Edmonton Oil Kings Pre-Season Invitational Part 1

The Edmonton Oil Kings recently hosted their 4th annual Pre-Season Invitational featuring players from the Oil Kings, Medicine Hat Tigers, Prince George Cougars and Swift Current Broncos. In part one of a two-part series, McKeen's correspondent Matt Bugg has notes on several prospects from the Cougars and Tigers.

Prince George Cougars

Jesse Forsberg (2011), D, Prince George

The centerpiece of the blueline for the rebuilding Cougars, Forsberg is as complete as they come .. strong, balanced skater who moves with long, powerful strides .. smooth as can be when handling the puck mid-stride, and can effectively distribute it on both sides of his body or stick .. earns high marks for his patience - instead of getting rid of the puck at the first sign of danger, he will hang onto it until a lane opens up .. possesses excellent hand-eye coordination, and leverages it to knock down bouncing pucks or passes .. although a high PIM player who takes great pride in finishing his checks as hard as possible, Forsberg prefers to angle a player off first instead of looking for the big hit .. is particularly lethal as a pointman because of his powerful, accurate slapshot .. instead of always aiming low, he chooses to mix it up with high blasts that are as accurate as most wristshots .. although it was only a preseason contest, Forsberg logged heavy minutes and was used on a 5-on-3 penalty kill, the first unit of each powerplay and in the last minute while the team was on the penalty kill with a two-goal lead.

Caleb Belter (2011), RW, Prince Goerge

A heart-and-soul player, Belter had his share of challenges last year .. the 2008 2nd round Bantam Draft pick was the last cut by the Cougars in training camp and returned to Midget AAA with a chip on his shoulder .. however, after leading the AMHL in scoring through November, Belter injured his knee and missed the rest of the year .. that injury does not appear to have affected playing style .. high-energy forward is always moving his feet and loves to dole out body checks, especially when taking care of his end .. can turn the tables on an opponent in an instant by gaining possession after a big hit, rushing up ice for a chance .. technically proficient skater in all four directions, and accelerates quickly .. can change direction at a moment's notice and does not lose speed or balance when forced to do so .. not an overly commanding player skill-wise, save for above-average puck control and excellent situational awareness .. strong lateral passer, he does not telegraph and uses his head and body to hide his intentions .. scores his goals honestly by going to the net and hanging out around the net - often initiates the contact in these areas with stealthy elbows and slashes to distract a defender .. quick wrist/snapshot.

Dane Phaneuf (2012), D, Prince George

Communicates well with his partner, especially in scrum situations .. above-average positioning, angling opposing players out of danger with minimal fuss .. exudes confidence and owns tremendous poise under pressure - seems to especially thrive when the play is getting away from him, always finding a way to recover .. excellent agility and transitions .. uses half-spins and feints to elude forecheckers and again trades on his obvious sense of calm to make such moves when other players might be scared of giving the puck away .. soft hands, even when maneuvering 360 degrees .. good lateral passer, but does not wander from his end and instead relies on a pinpoint-accurate outlet pass to generate offense .. good, albeit not overwhelming slapshot .. as he does in his end, does not pinch aggressively while manning the opposing team's blueline, but utilizes his strong skating and puckhandling ability to create passing lanes.

Joshua Smith (2013), D, Prince George

First round pick of the Cougars, 19th overall, at the 2008 Bantam Draft .. plays much bigger than his 5-foot-10, 180-pound frame .. however, his abrasive, immature style leads to many unnecessary penalties .. must lose the habit of violently throwing players to the ice instead of initiating smart, safe contact .. will do so even if the whistle has gone .. has a tendency to not only leave his man to lay a hit, but will target an opposing player at the opposite direction of the play for a check .. however, he owns a great deal of skill in all other areas .. good hockey sense and closes the gap seamlessly .. sharp breakout passes that sail through skates and traffic .. excellent skater, clean crossovers both forwards and backwards .. can pivot on a dime .. excellent puck control and keeps both hands on his stick while navigating through traffic .. is a proficient outlet passer but prefers to lead the rush and distribute passes to his wingers in full flight .. whip-like slapshots from the point are a nightmare for goalies and defensemen alike, generating high-percentage rebounds .. Smith is a wildcard at this point; a true all-around athlete - he competed at the Alberta Summer Games in Track & Field .. he owns the natural ability to be a future top prospect .. however, when on the ice, he most focus on contributing in all areas .. he had just three points at the Midget level due to his constant parade to the penalty box.

