Ivan Hlinka U-18 Tournament: Team Canada

The Canadians have absolutely dominated this tournament winning 11 times in the past 13 years. The Canadians valiantly fought out the Swedes, the only real challenge in their division. Wins over Team Swiss and Team Slovakia were accomplished with little to no effort. The Canadians surrendered the first goal in three of their four games but showed resiliency to come back each time. The Canadians scored by committee and had the benefit of rolling three offensive units that could all play a different style of game. Backed by size and capable puck rushing defenders and reliable goal tending the Canadians easily cruised to a victory over the Russians and were control of the entire game from the opening face off.

McKeen's Chief Correspondent David Burstyn was on hand at the Ivan Hlinka tournament and files these notes on various Canadian players.

Nathan Lieuwen (2009), G, Kootenay

Lieuwen celebrated his 17th birthday by being named to the Team Canada roster .. a virtual unknown, Lieuwen played in the BCHL as there was a log jam of goalies with the Kootenay Ice this season .. the move by GM Chynoweth paid immediate dividends as Lieuwen was able to start in games as opposed to sitting which helped his confidence .. beat out the likes of Roy, Clermont two goalies that started ten plus games in the QMJHL and inevitably made O'Hagan his back-up to earn the starting duties .. a massive goalie who covers a large portion of the net just by stepping out two feet from his crease .. he has no real style but is more of a stand up goalie .. he is mobile but not blessed with a surplus of speed or agility .. he relies on his sound positioning and mechanics .. he is always square to the shooter and controls his rebounds well .. he is much like Giguere in that he makes things look very easy .. he does not complicate his game and stymies shooters with his effortless approach .. can run into trouble when he is forced to move .. he will need to work on his overall quickness moving from post-to-post because he relies too much on his size to stop shots .. the Ice will have a difficult decision to make on which goalies they want to go with, both Heemskerk and Lazaruk played well when called upon, especially Lazaruk an 88 born who played over 50 games .. GM Chynoweth might have to deal one in order to get Lieuwen into the line up, either goalie would be able to fetch a scoring left winger something the Ice covet.

Hubert Labrie (2009), D, Gatineau

Labrie's development curve has seen a steady increase .. his stock soared after a bountiful playoff that saw him be a key shut down player and offensive contributor for the Olympiques, a team that surprised many with their Memorial Cup appearance .. in sync with plays he anticipates quickly and is gifted in his play reading abilities .. small but agile, Labrie stays with his man and always keeps his eyes on the puck .. he is still immature in his defensive reads and gets over zealous .. he will chase a forward down if he thinks he can force him into making a mistake however at the same time he gives away his position .. he gambles defensively and while it costs him at times he shows remarkable poise and wants to be a difference maker as opposed to blending in with the scenery .. shows good puck skills and is not afraid to skate out of the zone with it .. he still struggles to find his outlet pass when pressured and would benefit by assessing the situation better .. he tends to go into everything feet first and while his youthful enthusiasm is contagious it does expose his game .. Labrie is not a physical specimen but does not shy away from it either .. he needs to line up his guys better in open ice situations but does not have much difficulty keeping guys pinned against the boards because he is balanced and has good upper body strength .. Labrie should continue to flourish on a Gatineau team that has plenty of veteran defenseman that he can learn from.

Ryan Ellis (2009), D, Windsor

The leaps and bounds that Ellis' game has taken are shattering .. a second round OHL pick he out played many of his peers (chosen ahead of him) this season scoring at a point a game clip in both the regular season and playoffs .. Ellis was the main offensive catalyst on the PP as his howitzer of a shot was a weapon Team Canada kept going back too .. Ellis gets it off quickly but needs to vary his play up a little bit as he can become too predictable .. faking the shot and finding his man back door is an option he should explore .. employing a 180 half curl with the puck in his possession at the line much like Drew Doughty and Brain Campbell do would exemplify his skills to an immeasurable degree .. he would also prosper from taking a bit off it in traffic to make it more tippable .. Ellis has such a low centre of gravity and is so balanced that he is virtually impossible to knock off the puck .. even at a stand still it is amazing how well balanced he is as players think they have him lined up only to find themselves on their behinds .. his defensive game is sound .. he angles off well and gets his feet moving early, a lesson he learned in his OHL career .. he hits to punish and even if he gets a sliver of a player that man is going down .. size has been a concern but considering the type of game he plays it really has not been an issue .. Ellis will be the main cog in Windsor this season and their success will lie very much in his capable hands as he will be looked upon to improve on his staggering totals of last year .. much like Ellis did for Team Canada this season expect him to wear a letter in Windsor to start the season.

