u18 WJC: Canada

Canada has dominated the overall international scene over the past few years, but at the 2005 IIHF World U18 Championship the team couldn't overcome a powerful American force and had to settle for second best. Still, there were plenty of positives to take out of the event. Carey Price told us at the start of the year that his lateral movement was something he was focusing on improving and he's definitely made strides there. Meanwhile, Devin Setoguchi's offense and the physical play of Guillaume Latendresse left no doubt as to why that pair will be first round selections this summer.

TOP PERFORMERS

Carey Price, G (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: the Canadian starter against Sweden .. pulled off an average performance, occasionally looking tired and misreading some plays .. stood in the net against Russia .. had an adequate game, but lacked his usual calmness and went down too early sometimes .. delivered a convincing performance in the semifinal contest against the Czech Republic .. looked very calm and confident against the Czech shooters .. deserving Canadian 'Player of the game' in that match .. registered a solid showing in the gold-medal game, but couldn't help the Canadian team succeed .. finished ninth among tournament goaltenders in save percentage (.8942) .. ranked third among tournament goaltenders in GAA (2.65).

Scouting: a big goalie who covers a lot of the net with his body .. a decent skater who moves in the crease with solid effectiveness .. shows some reserves in his lateral movement, but upgraded it during this season .. adequate dexterity and flexibility .. strong reflexes and anticipation of plays .. very calm, doesn't seem to feel any pressure in key game situations .. always stays square to the shooter .. very patient, waiting for the opponent to make the first move .. can outwait most shooters .. very good leg quickness .. hard to beat down low .. gets back up quickly .. still covers the upper half of the net even if dropping to a butterfly .. a solid glove hand .. a good stickhandler who likes to move the puck .. is capable of making a long, accurate outlet pass.

Brendan Mikkelson, D (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: made people remember his cerebral two-way showing from the Under-18 Junior Cup in August with a similarly strong effort .. solid start to the tournament against Germany and joined the rush a number of times .. should have stepped up with his play more in the contest against Sweden, where he didn't impress with his usual puck-moving skills .. a good offensive force in the contest against underdog Denmark .. made use of his reach and pulled off a good performance against the Russian squad .. a quality force in the semifinal game against the Czech Republic .. distributed the pucks effectively and still held his own on the defensive side .. solid performance against the USA in the gold-medal game but didn't really stand out.

Scouting: a good skater with a fluid stride and smooth acceleration .. doesn't get beaten by speed .. solid lateral movement and pivots .. okay backwards speed .. makes use of his mobility in the defensive zone .. stays back in his own end when asked to play defensively, but is frequently willing to jump into the play and support offense .. can move the puck out of his own end .. solid stickhandling skills and hand-eye coordination .. can even succeed in one-on-one situations .. good accurate passes and vision .. aware of the positioning of his linemates on the ice .. a good asset to the powerplay units .. a hard and accurate slap shot .. needs to improve on his positional play and stay with his man all the way .. needs to add some pounds to his frame .. throws the occasional solid hit and shows decent toughness, but could use more of a mean streak.

Luc Bourdon, D (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: made a very good name for himself based on this tournament showing .. served as a rock on the Canadian defense, foreseeing the plays well and hitting the opposing players hard once he had a chance to do so .. tried to play an all-round game in the round robin, but needed more offensive prowess to pass Brendan Mikkelson as the best Canadian two-way force .. pulled off a solid beginning of the tournament .. a defensive stalwart in the contests against Denmark and Russia .. focused on a defensive role come playoff time .. patrolled the blue line with authority and made life very miserable for the skilled Russian forwards in the fourth match-up .. selected Canadian 'Player of the game' against Russia for this all-round showing .. finished tied for second with Paul Kurceba on Team Canada in +/- (+5) .. captured the 'Top defenseman' trophy.

