U-17 Hockey Challenge: Team Atlantic

Unable to build on the success of their 2005 bronze medal finish, team Atlantic managed to win only one game and finished in eighth place. Offence was a problem, as they recorded a tournament low 10 goals in five games. They also had difficulty keeping it out of their net, surrendering an average of five goals a game. They managed to win their last round robin game against the Germans to avoid playing in the last place finish game.

Forwards

Only five players play in the QMJHL. There appeared to be no cohesion with the lines and coaching could shoulder part of the blame. Lines were not mixed early in the tournament and projected first overall QMJHL pick, 1992-born Sean Couturier did not see a regular shift on the PP until the third game, despite his impressive skill set. Not enough finishers and too many grinders. Enigmatic forward Steve Anthony appeared to be playing a game within the game, as he did not look in sync.

Grade: C

Defense

With the exception of 1992-born Brandon Gormley, this defensive unit was awful. They did little to support their goalies, as they were unable to clear the zone and often allowed the opposition too many second and third shot chances. The play of Parfrey was inconsistent, however, he was not alone, as many other players lacked the proper positioning and speed to keep up against highly offensive and fast-skilled teams.

Grade: D

Goaltending

Jonathan Connely played four of the five games and registered team Atlantic's only win. He was very average with a 4.00 G.A.A. To his credit, he did not have much support in front of him but his rebound control and overall positioning needs work.

Grade: D+

Team Atlantic should be able to improve on this performance. They cannot get any worse. They were represented well with four 1992-born players, two on the backend and two up front. The experience at this tournament should better prepare them for next year.

Grade: C-

Scouting Notes

Brandon Gormley (2010), D, Charlottetown

One of a two 1992-born players to play on the backend for team Atlantic .. played a prominent role on the PP, as his puck moving skills, overall offensive awareness and shot far exceeded that of his older peers .. remarkably poised with the puck and exhibits no panic point when pressured .. his head is constantly on a swivel surveying his options and his game when handling the puck is usually error free .. he is eager to jump into the offensive fold .. he recognizes changes in play occurring in the neutral zone and gives the opposition something to worry about when he takes off .. his shot is booming and was used as a weapon in 3-4 breakouts where he would have his stick ready for a drop pass .. due to his foot speed and overall comfort when handling the puck, Gormley enters the offensive zone with ease, often setting up on the half boards before he retreats to the point .. he needs to work on his defensive reads .. like most young offensive-minded defenseman, he can be over zealous in the defensive zone, often forcing a play, which ultimately draws him out of position .. at times, he does not recognize when to step up on a man and it costs him valuable ice .. he will land a check if the opportunity is right and knows how to administer a good hip check .. led his team in points and assists .. young and full of promise, Gormley will be a name most scouts will remember by the time he is NHL-draft eligible.

Brad Yetman (2009), D, Shawinigan

Not a flashy defender but effective in terms of his positioning and overall size .. only QMJHL player on the backend and he logged a substantial amount of minutes in all situations .. he struggles with the offensive side of the game, as he is a tad clumsy with the puck .. his vision is rather limited but when given some time, he can usually make a decent play .. he does not try to be anything that he is not and knows his role is more of a shutdown defenseman .. not overly physical but imposing .. he uses his size to steer forwards to the outside .. he is rather effective in terms of his positioning to offset any scoring chances off the rush .. he does not gamble defensively and usually sets up when the opposition has regained the puck in their defensive zone so he can retreat in time .. his skating is also only adequate, which would explain why he is unlikely to join the rush .. he plays a controlled game in the defensive zone and guards his net with due diligence.

Steven Anthony (2009), C, Saint John

Dubbed as the 'Golden Boy' of the 1991 class, he slipped to 10th overall from his projected ranking of first overall in the QMJHL amidst speculation that he would opt for the NCAA .. silky-smooth centre was the team's best skater, as he is fluid and has multiple levels of acceleration .. his first step is used to create on the wing by driving defenseman wide but he does not always follow up on the chances he manufactures .. when battling for the puck in tight spaces, he is able to get to it the quickest, which helps him become more of an offensive threat .. his play 5-on-5 is average, as he benefits from the extra time and space he gets on the PP .. he needs the puck to be effective and prefers to shoot more than pass .. inconsistency plagues his overall game .. at times, he opts to throw the body while other shifts he is nowhere to be seen .. he can also be guilty of turnovers in the neutral zone due to his careless approach at times when handling the puck .. no look passes, or not hard enough on his passes are areas of concern, which might be part of a bigger problem - lack of focus .. if he can cheat defensively, he will .. rarely coming further than the hash marks to make a play .. has all the tools to be a top-flight prospect for next year but will need to focus on becoming a better-rounded player in all three zones.

