Tim Hortons Tournament: Minor Midgets Parade

The 20th Annual Tim Horton's AAA invitational tournament took place earlier this month in Hamilton, Ontario. Head correspondent David Burstyn focused on the 1990-born minor midgets as many potential OHLers and perhaps a few future NHLers showcased their skills. We profile over 35 players who made an impact at the event, starting with the Toronto Marlboros, Brantford 99'ers and the eventual winners, the London Jr Knights.

There were sixteen teams participating in the event and despite being assembled just a few weeks beforehand, the London Jr.Knights took the minor midget title in convincing fashion. While the competition boasted some strong teams, there simply wasn't enough parody as some proved no match for the top teams.

Cody Lindsay (F), London Jr Knights

Strong-skating forward who made an impression every game with his blazing speed and tremendous first step .. great offensive instincts .. boasts an accurate wrist shot .. makes moves at top speed and is not afraid to charge the net .. stays alert on the ice and is quick to realize changes in play .. thrives in the offensive zone with his creative stickhandling and solid patience with the puck .. top forward plays on PP all the time and should lead his team in scoring .. a strong candidate for first-round consideration in the OHL Selection Priority.

Nazem Kadri (F), London Jr Knights

A player who makes those around him better .. extremely quick and agile .. strong on his skates .. doesn't get pushed around as he is able to elude checks despite his relatively smallish size .. makes slick moves in traffic and often gets goalies to commit early .. speedy and skilled pivot also pays close attention to his defensive duties .. tends to overplay the puck at times but he demonstrates the self-confidence to continually try new things .. early impressions are of a Chris Terry, a smaller player with an abundance of skill .. could be a potential second-round pick if his development remains consistent throughout the season.

Shawn Furlong (F), London Jr Knights

Hard-working winger who combines grit and skill .. plays on a line with Nazem Kadri and Cody Lindsay and does most of the dirty work which makes the line so effective .. has the ability to step up and be noticed in the more physical contests .. a decent skater with an active offensive imagination .. displayed an ability to get his shots off fast even while in traffic.

Tucker Hunter (F), London Jr Knights

The third of the Hunter boys .. not an overly dynamic skater but has decent acceleration within a few strides and possesses solid balance on his skates .. cycles the puck well and excels palying down low .. has good hockey sense and anticipates the game effectively, better than his brother before him.

Matt Cassidy (F), London Jr Knights

A smaller forward with good wheels and a nose for the net .. plays well around the net and is able to sneak out of the corner .. shows good anticipation skills in the offensive zone .. a player who can score and looks to capitalize on chances with his quick feet.

Jamie Commerford (F), London Jr Knights

Biggest player on the team at 6-foot-3 .. skates well for a player of his size .. elevates his game on the cycle as he is able to outmuscle his smaller opponents .. asserts himself and initiates physical play consistently .. causes numerous turnovers with his ability to get in the way of passing lanes.

Jordan O'Neill (D), London Jr Knights

Possesses good size to defend at 6-foot-1 .. though he doesn't excel in one particular area, he does everything right and rarely makes mistakes .. positions himself well in the defensive zone .. identifies his man and pins him against the boards .. boasts adequate skating skills and at times joins the rush to show off his hard shot .. one-timers need a little work as his timing looked a bit off .. if his offensive game picks up, he may warrant second-round consideration.

Other players deserving honourable mention include captain Matt Sherry, a decent-sized defender who has a nice stride and complementary offensive prowess. Ryan Richardson-Guest is a smaller defender who boasts the hardest shot on the team and healthy puckmoving skills. Dominic DeSando is a tireless worker who is not relatively fast but constantly moves his feet and positions himself intelligently in scoring areas.

Stefan Salituro (F), Toronto Marlboros

Plays with nice intensity .. boasts decent size at 5-foot-10 and still growing .. slick skater who protects the puck well and drives to the net regularly .. showed off a tremendous release on his wrist shots and equally good accuracy as he scored throughout the tournament with it .. agile on his feet .. takes passes well on both his forehand and backhand .. flashy skills, can even dish off dramatic feeds through his legs .. unpredictable in his actions .. plays a smart game, quite brainy and always thinking .. really elevated his game and is now relied on in more of an offensive role .. unlikely to be overlooked past the top rounds as the Marlboros organization has a history of producing winners.

Ryan Hancock (F), Toronto Marlboros

Small aggressive winger who never stops moving his feet .. constantly buzzing in all three zones .. gritty and works well down low and behind the net .. gets knocked down a bit due to lack of size but gets up and comes back for more .. sometimes tries to do too much as he attempts to beat a big defender one-on-one when a simple dump-in would suffice .. shows an impressive mean streak and a style reminiscent of a poor man's Bryan Cameron .. could use a major growth spurt to ensure he's OHL ready.

Kelly Jackson (F), Toronto Marlboros

A scoring winger who readily jumps into the offensive zone .. wears an "A" and leads by example .. covers a lot of ice with his long fluid strides .. stickhandles extremely well in traffic as his long arms allow him to get around defenders .. very confident with the puck and constantly wants to be the go-to guy.

