Ivan Hlinka U-18 Tournament: Team USA

Team USA looked awful from the onset of the tournament. In a penalty filled game they were downed by Team Russia in their debut and looked rather ordinary in losses to Team Finland and Team Czech. Their only victory came against the lowly Swiss and they barely managed to accomplish that. The Americans were out scored by a 2-1 margin in round robin play and a lack of goaltending coupled with proven scorers and on-ice leaders factored heavily in their 7th place finish.

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

Collin Bowman (2009), D, Kelowna

Bowman benefited this season in Kelowna playing with an All Star defense corps that included two NHL first round selections in Luke Schenn and Tyler Myers .. Bowman put up fair point totals and was the main offensive cog for Team USA .. his booming point shot was often the weapon of choice as the entire PP evolved around him .. he has the sense to feather a puck on the net or blast it from the point .. his puck skills are very raw as he is not versed in making decisions with the puck .. he can make mistakes when handling the puck and he is it at his best when he doesn't do too much with it .. is most effective when he bangs the puck off the boards and doesn't look for the perfect pass .. Bowman struggles with his feet as his skating is his Achilles heel .. slow off the mark, however he does have a long stride that eats up ice .. his reverse movement is ok .. for all his short comings in the skating department, he is remarkably poised in his own zone .. his natural aggression aids him as players simply do not want to go down his wing .. a strong and nasty hitter, he likes to drive thru players and add an elbow to an opponents jaw when he can .. he is very effective at hooking and holding just long enough to slow down a player .. he also uses his stick well to defend .. relishes in the physical play and pays the price to make a play whether it be blocking a shot or clearing the crease .. the younger brother of Drayson (Carolina) he already has good bloodlines and given the complexion of the back end this season in Kelowna he should continue to flourish.

Brian Dumoulin (2009), D, New Hampshire Junior Monarchs

One of the top High School players in Biddeford, Maine helped his High School hockey club win its second Class A championship in March .. a player who continues to exceed expectations and improve along the way, Dumoulin did not play much during this tournament but when he did he was able to showcase his intelligence and poise with the puck .. has a wide stance that generates good speed and power, especially in a straight line .. he requires work on his lateral agility and turns .. did not register nearly the PP time he deserved considering how he handled the puck up ice .. he protects the puck incredibly well and shows complete confidence in his abilities .. he was unable to manufacture much offence due to his lack of quality ice time .. played with maturity and poise as was evidenced in his reads with or without the puck .. a change of scenery with increased competition in the EJHL will help Dumoulin become more polished however one has to wonder if playing in the USHL will not give him more exposure.

Nick Leddy (2009), D, Eden Prairie HS

Committed to the University of Minnesota Gold Gophers, Leddy has already represented his country internationally at the Under 16's and Under 17's for Team USA .. saw the bulk of his ice time on the PP but rarely played the PK .. a slick puck carrier and mover .. his passes are crisp and fluid but he needs to make them quicker and harder by employing a snap on them .. better at distributing the puck then he is at firing it as his shot accuracy needs tinkering .. not very mature physically, he was easily knocked off the puck down low which resulted in costly goals against .. a strong skater who has all encompassing mobility .. he is swift and agile in his movements however he needs to work on upgrading the power in his stride .. struggled against faster, stronger competition as he was routinely beaten in one-on-one situations, not due to his positioning but his sheer lack of strength down low and to the outside .. this tournament was a good experience for Leddy as it opened his eyes to the facets of his game that need immediate attention.

Paul Philips (2009), D, Cedar Rapids Rough Riders

Committed to DU, the slick skating rear guard saw ample shifts as he was partnered with Beau Schmitz the entire tournament .. relegated to more of a defensive defenseman's role .. Philips was easily goaded into taking many foolish penalties which hurt his team the entire tournament .. he did not always exhibit the mental toughness to defend and was easily turned around down low and constantly lost assignments .. an average skater whose reverse movement needs work .. possesses good mobility overall .. his puck skills could use more refinement .. he can not make plays to his back hand side and as a result he took too long to distribute the puck as he had to manipulate the puck to his fore hand side .. Philips does have the innate ability to take off whenever he wants too and actively joins the rush .. often when his team was down he would gamble up ice but usually at the sake of sacrificing positioning .. whether this was his own decision or that of the coaching staff was not quite determined nonetheless he did see quality ice time so his actions must have been approved .. he did manage to score the GWG in Team USA only win against the Swiss .. Philips has potential but must settle down in his own zone and curb his emotions.

