OHL: Major Anderson

The St. Mikes Majors made it past the first round in a hard fought opening round series win against the Barrie Colts before bowing out to the Brampton Battalion in six games. The Majors have a solid nucleus of forwards and a formidable defence, but the stellar play of 16-year-old-rookie-netminder JP Anderson has been the story of their success thus far. McKeen's Chief Correspondent David Burstyn looks at a handful of players that have contributed to the success of the Majors.

JP Anderson (2010), G, Mississauga

Nothing short of spectacular, Anderson stepped in after game one and stole the starting duties from Carrozzi, a sixth round Atlanta pick from the 2008 draft .. solid in each of the games he has played averaging a .948 save percentage and giving his team a chance to win in each contest .. he plays his angles well and is extremely patient .. he stays with shooters, teasing them to make a move and then reacts .. athletic and plays more of a stand-up style, as he doesn't quite have the reflexes to excel in a less technical role .. his ability to follow the play and stay square to the shooter is what makes him special .. his skills are still quite raw, as both his rebound control and stickhandling could use work .. Anderson did a remarkable job of keeping the Majors in every contest and was sensational in both games 3 and 4 of the Battalion series allowing the Majors to tie the series before eventually bowing out in six games .. a goalie that is almost certainly on Hockey Canada's radar and should get an invite to the summer Under 18 Ivan Hlinka training camp.

Brett Flemming (2009), D, Mississauga

Like a fine wine, Fleming got better with age and really came into his own in the second round of the playoffs against Brampton .. a swift and agile skater who is able to change directions in a fluid motion .. offensively, his game got better as well, as he was given some confidence this season to make plays with the puck .. he rewarded coach Cameron with heady plays and a timely goal in game three against the Battalion .. no nonsense approach to the game, as he is calculated in his decision making and rarely throws away the puck .. despite being undersized, he does a good job of administering bodychecks and maintaining a physical tempo to the game .. he upped the physical aspect of his game throughout the playoffs .. he also improved on his overall strength and conditioning, using his balance to absorb hits while still staying in the play .. his shot is not over powering but it manages to get through the slot and on the net to spark rebounds .. Flemming is a great complementary defenseman that can play both an offensive role or that of a defensive one .. teams will likely covert his versatility in the later rounds.

Tim Billingsley (Phx), D, Mississauga

Billingsley laboured through the year sustaining a handful of injuries that kept him out of the lineup for more than 13 games, resulting in shoddy offensive totals .. he made up for his sub par performance in the playoffs where he excelled as a match-up/shutdown player .. adopting a more conservative approach, he was successful in not over playing the puck and advancing it up ice with a quick pass .. not a puck rusher by any stretch, he understood his role and played within the system .. blessed with good agility and decent quickness, he can get to the puck first down low .. still prone to losing his man in defensive situations, as he needs to learn to use his body more as well as body position .. his point totals will never be blazing, as he simply does not have the creativity, hands nor the release on his shot .. Billingsley will need to continue to work on his defensive game but did an admirable job of playing against the Hodgson, Grachev line and contained them.

Cameron Gaunce (Col), D, Mississauga

Gaunce was the heart and soul of the Majors .. after being named to the All Rookie Team in his first season, he was named to the All Star team the following year .. one of the most complete defenseman in the league, as he is blessed with offensive skill and superior physical toughness .. his physical toughness is renowned in the league, as he intimidates the opposition and can set the tone of the game with a well-placed hit or a timely fight .. the breakouts are all structured around him, as he is the main offensive catalyst to carry the puck up the ice .. his confidence with the puck has improved considerably .. he has gotten stronger and it is reflected in the velocity of his shot .. foot speed continues to be an area of concern as are some of his defensive decisions .. he needs to recognize his time and space better and step up on players in the neutral zone, as he was intimidated by the speed of the Battalion forwards and his indecisiveness created scoring chances for them .. a fixture on both special teams, including 3-5 situations, his work ethic and determination to rid the pick out of the zone inspired his teammates .. Gaunce will be among the league leaders in points next season and the continued development of the Majors could make them serious contenders to get out of the East with Gaunce being the cornerstone of the franchise .. loved by Colorado management, Gaunce will have every opportunity to showcase his skills at the pro level.

Casey Cizikas (2009), C, Mississauga

Cizikas had an awful regular season but managed to salvage the season with an impressive playoff, recording 9 points in 11 games .. his strength lies in his play along the boards, as he shows feistiness and a competitive streak to win loose puck battles .. does a good job of disguising his weakness (a lack of speed) by constantly pumping his feet .. this allows him to skate into openings in the offensive zone .. he can be forgetful and stop moving his feet in defensive situations but he does show a passion to block shots .. healthy stickhandler but a better shooter .. renewed passion enabled Cizikas to play up to the team's expectations of him but it may not be enough for him to be selected within the top five rounds, as he has fallen considerably since the Ivan Hlinka tournament in August.

Jordan Mayer (2009), C, Mississauga

Mayer was on of the most productive Majors in second-half scoring and finished the season with a respectable 22 goals in what was his first full season in the league .. an accomplished scorer who has a knack for finding the open areas of the net .. he has silkiness about him and positions himself very well in offensive situations .. still struggles to be directly involved in the play and is too perimeter .. he will attack the boards but does not throw his weight around, but angles off players and uses his strong balance to pry the puck off players .. he is creative and an exceptional stickhandler and does not hesitate to shoot either .. he could work on his puck-protection skills and faceoffs .. Mayer has a unique offensive skill set and will undoubtedly be a special player in the OHL, however he needs to add more layers to his game and play with more urgency.

William Wallen (2009), LW, Mississauga

Wallen suffered a brain aneurysm and was lucky to be alive, yet alone return for the regular season and have an impact in the OHL playoffs .. small in stature, he is incredibly shifty and has tremendous hockey sense to avoid hits .. he thinks the game a few moves in advance and is able to thread the needle on many passes whether they are short or long range .. his hockey sense is what propels him and makes him excel despite his size disadvantage .. he can get knocked off the puck when pressured along the glass but his decision making is quicker than his peers to offset that weakness .. has clever hand skills and great distribution skills .. he skates well into the zone, often with the puck in his skates to make a play .. he is dangerous on the PP where the extra room allows him to utilize his vision better to manufacture offence .. scored a clutch OT goal against Brampton to prolong the series and then participated for Team Sweden at the Under 18's in Fargo following the Majors playoff elimination .. scored 7 points in 3 games with the bulk of his points being assists (6) as he opened up the ice for his talented teammates .. on the small side but a crafty player who should be able to find a roster spot back home should NHL teams not draft him.

Devante Smith-Pelly (2010), RW, Mississauga

Smith-Pelly's confidence continued to soar in the second half of the season following a gold medal performance at the Under 17 and increased icetime and trust from coach Cameron .. an honest, hardnosed-working player who will never cheat you on effort .. defensively conscious, who competes by hitting everything in his path .. he backs up his physical play by willingly engaging in fights and has quick fists .. plays more of a two-way game but is also a capable scorer .. he is not a savvy stickhandler but relies more on his brute strength to power his way into the zone .. he has a low centre of gravity, as his squat down skating style allows him to dig for pucks down low and cross the line unmolested .. Smith-Pelly will be an invaluable member of the Majors next season and should build on his offensive totals .. he gives the Majors an intangible that is necessary to win hockey games, which is his uncompromising competitiveness and sheer determination to win hockey games at any cost.