Matt Brown (2009), LW, Moncton

Moncton's first round selection (15th overall) is a spark-plug-of-a-player with a modest skill set .. he is always moving his feet and looking to initiate physical contact .. a wiry build at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, he shows the ability to absorb and administer hits well .. for as much as he can dish out he can take it too .. he has good balance on his skates, which gives him a slight edge when he bodychecks players bigger than him .. he knows and understands how to use bigger players as screens or picks .. he draws penalties out of sheer hard work and determination to win battles .. he can take and receive passes well .. .. he is not a blinding skater but his short game is very efficient .. at times, he tries to do too much and can be caught deep in the offensive zone before he recognizes an option, thus losing the puck in poor position the other way .. aggressive fore checker and a mainstay on the PK .. Brown was able to build on his confidence but needs to shoot more.

Devon MacAusland (2009), C, Moncton

Teammate of Brown in Moncton and selected behind him in the second round of last year's QMJHL draft (35th overall) .. a speedy, skilled, quick-handed centre whose only detriment is his size .. uses a short stick so he is able to stickhandle in a phone booth .. his puck skills were one of the best on the team .. his ability to hold onto the puck until the last possible second was instrumental in creating chances .. unfortunately, he does not have the strength to hold onto it too long nor the size and as a result, he has to hurry his decisions .. nonetheless, he makes good plays when pressured .. he meshed well with any set of linemates .. his spunky style of play at times lifted the team, as he constantly sprinted toward loose pucks on every shift .. he was knocked around a fair bit but to his credit, he always got back up .. he comes back but does not always stay with his identified man and can be caught wandering defensively .. needs to grow and add weight but not at the expense of compromising his speed.

Tyler Noseworthy (2009), C/W, Pictou County

Versatile forward was used on both the wing and up front in certain games .. played the role of an energy forward, as he competed and looked to provide a spark for his teammates with a well-placed hit .. needs to develop more patience, as he does not realize how much time he has to make a play .. his speed allows him to get into open ice but too often, he throws the puck away .. he is a swift skater whose role on the PK is understood by his ability to process the game better away from the puck .. he plays with an edge, which allows him to create room for himself both offensively and defensively .. honest player who works hard at both ends of the rink just lacks the requisite hands and overall skill set to be considered a quality prospect.

Travis Randell (2009), RW, Halifax

Does not see much icetime being on such a deep team as Halifax as their fourth centre .. very dynamic in terms of skating and puck handling skills to gain the zone .. healthy acceleration and he maintains his speed, which results into many quality chances .. he works hard to get into scoring positions but then he does not shoot .. needs to be more selfish .. he looks tentative on many plays and unsure of what to do, as confidence has certainly been crippled by lack of playing time .. he is a character player who will do what is asked of him .. he goes to the boards and fights for loose pucks down low with a fair bit of success due to his balance and well-put-together-frame .. he willingly blocks shots even when his team is down by a handful of goals .. has the potential to be a good role player in the future, as he does not do one thing really well but does many things well.

Ben Duffy (2010), C, Dartmouth Subways

Hailing from one of the finer Midget programs in the east coast, the Dartmouth Subways have produced players such as James Sheppard and Sidney Crosby in recent years .. he put up sensational numbers as a double underage player last season becoming only the second player since Sidney Crosby to play Midget at 14 .. he has great hands and a keen offensive instinct .. he was not able to lend his name to the scoresheet with regularity but he did create, considering his youthful age, it is almost to be expected .. he finds spots and puts himself into positions to score .. his hand skills especially his stickhandling ability in close is impressive .. still underdeveloped physically, although he does show a penchant for going to the danger areas .. he is shifty and elusive and can often curl out of the corner with the puck due to his concentration down low in puck pursuits .. he is not a fast skater, as his hands work quicker than his legs .. he struggles heavily with his play away from the puck .. he cannot contain his man in the defensive zone and shows very little enthusiasm in marking his man but elects to take wide-looping circles in the defensive zone that are very ineffective .. a maturing skill set and offensive dynamo should make him a high selection in this year's QMJHL draft.

Sean Couturier (2011),C, W Notre Dame

The youngest player to compete in this tournament is already being heralded as the first overall selection in the QMJHL draft .. blessed with size standing at 6-foot-4 and still growing .. was not used much to start the tournament but gained the coaching staffs trust toward the tail end and saw plenty of time on the PP .. not overly tough but stands in front of the net and takes abuse to tip in a deflection .. eats up the ice with his long stride .. somewhat of a languid skater. he gives off the appearance that he is not moving very fast when in fact he is .. very smart player in all areas of the ice .. he has a great move where he can sneak out of the half boards putting the puck around a defenseman before the defender can get a hand on him .. he still needs to learn to protect the puck better and keep it more in his feet .. he started playing with better linemates who complemented his game .. he could do a better job of being more unpredictable in terms of his offensive game .. he also needs to be less passive when defending .. he gets out muscled even though he is strong enough to fend off guys in the offensive zone .. needs to play with the same zest away from the puck as he does with it .. could be 6-foot-6 when he finishes growing and with his velvet-soft hands, he could emerge as either the next Joe Thornton or Victor Kozlov - the choice is his.