Niagara - Hamilton Express

The Niagara IceDogs currently sit in last place in the Central division. There have been few bright spots this season but the emergence of the Hamilton brothers has given the organization some optimism. Freddie who is NHL-draft eligible and younger brother Doug, recently named to the Team Ontario U17 program continue to contribute and form the nucleus of the team. Third rounder of the 2008 OHL draft, Andrew Fritsch, has also made an impact on the team as well as overage Boston Bruin camp invitee Chris DeSousa.

McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn profiles four promising prospects from the IceDogs in Freddie Hamilton, Chris DeSousa, Dougie Hamilton and Andrew Fritsch.

Freddie Hamilton (2010), C, Niagara

Hamilton is playing on the top two lines and seeing substantial time on the PP .. after posting respectable rookie totals 65-10-18-28 (having only missed 3 games due to his involvement in his gold medal winning performance with the U17 Team Ontario) Hamilton is easily on pace to eclipse those offensive totals by the quarter mark of the season .. a versatile forward whose smarts and intelligence have propelled his junior career .. learned last year how to play away from the puck and is being more proactive in creating offence this year while still improving his defensive game .. showing more confidence with the puck down low, shielding it and trying to create, as opposed to last year where he would have held it in his feet and waited for help .. positionally sound without the puck, he puts himself into positions to score .. solid awareness in all three zones, despite being a merely average skater .. has learned to make use of his open ice, as he has perfected the art of the give-and-go .. since he has been thrust with much more offensive responsibility, at times, he tries to do too much .. .. remains strong at the faceoff dot .. his overall strength and conditioning has improved .. he is able to go harder on his shifts and his shot has improved considerably in terms of velocity from last year .. played out of position last year and should be able to adjust nicely this year as a natural centre .. oozes character, as his father was a bronze medalist in rowing for the 1984 Olympics and he knows what he must do to become a pro in terms of work off the ice.

Chris DeSousa (2010), LW, Niagara

DeSousa had an impressive rookie camp in Kitchener as a member of the Boston Bruins, as his tireless work ethic and powerful frame made Bruins management take notice .. an energy player who utilizes his lack of size to his advantage by staying low to the ice making it hard to pry the puck off him .. his short, yet compact stride swallows up the ice, as he is a fast skater .. constantly challenging defenders down low, as he tries to physically assert himself .. does not sense or feel the game particularly well, he tends to charge into the zone with reckless abandonment .. modest offensive skills, his shot still lacks accuracy .. he scores the majority of his goals in close, which could be difficult to replicate at the NHL level where time and space is highly coveted .. needs to slow down the pace of the game when he has the puck in his possession, as too often, he hurries plays and is unaware of his surroundings.

Doug Hamilton (2011), D, Niagara

Already a premier puckmoving defenseman who plays an average of 30-plus minutes a game as a rookie defender .. his puck skills and confidence with the puck are elite .. he is a very polished player whose vision, play-reading skills and skating constantly keep him involved in the play .. not a burner. he has modest speed and actually skates faster with the puck than without it .. very aware of his position, as he does not get caught pinching .. extremely effective in launching a breakout .. he readily skates out of the zone with the puck, as the IceDogs have no one who matches his overall skill set .. he could easily be the most complete defender on the roster .. not a punishing hitter, Hamilton uses his acute hockey sense to defend .. he angles guys off well and he uses his stick effectively .. Hamilton has to work on his shot and develop a physical component to his game, even though being physical is slightly out of character for him on account of his humble personality off the ice .. at 6-foot-3 and 180 pounds, he has a pro-like frame already and his methodical approach to the game coupled with his natural skill should make him a coveted pick for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Andrew Fritsch (2011), RW, Niagara

A surprise omission from the U17 Team Ontario squad considering the early success he has had this season 26-5-2-7 .. a slick skating winger whose creativity and offensive skill serve him playing alongside players of equal or better calibre .. Fritsch needs to play with talented linemates to bring out his game and the coaching staff of the IceDogs are smart enough to recognize that .. the door was wide open for Fritsch to grab a roster spot when first round selection Lucas Lessio failed to report .. thus far, Fritsch has showed that he not only belongs but he factors to be a big part of the rebuilding IceDogs .. plays within limits and identifies changes in the play .. supports his linemates well along the wall and in open areas of the ice .. cunning and sneaky in his ability to find and position himself in the open ice .. comes back eagerly to defend as well .. his best attribute may be his play-reading ability .. he instinctively knows when to retreat from a play or when to charge up the ice full throttle .. he is a capable passer and shooter and as such, is a dual threat .. more of a finesse forward, he did manage to put on 20 pounds in the off-season making it harder to knock the puck off him .. will be given ample opportunity to develop, however his game is purely mental and the dedication he shows outside the rink will determine his hockey future.