Scouting: an all-weather blueliner .. a solid skater .. decent acceleration and balance .. still could use better top-end speed and upgrade on his lateral movement .. tough to get knocked off his feet thanks to good lower-body strength .. thrives in playing a conservative defensive style with a low number of mistakes, but is getting better at joining the rush and providing offensive support .. average puckhandling skills .. should cover the puck better .. needs to show bigger creativity and offensive vision to become a valuable offensive force .. a tenacious player in his own zone who works hard down low .. clears the crease and battles along the boards with an edge .. decent hockey sense .. spots his man quickly and can take him out of the play .. can throw a good hit and displays a regular mean streak .. solid positional play .. good when challenged one-on-one.

Kris Letang, D (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: served as an impressive two-way defenseman .. delivered a solid showing in the opener against Germany, but had some off-shifts in the second contest against Sweden where he couldn't find his prowess .. turned heads with his strong two-way performance against Denmark, distributing quality passes and still taking care of his own end .. Canadian 'Player of the game' against Denmark .. repeated his efforts in the contest against Russia, supporting the Canadian offense well with quality feeds .. a solid force in the playoff games .. played a smart game against the Czech Republic in the semifinals .. looked decent in the gold-medal game against Canada, but showed occasional trouble handling the fast and strong USA forwards .. finished third overall in tournament defensemen scoring (4 points) .. most penalized Canadian player (20 PIM's) .. All-Star member.

Scouting: a solid skater .. okay straightaway speed and agility .. shows an effective stride .. solid turns and lateral movement .. still could upgrade his balance and lower-body strength .. an offensive-minded blueliner .. likes to jump into plays and generate offense .. very good passing skills .. hard and accurate passes on both short and long distances .. a smart player who can surprise the opposition with his imagination .. recognizes even long passing lanes well .. solid stickhandling skills .. useful as a powerplay quarterback .. fires a decent slap shot with okay hardness .. quick release on his snap shot .. a solid asset to the powerplay units .. should be more conscientious in the defensive end, but doesn't make glaring mistakes .. prone to the odd positional mistake .. tough to beat in one-on-one situations .. decent toughness .. can throw a solid hit despite average size .. okay tenacity .. doesn't tend to take odd shifts off .. a right-shooting defenseman.

Marc-Andre Gragnani, D (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: made a good name for himself in this tournament .. made safe decisions with the puck .. outplayed the vast majority of his opponents in the contest against Russia, showing an adequate mean streak and joining the rush occasionally .. had an easy task in the drubbing of the Danish team, where he showcased his ability to support the offense .. a solid force during the semifinal game against the Czech Republic .. didn't make long outlet passes, but was effective once on the puck and in his own end .. held his own in the gold-medal game against the USA even if he had to deal with numerous offensive raids of the USA team .. finished eighth overall in tournament defensemen scoring (3 points) .. tied with Guillaume Latendresse and Tom Pyatt for the second-best Canadian passer (3 assists) ..

Scouting: a solid skater for a player of his size .. decent backwards skating and lateral movement .. doesn't get beaten on turns .. okay agility .. could use a more explosive first step .. solid balance and lower-body strength .. needs bigger top-end speed .. plays with his head up and is very calm in puck-possession .. reads the developing plays well .. tends to stay back and look for the safe plays, but displays solid poise when jumping into the rush .. adequate creativity, but mostly chooses the obvious passing lane .. isn't beautiful when moving the puck, but shows decent stickhandling skills .. willing to use his shot from the point with decent hardness and accuracy .. shows decent aggressiveness in his own zone and is able to throw a good hit .. solid at clearing the crease, but isn't a constant physical presence .. can keep the play in front of him .. okay positional play .. a very reliable force in the defensive zone.

Ryan O'Marra, C (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: started the tournament on a red-hot note with a strong offensive performance against the underdog German team .. deserving Canadian 'Player of the game' against Germany .. should have stepped up with his play more against Sweden .. registered back-to-back solid performances against the Danish and Russian teams .. made use of his size and offensive prowess in the semifinal game against the Czech Republic .. one of the best Canadian forwards in the gold-medal game .. Canadian 'Player of the game' in the final match-up .. showed flashes of strong potential even during his average performances .. finished third overall in the tournament in face-offs ( .6538) .. tied with Guillaume Latendresse and Tom Pyatt for second place on Team Canada in points (5 points) .. best Canadian goal scorer (5 goals) .. tied with Richard Clune for the second-most Canadian penalized player (12 PIM's) .. finished second on Team Canada in shooting accuracy (.2778).

