and are excited to have him join us.” From December 2012
44. Revel, Matt, C [5'11, 177] Kamloops, WHL (73•15•30•45•-27•18): Fast decisive playmaker with quick feet. Has good hockey-sense and awareness of where his teammates are but doesn't protect puck well, at all. Despite his slight frame, is a willing combatant in front of opponent nets. Defensive game is questionable. Was traded mid-season from Saskatoon to Kamloops. INTERESTING STAT: Never once had a +/- rating that was positive in any month, despite putting up 8 (three times) and 11 point months in October, November, January and February. QUOTE: LORNE MOLLEKEN, then-Saskatoon GM: "Matt is a player that we have really coveted since we listed him last fall. We think he's a tremendous player who has all kinds of potential and he will add great depth to our hockey club at a very key position. He had a very good Under-17 camp this summer and we look forward to having him on the ice with us during what is a very important season in franchise history." From September 2012
43. Coulter, Tyler, LW [5'11, 206] Brandon, WHL (52•8•13•21•2•27): Solid player who is hard to stop when he gets his skates churning to the net. Plays much bigger than his height: competitive and tough. Has somewhat awkward hands, but I saw him play on a line with Jayce Hawryluk and he didn't look out of place at all. INTERESTING STAT: Put up half his goals (4) and 8 of his 21 points during the month of December. QUOTE: KELLY MCCRIMMON, Brandon Coach/GM: “Tyler is a guy that thinks the game real well and he’s strong on the puck, he’s good on the cycle, those types of things. That’s probably the strength of his game, but [he and teammate Brett Kitt]’re both good, young players.” From October 2013
42. Thrower, Josh, D [6'01, 200] Tri-City, WHL (62•2•4•6•-6•89): Huge hitter who threw some of the most deadly-looking bodychecks I saw all season-long. Skates well with the puck on his stick. Defensive coverage is a little spotty right now. Absolutely fearsome fighter who will take on anyone in the WHL, and usually win. Brother Dalton is a prospect for the Montreal Canadiens. INTERESTING STAT: 60 of his 89 penalty minutes came during a three-month December-January-February run. Was held off the scoresheet in 5 of the season's 7 months. QUOTE: DALTON THROWER, Josh’s brother: “He’s a mean defenceman, I’d consider him. He plays the body well and takes care of his own end. He fights some of the tougher guys in the league and holds his own.” From November 2012
41. Rehill, Ryan, D [6'03, 213] Kamloops, WHL (72•4•16•20•-4•182): Big, mean physical d-man who will always stand up for teammates and willing to drop the gloves but often takes undisciplined penalties. Works very hard and has a good active stick that he gets into opponents' passing lanes. Because of the weakness of his Kamloops team, he probably played more than he should have, including power-play time, though he does have an accurate, quick wrist-shot, and killing penalties, but the experience should make him a more well-rounded player. Was named Kamloops' 'Best Defenseman', 'Most Dedicated' and 'Inspirational Leadership' awards. INTERESTING STAT: Four times this year he posted more than 30 PIM in a single month (Including a whopping 45 in October!). If not for February and March (A combined -13), he would have posted a positive +/- rating on a very weak team. QUOTE: IAN ESPLEN, Around the Boards blogger: "There really is no way to sugar coat this season for the Kamloops Blazers – they're a pretty bad team this year. But one of the bright spots this season has been the play of Ryan Rehill. The rugged defenceman is one of only a few Blazers with a positive plus/minus. Along with his toughness, he has shown decent mobility and a hard shot. While is may be a bit of a stretch for him to play in the prospects game, he does have a whole toolbox of skills, which scouts will fall in love with." From January 2014