Simon Despres (2009), D, Saint John

Despres gave the Canadians both a defensive presence with his size and an offensive game with his ever improving puck handling skills .. Despres played with much more confidence and saved his best performance in the gold medal game, scoring a crucial goal in the early stages of the contest .. as a player of his stature he is still quite raw in many facets including offensive reads, skating and overall puck skills nonetheless his vast frame and strength make him a highly sought after NHL pick .. he likes to hit and will never back down from the opposition .. his skating is average including his 1st step quickness but he has a long stride and great range .. he uses this wingspan of his to defend and coupled with his long stick it makes it increasingly difficult for a forward even with speed to make a cut towards or around him .. his game is still fragile and he can get discouraged in the early stages of the game if he makes a costly mistake .. this explains why he is not always anxious to handle the puck or skate with it out of the zone .. Despres has the potential to be the first player chosen from the QMJHL this season.

Jared Cowen (2009), D, Spokane

Few have accomplished what Cowen has already in his brief junior career .. a former first overall pick in the WHL bantam draft he has lived up to his promise by winning a Memorial Cup and most recently a gold medal at the Ivan Hlinka tournament .. Cowen has great presence and has an outstanding feel for the game .. he is smart, mature and poised in all areas of the ice without the puck .. never out of position he plays such a sound defensive game that he defies his age .. he already plays a very pro game by keeping things simple, not playing out of his limitations and literally controls the pace of the game when the stick is on his blade .. Cowen did not register a point in the entire tournament however he was the architect of many plays and goals were a result of him calmly making a pass up ice .. if assists were given to the third player to touch the puck, Cowen would have undoubtedly led this team in scoring .. his stick handling ability is very smooth but surprisingly he rarely skates up ice with it .. needs to develop more of a puck rusher's mentality .. physical but not over powering, opponents usually avoid him .. delivers thunderous checks and showed no sign of being worn down after countless hits .. the manner in which he can throw checks expends little energy and he times his hits perfectly .. a deceptive skater with an extended stride that maximizes utmost speed .. always converges on the puck and is rarely if ever beaten to it along the boards or down low .. Cowen will be a fixture on WJC teams and at this point it will be a battle to see which defenseman will be chosen first in the NHL draft as his skills rival Hedman's.

Casey Cizikas (2009), LW, Mississauga

Cizikas combines finesse skills with a healthy aggression and a natural scorer's touch .. he was a force on Team Ontario Under 17 gold medal win but was asked to accept less of a scorer's role on this squad which he gladly accepted .. not the quickest skater his determination aids him to loose pucks .. down low he is very strong due to his balance and strength .. his upper body strength is leaps and bounds ahead of his peers as he could be one of the strongest players in the '91 age group .. this strength enables him to power to the slot and his competitiveness and soft hands usually result in a high scoring play if not a goal .. he is nearly impossible to budge once he plants his feet .. he is always facing the shooter, watching the shot or the pass .. he has the hand/eye coordination to tip in or deflect goals .. what makes Cizikas so accomplished as a player is his ability to make a play along the boards and the ease in which he can settle it down and curl off the boards .. tough and mean, Cizikas refuses to loose a square inch of ice to the opposition .. his skating may hold him back but a successful campaign this year could see him slip into the first round as he possesses many intangibles.