Scouting: a solid skater with good lower-body strength and balance .. tough to get knocked off his feet .. possesses a powerful stride and decent foot speed .. solid straightaway speed .. could use more agility .. a solid stickhandler who can corral difficult passes adequately well .. a competitive warrior .. above-average toughness .. hits hard along the boards and mucks in the corners .. able to run people over on the way to a scoring chance .. drives the net hard .. solid variety of shots and sniper instincts .. unleashes a hard slap shot with a fast release .. can make decently accurate passes, but never hesitates to fire the puck when the opportunity is there .. battles traffic effectively .. adequate defensive awareness, but needs to further improve in this asset .. decent factor when performing on a penalty killing unit .. can block the opposing passing lanes, but should work on limiting the options of the opponent players .. good leadership skills .. a solid force in the face-off circle, taking key draws for his team .. shoots right.

Devin Setoguchi, RW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: a steady quality factor on the Canadian offense .. delivered a solid showing in the opener against Germany, cycling the puck and battling his way into scoring chances .. didn't fade against Sweden, playing the game with lots of intensity .. pulled off a good showing against Denmark, destroying the underdog opponent in the offensive zone .. a solid factor against Russia, playing an all-round style .. wasn't a really dominant player in the playoff games, but still emerged as one of the Canadian offensive leaders ..finished 10th in tournament scoring .. ranked first on Team Canada in points (6 points) .. tied with Dan Bertram for second place among Canadian goal scorers (4 goals) .. finished first on Team Canada in +/- (+7) .. most frequent Canadian shooter (29 shots).

Scouting: a good skater with solid bursts of speed and balance .. able to split the defense with his speed .. decent agility .. solid lower-body strength and balance .. very solid playmaker .. finds the open man with a crisp, precise pass regularly .. smooth puck-carrier with soft hands .. can dangle his way out of tight spaces without losing possession of the puck .. a strong, competitive player .. a force along the boards and in front of the opposing net, where he looks for rebounds .. works hard and can play the body well .. digs for the pucks in the corners and shows solid character .. an above-average defensive awareness .. good vision and hockey sense .. needs to improve on the accuracy of his slap shot .. unleashes a quick accurate wrist shot .. solid snap shot can surprise goaltenders .. a good asset to the powerplay units with his quick passes .. aware defensively, but still could upgrade his defensive positioning .. breaks opposing passing lanes well .. a right-shooting forward.

Richard Clune, LW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: registered a good showing in the round robin games, playing an all-round style and chipping in offensively .. an effective, gritty worker in the match-up against Denmark .. punished the opposing players and showed solid progress in his ability to set himself into scoring chances regularly .. got better in one-on-one situations .. repeated his showing in the contest against Russia, but focused on filling his defensive duties more conscientiously .. was used as a quality checking line player in the two playoff games .. played a diligent style in the match-up against the Czech Republic in the semifinals .. wasn't a significant offensive factor in the gold-medal game against the USA, but tried to fill his role well .. tied with Ryan O'Marra for the second-most Canadian penalized player (12 PIM's).

Scouting: a good skater for a big man .. blessed with a solid balance and lower-body strength .. adequate bursts of speed and first-step quickness .. can out-skate the opposition .. above-average vision and hockey sense .. adequate puckhandling skills, but should develop his ability to control the puck in traffic .. crafty playmaker and strong passer .. displays solid creativity with the puck and can find the open man .. possesses a penchant for timing his passes .. needs to develop better in-close finishing skills and better sniper instincts once on a scoring chance .. a hardworking player with a solid mean streak .. a good defensive player who understands the play in his own zone .. returns back quickly and marks his man precisely .. hits hard along the boards and works hard to gain possession of the puck .. can crash the net with decent authority.

