U17 World Hockey Challenge - Team West

Team West - 10th Place

After finishing fifth in the tournament last year and winning a bronze in 2008, Team West finished a disappointing last place in Timmins. They recorded their lone win of the tournament against Finland netting 8 goals in the contest but then only scored 8 more goals in the other 4 games. McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn was on hand and files notes on several prospects that represented Team West.

Forwards: C

With only a handful of players playing Major Jr. A, Team West did not have much depth or options on the PP. First line forwards Michael St. Croix and Wilson Dumais led the way with 4 goals a piece and averaged a point a game throughout the tournament. Brent Benson, who missed the last game of the tournament due to injury was a disappointment and unable to produce. Boston Leier and Todd Fiddler provided minimal secondary scoring but did compete and got their noses dirty when needed.

Defensemen : C+

The strength of this team came on the backend as they had five regulars currently playing the WHL. They had size and mobility but did not have a true puck rusher so therefore they were rather limited in terms of generating much offence. Ryan Murray and Jesse Forsberg and Harrison Ruopp saw a chunk of the icetime in all situations.

Goaltending: D+

The goaltending tandem of Rakochy and Oswald were inconsistent and failed to instil trust in coach Vandenberghe as to who wanted to be the starter. Neither goalie plays in the WHL and at times seemed overwhelmed by the speed of the game and the quality of shooters. With both goalies finishing with a G.A.A above 3.75 they were unable to provide the types of games and saves Team West needed.

Scouting Report:

Tyler Borstmayer (2011), D, Regina

Borstmayer has played in over 20 games this year on a crowded Regina Pats blueline .. he played sparingly in this tournament and was used as the 7th defenseman .. a rangy skater with good range in all directions .. his stride lacks explosiveness or length .. his feet need improvement but his big body is challenging to get around .. not a punishing or overly physical player despite his size of (6-4, 190) .. appears tentative to administer the body, nonetheless he angles ok and forces guys to the outside .. due to his limited icetime his confidence suffered and he was very nervous to make a mistake .. he is a good project at this point but needs work on all facets of his game.

Jesse Forsberg (2011), D, Prince George

Playing for the last place Cougars has given the former 11th overall selection of the 2008 WHL draft a chance to play many minutes and exercise his offensive game .. an average skater with limited speed .. his balance also comes into question, as he is not particularly strong on his skates .. his strengths lie in his puckhandling skills and offensive ability .. he was great against the Swedes but looked rather ordinary against Team Ontario .. makes cool, calm plays at the line especially on the PP .. he eagerly jumps into the play and is always trying to make things happen offensively even though he sacrifices his position .. at times, he flat out forces things.. this can be viewed as a flaw but also encouraging .. keeps with his man on the rush but will need to make upgrades in his defensive game .. has shown considerable progression since coming into the league, which bodes well for him as a prospect.

Harrison Ruopp (2011), D, Prince Albert

Ruopp played an integral part on this team logging key minutes and often lining up against the opposition's best forwards .. the former second round selection of the 2008 Bantam draft boasts good size (6-2, 180) .. he plays a complementary defensive game, staying with his man and angling off his man to the outside .. not flashy in terms of his overall play he handles the puck sparingly but generally makes good short passes out of the zone with it .. cannot make rink length passes, as he lacks the vision and patience with the puck for his players to get into position .. he was burned on occasion in his defensive reads, as he struggled against smaller, quicker players .. he is rigid and will need to improve his overall agility .. a shut-down defender who complements a puck-rushing defender.

Ryan Murray (2012), D, Everett

The ninth overall pick of the 2008 Bantam draft suffered a broken thumb that cost him 6 weeks and 11 games .. the team Captain, Murray oozes leadership, as he has been the captain of all of his minor hockey teams since he was 10 years old .. a sensational skater whose fluidity and use of edges was by far one of the best amongst all the players in the tournament .. effortless in his ability to change direction .. he can side step forecheckers with ease, as his first step and lateral movement easily eludes them .. played the most minutes amongst Team West defenders in all situations and excelled on both special teams .. incredibly skilled with the puck, however he is not a natural puck rusher but he makes calculated decisions with the puck .. does not panic with the puck and will take a hit to advance the puck, but is not physical .. his defensive game is based on angles and positioning .. he is able to bare down on guys once again due to his exceptional skating ability .. Murray plays a game similar to a young Duncan Keith, as his athleticism is his best trait .. he has the makings of being a very dominant player, as the extra year of development due to his late birth date and the tutelage of coach Hartsburg should make him a very complete prospect when he becomes NHL-draft eligible.

