U17 Rochester Select Festival: Team Gold

In Part 3 of our 8-part series on the U17 Select Festival, McKeen's Director of Scouting, David Burstyn, looks at many promising players on the gold roster.

Andy Welinski (2011), D, Duluth East (Verbal Commitment Minnesota-Duluth)

Welinski plays a solid game but did not overwhelm with his performance .. he elected to hang back and took a very calm, casual approach to the games .. was not overly noticeable but did not make mistakes either .. upright skater who has fluid mobility and is able to stay with most skaters in defensive situations .. he is athletic, as his movements are crisp .. can run around at times in his own zone, as he had to recover for his defence partner at times .. effectively uses his stick to pry away the puck from forwards .. gets into shooting lanes and cuts off angles well .. should finish off his final year of hockey playing high school hockey in Minnesota.

Garrett Haar (2011), D, Fargo

Haar is a riverboat gambler who likes to make plays with the puck but tends to hold onto it too long .. has a Brian Campbell, half spin-o-rama move that he likes to use to elude and shake off fore checkers .. at times, it gets him into trouble as the opposition played him tighter and he was unable to be as effective without the open ice .. he tries to be too creative and he needs to learn to simplify his game .. his shot selection is not the best and he can and will shoot into blocked shooting lanes, as he tends to force things .. he can suffer with mental errors and gives away the puck far too easily at times .. can get down on himself and exhibits poor body language .. will not hesitate to take guys out of the play with a hit .. has many tools but he needs to tinker his game and should be able to erase some bad habits playing in the USHL.

Keegan Lowe (2011), D, Edmonton

The son of Kevin Lowe, he played 69 games for the last place Edmonton Oil Kings and performed admirably considering the injuries and youth on their backend .. excelled in these camps, as his poise and maturity were ahead of his peers, as he picked and choose his spots well .. considered more of a stay-at-home defender, Lowe can jump into the rush or architect a play .. he is very intelligent and does not give the opposition much room to operate in his zone .. he hits often and hard, instilling fear into the opposition .. he boxes players out and takes away passing lanes with his sound positioning .. shows flashes of offensive imagination and has a good pointshot .. he is a pigeon-toed skater who is awkward in his skating style but he generates good speed and he can stay with all plays .. Lowe should make this team and be able to play in all situations.

Shane McColgan (2011), RW, Kelowna

The highest scoring 1993-born player in the WHL last season, McColgan struggled in these camps before sustaining a knee injury that kept him out of action .. very slight, he desperately needs to add some weight to his slender frame .. one dimensional player, as he only excels in the offensive zone .. he has a quick first step and uses it to pounce on loose pucks .. showcases some bouts of skill with his passing and shot including an accurate wristshot and hard slapshot .. does not go into danger areas and rarely digs pucks along the wall .. he does however, play with a little bit of an edge, as he slashes goalies after the whistle and slyly butt-ends players in scrums .. the extent of his injury will determine whether or not he makes this squad.

Kevin Lappatto (2011), RW, Russell Stover

Texas-born Lappatto improved every game and constantly was around the puck .. he is a very choppy skater with average feet but his anticipation keeps him involved .. he puts himself in strong positions to convert most of his chances .. works better with a speedy centre where he can give and go and elude checkers .. sees plays unfold and can make swift plays behind the net .. athletic and boasts good size .. has a quiet, unassuming skill set, however he needs to improve his skating.

Riley Bourbonnais (2011), C, Maksy (emJHL)

Bourbonnais has a good skill set when he applies himself .. he is more of a lurk in the weeds type of player .. he makes nice subtle plays in the offensive zone, with his deft, soft-touch passes .. goes to the net with his stick down .. he is a short game player who scores a majority of his goals on deflections and rebounds .. he is much better player when he works on instinct, as when he has time to make a play he out-thinks himself .. is a decent skater who has various rates of speed .. equally quick with the puck on his blade .. needs to be more involved in the game, as he has talent to potentially break it open.

Sean Kuraly (2011), C, Indiana (Verbal Commitment to Miami)

An honest player who is the sum of his parts .. does not do anything particularly well but does all the little things .. eagerly comes back, even as far back as behind his own goal .. smart centre that reads the play well and shows some creativity with the puck .. able to make nice, short passes in the offensive zone .. does not over extend his passes or put himself into compromising positions .. he isn't fast but he is deceptive with his first step .. he seems to be more aware of the puck and his surroundings, so while opponents are looking for it, he is already heading toward it .. he is a good penalty killer because of his tenacity and anticipation and he routinely forces turnovers .. he has good size (6'2, 190), and uses his body to win battles along the wall and is always getting in the way .. should be able to make this team in a third or fourth-line capacity.

Austin Farley (2012), RW, Fargo

Farley is an elusive player with a quick stick and good hands for shooting but his size is his ultimate drawback .. he is also a very mediocre skater but disguises this flaw by constantly pumping his feet .. his stick and positioning in the offensive zone help him generate his chances .. he can often slide in behind the defence, going virtually unnoticed as he is underestimated as a player .. in close, he has a series of moves that he employs against goaltenders .. can get removed from the play when it becomes more physical and he will need to add some additional weight to his frame to be successful.

Steven Fogarty (2011), LW, Edina HS

Fogarty produced at over a point a game clip in the regular and postseason as well as State Championship games .. at 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, he approaches the game as more of a finesse player who relies on his shot .. he can rifle a puck in any area of the ice .. he has a blistering shot, including a wristshot that is loaded with velocity and accuracy .. he has very little back swing so he is able to get his shot off in an instant .. he also shows decent vision and can make nice passes .. he is not a blazing skater and he has a sluggish first step but once he gets moving he is effective .. at times, he can be guilty of watching the play rather than dictating it .. the way he uses his stick and size to get a sliver of the puck in front of the goal also sets him apart, as he does not need many chances to score .. Fogarty is a player that seduces you with his size and scoring ability and will need to be monitored closely throughout the season.

Justin Selman (2012), C, Des Moines

Selman appears to be much thicker and taller than his stats suggest (5'11, 185) .. he works hard in the offensive zone to architect plays with well timed saucer passes and an above-average shot .. he has limited speed in a straight line and he loses his speed when he is forced to cross over .. defensively, he struggles, as even though he shows the effort he has a difficult time tying his man up or even adjusting to the changes in the play .. makes mental errors as a result .. his enthusiasm and willingness to retreat into his own zone is encouraging but he needs to understand the nuances of the defensive game better .. Selman has some positive attributes but needs more time to develop.