South camp was really good, goaltending a little suspect ,should have good defence and some solid forwards. Penner was the best player in camp by a large margin,best I have seen all year . Bleakley was good but no where near Penner in fact they played against each other and Penner hammered him behind the net so hard Connor's feet were above his head. Leth was invisible as he was most season, Wong needs to play with good players in order to stand out. Chartier had a good camp as did Bechtold .
A great group of athletes and some very tough decisions for the coaching staff. The split looks very even between the Royals and Bisons. Both goalies from the Bisons, 4 Royals D to 2 from the Bisons, and the forward split was 7 from the Royals and 5 from the Bisons. There was a AA defenceman from the Royals chosen as well. Not giving out any names at this point as i am sure the list will be on the Alberta Cup website later today. Congratulations to all of the athletes who tried out and to those players who were fortunate enough to qualify to play in the Alberta Cup!
A great group of athletes and some very tough decisions for the coaching staff. The split looks very even between the Royals and Bisons. Both goalies from the Bisons, 4 Royals D to 2 from the Bisons, and the forward split was 7 from the Royals and 5 from the Bisons. There was a AA defenceman from the Royals chosen as well. Not giving out any names at this point as i am sure the list will be on the Alberta Cup website later today. Congratulations to all of the athletes who tried out and to those players who were fortunate enough to qualify to play in the Alberta Cup!
Any reports on the 2011 Alberta Cup Zone Camps? Rosters, who looks good, surprizes?
I saw a few surprises at the Calgary south Camp community players making the team ahead of some very good hockey players Logan Oconnor was not selected also Riley Van Horne two major mistakes as I see it. The two best players in Camp were Point and Duke, Both able to create plays for themselves and others. Dambraskus and Ried looked strong on Defence Martin had an average camp but was still good. Some big point producers during the year looked out of sorts Goaltending looked solid . Calgary south should have been the team to beat but after seeing the roster and choices that may not be the case.
Yes I agree on the Logan O'Connor comment, he was always one of the hardest working players on the ice all of this year and throughout the Alberta Cup tryouts. Did not get to see Sawatsky enough to make any comment on him, however Leonidis did have a strong camp, and played very well throughout. Duke was strong, however Point was the most dominant player on the ice, making all around him better. The Gold squad he was on was not the best when you looked at their talent pool, and yet they were able to go undefeated in the round robin. Point should absolutely be named captain of the South Team, a nice kid, positive attitude, extremely skilled and yet remains humble, not a bad combination in my book.
Made the entire day on Friday and the early games for Saturday. Skipped todays games, was tired of the 4 hours a day of driving and really only so much changes from day to day. Did have a conversation with one scout from a western conference team about the tournament. He told me its nice to get a last look but he doesn't read too much into it, too many variables and players who are on their draft table aren't moving off due to this tournament and probably no one is moving a ton up either.
That being said for the kids from the north this was my first look so I probably missed a few good ones and liked a few who only had one good weekend. Supplemented the info I have on local kids as well. So here is a few thoughts on a few kids from each team. It was a great tournament and the kids were fantastic. Really was a good show and I did hear some scouts talk about how great the talent was. A lot of scouts mentioning that, although there is no obvious top in this draft, the first two rounds will have tons of very good players and having early round picks could yield a great core to a teams future.
South Alberta
Jonny Hogue - G - Lethbridge - Solid from what I saw athletic and reasonable rebound control. Lots of energy in between. A hair small but he was fun to watch.
Jake Dube - D - Cochrane - Some lists have him as alberta's best on the blueline. Personally I lean towards Brycen Martin because of his two way game. But Dube is no slouch. Good game nice skater. Kind of Kris Russell type player but probably will be a bit bigger.
Connor Bleackely - F - High River - I only mention him because I have previously. I don't think he would have hurt himself in this tournament but he didn't do anything special when I watched him, didn't move up. Still a high end prospect and great size.