Guillaume Latendresse, RW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: showed that he fits the mold of a power forward in the making .. started the tournament on a solid note against Germany and Sweden with a belligerent showing .. a good factor in the match-up against Denmark, crashing the net and often looking for possible rebounds .. nailed the Russian players many times in the final game of the round robin and battled well in the opponents slot .. looked surprisingly out of steam in the semifinal contest against the Czech Republic, not making use of his excellent size and tools or generating offense .. picked his play up in the gold-medal game against the USA, but wasn't a really dominating player despite showing up on the offensive end .. tied with Ryan O'Marra and Tom Pyatt for second place on Team Canada in points (5 points) .. tied with Marc-Andre Gragnani and Tom Pyatt for the second-best Canadian passer (3 assists).

Scouting: a decent skater for a player of his size .. impressive balance and lower-body strength .. good agility for a big man .. could still use a more explosive first-step and work on his acceleration .. uses a long stick, but emerges as a decent puckhandler who can play the puck in traffic .. covers the puck well .. handles heavy traffic well thanks to his frame and is virtually unstoppable when deciding to crash the net .. likes to park himself in front of the opposing slot and look for rebounds .. is blessed with solid smarts and understanding of the game .. emerges as a solid playmaker with okay in-close finishing skills .. aware of his linemates .. dishes out hard passes through traffic .. fires a heavy wrist and snap shot .. could use the hard slapper more often .. relies on his strength more, but is decent on the finesse side .. willing to execute regularly in his own end, but needs to limit the options of the opposing players more effectively.

Dan Bertram, LW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: solid start to the tournament against Germany, out-skating and battling the bigger players fearlessly .. lacked the usual fire and determination for the bigger part of the contest against Denmark .. generally upgraded his play against Russia, matching the fast opponents in speed but overtaking them in tenacity .. turned into an inspiring playoff force .. performed well in the semifinal game against the Czech Republic, sneaking into the scoring chances and firing the puck a lot .. generated trouble for the USA defense with his high-energy style in the gold-medal game before taking a step back in the third period .. a good tournament .. tied with Devin Setoguchi for second place among Canadian goal scorers (4 goals) .. ranked second on Team Canada in shots (24 shots).

Scouting: an effortless skater with strong acceleration and foot speed .. impresses with his sharp first-step quickness and above-average agility .. solid top-end speed .. upgraded lower-body strength and balance .. keeps his feet moving when making the puck moves .. a tricky puck-handler with soft hands .. solid hand-eye coordination .. can dangle the puck in traffic .. a decent forechecker .. good vision and hockey sense .. a smart passer who finds the open man effectively .. plays bigger than his size and can intimidate the opponents with hard open-ice hits, but still could use more bulk to his frame .. solid in traffic .. a threat in the offensive zone of the opponent .. fires a quick wrist shot with a fast release .. semi-hard slap shot could be more accurate .. can play the point on powerplay units .. should further develop his defensive awareness .. needs to mark his man faster and stay with him all the way .. a right-shooting forward.

OTHER PLAYERS:

Pier-Olivier Pelletier, G (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: delivered two solid showings in the tournament .. started the opening Canadian game at the tournament against Germany, getting used to the larger ice surface quickly and showing quality saves against the German shooters .. looked poised and confident in the contest against Denmark despite not being tested by many quality chances .. an effective backup who filled his role well and delivered good showings when asked to backstop the Canadian team .. didn't let soft goals in .. finished second among goaltenders with 120 or less minutes played in save percentage (.9592) .. ranked second among goaltenders with 120 or less minutes played in GAA (1.00).

Scouting: a sized goalie with decent athleticism and dexterity .. decent skating skills, but could upgrade his lateral movement .. adequate leg quickness, but there's still room for improvement .. tough to beat on the initial shot and displays a solid control of rebounds .. isn't beautiful when moving, but doesn't leave many holes for the shooters to aim at when moving side-to-side .. solid down low .. covers the upper half of the net well even if dropping to a butterfly .. shows only an average glove hand .. can stay square to the shooter .. adequate positional play and fundamentals .. decent focus .. doesn't show significant trouble handling pressure .. displays problems when having to get his bearings in heavy traffic .. should be more confident when moving the puck and needs to work on his stickhandling ability.

