OHL: Plymouth Rocks

The Plymouth Whalers started the season slowly but were one of the top teams in the second half of the season. A series of trades by GM/coach Vellucci helped the Whalers coast past the Sarnia Sting in the opening round before being harpooned by the Spitfires in a hard fought six game second round series loss. McKeen's Chief Correspondent David Burstyn looks at several Whalers who excelled this season.

Matthew Hackett (2009), G, Plymouth

A one time Spitfire, Hackett's improved play essentially forced Vellucci's hand to deal his starting goalie Jeremy Smith at the trading deadline .. Hackett rewarded his GM's choice by doing something no other goalie managed to do this season - beat Windsor twice in regulation .. Hackett's biggest areas of development have been his athleticism and overall mobility .. he came into the league rather rigid but has worked to become more agile and not rely so much on his size .. the power in his game has improved with increased conditioning .. stronger up top and absorbs shots well .. his lateral movement has also marked a dramatic improvement .. glove hand could use some work and he needs to be more patient, as he drops down too early .. understands how to use his size and readily comes out to challenge .. Hackett posted solid statistical totals this season and was among the league leaders in most areas .. he was over looked last season but at 6-foot-2 and given his NHL bloodlines (Jeff Hackett is his uncle) it will be hard-pressed for an NHL team to ignore him twice.

Brett Bellemore (Car), D, Plymouth

Injuries limited Bellemore to only six games with Albany this season before he rejoined the Whalers shortly after the new year .. at 6-foot-4, Bellemore offers size even though he is not overly physical .. cut from the mold of a defensive defenseman, Bellemore angles well and uses his stick appropriately to defend .. few players are able to get around him and he has such a calming influence that forwards take more chances knowing he is there to bail them out on the backend .. effective in containing guys along the boards so forwards can come back and locate their man .. tried to push for more offensive opportunities this season and generally looked comfortable handling the puck, but realistically that is not the strength of his game .. his first pass and shot are merely average .. Bellemore should be able to step into Albany next year and assume a spot within their top-4 considering the lack of defenseman prospects in the Carolina system.

Beau Schmitz (2009), D, Plymouth

Schmitz had a hard time adjusting to the OHL this season but posted healthy offensive numbers with 37 points and 6 goals .. however, Schmitz kept you constantly wanting more as his decision making with the puck was inconsistent to say the least .. he does not always locate his options, as he did not have the presence of mind to curl back to buy time for himself .. looked lost on breakouts and made suspect plays under pressure .. at times this season, his confidence sagged and he was not even rushing the puck, which is the strength to his game .. he tried to play a more conservative game but that style did not suit him either .. overall, he had a difficult time identifying what type of player he was going to be this season .. a great athlete who simply does not understand the nuances of the game .. a team will take a chance on him, as he does have an attractive skill set to draw from, but it will be a long hill to climb.

Chris Terry (Car), C, Plymouth

Mr. Everything to the Plymouth organization, he led the team in scoring for a second consecutive season despite missing 13 games to various injuries and mono .. received the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy for Humanitarian of the Year and was the Whalers Most Valuable Player .. an explosive player with a nose for the net .. not afraid to drive inside or outside to create chances .. difficult to stop once in motion due to his powerful legs and balance .. has learned to play better defensively, as he took the captaincy role very seriously and led by example .. has an edge and is not intimidated off the puck, eagerly attacking the boards and open ice .. there are times when he has little regard for his self-preservation due to the situations he puts himself in .. the entire offence circulates around him, as he is the pointman on the PP due to his shot and passing skills .. a strong prospect in the Carolina organization, Terry will need some time to handle the physical rigours of the pro's but should don a Hurricane jersey at some point.

Tyler Seguin (2010), C, RW, Plymouth

Seguin had a sensational season that was highlighted by winning gold at the Under 17's and punctuated by a 16-point playoff performance, tying Terry for the overall team lead .. a consistent scorer he registered an 18-game pointstreak this year and scored well over a point a game .. finished second only to Gratchev in Rookie-of-the-Year balloting, but was the highest scoring 1992-born player in the league .. Seguin brought a desire and a good attitude to the Whalers this season and his confidence dramatically improved once he returned from Port Alberni at the Under 17's .. cut from the same cloth as former Whaler Stephen Weiss, Seguin is a subtle scorer, who appears at the right place at the right time .. his offensive instincts cannot be taught .. he managed to shake the 'soft' tag that was placed on him even though he did not physically engage in all plays .. he relies on his puckhandling ability, speed but most of all his play-reading ability .. thrust into offensive situations and relied upon heavily; he was on the top PP unit during the Windsor series .. struggled against the Spitfires speed and strength, as it is clear that he needs to develop more upper strength .. was not able to dump and chase with the same success that he was in the Sarnia series .. Seguin needs to work on the release of his shot and get stronger .. all the skills are there for him to be a first round NHL selection, as he will surely assume the role of first line centre due to the graduation of Terry and have ample opportunity to showcase what type of player he is.