Brendan Rempel (2009), D, Avon Old Farms

Rempel was a fixture on the PK throughout the entire tournament and due to Team USA undisciplined play he often saw ice in many 3-5 situations .. a terrific skater who has a great first step and is fluent in all directions .. he shows a natural aggression and always looks to eliminate his man from the crease .. his gap control is good however against the speedy Russians he was pushed to the brink but to his defense he did use his stick effectively to draw guys out wide and attempt to neutralize them against the boards .. he struggles to make a decision with the puck as he is easily hurried off it when pressured .. banging it off the boards is a routine play for him as he does not have the vision to make a play up ice .. he tends to play with reservation when the puck is in his possession and he will need to upgrade his puck skills so at the very least he can catapulte a player up ice with a pass .. his competitive nature and physical stature are his calling cards to success.

Beau Schmitz (2009), D, Plymouth

Schmitz left the USNDTP to join the Plymouth Whalers of the OHL, hence the invitation to this tournament .. Schmitz is a talented player however his development has been stalled as he appears to be the exact same player he was in midget as he has shown little improvement .. a highly talented riverboat gambler offensive threat that does not need to be told when to go .. he is very assertive in his rushes but they do not always materialize into high scoring opportunities .. appears to go full steam ahead with very little recourse or alternative options .. he can be guilty of handcuffing his own defensive partner due to his all out kamikaze attacks .. offensively charged he always will jump the line from the point and try to successfully fire a puck on net .. one timers and shot throughout the entire tournament was off .. despite his average height and weight, Schmitz is outrageously strong and can get quite physical as was witnessed in a game against the Czech's where he dropped his gloves, subsequently having him suspended for the final Team USA game .. led the tournament with 45 PIM in only three games .. made necessary adjustments in his zone as he moved his feet quicker and used his stick when pushing players close to the wall .. habitually played the second PK unit and was forced out wide but maintained proper gap control .. will get prime time minutes on a Plymouth team that should be one of the better teams in the West division, so NHL scouts will have plenty of time to figure him out.

Zach Budish (2009), C, Edina HS

Team captain was an absolute rock this tournament for a desolate USA squad .. led the team in points (4-3-3-6) and played in every key situation .. one of the most physically developed kids in this tournament he already boasts a pro like body as he tips the scales at over 210 pounds and stands at 6'4 .. struggles with his footwork out of the gates however his stride is prosperous and effective once he gets moving as he does look graceful .. his hands are very soft and to the surprise of the opposition can make elusive plays in tight and feather a pass in traffic .. the Russians had under estimated his skill set to start the game but quickly learned to key on him to neutralize Team USA offensive assaults .. did an admirable job plowing thru checkers to get to loose pucks .. used his size down low but not with the type of urgency and consistency associated with a player of his stature .. guilty of not always making the right play with the puck, Budish is capable of his fair share of mistakes however he is quick to recover in all three zones and is a responsible team mate .. his snap shot in close is a very good option, it is hard, fast and accurate and he does not wait long to autograph it .. one of the better face off options for Team USA when the coaching staff needed a key draw won .. Budish has all the promise to be an effective checking line centre in the NHL, capable of playing on a fourth or third line with an identified role.

Christopher McCarthy (2009), C, Berkshire School

Committed to Boston College, the diminutive centre was under used the entire tournament .. showed good bursts of speed and the ability to make subtle plays in traffic .. too often his line mates were shuffled thus not allowing him to develop any type of chemistry .. played often in the game against Russia where his speed was a factor but then saw little to no ice against the Czech's in a more physically fuelled contest .. a determined player who showcases healthy offensive skills but lacks the ability to finish .. will always look to dish off to team mates first as his shot (due to lack of strength) is simply not there .. he is not selfish and is often willing to give up a good shot to a team mate for an even better one .. his hands skills and smarts are his best assets .. he can feather a pass over a defenseman's stick .. low panic point to his game makes him a permanent fixture in PK situations, as he easily locates an option to clear the puck or is smart enough to make a play with the puck .. he is strong on his skates which makes it hard for him to knock off the puck .. not overly physical he does not hit hard or often for that matter .. he prefers to mildly bump a player against the boards and use his stick to knock the puck off an opposing player's blade .. could be a late bloomer but needs to physically develop.