Ryan Parent, D (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: served as the Canadian captain .. was asked to anchor the Canadian defense with his usual steady rock-solid defensive showing .. solid start to the tournament on the defensive side, but lacked offensive support, especially in the match-up against Sweden, where he should have stepped up with his play more .. a quality factor in the easy match-up against Denmark, where he controlled the opposing raids with poise and maturity .. repeated his good showing in the contest against Russia, taking his man out of the play and rattling the softer Russian forwards with his ability to play the body .. didn't jump out during the playoff games, but still was able to deliver steady defensive showings in both contests against the Czech Republic and the USA .. in general a good showing.

Scouting: a very good skater for a player of his size .. fluid backwards skating .. excellent lateral movement .. smooth on turns .. solid lower-body strength and balance .. can cover a big portion of ground when making his strides .. could use bigger top-end speed and a slightly more explosive first step .. more of a stay-at-home defenseman who takes pride in his reliability .. positionally sound .. stays with his man and is determined in his own zone .. takes his man out of the play .. feared crease-clearer .. solid along the boards with a steady mean streak .. doesn't lose position when hitting .. shows okay strength .. a limited offensive upside .. doesn't handle the puck very smoothly thanks to average puckhandling skills .. prefers to make safe decisions with the puck .. a big shot from the point which he can keep low on the ice .. good leadership abilities.

Paul Kurceba, D (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: a steady defensive workhorse on the Canadian back rows .. didn't turn heads, but filled his role on the team with adequate conscientiousness .. marked his man quickly in the opener against Germany, but lacked quality offensive support .. an okay factor in the match-up against Denmark, where he didn't have to deal with many offensive raids of the opponent .. didn't stand out in the contest against Russia .. could have used more speed against the faster Russian forwards .. filled a conservative defensive role well in the semifinal game against the Czech Republic .. looked average in the gold-medal game against the USA, not really standing out .. finished tied for second with Luc Bourdon on Team Canada in +/- (+5).

Scouting: an adequate skater .. decent balance and lower-body strength .. doesn't look slow, but still needs to develop a smoother stride and bigger bursts of speed .. decent turns .. should upgrade his lateral movement .. okay backwards speed .. decent puckhandling skills .. doesn't show problems when having to deal with difficult passes on the backhand side .. can shoot the puck by using the backhand adequately well .. is at his best when playing a simple game with the puck .. uses his size to his advantage and is willing to throw the occasional good hit, but needs to do so more often .. decent crease-clearer .. an okay force in his own zone with decent positional play .. isn't very effective on powerplay units as he doesn't have the vision to quarterback them .. lacks the hockey sense needed to emerge as a two-way force .. unleashes a solid, hard slap shot with average accuracy but should fire it more often.

Derick Brassard, C (2006)

Tournament wrap-up: made a good name for himself with his deft playmaking skills .. solid start to the tournament in the contest against Germany, outsmarting the German defensemen numerous times .. tried to generate offense in the contest against Sweden, but many of his efforts were wasted .. jumped out in the contest against Denmark with precise passing and an ability to find the open man .. created numerous scoring chances for his linemates in the contest against the Czech Republic, but was hindered in traffic by when he stopped moving his feet while making his moves with the puck .. an okay asset in the gold-medal game against USA, but couldn't physically compete in tight areas against the bigger USA players .. best Canadian passer (4 assists) .. ranked eighth overall in the tournament in face-offs (.5804).

Scouting: an decent skater with solid agility, but a middle-sized player could use better propulsion .. average acceleration and top-end speed .. should further develop his lower-body strength and balance .. a smooth puckhandler who maintains possession of the puck in traffic .. likes to have the puck on his stick, but tends to slow down when making his moves .. a threat in one-on-one situations .. a very strong passer who is aware of the position of his linemates .. reads the plays fast and reacts properly .. more of a playmaking forward .. tends to prefer passing to shooting .. unleashes a quick wrist shot .. okay snap shot .. should fire a harder slap shot, but the slapper is of solid accuracy .. decent in-close finishing skills .. could be more physical when battling traffic .. returns back to help out the defense when asked to do so .. picks his spots adequately well .. a late '87 born forward.