Taylor Hall (2010), LW, C, Windsor

One of the most dynamic and natural talents on Team Canada, Hall was switched to the wing as opposed to his natural centre position .. Hall has piled up the accolades and has already represented Team Canada in Under 18 competition and much like Duchene has three International gold medals already .. his blinding speed is the biggest calling card to his game .. able to draw defenders back his speed intimidates and he can lift fans out of their seats and make opposing coaches nervous .. unreal patience with the puck .. Hall is a tad confusing as to when he chooses to pass the puck, as he often passes when he should shot and vice versa .. this is of little consequence and does not question his hockey sense however it can baffle and confuse his line mates .. he still tends to play an individual game as he can over handle the puck and be too fancy with it .. it is as if Hall has a scouting report on the opposition as he quickly picks up on opposing defenders tendencies and knows which their weak side is .. he likes to cut outside but will not shy away from going into the inside .. he won't skate deeply in the defensive zone, instead awaiting a turn over and a chance to get a jump on a defenseman .. Hall has all the makings to be a top pick in next year's draft and is already the early favorite to go 1st overall in '10 with his dazzling array of offensive skill that is comparable to a young Alexander Mogilny.

Evander Kane (2009), LW, Vancouver

Kane was situated on the top unit along Schenn and Glennie and posted respectable totals 4-1-3-4 .. a strong skater who is very sturdy on his skates and that aids him in his bull-in-china shop style .. Kane has good hands and is a capable scorer due to his quick wrist shot and scores many of his goals from the corners or side of the net .. he likes to deke in tight on a goaltender and is relatively successful because of his balance lets him work in traffic and he has supple hands .. Kane tries to do too much and does not comprehend when plays do not work and like a child tries to force a circle into a square as he is very stubborn .. his game is very immature and he does not always make the smart play .. careless with the puck with his no look passes and improper defensive positioning raise immediate red flags .. plays with an edge and when he sees the puck in his sights asserts himself however as mentioned his defensive awareness and commitment come into question every time he touches the ice .. Kane has game but he also is grossly immature and needs to harness his aggression in a positive manner.

Garrett Mitchell (2009), RW, Regina

Mitchell played his role to a tee, chipping in offensively (4-2-2-4) but more importantly finished amongst the leaders in the +/- (+6) department not only for Team Canada but the entire tournament .. a streaky skater with good acceleration and speed .. he relies heavily on his speed and hockey sense to channel him .. he does not have high end speed but disguises it well by constantly being in motion, utilizing his stop and starts well and skating into open holes .. anticipates well in all three zones and this is why he was invited to the camp as he is versatile and can play any game that he is asked too .. the ultimate role player Mitchell is a strong, high energy utility forward who plays his role to perfection.

Louis LeBlanc (2009), RW, Lac St.Louis

Yet another player who has emerged from the Midget Triple A loop, Leblanc led all Team Canada goal scorers with three .. a highly effective power forward with unrivaled grit and soft hands to compliment his package .. he can play with players of various skill sets and not look out of place .. he often skated on a line with Hall and Duchene and managed to outscore two players whose name has been synomymise with first round NHL consideration .. he employs a wide open stance and with his skating crouch he is impossible to knock off the puck or catch off stride .. he makes great use of his edges for deep turns and has great acceleration to catch and beat defenders to the outside .. he generates plays down low and can sneak from the corner to release a hard accurate snap shot that catches many goalies by surprise .. he is always circling and resembles a shark in his movements around the net .. does his best work along the boards and digging down low .. he is very alert and can pick off passes due to his keen anticipation .. LeBlanc was the beneficiary of playing with highly skilled players a luxury he did not have when he played for Team Quebec at the Under 17's .. he compliments a line rather than carries it but showed that when opposing checkers focused on the likes of Hall and Duchene that he was willing and able to step up to the plate and produce.