Nick Oliver (2009), LW, Roseau HS

One of six Minnesota born players on this roster .. Oliver a stand out at Roseau High (where his father is the coach) saw his ice time drastically slashed in connection with Team USA scoring woes of constant shuffling of the lines .. originally slated on a line with Budish and Peterson, the trio found little chemistry .. more of a down low player as his skating does not offer him much liberty in open ice situations .. he parks himself in front of the net and attempts to wreak havoc within 8 feet of the goal .. a clean yet tough combatant he is able to muscle his way into good scoring areas however his shot lacks caliber and his goals are more of the garbage variety .. his offensive charges are usually thwarted as he takes the most direct route to the net .. he attempts to take the outside at times and drop his shoulder however his puck protection skills need vast improvement .. cycling the puck along the boards where he can stick out his big backside and keep the puck in his feet are more up his alley .. has an awkward skating style as he is too hunched over and his acceleration suffers as a result .. he digs into the ice as you can hear his strides .. effective in his defensive approach and marks his man early .. he has a strong presence in the defensive zone, often coming as far back as the goal to defend or support a defender .. good meat and potatoes type player has an outside chance of being drafted but would more than likely be a late round pick.

Tyler Pitlick (2010), C, Centennial HS

Committed to rival Minnesota State Mavericks as opposed to his former NHL playing uncle Lance, (Ott and Fla) who opted to play for the Golden Gophers .. Tyler could have been the most naturally skilled player on the team however his play is riddled with mistakes and immaturity .. a one dimensional player who when he is not scoring, or does not have the puck is more of a liability to his team than an asset .. sported a team worst -6 during the tournament .. looks to the net first before his team mates and will always shoot the puck first .. his vision suffers as a result of him constantly taking shots .. he has good speed however he does not have a breakaway gear .. can maintain levels of speed with the puck in his possession however he is too fancy with the puck and as a result he gets stripped of it too often .. sets up well on the half boards when he has time and space .. he is a pure sniper and is very dangerous with the puck, as he can blast a shot from the top of the face-off circle or is just as likely to use his heavy, hard wrist shot .. no clue how to defend as he rarely, if ever comes back beyond the top of the face off circle .. he constantly abandons the zone as soon as one of his defenders has the puck .. he takes wide turns to get back into the play defensively and does not know how to position himself to defend and has no concept of a stick check .. saw his ice time increase to stimulate offence and considering how much time he received on the PP it is disappointing that he failed to record a single point in the entire tournament .. blessed with an abundance of skill and thankfully a late birth date this should give him time to round out his game as a senior this season looking for something to prove after losing the Championship to rival Blaine.

Ryan Walters (2009), RW, St.Thomas Academy

Was one of only eight '91 born players in the USHL as he suited up for 16 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers .. had the misfortune of improper line mates as he was only able to muster 4-0-1-1 totals but has the skill set to produce much better than that .. partnered with Pitlick to start the tournament before it became apparent that they both needed to be the show of their particular line .. a extremely swift and agile skater whose change of direction and slippery skating style allowed him a few more steps into the offensive zone .. he has a good change of gears and moderates his speed accordingly .. this could be his best trait as he in essence puts everyone in better scoring position .. he is terrific at walking out from the boards, unscathed to make a play towards the net .. however in the same breathe he neglected to shoot in high scoring areas that he worked hard to get into, often thinking he could make an additional move to get even closer to the goal .. he makes quiet yet effective plays with the puck but wants it all the time and does not dish it .. appeared to be a rift between him and team mates as a result as he was rarely the receipt of passes by his peers .... played too much of an individual game .. has all the tools just needs to bare down and become more of a team player.

Steven Whitney (2009), RW, Lawrence Academy

Was the only player to participate with the USNDTP at the Under 17 held in London, Ontario over Christmas .. has shades of Doug Gilmour/Derek Roy like play however his size is a huge detriment as he stands a mere 5'7, 155 pounds .. good skater who is not overly fast but is equipped with a one step quickness that lets him dart in and out of scoring areas .. he can stick handle with ease and the puck is on a string when in his possession .. he shows good offensive awareness and was the second leading scorer for Team USA (4-2-3-5) .. had the best overall skill set on the team as his game offers variety both in his pass and shoot decision making .. he is a fierce competitor who is hungry for the puck and is a persistent checker .. was easily frustrated towards the end of the tournament when his team appeared to give up against the Czech's as his body language moped and sagged .. he was knocked off the puck way too often as he appeared to give up much like his team mates towards the end of the tournament .. when played against closely, his game is minimized as he has a hard time fighting thru checks and gets worn down by the physical play .. will continued to be monitored however his career as a future NHL'er may be too much to ask for although he should be able to play pro somewhere considering his talent level.