Cal Clutterbuck, C (2006)

Tournament wrap-up: the little Canadian tank was there to wreak havoc in the opponents' end with a fearless playing style crowned by an ability to nail opposing defenders at top speed .. a decent factor in the Canadian tournament opener against Germany .. saw playing time mostly on the third line of the team .. a solid factor in the match-up against Denmark with a hit-and-go style .. was quieter in the contest against Russia .. filled his gritty role in the semifinal contest against the Czech Republic, but didn't stand out on the skills side when having to maneuver with the puck in heavy traffic .. wasn't as effective with his physical style and lacked the elite first step in the gold-medal game against the USA, but still registered a number of spirited shifts.

Scouting: a solid skater with good agility .. strong balance and lower-body strength .. could use better top-end speed to out-skate the opposing players more effectively .. a character guy who never takes a shift .. plays a gritty style and punishes players along the boards .. battles for the loose pucks and looks for rebounds in the opposing slot .. unleashes a heavy slap shot, but should upgrade its accuracy .. solid wrist shot with a fast release .. feisty in front of the opposing net, bringing the defensemen out of balance .. wreaks havoc with his forechecking .. doesn't impress with his hands and could use more polished puckhandling skills .. adequate vision .. helps out the defense, but needs to show a regular commitment to his defensive duties .. needs to improve on his positional play in his own zone .. a quality checking line player in the making .. a late '87 born forward .. shoots right.

Cody Bass, C/RW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: showed up as a solid competitor who emerged as a pest to play against but lacked a quality offensive effort .. displayed solid responsibility in his own end in the tournament opener against Germany, but it's clear that he needs better puckhandling skills in order to succeed with the puck in traffic or one-on-one .. battled the Czech players with diligence in the semifinal match-up, but was overshadowed by Adam Hobson and Cal Clutterbuck in the checking role .. played just four games in the tournament as he missed the round robin contests against Denmark and Russia.

Scouting: a grinder with okay wheels .. a solid skater with okay acceleration and top-end speed .. adequate balance and lower-body strength .. could use softer hands and better puckhandling skills .. needs to corral difficult passes more smoothly .. average in one-on-one situations .. tends to lose possession of the puck in traffic .. makes adequate decisions with the puck, but doesn't stand out with his creativity .. tends to overlook the odd passing lanes .. unleashes a hard snap shot, but needs to further improve on the accuracy of his other shots .. a gritty warrior who always stands up to protect his teammates .. doesn't quit working hard .. a solid hitter and a force along the boards .. likes to finish his checks and is willing to drop the gloves .. solid two-way forward who is responsible in his own zone .. a decent asset to the penalty killing units .. shoots right.

Adam Hobson, LW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: a valuable asset to the Canadian team with his all-round play and determination .. didn't stand out with his array of puckhandling abilities or vision, but filled his role adequately well .. a spirited character player who wreaked havoc among the Danish players in the third round robin game .. saw his role expand as the tournament progressed .. repeated his belligerent showing against the Russian team, getting under the skin of the Russian players with his intense style .. made use of his solid acceleration in the semifinal contest against the Czech Republic and played a feisty style along the boards .. a solid showing in the gold-medal game against the USA, but was reduced more to a checking role.

Scouting: a solid skater with okay acceleration .. uses a decent stride which enables to reach top speed in an adequately short amount of time .. okay balance and lower-body strength .. okay turns and lateral movement .. a character player who plays a high-octane style and stands up for his teammates .. willing to drop the gloves and mix things up in the corners .. can finish his checks with authority despite not being blessed with a giant frame .. plays a diligent style in the opposing slot .. doesn't have blistering puck skills, but possesses an adequate in-close finishing touch .. should be smoother when challenging the opponent in one-on-one situations .. adequate vision and hockey sense, but won't ever be one of the smartest players on the team .. is effective in his own zone with his above-average defensive awareness .. shuts down the opposing passing lanes and limits the options of the opposing forwards .. a solid asset to the penalty killing units.

