U17 World Hockey Challenge - Team Atlantic

Team Atlantic - 7th Place

Team Atlantic started the tournament on an awful note with losses to Team USA and Team Pacific and being out-scored by a 17-4 margin. They managed to settle down and notched wins against the Czech's and Team West. Scoring goals (16 for) and keeping them out of their net (29 against) were a problem. The team lacked a Major Junior presence and had the most 1994-born players on their roster with five. McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn looks at several Team Atlantic prospects.

Forwards: C

If the line of Tesink, Andrews or Milson was not scoring, the rest of Team Atlantic simply could not pick up the slack. Darcy Ashley offered some offensive contribution with three goals in five games but the diminutive winger appeared overwhelmed by the size of the opposition. The third and fourth lines were completely invisible and did not bring much to the table.

Defenseman: C-

With no players on the blue line playing Major Junior this group struggled to get the job done. They lacked a true PP specialist and none of them had the requisite puck skills to launch a play up the ice. At times, they appeared tentative and gave the opposition far too much room to operate.

Goaltending: C-

Robert Steeves played in only one contest this tournament (7-0 loss to Team USA) before Jordan Kennedy (2nd round pick to Lewiston) took over the duties. Kennedy was shaky in a 10-4 loss to Team Pacific but settled down nicely to notch wins against Team Czech and Team West. He also held his ground against Team Russia (6-3 loss).

Scouting Notes:

Jordan Kennedy (2011), G, Lewiston

Has appeared in eight games this year for the Lewiston MAINEiacs but has faltered in all his starts .. at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds, he offers great size but is far too liberal with his net exposure, as he does not take up much of the net .. looked horrific against Team Pacific allowing 10 goals against and remained in the game for the entire contest .. came back with a win against Team Czech and looked much better against Team Russia, albeit in a 6-3 loss .. decent push-off his back leg to slide across .. takes little steps for his shuffle, as he tries to remain square to the shooter .. a better-than-average-skater, which helps him in all facets of his game .. weak with wrap arounds and plays down low .. butterfly goalie that drops down far too early and relies on his size far too much .. comes out deep to challenge .. Kennedy finished the tournament on a positive note and his overall athleticism combined with his raw ability and size make him a viable option for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Justin Hache (2012), D, Miramichi Rivermen AAA

The biggest defenseman on the roster and the second youngest with a 1994 birth date .. Hache's confidence grew throughout the tournament to the point that he was attempting to make plays with the puck .. was exposed in a game against Team Pacific, as he was intimidated by the power and speed of the forwards .. languid stride, he does not skate with urgency but he makes safe and reliable plays .. has good mobility and is fluid in all directions .. saw PP time and did a formidable job controlling the puck and setting up plays .. Hache performed well in this tournament considering he only plays Midget Triple A hockey .. if he continues to develop he could be a player NHL scout's will take notice of.

Tyrone Sock (2011), D, Miramichi Rivermen AAA

A member of the Moncton Flyers, Sock scored four goals in five games in the Telus Cup last season .. Sock offers a decent offensive skill set but looked out of place with his constant gambling and miss-timed pinching, which resulted in odd-man breakouts and crippled his confidence .. has good vision and passing skills .. is mindful not to extend his passes and will curl back if he did not see an option .. his skating is average .. his first step needs improvement but he does offer good mobility in all directions and is a strong backwards skater .. he must work on his balance, as he was consistently knocked-off stride and fell down far too much .. Sock was forced to play ahead of his skill set in this tournament and simply could not handle all the offensive responsibilities.

James Melindy (2012), D, Notre Dame

Moncton's second round selection (34th overall 2008) is a steady, stay-at-home defender whose natural aggression keeps opponents honest and in check .. an ok skater, he offers good range and is able to keep guys to the outside .. he is mean and nasty and developed a reputation as such, thus neutralizing many offensive chances, as opposing forwards did not want to challenge him .. he willingly sacrifices his body by blocking shots or paying the price along the boards to make a play .. he hits hard and gives forwards very little room to operate, as he pounces on them immediately .. should develop in Notre Dame, a school that has pumped out its share of pro prospects.

Stephen Woodworth (2011), D, Halifax Lions Jr. A

Team captain played a safe and defensively conscious game .. does not impress in any particular area of his game but did not make many mistakes .. smart in terms of reading plays and positioning himself accordingly to contain forwards .. gets in shooting and passing lanes .. even though he does not have the greatest skill set he competes hard and wants to be a difference maker .. plays with heart .. an average skater he has heavy boots and limited high-end speed .. average in terms of handling the puck, he tends to stickhandle with the heel of his blade, therefore he constantly fumbles it .. played some time on the PP but takes far too long to get his shot off .. Woodworth is the sum of his parts but needs to make improvements to all areas of his game.

Bryce Milson (2011), LW, Acadie-Bathurst

Milson was a standout performer for the Notre Dame Hounds who captured the Telus Cup last year, as he scored 7-4-5-9 totals .. the 22nd overall pick in 2008 has played in 39 games this season for the Titans and has done well considering his lack of icetime .. a quiet and accomplished scorer, he has produced at every level he has competed at .. scored some clutch goals for Team Atlantic including the GTG with four minutes left against Team Czech to force OT .. does not cheat you on effort, he goes hard to the net and is a force in the offensive zone .. he protects the puck well and makes plays in the offensive zone .. twists and turns off guys to find his best position to score, as he often goes to the slot .. average skater, he disguises his lack of speed by constantly moving his feet .. can surprise though with a quick burst of speed out of the gate .. Milson was an offensive catalyst and a player Team Atlantic leaned on to score goals and he answered the call.

Darcy Ashley (2011), C/W, Summerside Western Capitals Jr. A

Ashley has produced at a great clip in his first season playing in the MJAHL with 26-19-22-41 point totals .. an offensive-minded player, Ashley created his fair share of chances with his quick hands and quick stick .. .. competitive and wants the puck .. equipped with a fast release but not much velocity on his shot, Ashley relies on his accuracy at this point more so than his power .. at times, he tries to do too much and plays with blinders on .. he is a clever offensive-minded player who sneaks in backdoor and finds his position on the ice .. he is tentative along the boards and needs someone to feed him the puck .. due to his small size (5'7, 155) he is not physical and simply cannot hit .. played better with the man advantage, as there were times when he would disappear for with 5-5 play .. Ashley has elected to go the College route and has a verbal to Maine, which is probably a good thing, as the extra years of hockey should give him time to develop physically.

Brent Andrews (2011), C, Halifax

The team's most gifted player, Andrews played like a gladiator all tournament often putting the team on his back and doing it all by himself .. scored the OT winner against Team Czech and was an absolute wrecking ball against Team Russia, imposing his will and showcasing his skill set in several highlight-reel passes and goals .. his hands and touch around the goal are impressive, as he has quick wrists and can get the puck up in an instant .. he controlled the play with the puck in his possession and was able to draw guys to him before passing it off to the open man .. his awareness in all three zones is pro like already .. his play is consistent in the defensive zone as it is in the offensive zone, as his attention to detail is superb .. picked up his intensity throughout the tournament .. played with an edge and sticked guys in front of the goal to gain positional advantage .. a slightly above-average skater, he needs to increase the length of his stride and become faster and more powerful .. he is extremely hard at this point to knock off his skates .. Andrews is a solid prospect who oozes potential .. he should be included on the Ivan Hlinka U18 roster, as his versatile play coupled with his offensive imagination and staunch defensive game will make him a valuable addition to Team Canada.