Scott Glennie (2009), RW, Brandon

Glennie has formed such wonderful chemistry with Schenn in Brandon (61-26-32-58) that the coaching staff decided to keep them together .. does not dazzle you with outstanding skills it is rather his propensity to work and put fourth an honest effort that allots him his ice .. he is a work boot and boasts a decent skill set .. he keeps his head up, knows his position on the ice in correlation to the play and makes intelligent passes that break down the seems of the opposition .. not a stranger to the front of the net, he often went there looking to convert on shots Kane would take and trying to be the beneficiary of rebounds in front .. he is active in all areas of the ice, will go down low, can play an open ice game and as mentioned is not afraid of the dirty areas in front .. he has good size and strength in all facets of his game .. Glennie is an accomplished scorer as he scored 63 points in 29 games for his minor hockey team, Winnipeg Monarchs before being drafted 29th overall in the WHL draft .. however he has been over shadowed by the likes of Schenn and many have suggested that his WHL success was a direct result of Schenn's play rather than Glennie's.

Ryan O'Reilly (2009), C, Erie

If there is one thing that the NHL has taught us in recent years is that players who are smart and can make high percentage plays despite their skating flaws can still be chosen in the top ten as was the case with Logan Couture and more recently with Joshua Bailey .. both of these players entered their draft years with question marks about their skating but managed to over come it much like O'Reilly will have to do this season .. he plays a game very similar to the two aforementioned players, as he is smart, sees the ice extremely well and wins the majority of his draws .. O'Reilly's skating flaws were exposed in this tournament but it did not prohibit him from being a factor on the ice .. he is awkward in his appearance but manages to pick up speed in a few strides .. it is out of the gates that he struggles .. intelligent with a natural ability to read and process the game as his hockey instincts are what sets him apart .. he makes good passes in traffic and has the presence to move it and who to move it too .. he has quick hands but needs to improve on his shot .. his goals are often scored in close where he can make quick moves to beat the goaltender and as such are usually of the highlight reel variety .. O'Reilly returns to an Otters team that has more than a supporting cast for him to succeed this season.

Matt Duchene (2009), C, Brampton

Named team captain, this is the third time in less than eight months that he has captured gold on the International stage .. had a good tournament but was slowed down in round robin play in a head on collision into the boards against Team Slovakia .. he did not play in the third period of the gold medal game however at that time the Canadians had already established a three goal lead .. explosive out of the blocks, fluid in his turns and balanced to make plays either to his fore/back hand .. he is a strong one-on-one player due to his zippy outside speed and he is not afraid to challenge any sized defenders .. his blades hardly ever seem to touch the ice, rather skim on top of the surface as he is always on the move .. a better finisher than play maker, he does not handle the puck overly well .. he is better taking the pass late and then making things happen .. he has a strong wrist shot that he can get away from almost anywhere .. he also has a great back hand that he gets off in full motion .. he is feisty and competes hard in the offensive zone .. his defensive play needs some improvements as he does not bare down as much as he should .. he needs to hold up opposing forwards so his defenseman have more time to react .. Duchene enters the OHL with much fanfare as he is the early consensus to be the first player selected from the league .. should Hodgson return to junior the duo could form the best 1-2 punch in the league as Hodgson could flirt with the scoring lead and Duchene could easily pot 50+ goals with Hodgson as his triggerman.

Brayden Schenn (2009), C, Brandon

Schenn's rookie season is as impressive as Hall's accomplishments in Windsor .. he led his team in scoring as a rookie and was a rock in the playoffs as well .. Schenn plays a game very similar to a young Brendan Morrow .. Schenn much like Morrow is stocky and strong on his skates .. he is a fluid skater although not an overly fast one .. he has good mechanics in his skating, equipped with a nice stride and outstanding balance .. he uses his balance to deliver bone crunching hits that are reminiscent of a young Wendel Clark as guys just explode off of him .. he is very strong, very tough and super aggressive .. he can smash people into the boards and hurt them .. he was called several times throughout the tournament for roughing but his hits were perfectly timed and it is typical of European officiating to call such infractions .. he will actively go into the slot and force the defenseman to haul him down .. he scores great goals by paying the price .. has a complimentary skill set in which his passing skills equal those of his finishing skills .. he is loved by his team mates and commands respect in a dressing room due to his kamikaze approach .. Schenn is an absolute wrecking ball of a forward, he has the offensive skills to be a difference maker and offers intangibles not often seen from prospects .. he is the type of player that a team may trade down to select knowing that he might still be available as he is just outside the top five at this point.