Blake Penner - F - Medicine Hat - I really liked him in the tournament. He was always around the puck and worked hard. He was great at faceoffs. None of his skills were at the top but he was an affective player and played with an edge. He had lots of talk from the scouts and rightfully so. Every part of his game was good.
Tyler Wong - F - Calgary - He may have been second in AMBHL scoring this league but I don't think he belongs at the top at all. He has great hands and a good shot. Ok vision but nothing special. But his biggest pitfall is he just doesn't engage anywhere on the ice. He isn't physical and he doesn't want to be. He wasn't fast and he was easy to overlook. But he has great hands very nice moves. May just need a push and he could be a good goal scorer.
Cavin Leth - F - Taber - Has an incredible amount of speeds, a great shot and good hands. Quieter in this tournament than in league play but he is high end talent.
Calgary South
Adin Hill - G - Calgary - He had a good tournament. He isn't huge and his stats probably make him sound a bit better than he is but he is a good goalie who squares up to the puck well. He looks to be a good one. I think he isn't far between Papirny, Gora and Mazil for Alberta goalies.
Joseph Leonidas - D - Calgary - Royals player who spent the season in AA. Talked to some people who had a reason for it but if they weren't right this kid has grown by leaps and bounds. He was very smart with the puck and solid in his end. Was great at distributing on the power play when he got a chance and wasn't scared to get the puck to the net. If he goes a little later in the draft he will be that late round steal.
Brycen Martin - D - Calgary - Talked about him a ton he is truly a solid two way defender who is so calm and collected on the back end. Some people have him lower than me but he is my best in Alberta he is very talented.
Reid Duke - F - Calgary - Good size, great hands and shot and he loves to compete. He is fun and is a can't miss. On some peoples pages he is the best Alberta player. This maybe true he has a ton of potential and came a long way this season. Definite hit at the top end.
Tanner MacMaster - F - Calgary - I know I have said I wonder if he is the best Alberta prospect like some people have said. I still don't think he is but he moved up on my charts this weekend. He can be so dynamic and could turn into a good goal scoring forward. Of the top end talent he may have the meanest side and I like that he can be mean. Its good to see he isn't scared to get dirty. Talked to one guy who said if he progresses like his brother he will be great. He is ahead of Nathan at this age and if he is willing to adapt the same he will be a great player.
Josh McCulloh - F - Calgary - My most underrated player in Calgary. He really has good vision and plays a mature responsible game . He plays both ends well and plays a great setup man.
Alex Mowbray - F - Calgary - Not the top end but I like his game, he plays a good offensive game and I think was easy to forget this season behind Point and MacMaster. He was quieter in this tournament, no longer on a line with Point and MacMaster.
Kyle O'Connor - F - Calgary - Another very improved player. Big body and a great shot. Not special hands or vision but tough to ignore his size and shot and how much he improved.
Brayden Point - F - Calgary - Still my favourite for pure vision. Amazing vision he just sees a different game. One scout said to me during a game "its like he is just toying with the other team dragging them around to open passes and plays" and it is like that. He just dissected defenses. All the size comments were what was holding him back. Never thought of this though, one very nice scout was explaining to me how he watches size on a player like that. He said he doesn't think Point will always be the smallest. He has very large feet a solid sized frame, to him that suggests he has room to grow, he said that combined with discovering the parents size may give him hope for growth in a player like that. So maybe you aren't drafting the next Kozun here after all.
Calgary North
Derek Mazil - G - Calgary - Tough weekend as his team got shelled by calgary south but he bounced back with a solid effort the next morning. He is great and he will be a real player in the WHL. He has the right maturity level to play in the league and at least one scout wasn't worried about this weekend and felt he was definitely top talent.
Ben Thomas - D - Calgary - This player has amazing potential, can be as good as anybody including Martin. Everyone wants to know if he can be mean. He is very much like Jay Bouwmeester and I am not sure that means a poor mans version. If he continues to develop and ups his will to compete he could be a star in the WHL. Really the sky is the limit but I don't think he is a sure thing yet. Scouts really like the potential in him they were all talking about him.