Medicine Hat Tigers

Boston Leier (2011), LW, Medicine Hat

Low, compact skater makes two or three strides a second, generating a ton of speed in a very small amount of space and time .. a veritable puck hawk in the way he jumps on giveaways .. soft touch with the puck and uses long, swooping dekes to cause goalies and defensemen to commit .. saw plenty of time on the penalty-kill thanks to his non-stop motor and willingness to use his speed to shadow the puckcarrier .. can receive passes adeptly on either the forehand or backhand .. excellent vision and can see a gap developing in coverage before it happens .. of the many diminutive forwards competing for icetime with the Tigers, Leier has the best chance of seeing regular bottom-six duty in 2010-11 due to his usefulness on both special teams units.

Curtis Valk (2011), C, Medicine Hat

Prolific sniper at the minor hockey ranks weighs in at just 5-foot-7 and 140 pounds .. he is willing to battle for position despite his stature and owns good puck control in tight .. is excellent at retaining control at top speed, and gets clean shots on goal no matter the amount of traffic thanks to his quick hands .. top-end speed is above-average, but acceleration is slightly worse than what a smaller player needs to succeed at a higher level .. owns a hard snapshot that is tough for goalies to handle, but it is often directed at the body or chest .. likely returnee to the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL, but may be a first call-up option if and when injuries strike.

Patrik Parkkonen (2011), D, Medicine Hat

The 59th pick in the 2010 CHL Import Draft was surprisingly physical in his debut against WHL competition, using his speed on the forecheck to lay some big checks .. graceful skater who possesses fine edge control and balance, transitioning fluidly from forwards to backwards .. excellent playmaker, receiving and getting rid of the puck in one smooth motion either when standing still or in mid-stride .. is especially lethal on the powerplay, giving defenders fits, as he utilizes his skating and fine puck control to cycle the puck .. passes penetrate the box seamlessly whether diagonally, east-west or north-south .. adept at using fake shots and passes to create openings in which he and his teammates can work .. serviceable slapshot packs a punch despite a small windup .. defensively, Parkkonen is still a work in progress .. while he owns good hockey sense and excels at sensing turnovers before they occur, at 5-foot-9 and 161 pounds, he does not yet possess the strength to be as good in his end as he is in the other .. represented Team Finland at U17s where he collected two assists in five games, and won back-to-back Junior B championships with HIFK back home.

Dawson MacAuley (2012), G, Medicine Hat

On the one hand, is technically proficient, and understands how to use his big frame and long legs to their maximum advantage when handling long shots .. his quickness is something special for a goaltender his size .. on the other, he was constantly kicking or directing pucks into dangerous areas .. also has a tendency to play too small and shrink into his crease on man-advantages .. while he makes the save, he will flop over and use his belly to do so, instead of employing the proper butterfly stance.

Hunter Shinkaruk (2013), RW, Medicine Hat

The 14th pick in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft, Shinkaruk is a smaller player in the mold of former Tiger Tyler Ennis .. tremendous skater who skates with a low-down style that takes full advantage of his low center of gravity, as he can absorb a check in mid-flight and not lose a step .. constantly buzzing in the offensive zone, and works to support the forecheck with his speed and quick stick .. excellent technical shooter and will keep his blade flat and open for passes .. with the Tigers down two in the first game of the tournament, he was double and even triple-shifted late in the contest and was constantly given the puck in his office at the side of the net .. at times, he is guilty of hanging out high in the defensive zone, but when required will use his great speed to track down the puckcarrier and attempt to push/pull the puck from them .. Shinkaruk showed no signs of a horrific injury suffered just one year ago .. early in the 2009-10 season, he broke both major leg bones and missed the entire year .. barring another such setback, Shinkaruk is a strong favorite to stick on the roster.