40. Harlacher, Edson, D [6'03, 185] Kamloops, WHL (71•0•9•9•-27•44): A pure defensive defenceman who is an absolute warrior. Fearlessly blocks shots and will gut it out after particularly painful shots. Plays very physical, loves to take the body. Carries the puck confidently out of his own zone with his head up, looking for teammates. Has a heavy shot and is able to log some heavy minutes. INTERESTING STAT: Scored only 1 assist in his first 27 games, but put up 8 in his final 44 games but never scored a goal. QUOTE: DAVE HUNCHAK, then-Kamloops Coach: [European contacts have said that Harlacher] “is definitely a prospect. He’s a bigger body. Apparently, he skates pretty well.” From July 2013
39. Duke, Reid, C [6'00, 188] Lethbridge, WHL (62•15•25•40•-47•91): Good skater has breathtaking breakaway speed with nice playmaking ability. Might be a little soft on his skates. Went from being a borderline first rounder to a draft question mark, some of that was some spotty play in the first half, coupled with playing for a terrible, occasionally dysfunctional team, but stepped up his effort in the second half and began to look like a solid prospect again. INTERESTING STAT: Had only 6 points in his first 18 games (0.33 PpG) but averaged over 0.37 PpG in 2014. QUOTE: DEAN MILLARD, The Pipeline Show blogger: “The best individually skilled forward that will hear his name called on May 5th. "...this kid has the ability to 'wow' you on a regular basis." 64 points in 30 games makes him one of the best offensive players in this draft.” From April 2011
38. Sandhu, Tyler, RW [5'10, 170] Everett, WHL (49•13•17•30•-1•10): Isn't a very big guy but he doesn't shy away from contact and seems to enjoy playing physical. Gets himself in front of clearing attempts with no fear. Smart player who works really hard. INTERESTING STAT: Posted just 3 points in 11 games over the last three months of the season. Prior to that he averaged 0.71 points-per-game. QUOTE: TheGlove_20, The Sports Boys blogger: "Sandhu has an amazing shot, finishes checks and has great vision on the ice, he doesn't get hit very much due to his Sergei Fedorov like skating. Sandhu's wrist shot is very good, and he has shown skills when having plays like this" From September 2011
37. Schmidli, Kris, LW [5'09, 165] Kelowna, WHL (68•9•26•35•11•46): Small forward is an excellent passer with good vision that will go to the dirty areas to get the puck. Takes some needless penalties and has a penchant for embellishment. Dogged backchecker who works hard at both ends of the ice but just isn't big enough to handle opponents sometimes. Surprisingly effective along the boards and at cycling the puck. Needs to make quicker decisions and not get bogged down overhandling the puck. INTERESTING STAT: Only had a negative +/- rating in January (-2) and half of his 46 penalty minutes came in December and January. QUOTE: RYAN HUSKA, Kelowna Coach: "I think he's starting to feel more comfortable with the style here and the way things are done. It's a challenge for a young man, he's only 17 and sometimes we forget that. He's done a good job of learning our came and he's continuing to improve." From November 2013
36. Stadel, Riley, D [5'10, 162] Kelowna, WHL (63•10•25•35•12•62•9): Will often go for the big breakaway pass but is prone to bad giveaways. Loves to shoot the puck from the point but needs to get the shot off quicker. Excellent hand-eye-coordination. Has some grit to his game but it isn't always a good idea, given his size. Defensive play fell off after an excellent start and had some control issues with the puck behind his own net. INTERESTING STAT: 25 of his 35 points came before Christmas, only had 10 points in his last 32 games. Was an impressive +10 in February. QUOTE: DAN LAMBERT, Kelowna Assistant Coach: “Riley is the type of guy who just loves the game and he works hard at it every day. He wasn't playing all the time early on, but whenever he was called upon he was ready to go. When we lost Mitch (Wheaton) he was forced to play even more minutes, he's responded very well and he's been doing a great job for us lately." From March 2013