Taro Hirose - F - Calgary - I don't know if he moved himself into the draft but he had a great weekend. Hard worker with pretty good hands. Won a lot of battles because he just doesn't quit. Steve Covingtonesque.
Kyler Nachtigall - F - Calgary - Maybe the best skater during the weekend, powerful and smooth, he is nice to watch. His game has incredible potential and he could really be a solid WHL player if he choses the WHL. He is a fantastic leader and is one of the younger players in this group. Very mature. The biggest concern is he sometimes leaves you wanting a bit more. But I tend to believe that is just because his game shows you what kind of talent it will develop into. I am going to really enjoy watching him develop at the next level.
Justin Peers - F - Calgary - Again not sure he will be in the draft but he is a good player. Not great foot speed and that hurts him but I would put his vision above address. Poor mans Brayden Point, no suprise as he grew up playing with point before quadrant hockey.
Alex Ruel-Garvery - F - Calgary - Powerful, fast skater with an elite level shot and release. He needs to get a bit bigger but he can make things happen in a hurry. He had a great weekend. Will make himself a tough cut everywhere he tries out.
Sam Young - F - Calgary - Hard worker with a good shot and he loves to get into the corners and be physical. His game was fun to watch this weekend. Selected by his teammates to sport the C.
Alberta Central
Don't know why but I didn't get the best feel for anyone off this team, so I am definitely missing some talent.
Ty Mappin - F - Big Valley - He has fantastic hands a good shot and loves to make things happen. Pretty good vision and makes good passes. Not scared to come all the way down and help in his zone. Felt he overhandled the puck this weekend and also seemed to be lacking the breakaway speed. He still has top end talent. Thought about asking an RD scout about his relation to Cass but I didn't want to piss him off talking about a dud. How many Mappin families could be in Big Valley?
Jayden Sveinson - F - Red Deer - Big body, with good skating, above average hands and a good shot. Has a bit of a reputation for being a hot head but he plays his game with a nice edge and is a pain to play against. He is physical and is a good agitator who can produce. If a team can keep him reeled in he could be an affective derek dorsett type with better size.
Edomonton South
Jordan Papirny - G - Edmonton - He ranks in that group of 3 very elite goalies and he helped his team to an AMBHL championship. I am pretty sure he wasn't going to move up or down with this tournament he is very good.
Erik Donald - D - Edmonton - Liked him in my previous viewing but was less impressed here. Still had very good shifts but looked a bit nervous on the puck and wasn't as strong in his end especially in the corners.
Aaron Irving - D - Edmonton - His game was pretty solid. I felt he made good puck decisions and wasn't noticeable for mistakes in my limited viewing.
Mathieu Lapointe - F - Edmonton - He wasn't a particularly strong skater but he has pretty good size and he produced a ton. He made some very good passes in my chance to see him. I don't know that he stood out to me but he was on the ice during a lot of good opportunities.
John Quenneville - F - Edmonton - His vision was still good and he had a few good plays but when I saw him he looked tired and not at his best. Not sure about him. Very different players in my viewings.
Edmonton North
Weakest team I saw. Really lacking.
Dylan France - G - Edmonton - Saw him in one game and he looked good. Next game he let in a weak one but he still was having a pretty good game.
Tyler Mork - F - Edmonton - Good hands and a fantastic shot. One of the few bright spots on this squad.
Northeast
Alexander Farquhar - D - Beaumont - Big player with ok skating. He was very good in his end and seemed to read the attack well. He was ok with the puck and he made a few very good plays to offset a couple of bobbles. I liked his game, he is a question mark in the eyes of some scouts. Was hurt for a good part of the season from what I understand.
Clayton Kirchenko - D - Sherwood Park - He has talent and could be a solid two way defender but lots of mistakes this weekend and he finished the tournament in the stands. Injuries would be unremarkable but one scout mentioned that he seemed to be hurt a lot and some of the injuries he may have been able to play through. The scout mentioned he has an intriguing amount of talent just wasn't sure if he wasn't a risk. Also some concussion issues this season had the scout worried.
