U17 Rochester Select Festival: Team White

In our sixth instalment of the USA Hockey U17 Select Festival, McKeen's Director of Scouting, David Burstyn, looks at several prospects from the team white roster.

Branden Fisher (2011), D, Tri-City (USHL)

Cut more in the mould of a stay-at-home defender, Fisher is not going to dominate offensively, as he panics with the puck .. at times, he can make a few nice plays with the puck but needs additional room to operate so he can find his options .. an accomplished skater, he has decent mobility and pivots ok .. equipped with good size, he gets his body in the way of shooting lanes .. Fisher does not play outside his skill set and is at his best when he keeps his game simple and you do not notice him.

Colin Suellentrop (2011), D, Oshawa

Named to the Hlinka team he should be able to provide a nice balance between offence and defence .. Suellentrop struggled last season on a weak Oshawa team and this tournament should allow him to enter his draft year with additional confidence .. blessed with size, he is a good skater who swallows up the ice with his long strides .. his passes are hard and crisp, he passed the puck much harder than his peers (a trait learned playing Major Junior) .. stays square to the shooter, as he plays his man tight .. can get into trouble when he tries to do too much offensively, as he can get caught pinching inappropriately .. he needs to work on his overall quickness and improving his offensive game but he does bring a good overall skill set to the table and should be a good stabilizing defender on this squad.

Connor Murphy (2011), D, USNDTP-17 (Verbal Commitment to Miami)

The most NHL polished defenseman available on this roster, Murphy is the son of former NHLer Gord Murphy .. he sustained a back injury last season that kept him limited to eight games last season .. at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds, he possesses NHL size and uses it very effectively .. he is strong on his skates and has a strong upper body and can easily shake of forwards who attempt to forecheck him .. is able to skate freely out of the zone, as he is agile and can quickly accelerate .. he moves the puck up well and eagerly jumps into the offence .. he can make a good first pass, and does not get pressured off the puck .. he makes good decisions with or without the puck .. he is responsible defensively and would wrap his arms around a player than eliminate him with a big hit .. he will also use his reach to pokecheck .. Murphy has good all-around skills and he should be able to man the point on the PP due to his puck skills and slapshot.

Colin Jacobs (2011), C, Seattle

A shoulder injury prevented him from having an effective camp, as he was limited to only a handful of games .. played last season as a member of the Seattle Thunderbirds incorporating a brash, physical style of play reminiscent to that of a young Scott Mellanby .. he is a jerky skater but since he has such a strong frame he can power his way into the zone .. strong along the wall and operates best in tight spaces .. he has good offensive skills but his goals will come as a direct result of him willing to pay the price in front of the net .. he has a good hard shot though in the slot .. Jacobs has a good work ethic and size and should be able to improve on his point totals this season with an expanded role.

Alex Broadhurst (2011), C, Chicago Mission

Broadhurst is a nice complimentary team player who thrives in open ice and PP situations .. he needs to gain additional weight as he is under sized physically .. he does a good job at distributing the puck as he is patient but can also make quick plays with the puck, especially on the PP where he will sneak down low, only to make a strong centring pass in front .. he led the tournament in assists and he had a revolving set of line mates .. Broadhurst makes other around him better due to slick, subtle skills .. he is a fluid skater, who gingerly moves side-to-side without being held up, as he is able to shake off and elude the opposition .. comes back with regularity to defend .. Broadhurst needs to get thicker and become more involved as even though he relies heavily on his finesse skills he will need to become stronger.

JC Campagna (2011), LW, Sarnia

Campagna has all the tools to be an effective NHLer, as he has size and strong skating ability .. his problem is that he often tries to make things too difficult and will force a circle into a square .. he needs to learn to simplify his game and understand that trying to beat three forwards at once is not the best option .. needs to understand that not every play coming across the offensive blueline will result in a goal .. defensively, he can watch plays and does not always know where to go .. Campagna is a sensational skater who literally glides on the ice, and is unbelievably fluid in his movements .. neither a playmaker nor a finisher but he can get himself into open positions .. he does possess a nice wrist/snapshot in the slot and score some pretty goals .. at 6-foot-3, he does not use his size at all to gain additional real estate, another facet of his game that needs to be tweaked .. Campagna has an opportunity to make an impact this season with the Sting if he can work on not over thinking the game.

Joe Labate (2011), C, Holy Angels (Minnesota HS)

Labate got better with each passing game, as he voluntarily used his size to open up scoring chances .. he participated in one-on-one battles and won his share of battles .. when he throws his body at all times, he is much more effective as players do not want to challenge him .. he marries his physical dimension with an impressive offensive game .. he posted solid numbers last season and showcased his knack for creating offence during these camps .. he lacks speed bursts, as he is a bow-legged skater but his wide stance and flopping limbs make him difficult to contain .. Labate drives the danger areas, has a maturing skill set and is the type of player that will thrive this season, especially if he continues to play Minnesota HS, as he will simply physically dominate the competition.