Tyler Allen (F), Toronto Marlboros

Offensive-minded player who takes chances in the offensive zone .. always rushing the play and charging to the slot .. displays a bit of an edge to his game and plays bigger than his 6-foot-1 size would suggest.. however, he tends to take unnecessary and costly penalties .. possesses a healthy stride powered by decent first step .. can generate good speed once his feet get moving.

Adam Scuglia (F), Toronto Marlboros

Plays on the top power play unit .. crafty playmaker who is capable of making nifty touch passes and finding open teammates .. not a very fluid skater as his stride is a bit choppy .. however, he has a decent skillset while his height and reach make him an effective player.

Michael Sardella (F), Toronto Marlboros

A hulking 6-foot-4, 195-pound forward who can outmuscle players along the boards .. not a great skater but is able to stickhandle very well for a big man .. deceptive in his movements and certainly a work in progress .. does not have the best hands but plumbs the tough areas of the ice well .. hard to determine how his skills match up as he is considerably bigger than the opposition .. has shown an ability to score and to create opportunities for himself.

Robyn Sertic (D), Toronto Marlboros

Captain of the Marlie team .. boasts a decent-size frame at 5-foot-11 and 160 pounds .. plays a very smart game and doesn't get caught out of position .. only an average skater however with limited lateral and backwards mobility .. seems lost at times in the defensive zone and unsure of who to defend .. boasts a decent low shot and quarterbacks the powerplay .. makes good decisions with the puck, very poised .. not a physical specimen but nullify his checks with effective stickwork.

Jarred Seymour (D), Toronto Marlboros

Moved from Australia to play hockey in North America .. tall but very thin defender .. possesses decent coordination for a player of his size .. shows ok offensive abilities although he's clearly the type of player who has yet to tap into his potential .. size certainly makes him attractive as he moves well with a healthy long stride .. his first step is kind of slow though and he can get flatfooted in defensive situations .. nevertheless, defended effectively against smaller opponents without taking penalties.

Emyle Morgan (D), Toronto Marlboros

Small but thick-framed defender with good skating skills .. plays with a lot of heart and desperation .. tends to makes poor decisions and seems to always be a victim of bad bounces .. his play in the defensive zone is questionable at times as his actions led directly to a few goals against.

The Marlboros suffered a big blow when scoring sensation Corey Trivino left the team due to captaincy issues. Trivino added an offensive element as he is a slick playmaking forward with a lethal wristshot and an excellent backhand. He is a fluid skater and anticipates the play extremely well. Although sometimes guilty of overhandling the puck, his creativity and chemistry, especially with Salituro, will be tough to replace. It remains to be seen what will happen to Trivino as it is doubtful that the Marlies will offer him a release making high school hockey one of his few available options.

Adam Henrique (F), Brantford 99'ers

Smooth-skating forward with a tremendous first step and acceleration gear .. the go-to guy on the team .. can dangle inside the offensive zone and stickhandle at top speed .. cuts, twist and turns, shaking off defenders with ease .. can expose a weak defence by charging the net and making things happen though he doesn't do this enough .. pickpocketed a number of defenders in the neutral zone thanks to his active stick, resulting in quick breakouts the other way .. will need to work on his play in the corners and his overall physical approach .. he is a finesse player by nature and will almost certainly benefit from playing with other high-end talents .. potential first-round pick should be able to hone his game in the OHL.

Sean Frankland (F), Brantford 99'ers

Not the prettiest of skaters but always keeps his feet moving .. an honest worker, never gives up on a play .. capable of scoring as he charges the net hard and often .. plays better in physical contests where we can assert himself better .. more of a bang and crash player .. used in penalty-killing situations as his positioning is very smart .. willing to battle down low and is strong on the cycle.

Alex Szczechura (F), Brantford 99'ers

A smart, patient player who possesses excellent distribution skills .. makes passes that most players either can't complete or wouldn't think possible .. average speed, average skating abilities .. lacks the strength to dominate physically .. stays with plays and waits for them to develop .. very poised with the puck and makes sound decisions .. one to keep an eye on as his brother Paul was a late bloomer, originally drafted by the Barrie Colts and now attending Western Michigan University.

Aaron Gorka (D), Brantford 99'ers

Emerging as a hard-nosed defenseman who plays with a mean streak .. was kicked out of contest for a hit-from-behind infraction .. needs to be more disciplined in his physical approach and not to cost his team on the scoresheet .. a decent skater with modest size .. slow feet however, gets beat by speedy forecheckers .. needs to use his stick more effectively in the defensive zone .. would benefit from simplifying his game and not overplaying the puck especially when he is the last man back .. still quite raw but could mature into a hockey player similar to that of Belleville Bulls defender P.K. Subban.

The 99'ers have plenty of character players that contribute to overall team success. Many could develop into legitimate prospects including captain Chad Sumison who leads by example and creates nice offensive opportunities. Kevin Kuehl is an energy player, who finishes all his checks and scores the occasional goal by crashing the net. Matt Mascarin is an able defender capable of logging the puck up ice but will have to continue improving his decision making with the puck to get noticed.