AJHL: Junior Bondra

The Washington Junior Nationals officially opened their 2009-10 season with a road trip to Bellmore, NY this past weekend, as they took on the New York Bobcats. McKeen's correspondent Kevin Hopson has notes on David Bondra, son of Peter Bondra, as well as Nicky Demeria, Michael Harris and Bobcats standout Matthew Zay.

David Bondra (2010), F, Washington Jr. Nationals

A draft pick of the USHL's Chicago Steel and the OHL's Kitchener Rangers, David Bondra has not gone unnoticed .. however, as the son of former NHL great Peter Bondra, his name could have something to do with this .. his father averaged nearly a point per game over his professional playing career, which is something David had no problem accomplishing at the Bantam and Midget Minor levels .. unfortunately, kids have caught up to him the past two years, making his transition to Junior A hockey a more difficult one than some may have initially anticipated .. Bondra does possess skill, though, particularly when it comes to generating offense .. his clear vision and ability to distribute the puck make him a threat not only in the attacking zone, but also in transition .. because of his spongy hands, Bondra can go into traffic and get rid of the puck before being dispossessed .. he can also settle things down in the defensive end and launch neutral zone regroups .. one thing he is guilty of, on occasion, is forcing the play .. for example, instead of taking on three defenders at once, Bondra should either dump and chase or wait for support to arrive .. when Bondra is not feeding his teammates the rubber, he is usually getting several quality looks on net .. he just needs to do a better job of capitalizing on his scoring opportunities and finishing .. while not possessing breakaway speed, Bondra is a hard-working skater who is efficient at getting from point A to point B.

Nicky Demeria (2010), F, Washington Jr. Nationals

Demeria, who participated in the 2009 AJHL All-Star game and also made the 1992 USHL draft list, was one of Washington's leading goal scorers last season .. though he does not set the ice on fire, Demeria is an above-average skater who is capable of beating defenders with his feet .. he can weave his way through an obstacle course of defenders and find the open man on a consistent basis .. surprisingly, Demeria really excels on the penalty kill .. he succeeds in pressuring the puckhandler, usually the pointman, and taking away both the passing and shooting lanes .. Demeria also displays great anticipation and is adept at reading the opposing offense .. often times, you will find him intercepting a cross-ice pass and creating a quality shorthanded opportunity via breakaway .. when his team is down a man, Demeria is called on to win key draws, and he usually delivers.

Michael Harris (2010), F, Washington Jr. Nationals

Harris is another product of the prestigious Team Maryland program, which has delivered several players to the EJHL, USHL and OHL over the past few years .. Harris is not the type of player who will get in behind the defense and break free in the open ice, primarily due to his average skating ability .. however, this is of little concern to him, as Harris' job is to play a physical game down low once his team has set up in the attacking zone .. he loves to punish opponents on the forecheck, especially in the corners, and is very proficient at knocking players off the puck .. Harris owns flexible hands, which allow him to deflect shots, settle pucks out of mid-air and dish the rubber to teammates .. he is also a capable scorer, as his power forward physique yields ideal positioning in front of the net and provides opportunities for rebounds and/or one-timers.

Matthew Zay (undrafted), F, New York Bobcats

Zay has committed to Division I Mercyhurst for 2011 .. he was draft-eligible last spring but was not selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. however, because he will be playing two more years of junior hockey and attending Mercyhurst in the fall of 2011, Zay will have more time to develop his game and gain much-needed exposure .. as a result, Zay could be picked up in a future draft or eventually signed as a free agent depending on his success .. Zay is a well-rounded forward that takes pride in his special teams play .. he is a strong skater who can apply pressure on the forecheck and also win 1-on-1 races with defenders, allowing him to beat out icing calls .. Zay can exhibit a physical game at times, but is only willing to throw his weight around on the forecheck .. he has a knack for generating offense, as his patience with the puck, precise passing game and intelligent decision making (i.e., does not force bad shots) make him very productive in the attacking zone .. Zay enjoys exceptional hands in tight spaces, particularly in the corners .. in seemingly impossible situations, he somehow finds a way to get the puck out of his hands and into the hands of a teammate.