A Whale of a Time

In just three years of existence, the Hampton Roads Junior Whalers development program has become a launching pad to Junior A, NCAA and even NHL hockey. Whalers alum Radoslav Illo was a fifth-round pick by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, while several other top players have moved on to the USHL, NAHL, AJHL, EJHL and Canadian Junior A hockey. McKeen's correspondent Kevin Hopson has notes on Alex Byrne, Dana Arnold and Allen Hudson, who are poised to make this leap in the coming years.

Dana Arnold (2012), C, Hampton Roads Junior Whalers

Despite being one of the youngest players on the Junior Whalers (only 15-years-old), Arnold has a team-high five goals and is also third in total points (7-5-2-7) .. he can be slippery with the puck and effectively uses his agility to redeploy and operate in open space .. capable of working his way through traffic but needs to be more consistent and stronger on the puck in these instances .. possesses sound vision and can find teammates when opportunities arise .. defensively conscious, as he will typically be the first forward back, and also provides continuous support in his own end, which allows his defensemen to be more aggressive at the blueline .. instead of forcing the play, Arnold is willing to retreat with the puck and initiate defensive zone and neutral zone regroups .. enjoys fluid lateral movement and is crisp in his turns .. even though his straight-ahead speed is adequate, Arnold could be an even better skater by utilizing a deeper knee bend, as he is a little stiff in his forward pushes .. needs to get stronger and refine his raw talent, but the potential is there.

Alex Byrne (2012), D, Hampton Roads Junior Whalers

A native of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Byrne is a talented defenseman who can be relied on in just about any situation .. not the prettiest skater but he possesses sneaky quickness, good acceleration and effective recovery speed .. physical player who will throw big hits, push opponents off the puck and can display resiliency on the puck while in possession of it .. anticipates the play extremely well, which makes up for any shortfall in his skating game .. for example, he knows where his opponent is going with the puck and can utilize his exceptional hands and useful stick work to rob them of the biscuit .. demonstrates patience with the puck and constantly surveys the ice in search of potential outlets .. enjoys a quality distribution game but can also move the puck with his valuable stickhandling dexterity .. can control a booming pass with relative ease and then unleash a wicked slapshot, which he gets superior velocity and movement on .. not afraid to pinch aggressively in the attacking zone and rub out a much bigger opponent on the forecheck .. only listed at five-foot-eight, but he is built like a rock and plays bigger than his size.

Allen Hudson (2011), D, Hampton Roads Junior Whalers

Hudson is a rangy defenseman with both size and skill .. he can easily clear space in front of the net and is effective at holding opponents along the boards until support arrives .. not an exceptional skater, but he uses his long stride and lengthy reach to recover defensively and get his team out of precarious situations .. owns flexible hands for a kid of his generous stature, as he can beat flat-footed opponents with his stickhandling abilities and also wire a perfect pass through traffic .. enjoys astute vision and sometimes appears as if he has eyes in the back of his head .. for instance, he can move one way and then dish the puck in the opposite direction with his quality backhander .. capable of launching a heavy slapper from the point but requires ample time and space for his big wind-up .. otherwise, he can get caught putting a weak and imprecise shot on net.