U17 World Hockey Challenge - Team Ontario

Team Ontario - 2nd Place

Despite losing their first game to Finland, Team Ontario went undefeated the next four games to regain their third consecutive gold medal appearance. They lost to Team USA in the finals as goaltender John Gibson stymied the Ontario players. McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn looks at several Ontario-born prospects.

Forwards: A

Team Ontario had considerable depth on their roster as all forwards factored in on the score sheet. They had great scoring balance as all lines were able to pick up the scoring when needed. Catenacci, Lessio and Puempel led the team in scoring with five points each, while four other players notched four points each.

Defence: A+

Several players on Team Ontario's backend will be highly sought after prospects in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Dougie Hamilton, Ryan Murphy and Scott Harrington all have the potential to be first round NHL picks as they shined in this tournament. Sefton and Percy were great complementary partners who played well within the framework of the team. Ceci saw limited ice and Crombeen was hurt during an exhibition game against Team Russia and saw little to no ice as a result.

Goaltending: A

Festerani faltered in the first game against Team Finland in front of his hometown crowd. He was then replaced by Teichmann who played sensational in the next five games recording two shutouts (tournament high). He came up big when he had too and was effective in the gold medal game kicking aside 32 saves albeit in a 2-1 loss.

Tyson Teichmann (2011), G, Belleville

Teichman took over the starting duties after Festarini dropped the opening game against the Finns .. he went on to record back-to-back shutouts against Team Quebec and Team Sweden .. modest size and decent mechanics, Teichman is not an overly athletic player but he does understand the position .. very rarely caught out of position and has good lateral quickness .. an area of his game that could use some improvement is his backwards skating and overall agility .. he can be too rigid in his crease, however he does make saves .. his glove hand and puckhandling skills are average .. what separates him from others is his recovery and the fact that he expends very little energy to make a save because he is constantly tracking down the puck .. a trade involving Bulls starter Grubauer after the tournament saw him inherit the starting duties for the Bulls, as the coaching staff has full confidence in him carrying the ball.

Ryan Murphy (2011), D, Kitchener

Few players offer as exciting a skill package as Murphy .. the relative ease in which he skates freely and unmolested into the offensive zone was not exhibited by any other defenseman in this tournament .. he is a sensational skater and extremely confident with the puck .. his confidence however can sometimes see him hold onto the puck too long nonetheless, he creates so much offensively that the coaching staff gave him free reign .. at times, he was careless with the puck and threw it away but his speed always allowed him to recover back into a defensive position .. worked the point on the PP and has a patent move where he fakes a shot and steps inside the zone by three steps before dishing it off .. seems to have no confidence in his shot whatsoever .. defensively, he struggles to keep up and loses his man .. adjustments need to be made in that area of the ice .. the off-season should see him add 10-14 pounds of muscle to his 160-pound frame, which should help him compete without the puck .. for his limited shortcomings, Murphy brings an unbelievable dynamic to the table and should be considered a high-end pick for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.

Justin Sefton (2011), D, Sudbury

The odd man out, Sefton saw limited icetime, as both him and Cody Ceci were used sparingly in the tournament .. made the most of his ice by making smart, safe and subtle exit passes up ice that led to good scoring chances .. naturally aggressive, which works in his favour in the defensive zone .. at times, he can lose focus in the defensive zone and appears tentative in the neutral zone to make a play .. this can also be chalked up to the fact that he was nervous to make a mistake and lost confidence due to his lack of game involvement .. could benefit from exercising his stop and starts more .. hockey sense at times comes into question with plays down low .. Sefton understood his role and played well within it .. he is a non-nonsense defender with a healthy mean streak and can skate well .. these types of defensemen are always at a premium at the pro level.

