OHL Report: St.Mikes in Decline

It has been a disappointing season for the St.Mikes Majors. Currently last in the Eastern division, it will mark the first time they have failed to make the playoffs since the 2000 season. Since taking over in 2004, coach and GM Bud Stefanski has turned this once proud franchise into a shadow of its former self. Countless bad trades coupled with poor decisions on draft day have left the Majors in a state of disarray, with very few players to build around. McKeen's was on hand for a recent contest featuring the Majors and reviews several prospects.

Jesse Messier (2007), RW, St.Mikes

Acquired in the deal that sent last years leading scorer Justin Donati to Sudbury .. unable to play last year due to a shoulder injury .. was enjoying a fine season with the Wolves prior to joining the Majors however, he has been producing at a point a game clip since the trade .. makes the team younger and gives them a decent winger who already is playing on the top line .. modest size he is out muscled along the boards and desperately needs to add strength to his lower and upper body .. should be able to add some bulk in the off-season .. has decent speed, not blinding but in the smaller rink, his skating is not so flawed .. shows desire on some shifts and on others he is quick to dismiss a play and not fully assert himself .. not a dynamic puckhandler, he fails to beat players one-on-one .. more of a role player who has decent vision and can play with most players as he has a sense for the game .. inserting him in a first line capacity is much to ask of his skill set however, given the organizations complete lack of depth in any position, managements hands are virtually tied.

Kaspars Daugavins (Det), LW, St.Mikes

One of the few bright spots on the Majors as he comes to play every night .. very talented and capable of scoring as he managed two goals in a game against the Spitfires .. very stealthy player who is unassuming but always in position to bury a rebound .. has developed good chemistry with Piva as his speed draws others to him allowing Daugvins to get into scoring positions .. a resourceful player who uses his teammates often .. takes additional second to survey options before throwing the puck away .. had a bad habit getting carefree with his passes once the game was out of reach for the Spitfires, as they lacked zip and were easily intercepted .. great backhand in the slot and great overall shot selection .. admires his passes on occasion .. a solid forward who is the Majors best all around player.

Micheal Haley (FA), C, St.Mikes

Entering his fifth year in the OHL and having his best offensive season to date .. employed on the top two scoring lines and getting ample time under coach Stefanski and is making a case to be signed by an ECHL team .. tough and fearless, he is relatively small but very strong and a heavyweight in the OHL in terms of fighting .. average skater, he has good leg strength and his balance and strength on his skates usually results with him winning corner battles .. has deceptive stickhandling moves in close and a surprisingly fast release .. can be guilty of making poor plays and decisions with the puck, and is better served dishing it off immediately .. a pleasant surprise for a team lacking offence, as he is second in team scoring with 24 goals.

Michael Pelech (2008), C, St.Mikes

Has made remarkable improvements in his game and could be the most improved Major this season .. his confidence is way up from the start of the season as he plays a regular shift and is often put on the top line .. his vision has improved as he has become more patient with the puck .. is stronger on the puck in terms of decision making .. still lacks upper body strength and is muscled off the puck, but is determined and plays with more urgency in his game .. skating is sluggish, with no real first step quickness .. uses his long stride to get around but it is not overly powerful .. his position in the neutral zone struggles at times, but can be an effective forechecker if he is the first man in the zone, as his long reach works to his advantage .. is slowly reaching his potential as a former first round OHL pick .. additional strength and skating work in the off-season is necessary to reach NHL draft eligibility.

Dylan O'Neil (2008), C, St.Mikes

His confidence has been completely shattered as his lack of playing time failed to land him a spot on the Under 17 Ontario team .. predominately plays on the fourth line and sees limited time on special teams .. has good speed and tries for positional advantage but plays with fear of making a mistake and subsequently is benched .. has good faceoff skills, as he gets down low and is hand/eye coordination allows him to win a majority of draws .. will benefit from increased icetime next year, hopefully his confidence can improve.

Tim Billingsley (2008), D, St.Mikes

To say he has been under utilized would be an under statement .. has not logged the icetime necessary to develop in a disastrous season for the Majors since the WJC break .. a big, ultra-skilled mobile defender .. moves effortlessly side-to-side and is able to eliminate ice for oncoming forwards .. can look over zealous as he is competing for icetime and wants to do something every shift .. is best when playing a simple game .. is limited as a puckcarrier as the Majors use a forward coming back to carry the puck out on breakouts .. should assume a greater role next season and be able to produce offensively.