U17 World Hockey Challenge - USNDTP U17

One day before the USA won the World Junior Hockey Tournament in Saskatoon, Team USA's U17 squad was also victorious on Canadian soil winning the U17 Hockey Challenge in Timmins Ontario with a 2-1 win over Team Ontario. McKeen's Director of Scouting David Burstyn has notes on several players on the USNDTP U17 team

John Gibson (2011), G, USA-U17 - Verbal to Ohio

Had a spectacular U17 tournament (.957 save percentage) where he stymied the Canadians in the final, surrendering a single goal (albeit with a second left in the game) .. good overall mechanics, as he always remains square to the shooter .. uses his size to his advantage and reads plays well .. size helps to cut down the angles and limits shooters ability to see any of the net .. hybrid goalie who gets beaten up high, despite his size he does not always push his shoulders forward .. rebound control is ok when pucks hit his pads but he seems to struggle when the puck hits his upper body to corral it .. average puckhandler .. does not always get the support in front to clear the puck, which forces him to make successive saves .. has done an admirable job honing his skills overcoming injuries he suffered earlier in the year which stunted his development.

Alexx Privitera (2011), D, USA-U17 - Verbal to Boston

On the small side (5'9, 175), Privitera relies heavily on his quick feet and agility to make contributing plays .. has great acceleration and a lively first step to explode into openings .. a solid offensive producer, as his outlet passes are crisp and accurate and he can execute short or long range passes .. due to his slick skating he can stay with most players off the rush and takes the proper defensive positioning in transition .. able to protect the puck well in his feet, goading players to pokecheck him only for him to slide it past them .. has developed well in the program and has earned the trust of coach Rolston to play in all situations.

Robbie Russo (2011), D, USA- U17 - Verbal to Notre Dame

The offensive catalyst on the backend, Russo leads this team in defensive scoring with 34-7-12-19 totals .. has been given free reign to log the puck up ice, as he orchestrates breakouts .. a capable puck rusher who has good vision to make a pass but is also able to gain the line with the puck in his possession .. very clever at the line, as his play is unpredictable .. he can pass or shoot and due to his mobility and due to his low panic threshold he generally makes the right play .. can be guilty of not moving his feet without the puck on the PP .. defensively, he can read plays and reacts faster than the opposition due to his skating power .. however, he has a difficult time containing players in front as he lacks the strength to push them aside .. a creative, offensive-minded defender, he should excel next year with the U18 program and under coach Jeff Jackson, barring an OHL team does not draft him this season in an attempt to lure him to their program.

Michael Paliotta (2011), D, USA- U17 - No Verbal

The biggest defender on the backend (6'2, 185), and is an assistant captain .. a good north-south skater, as he moves well in straight lines .. not an explosive skater but an effective one, as his size helps to swallow ice .. an ok backwards skater but he needs to work on his overall mobility .. is better in confined spaces as opposed to open ice .. enjoys playing the physical game and trapping guys down low, smothering them with his size .. takes a hit to advance the puck or make a play .. his puck skills are maturing but he can make a good first pass .. is not overly comfortable handling it for a prolonged periods .. nice hard shot that has a tendency to go everywhere .. will constantly throw the puck on the net if he gets into trouble .. due to his size, he can buy himself an extra second to make a decision .. always has an idea of where his linemates and defensive partner is in conjunction with the play .. a smart, big, yet raw defender who should be recruited heavily in the off-season.

Adam Reid (2011), LW, USA- U17 - No Verbal

Hailing from Chino Hills, California, Reid is slowly adjusting to a much faster-paced-style-of-game .. has the size to stay involved in a more grinding physical contest and even though he does not administer hits he can absorb them .. tends to get lost in a speed game, as his skating is simply not there yet .. he does need to work on his work ethic, as he seems to think plays will come to him .. needs to separate himself from coverage better to become more of a factor .. could also develop a mean streak, as his hands and stickhandling skills are not getting him any type of positional advantage .. decent on breakout opportunities, as he plays his wing well (coming out of the zone) but lacks hockey sense to make anything happen .. raw and needs to show more determination.

Reid Boucher (2011), LW, USA-U17- Verbal to Michigan State

Entered the program as the player with the most goals scored in Midget (79 with the Lansing Capitals) .. this season he has struggled to put the puck in the net but has made an offensive contribution, as he currently sits third place in team scoring with 24-8-12-20 totals .. needs the puck to be effective, as he is unsure how to play without it .. his defensive game needs considerable improvement .. stops moving his feet and watches plays, reacting only when the play has passed him .. an ok puckhandler, he tries to get guys to commit to him before pulling the puck back and using his surprising separation gear to get closer to the net .. can only accomplish this when he takes the pass and not when he has the puck in his possession for a prolonged periods .. balance is good down low and can handle himself when bigger players lean on him .. inconsistent efforts have plagued his game this year .. the coaching staff has let him play a handful of games with the U18 team in an attempt to motivate him even further.