Boston Leier (2011), LW, Saskatoon

Leier has played in a handful of games for the Blades this season but has yet to crack the offensively laden roster .. small in stature (5-8), he plays much bigger than his size .. he has grown a few inches since being drafted in the third round .. finds ways to contribute and make things happen .. a feisty sparkplug, he generated offence due to his compete level and strong effort in all three zones .. solid feel for the game, he can sneak into plays and since he is rather small in size he often goes un-checked .. squat down skater with quick feet but is not a burner .. works well in tight spaces .. Leier is an energy player whose modest skill set should be serviceable for the Blades next season.

Todd Fiddler (2011), LW, Medicine Hat

Fiddler played in his first WHL game prior to joining Team West .. a second-line player, he scored three goals and notched two assists for a point a game average .. a choppy skater whose limbs are everywhere and does not have top-end speed .. had a few breakaway opportunities but was easily caught .. he has ok shooting skills, as his snapshot and wristshot are ok .. he is not a natural finisher and fumbled on several chances in front .. gets his fair share of chances but usually needs multiple attempts to capitalize .. needs to protect the puck better .. shows good poise in the neutral zone, as he positions himself well to intercept passes and turn the play the other way .. Fiddler is a project who needs to play in the WHL to become a better prospect.

Wilson Dumais (2011), RW, Prince George

Dumais benefitted from playing with St.Croix, as the two of them formed good chemistry and tied one another for the team lead in points with five .. Dumais currently leads his midget triple A, Tisdale Trojans team in points with 22 in 14 games and is 11th in league scoring .. has played a lone game for the Cougars this season, as he is in the process of cracking the lineup .. an upright skater with good straight-ahead speed .. his skating mechanics are ok .. he does not lose his stride when handling the puck, which enables him to get to the net and advance the puck steadily up the ice .. does not need many chances to bury goals, as he has good hands .. competes and backchecks without the puck .. Dumais has good size (5-10, 190), and should be a regular for the Cougars sooner rather than later.

Brent Benson (2011), C, Saskatoon

Benson was knocked out of the tournament following a hit in the Team Ontario game .. Benson, the former 6th overall pick did not have a great tournament notching a lone assist in four games .. much more was expected from him offensively considering he is one of the few players in the WHL that has double digit point totals this season (34-5-6-11) .. an assistant captain he stays low to the ice and manufactures decent speed once he gets going .. his balance serves him well along the boards, as he thrives in a down-low game .. his puck skills are rather average and he lacks creativity .. takes a hit to make a play but is selective in terms of displaying his courage .. can put himself in compromising positions, exposing himself in the process .. Benson has the benefit of playing for the first place Saskatoon Blades and is slowly developing his offensive game.

Michael St.Croix (2011), C, Edmonton

St. Croix played this tournament as an underage player last year after being selected fourth overall in the 2008 Bantam draft .. the leading point producer on this team in the WHL, as he has 19 points in 36 games .. the son of former Toronto and Philadelphia goaltender Rick St.Croix .. a slick skater with better than average speed, as he possesses a separation gear .. strong on his edges and well balanced, as he distributes his weight on top of his skates .. works better in straight lines, as when he zigs and zags he tends to lose speed .. his hands and vision enable him to bring the puck into the zone with speed that backs off defenders .. the assistant captain was used in all situations and was effective on the PK due to his innate hockey sense .. displayed a strong work ethic by battling along the boards and constantly hustling back to support the play in the defensive zone .. better than average skill set, as he is blessed with good passing and shooting skills .. his shot is usually disguised, as he often takes it when defensemen are waiting to set up in front, using them as a screen .. drove the net on a few individual occasions but not often and would be better served if he pushed the envelope more in front .. St. Croix did many little things well this tournament and was successful on his draws .. he needs to improve on his upper body strength and overall skating .. he has the potential to be a key member on future Canadian International teams.