Doug Hamilton (2011), D, Niagara

Hamilton logged considerable minutes in all game situations and embraced his responsibilities by playing a mature game .. approaches the game already like a pro, as his decisions with the puck and calculated position on the ice in all three zones is superb .. was coached not to rush the puck and not only understood the team systems but excelled in them, finding ways to make subtle contributions from the backend .. played almost every single PK opportunity and due to his skating and active stick he was effective .. can line guys up coming down the wing and can execute a hit .. he plays with some jam and competes hard in lose puck battles .. not an elite puckhandler but he has poise with it .. Hamilton as an underager already logs ample minutes for the IceDogs on both the PP and PK and has done remarkably well .. is a tall 6-foot-3 and has the frame to fill out to 205 pounds next year, which should make him a highly sought after NHL prospect.

Scott Harrington (2011), D, London

Injuries have sidelined Harrington this season with the Knights but he entered the U17 tournament healthy and determined .. made a difference as his natural poise with the puck makes him a threat every time he touches it .. a strong skater, he does not have a separation gear but the way he positions himself on the ice and protects the puck, he is rarely stripped off of it .. very mobile in all directions and his calmness under pressure helps him make the best possible play .. he does not panic and if he does not see a play he is just as apt to curl back and re-evaluate his options .. he can make an offensive rush into the zone while fending off checkers with one hand and pushing the puck up with the other .. played the PK and was solid in his defensive-zone coverage .. named assistant captain .. is a complete package that will be a high-end NHL prospect.

Stuart Percy (2011), D, Mississauga

A model of consistency, Percy played such a responsible defensive game against the opposition's best that he saw his icetime grow throughout the tournament .. excelled in his defensive-zone coverage including one-on-one's, board battles, crease clearer and reading the play to retrieve the puck .. a strong skater with a quick stick and high hockey IQ .. does all the little things well while providing a steady, calming influence to not only the backend but the entire team .. good in all directions and has an expansive frame which he again uses well in defensive situations .. saw time on the PP and made crisp passes .. did not take poor shots .. Percy's firm understanding of the game and ability to thrive in any situation makes him a complementary defensive partner for either an offensive-minded or defensive-minded one .. plays the game with maturity that belies his age.

Matthew Puempel (2011), LW, Peterborough

Puempel scored both of his tournament goals (2) on the PP, and has become an accomplished special teams player .. Puempel has a nose for the net and does not hesitate to shoot .. he often does not need a second chance to bury it in close .. he wants the puck at all times and often appears in the right place at the right time .. not a flashy player by any stretch of the imagination .. his skating and passing skills are average but his ability to finish simply cannot be taught .. his skating does have a quick hop which allows him to jump onto loose pucks, however he does not have rink-length speed .. he does pump his feet and try to be everywhere on the ice, as he was very inspired against the Swedes .. he battles along the boards and always goes to the net .. currently, he is the leading rookie scorer in the OHL and he could better Spooner's rookie goal total of 30, as he has 26.

Lucas Lessio (2011), LW, St.Mikes (CCHL)

Played on the top-six rotation and was among the team leaders in points with 6-2-3-5 totals .. boasts good vision down low and can hit guys with rink-length passes .. on the PP, he exploits many slow-footed defenders with his quick feet and outstanding hand/eye coordination .. explodes into openings, as he has a blazing first step and a very long stride .. can do things at an alarming speed and executes .. has an abundance of moves in his game, and can deke and fake defenders with ease .. comes back but can be lost in the defensive zone .. Lessio absolutely dominated the CCHL as a member of the Buzzers, as he finished in the top 10 in scoring despite missing nine games .. he would benefit greatly by joining the OHL next season with the Generals, as the chance to play with Jenner would increase both of their draft stocks and would challenge him more than the CCHL.

Boone Jenner (2011), C, Oshawa

First-line centre played with maturity and poise fitting as his role as Team captain .. Jenner excels on the PP where he can position his thick frame by the side of the goal and slip in pucks .. he quietly enters and exits that area of the ice eluding coverage .. his skating is still a setback but because he is so strong he is often able to break into the zone out of sheer will and determination .. his speed, once he gets going, is good and coupled with his hands he can make many subtle plays that lead to scoring chances .. Jenner is very gifted at opening ice for others .. he understands his position on the ice and displayed unselfish characteristics in this tournament, more so than in Oshawa .. does a good job on the PK due to his position and angling .. does a good of pestering forwards in the neutral zone and hemming teams in .. Jenner has blossomed into a productive player in his rookie season and will only get better .. he has a great skill set and a pro-like frame already .. working on his agility and quick twitch muscles will be imperative for Jenner to be even more productive next season.

