There are two potential 1st year Royals D men that really caught my eye at tonight's intrasquad game.
Now I'm fuzzy on the rules, but I'm not sure if first year bantam drafted players are eligible for the WHL. But if they are, Joey Hicketts may be a kid to watch. He's only 5'10, but he plays much bigger. He was the best skater on the ice tonight, but not by as much as I initially thought. But this kid has it all! I just wonder how much coach Habscheid will reel him in.
The other guy that blew me away was 16 yr old (turns 17 in November) Kade Pilton. 6'4, 194 lbs this kid can skate, and handle the puck. He could add a bit more of a nasty streak, but this was only my first look at him. And he does have a fight to his credit on hockeyfights.com. But the tools are there for this kid to be a big presence on the blueline. Kade scored what would be the co highlight reel goal of the night, on a solo rush mid way through the 2nd period.
The "manchild" Keegan Kanzig (6'5, 230lbs) was barely noticable. He had a few decent chances on the PP for team Black in the first period. After that, I didn't much notice him the rest of the game. Which could say a lot for a kid the size he is. Or perhaps, if I could get a look at a stats sheet, he may not have seen nearly as much ice time as others. Either way, nothing big, or small to report on the behemoth from Saskatchewan.
One forward more than any other stood out. That being Tyler Crunk from Southern California (San Diego region). The kid has good wheels, and an excellent set of hands. Seems like a good bet for the Royals this season. He had two goals for team Black. Both coming off a rush. The first was 10 seconds into the 2nd period. The 2nd goal came part way through the third. It was a rush from apx the red line in, where he split two defenders, while also beating his check on the inside part of the neutral zone. This was definitely the co highlight reel goal of the night.
The last player who really impressed me tonight was 5'7 forward Ross Heidt. The only problem I see w/ Heidt is his stature. 5'7 isn't terribly small for the WHL but, 135 lbs is a bit concerning. Some of the players he would be going up against on a regular basis are NHL draft picks, who have a couple training camps behind them. So big kids, that have a much better understanding of what it takes to be a pro. This may mean Heidt could use another year of development, and hopefully come back to camp next fall with a little more size. But, he does have his fearless nature, and willingness to go into the dirty areas, on top of his speed and skill going for him. Something to take into consideration with a player like Heidt.
G Coleman Vollrath only played the first period, but did an excellent job tracking pucks, and remaining square to the shooter. He challenges in one on one situations, and shows incredible feet. Over only one period, it was difficult to spend as much time watching Vollrath as I wanted to. Hopefully I will get another chance to watch him, later in the pre season.
Honourable mentions...
F Zane Jones
D Jesse Paul
D Spencer Loverock
D Brayden Park
F Matt Bissett
D Jordan Rooke *Rooke had a terrible 2nd period. Bounced back nicely in the 3rd. Plays a mean, stay at home game.
I appologize for the mish mash of points on tonights Black and White game. I wasn't as prepared as I should have been, and did not take notes. So if you have anything to add, that I may have missed, or perhaps have wrong, please let me know. Comments, and critique are always welcome.
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