James Neal, RW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: started the tournament on an inconsistent note with a decent showing in the opener against Germany before not being much of a quality factor in the match-up against Sweden .. registered a good performance in the contest against Denmark, sneaking into scoring chances and finishing them with a cool demeanor .. pulled off a solid showing against Russia, out-powering the opponents a number of times and surprising with a quick move in the offensive zone .. delivered an average performance in the semifinal contest against the Czech Republic, delighting with some good shifts before going unnoticed in others .. didn't stand out in the gold-medal game against the USA .. tried to work hard, but didn't show quality offensive prowess in the final battle of the tournament.

Scouting: a solid skater for a big man .. shows okay agility and lateral movement .. solid first-step quickness .. could use better top-end speed .. can execute without having to slow down significantly .. solid stickhandling skills .. decent hand-eye coordination .. capable of a number of elusive moves to get past the opposing defensemen .. aware of his linemates .. can make crisp, accurate passes through traffic .. uses primarily his quick, hard wrist shot .. slap shot lacks accuracy .. can surprise the goaltenders with his in-close finishing skills .. makes decent use of his size .. tough to get moved when he decides to perform in front of the opposing net .. doesn't play afraid and shows a solid ability to lay a good hit on the opponent .. solid determination ..willing to return back to help out the defense, but is raw in his defensive awareness .. should spot his man faster and block the opposing passing lanes more conscientiously.

Tom Pyatt, C/LW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: registered a solid tournament opener against Germany .. generated offense and prepared quality scoring chances for his linemates .. played a very good game against Sweden, taking home the Canadian 'Player of the game' award .. repeated his showing against the underdog Danish team, serving as a clutch performer for his linemates .. worked hard in the game against Russia and was useful on the offensive end .. performed admirably in the semifinal game against the Czech Republic, creating offense and finishing his chances .. a solid factor in the gold-medal game against the USA, repeating his play from the previous contests .. tied with Guillaume Latendresse and Ryan O'Marra for second place on Team Canada in points (5 points) .. tied with Guillaume Latendresse and Marc-Andre Gragnani for the second-best Canadian passer (3 assists) .. finished third on Team Canada in shots (20 shots).

Scouting: a solid though not beautiful skater with okay foot speed and top-end velocity .. solid agility .. doesn't use an overly effective stride, but gets from place A to place B in a short time .. solid stickhandling skills .. capable of a number of takeaways during each game .. can cycle in the offensive zone, looking for passing opportunities .. solid creativity with the puck .. an accurate passer .. finds the open man with regularity .. a character player who doesn't tend to take many shifts off .. adequate aggressiveness despite modest size .. a decent hitter along the boards who doesn't back down from battling bigger opponents .. solid in-close finishing skills .. can be patient once on a scoring chance .. okay array of shots .. uses primarily his snap shot .. can be persistent around the goal area .. returns back to help out the defense .. marks his man adequately fast and stays in position .. doesn't really stand out with any of his assets, but the sum of the parts gets the job done well.

Colton Yellow Horn, LW (2005)

Tournament wrap-up: a member of the Canadian fourth unit .. didn't see much playing time on special units during the tournament .. an average showing .. couldn't find a way to be effective during the contest against Sweden .. played alright against Denmark .. didn't stand out in the match-up against Russia, lacking the extra gear despite modest size .. not a significant factor in the semifinal match against the Czech Republic, hardly making any use of the playing time he was provided with .. ended up in hospital during the gold-medal game after he suffered a concussion and a neck injury after a nasty hit by Justin Mercier from the USA squad .. most accurate Canadian shooter (.2857) ..

Scouting: can move his feet fast when seeing a chance to win the puck, but lacks the needed stride effectiveness to emerge as a good skater .. doesn't look overly flashy and quick .. okay agility on his skates .. could use more balance as he tends to get knocked off the puck easily .. okay stickhandling skills .. decent at controlling the puck and dealing with passes .. prefers passing to shooting .. needs to develop a bigger variety of shots .. primarily uses his quick wrist or snap shot .. average slap shot with a slow release .. not a significant force in traffic because of his lack of size but doesn't play afraid .. an okay worker along the boards .. throws the occasional hit even on players bigger than him .. shows a commitment to defensive play but is hampered by occasional downs in this area .. blocks the passing lanes of the opposition fairly well .. can read the developing plays in his own end adequately well, but on some shifts refuses to make use of this.