Daniel Catenacci (2011), C, Sault Ste. Marie

Shared the team scoring lead with Jenner (6-3-2-5) and was a threat to score every time he touched the puck .. a quick and darty skater, he has great acceleration backed by a relatively short stride .. he stays low to the ice and generates most of his power with his trunk .. uses a short stick so he can stickhandle and makes a series of moves to gain the line with success .. at times, he can do too much with the puck, as he needs to make the simple play rather than stickhandle deep behind the opposition's goal .. small in stature but is not afraid to engage and plays with some jam .. at times, he can let his emotions get the best of him and can be undisciplined .. a tight little package of skill and speed, his reckless style of play could catch up to him again and cost him games.

Alan Quine (2011), C, Kingston

Played on the third line, primarily lining up with Thompson and Strome/Meurs .. a slick skater with a firm understanding of the game .. can carry the puck on a string and enter the offensive zone unmolested .. controls the play when he has the puck in his possession .. good along the boards, as he can corral passes and bat down errand pucks and settle them down .. manoeuvres his way into scoring areas due to his ability to read the game and know where to go .. undersized, he often cannot do things because he is not physically strong, yet he finds other ways to stay involved .. always moving his feet and has his head on a swivel .. is the type of player that needs to play, as early in the tournament he did not see much ice but improved with more consistent shifts .. has the potential to be the Frontenacs top scorer next season should he be able to add much-needed weight in the off-season.

Carter Sandlak (2011), W/C, Guelph

Returned to the centre position and looked good on the grind line with Broll and Ritchie .. showed good game smarts and a surprising ability to keep up and make creative plays in the middle .. criticized for his skating, Sandlak did a good job to disguise his weakness by moving his feet and anticipating plays .. will not cheat you on effort and plays a consistent game .. bangs and crashes bodies and plays at a high tempo, constantly keeping the opposition alert as to when he is on the ice .. ok hands but works better in a third-line capacity, where he can keep his game simple and use his size to punish and tire the opposition.

Garrett Meurs (2011), RW, Plymouth

Meurs started the tournament slowly but finished with a bang with back-to-back two goal games against Team West and Team Russia .. a streaky scorer, he has great wrists and an accurate shot .. can disappear for stretches at a time but will emerge with the puck and score .. not a natural goal scorer but an accomplished one nonetheless .. he has good presence and position in the offensive zone and tends to sneak behind players .. a strong skater, he stays and can keep himself involved in all areas of the ice .. Meurs needs to be more consistent, as he can come up short too often .. registered a majority of his points when he played alongside Seguin, but has since dried up.

Ryan Strome (2011), RW, Niagara

Strome was traded after the U17 to Niagara as part of the Pietrangelo trade .. had a productive tournament (6-2-1-3) albeit with limited icetime .. he competes and cycles in the offensive zone .. he can make good passes and receives passes equally well .. has a quick snapshot which catches goalies by surprise .. he protects the puck well and is incredibly patient in the slot .. finds openings and does not stay in one spot too long, as to make defenders cover him .. still needs strength to make a difference .. plays a staunch defensive game .. joins a rebuilding Niagara team that boasts a strong core of 1993-born players .. Strome could easily step into the top centre spot next year.

Brett Ritchie (2011), RW, Sarnia

Ritchie saw a bulk of his icetime on the third line but had a productive tournament .. blessed with size but does not have a separation gear .. he uses his size along the boards and in open ice to get closer to the goal .. not overly physical and/or mean he does a good job of pushing forward but is not feared by the opposition .. not a natural finisher, as he needs many chances to bury his opportunities .. nonetheless, he shows good ability to manufacture chances and was a complementary third-line player on this team .. has ok stickhandling prowess .. not a flashy player but he does a good job of keeping his game simple and he does not have to be reminded to work hard and backcheck.