Blake Pietila (2011), LW/C, USA- U17- Verbal to Northern Michigan

Has been shuffled around, forced to play on the left side away from his natural centre position .. the move to LW has robbed him of his creativity and not allowed him to win key faceoffs .. does many little things to win and is a team player .. goes hard to the net, generates good speed at a stand still and bangs bodies when needed .. modest frame (5'11, 170), but plays a scrappy game, does not back down from players and he can deliver timely bodychecks .. can adapt to many game situations and makes small, subtle plays to stimulate offensive chances, including faking a shot to step into the slot, short passes and drop passes are all part of his repertoire .. a nice combination of grit, hockey sense and skill.

Tyler Biggs (2011), RW, USA-U17- Verbal to Miami

Had a strong U17 tournament, scoring four goals, registering tallies both on the PP and SH and scored both goals in the gold medal game for Team USA .. a sizeable winger who bullies his way into the zone and can generate good speed once he gets his feet pumping .. a healthy skater, he relies more on his size and ability to lean on guys down low .. he intimidates defenders when he barrels down the wing and is smart enough to recognize his time and space and make a move to the middle .. in this respect, he can open up ice for himself and his linemates .. owns the boards down low .. has good hands for a player of his size and boasts a good wristshot to handcuff goalies .. can go unnoticeable at times, as he is a player that excels below the dots .. has a good feel for the game and is a much better player when he determines on one course of action and follows through on it.

Travis Boyd (2011), C, USA-U17- Verbal to Minnesota

An interchangeable piece for coach Rolston, as Boyd is intelligent enough to understand the tendencies of others and adapt quickly .. cerebral player who does not do anything exceptional but everything well .. smart player on the transition .. he also exhibits patience in the offensive zone and will always look to take an extra step into the zone to open up passing seams .. good on the half boards where he can read the defence and his slick puckhandling skills gets them to open up .. can log the puck easily up the ice but usually leans on utilizing his linemates to make a headman pass .. good ability on faceoffs .. plays a good support role and appears comfortable not being the go-to-guy .. calculated in his decision making in the defensive zone and is able to see plays unfold quicker than his wingers .. displays a good all-around skill set that has already received high praise from coach Rolston.

J.T. Miller (2011), C, USA-U17 - No Verbal

Miller has established himself as Mr. Consistency on this squad .. following a strong U17 tournament where he notched points in all games with the exception of the game against Team Pacific .. a strong determined player whose firm understanding of the game translates well in all three zones .. shows physical assertion, as he wants the puck and wins battles .. smart in terms of stick preparation in the defensive zone .. always looking to eliminate guys from the play and then moves his feet into open ice .. shows consistent efforts to backcheck and plays well within the team concept .. understands and can execute systems .. offensively, he has an above-average skill set .. he is clever in terms of using his blade to disguise whether he will pass or shoot .. he could stand to move the puck quicker up ice, however if partnered with a strong skating winger (Moffat was his RW) than this problem easily offsets itself .. has no college commitment, which leaves the door open for speculation that he may join the Plymouth Whalers as early as next season.

Rocco Grimaldi (2011), C, USA-U17- No Verbal

Grimaldi caused quite a commotion this season between CHL powerhouses - the London Knights and the Vancouver Giants as to who was eligible for his rights .. a product of Rossmoor, California, Vancouver won the Grimaldi sweepstakes despite the fact that he played his minor hockey in Michigan (Detroit Little Caesars) .. has established himself as the marquee offensive threat on this team with 38 points in 34 games .. was also the tournament top scorer at the U17 World Hockey Challenge en route to a gold medal for Team USA (6-4-10-14) .. formed outstanding chemistry with Boucher and Biggs, as the line terrorized the opposition .. a slick and natural skater who simply wins foot races, despite being two or three strides behind a play .. his speed is his most powerful weapon, as he can separate himself from the pack instanteously .. his hands and feet move in unison with one another .. he can rifle a shot or make a pass, as his creativity and ability to cloak his intentions make him so lethal below the blueline .. great one timer on the PP .. the PP is designed around him completely .. he has a hard shot and a full arsenal to choose from .. he can get it off in an instant and despite his diminutive stature, he has power and velocity behind it .. passes are crisp and accurate .. his offensive game is incredibly well-rounded .. defensively, he is aware of his surroundings and his speed helps him recover should he lose position .. size is a major concern and when leaned on he tends to get frustrated .. he does not like to be targeted but makes adjustments in his game to evade checks, nonetheless when he gets clipped he can lose focus .. despite his size, he does possess a unique skill set that is not commonly found and manages to find a way to excel in important games.