35. Zwerger, Dominic, LW [6'00, 205] Spokane, WHL (53•16•10•26•14•20): Is tough to handle on his skates and seems to enjoy the physical side of the game. Forces turnovers with his reach and also uses it to keep control of the puck though he doesn't always protect the puck well enough in his own zone. I caught him one night when a player was tossed from the game and he moved up onto the top line and didn't look out of place at all. Seems to create offence out of nothing and draws his fair share of penalties. Has a solid wrist-shot and is a good passer. INTERESTING STAT: Scored 62% of his points during the months of January and February when he was scoring at a 0.61 PpG pace, almost double (0.37 PpG) his pace in the other five months. QUOTE: CHRIS MOULTON, Spokane Director of Player Personnel: “Dominic is one of the most dominant ’96 born players in Austria. He moved to play in Switzerland and stayed dominant there. Offensively, he’s a gifted player with good size and strength.” From July 2013
34. Gagnon, Ryan, D [6'01, 190] Victoria, WHL (66•2•6•8•10•55): Gritty defensive defenceman's game grew by leaps and bounds this season. Really physical and tough and is a terror when he drops the gloves. Very strong and absolutely crushes opponents with bodychecks but has a penchant for going overboard and getting penalized. Doesn't have much of an offensive game, though he does occasionally try to jump into the rush. INTERESTING STAT: His +10 was amongst the highest for defencemen on his team and would have been even higher had he not been a -9 through September and October, the only months all year where it dipped below -1. QUOTE: RANDY GORAN, McKeen's Hockey: "...a stay-at-home type defenseman and plays very physical and is not afraid to drop the gloves on occasion .. delivers big body checks, and he has a nasty streak .. he needs to simplify his game, in so much as to not try to over compensate for simple ways to relieve pressure in his own zone by using the boards instead of blindly throwing the pick away up the middle .. this is just inexperience and I believe coaching and experience will turn this around..." From October 2013
33. Valentine, Dallas, D [6'03, 195] Moose Jaw, WH; (69•3•11•14•-28•44): Not real strong on the puck pushed off easily. Game grew by leaps and bounds as his confidence increased. Became a really effective point presence with a big shot and clever passes. Defensive game grew as he began to recognize the gift of his massive reach. Very raw but has a great array of tools. INTERESTING STAT: 9 of his 14 points came in the last three months of the season. QUOTE: MATTHEW GOURLIE, Moose Jaw Times blogger: "Valentine impressed in his short time in the league and should have a leg up for one of the last spots on the roster. Valentine showed an ability to skate well for a six-foot-two defenceman and didn’t make a lot of mistakes." From August 2013
32. Martin, Brycen, D [6'02, 185] Swift Current, WHL (72•6•31•37•-16•42): Good skater who likes to jump into the play and has a quick, accurate shot from the point. Tends to overplay puck-carrier in defensive zone and is frequently beat this way. Play fell off a cliff in the new year, time will tell if he can get it back. INTERESTING STAT: Only 13 of his 37 points came in 2014, while his +/- rating also took a hit (Went from -1 at the end of December to -16 come season's end). QUOTE: REECE SCARLETT, former Bronco teammate/Devils draft pick: “[Martin’s] a great player. He sees the ice well and he’s a great skater. The sky’s the limit for him.” From October 2012
31. Gardiner, Reid, C [5'11, 185] Prince Albert, WHL (70•22•22•44•2•39): Solid playmaker, but every time I saw him I was left wanting more. I've seen him very high on some other lists but his game just never jumped out to me. Smooth skater works hard and has a nice wrister. Has some jam but needs to get stronger as he gets outmuscled down low and is easily pushed off the puck. INTERESTING STAT: Put up 70% of his 44 points in between the months of October, November and December, only scored 13 points in 37 games in the other 4 months of the year. QUOTE: JOSH MORRISSEY, Prince Albert teammate: "[Gardiner] is a guy who works hard on the ice, he works hard off the ice. He comes to the rink every day and competes hard and really cares about the game. His skill-set is phenomenal; he has a really good shot. I think that's probably one of his biggest assets." From January 2014
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