OHL: Plymouth Whalers - Ryding the Wave

With the acquisition of Daniel Ryder from Peterborough at the OHL trading deadline, the Plymouth Whalers have established themselves as a heavy favourite to win the Western Division. Along with the best goaltending tandem in the league, their big and skilled forwards coupled with a formidable defence, make the Whalers a tough team to beat in a best-of-7 series. McKeen's reviews several Whalers who have made an impact this season.

Chris Terry (2007), LW, Plymouth

Certainly has the luxury of playing with high-end skill as he usually lines up with team- leading-scorer Evan Brophey and Jared Boll .. Terry has made the most of his opportunity of late scoring 13 points over a five-game stretch .. a stocky, offensive-minded player with decent hands in close and plays the point primarily on the PP due to his shot .. not so adept at playing the line, as the defensive side of his game is not mature .. shows good hustle in scoring opportunities however, lacks that same drive away from the puck .. a healthy skater who can win most foot races in a straight line but is not so agile as to sneak his way into areas to gather up loose pucks .. is very weak on the boards and at times he would sooner avoid confrontation to begin with .. he pushes for offence far too often and is usually caught up the ice .. has an outside chance of being drafted however, on a weaker team his totals in all areas would suffer greatly due to his lazy habits .. his size is still a concern however, a good playoff could salvage his reputation.

Brett Bellemore (2007), D, Plymouth

Tenth-round selection has been a blessing on the back end as his reliable defensive game is the main reason he leads the league in plus/minus .. plays a smart positional game, does not play outside his limits, and has a great feel for the game .. he is able to keep players to the outside and rarely if ever, over commits to the puckcarrier .. he is still raw and occasionally gives up a little time and space, but his determination and ability to get a stick on a player to break up a play are top-notch .. willingly dives in front of shots .. protects his goal and while he is not overly physical, he always manages to get in front of his man and tie him up .. will never be mistaken for a puck-moving defenseman as the puck is on and off his stick in an instant .. showed some composure with the puck but has yet to develop the confidence playing with it .. he is a very viable option in the dying minutes of a game and Plymouth management as well as the coaching staff should be given top marks for uncovering and developing this gem.

Jared Boll (CBJ), RW, Plymouth

Another towering forward on the Whalers roster that plays with intensity .. very strong upper-body and uses his strength to his advantage too really (pardon the pun) "Boll" over people .. is like a freight train as once he starts moving he cannot stop .. his strength helps him make passes on both his forehand and backhand in very tight spaces and he is actually able to get some jam on them too .. very agile for a player his size who skates freely and unmolested due to his frame, speed and physical prowess .. leads the team in PIM's .. offensive skills are very polished displaying softness in front, especially for a player his size .. he is feared around the league and is quite a complimentary power forward that brings many things to this hockey club .. certainly one to keep an eye on.

Tom Sestito (CBJ), LW, Plymouth

The Blue Jackets have been so impressed with Jared Boll that they decided to draft Sestito the following season in 2006 .. Sestito has really found his offensive punch this season with over 40 goals after only scoring 10 last year .. big, rangy winger who could desperately work on his skating .. his first step is sluggish but manages to get from point A to point B, as his stride helps him circumvent any of those problems .. has a great shot short side but at times, he telegraphs his plays too much and he can be picked off .. has good size but needs to play more physical as when he does hit, he hurts and usually knocks players off the puck .. does an admirable job of getting back and even though he cannot always be directly involved in the play, he does his best to interfere with the puckcarrier .. would benefit from moving his feet a little bit more to alleviate his skating flaws.

Daniel Ryder (Cgy), RW, C, Plymouth

Has not been scoring at the same rapid pace since coming over from Peterborough, however Ryder gives the Whalers added depth and a proven playoff producer as the playoff MVP in the OHL last season .. has not really found his game having to go through a period of adjustment while adapting to the new system .. has quick bursts of speed and really explodes in close .. shows a determined effort on the backcheck but needs to follow that up with consistent efforts on every shift .. thrives in open ice, as he is a PP specialist .. during five-on-five situations, he seems behind a step, but once again, that could be attributed to the new system .. should be able to provide healthy leadership and experience in Plymouth's playoff drive.

Evan Brophey (Chi), C, Plymouth

Is having a breakthrough season scoring over 100 points this season .. still has not been signed by Chicago and that may be a result of his lack of overall intensity .. a highly skilled offensive player who has soft hands and great finish .. at times, he can be careless with the puck and gives it up easily trying to make a cute play .. seems to play defence only when he wants and simply has no idea where to go without the puck .. pushes for offence far too often and needs to support his defence better by showing a more committed effort on the backcheck .. plays for himself and still has many selfish tendencies on the ice .. displays good jump when he wants too as he is a decent skater .. his future depends on the type of commitment he will bring in the playoffs and will need to play a stronger two-way game, as plenty of better players before him have come and gone.

Ryan McGinnis (LA), D, Plymouth

Brings a calm, steady presence to the Whalers backend .. an agile and silky smooth skater who plays a very dependable game .. knows where he is at all times in relation to his net and his defensive positioning is so astute that he can cut off the opposition .. his foot speed helps him recover should he be drawn out of position .. he is not a playmaker or regular puckcarrier but he is capable of making a dependable first pass out of the zone .. modest shot power but used more for his defensive acumen and is a regular on the PK .. identifies players and eliminates them from the play with a surprising ability to make a good hit .. he is strong along the boards and can usually pin a man against the glass .. a key contributor and a player Kings management has a keen eye on.

Vern Cooper (2009), C, Plymouth

The adjustment has been long as Cooper struggles to see a consistent shift and in close games sees no ice at all .. still very slight and slowly putting on some weight but was pushed around especially on the sideboards and stripped of the puck as a result .. has concentrated more on his defensive play having an impressive plus-16 rating, while still managing to put up modest point totals considering scant icetime .. while in possession of the puck, he is one of the best stickhandlers in the league .. a colourful player to watch as he can really dangle however, he would be better served if he made faster decisions with the puck .. late birth gives him plenty of time to shine and the departure of several veterans on the Whalers roster will open up some much-needed icetime next season.

AJ Jenks (2008), LW, Plymouth

The Whalers got lucky to secure this seventh-round pick as he was originally going to Michigan, however due to the fact that he literally grew up right next door to the Compuware Arena where he played his minor hockey, he decided to play in the OHL .. a highly slick and powerful winger, and is a solid 200 pounds who literally bulls-over players three years older than him .. although he is a winger, his faceoff skills are impeccable displaying great technique and beats his man not only cleanly, but made a play on two separate occasions following the draw that led to a play up ice .. he is a good skater, not strong, but once he gets going he is very hard to contain .. has improving agility, as he can decently move side-to-side for a player his size .. a power forward in the making, he has the size and raw skill to make him a very attractive prospect next year.