Cole Chorney - F - Beaumont - I liked this kids game. I had a scout explain he wasn't really on anyones draft radar for near the top but he still impressed me. Was always in open ice in the offensive zone and made a lot of space for himself. Generally was a great passing option although I didn't think his handling skills were as strong as some players. When his team lost possession he was quick to close the gap and wasn't shy about finishing his checks. I really was impressed with his game. Would need some skill development. He would probably be a project forward but hey that is where your depth can be helpful.
Liam Gregor - F - Beaumont - He had great scoring stats in league play this season. He has a very good good shot and quick feet. I didn't think he was particularly fast he just has a good first step and moves laterally very quickly.
Justin Kirkland - F - Camrose - Had a linemate Pollock that was producing a lot of goals but I think that Kirkland had a lot to do with it. He was physical and worked hard and made some great passes. The way he played made room for his linemates and he was noticeable almost every shift I saw him.
Northwest
Patrick Gora - G - St Albert - Very technically strong. Always square and moved across the net great. He was rarely in a bad position and he collected his rebounds quickly. Limited second chance opportunities with his play. Played the puck well and at smart times. He has great size as well. It pains me to say this, because I am a huge Derek Mazil fan, but Gora maybe the best I have seen in Alberta. He would look very good in a Hitmen uniform.
Nikolas Koberstein - D - Stony Plain - Very big defenseman. He is a big strong player who has WHL size already and loves to use it. Made a lot of very good hits and was great in his end. For a guy that size he was a strong skater and was competent with the puck. Has some definite appeal on size alone, none of his skills were amazing.
Thomas Foster - F - Slave Lake - What I liked most about this player was his nose for the net. I often found myself watching him drive net front and actively attacking rebounds. Produced in the tournament and I think his drive was a big reason for it.
Kord Pankewicz - F - Drayton Valley - I don't know that he is risk free thats for sure. His game is raw but he has the tools to develop a strong game. Possibly a good physical forward. He got attention for me for being pretty good and active all around the ice. Another project but definitely has potential.
Thats all 8 teams. Again the tournament was great and I saw tons of good talent there and I definitely will hope to make this tournament a more regular trip. Really is fun to see these kids just before the draft. Also shows how promising the alberta system has become. The scouts I got to talk to all were impressed. The one comment that was interesting was a scout who said "I see a lot of talent I am not sure about that I am told is very good and a lot of talent I think is great that I am being told maybe isn't as high end, makes it an interesting draft group, definitely don't want to read to much into this tournament."
Not sure why you would't read alot into this tournament. You have arguably the top 160 players in the province playing/competing against each other. This is a "performance on demand" tournament. Be prepared and "bring it". No regular season 3rd or 4th line players to feed off and pad points against. Those who showed up should be commended and those who did not I would be concerned about.
Not sure why you would't read alot into this tournament. You have arguably the top 160 players in the province playing/competing against each other. This is a "performance on demand" tournament. Be prepared and "bring it". No regular season 3rd or 4th line players to feed off and pad points against. Those who showed up should be commended and those who did not I would be concerned about.
As you said no 3 or 4 line players to pad your stats off, also no 3 and 4 line players to carry and make better. I have to tell you that the top players don't spend a lot of time on the ice against another teams lowest d pairing in the AMBHL it really is a managed bench environment. There is a whole season of play to evaluate a players potential. If you are using only this tournament you really are not scouting enough to get the best information. What if a player is ill? What about the fact a team has had one weekend of practice? Tough to learn a new system and institute it that quickly. There are so many variables that include the fact that some of these players hadn't played a competitive game in over a month and it took them the first game or 2 to get back up to speed. The reality is your statement of "be prepared and bring it" is the kind of statement that allows you to move a top level talent down your draft order and grab a player with less growth potential higher. If you think every 14 year old kid is flicking the switch for that weekend and having success you are going to miss a ton of talent.
