OHL: The Butler Did It

Head Coach Stan Butler’s troops in Brampton have had a trying year. Read on for our thoughts on the play of Wojtek Wolski, Phil Oreskovic, Martin Lojek (among others) and their development under the guidance of Butler.

Wojtek Wolski (2004), LW

Scored a powerplay goal by pouncing on the rebound .. possesses a good reach and somewhat surprising wingspan .. not very impressed with his strength on the puck; must add bulk to his upper body .. when he breaks out of stretches of invisibility and utilizes his speed, he’s a force .. without the puck, he’s not very visible .. just an effortless skater, very shifty; averages as many as four strides a second at full speed .. should demand the puck more and fight for it with greater resiliency .. a definite opportunist, at times as though a ‘shadow’ player; when the puck is on his stick, he can explode and finish .. excellent stickhandler .. has great size, but doesn’t really look all that big, as he doesn’t use it .. hasn’t dominated this year as many expected.

Phil Oreskovic (2005), D

Has a soft stride and a big, spacious body .. Utilizes a lively stick to strip opponents off the puck .. looks very poised, mature and times his plays well .. very low panic point .. knows when to make the safe play .. moves the puck swiftly and smartly .. not afraid to take the hit .. youngster is logging very consistent minutes in playoff action .. a fluid skater with above-average speed .. very solid positionally in his own end and rarely makes a mistake .. needs more of an edge and a touch of meanness .. numbers are currently low, but offensive upside is adequate for the rookie.

Adam Henrich (Tampa Bay), LW

A passionate player who fights like a bull for the puck .. has good patience on the puck and overall impressive goalscorer’s instincts, knows how to outwit the goalie .. a strong stickhandler, with great control of the puck .. has a strong lower body .. makes accurate, crisp feeds, showcasing above-average vision .. possesses an excellent slapshot with a quick, powerful release .. knows the opponent’s end very well, finds open lanes and penetrates to find prime shooting positions .. moves like a potential power forward with robust strides .. scored a goal by tipping a point shot, taking major punishment in front of the net .. doesn’t stop moving, shows good energy .. his so-so production this year is surprising considering he’s impressed us in all our viewings this year .. his average upper body strength might be to blame; it’s not pro strong, as he doesn’t win all the puck battles he should.

Kamil Kreps (Florida), C

A pretty resilient guy; takes a lot of punishment on the forecheck, although he rarely returns the favour .. lanky for his height; not strong enough to intimidate physically, but works hard along the boards .. has an excellent reach and stickhandling skills of a magician .. very good wingspan you only see in plays of desperation .. a fluid skater with above-average speed .. shows a strong pair of hands and graceful lateral moves, but doesn’t always look motivated .. coming off a downer year with an underachieving team.

Martin Lojek (Florida), D

A tree of a kid .. tall and lanky with long hands that do not look particularly strong .. has a hard, low shot from the point, an area of major improvement since his rookie campaign .. a regular on the powerplay .. a confident passer; makes accurate, well-timed feeds .. utilizing his frame in traffic with much better gusto .. at times struggles to clear the zone.

Howie Martin (2005), C

A fluid skater, has above-average speed, but lacks first-step quickness .. a crafty playmaker with good vision .. a very stocky guy, with strong lower body, but so-so upper body .. must shed some pounds; he looks tired.