USA Hockey: Madison Capitals Gold Medal Classic

The Gold Medal Classic, held in Madison Wisconsin, is one of the top Midget Major tournaments of the year. Many key prospects from Shattuck St. Mary's were on display along with other 2008 draft-eligible players such as center Scott Winkler of Russell Stover, and defenseman C.J. Ludwig of Dallas Midget AAA. McKeen's has notes on several prospects who participated.

Scott Winkler (2008), C, Russell Stover

Big two-way center with intriguing physical ability and upside .. it is difficult to get a full read on his offensive ability because the low level of competition and the fact that he is shadowed every game while having no one to get him the puck .. a good skater for his size, Winkler possesses a long stride with good extension and quick start up strides .. strong coming down the wing where he utilizes his size and speed to power through defenders before displaying his patience and creativity to outwait the goaltender prior to scoring on the wrap around .. sees the ice adequately with the puck but it is his big slapshot that is his most effective offensive weapon .. strong on his skates and is willing to drive the net with his impressive size/physicality combination .. aware enough defensively to handle playing center, Winkler, at times, sacrifices the offense to maintain proper defensive positioning .. ranked No. 132 by Central Scouting in their Mid-Term Rankings and committed to Colorado College, Winkler could blossom if he's moved to the wing and adds more strength to complement his style of play.

C.J. Ludwig (2008), D, Dallas Stars AAA

Gritty and smart defensive defenseman that plays a hard physical game while making mature decisions with the puck .. displays tight footwork with impressive in-close puck control to escape pressure and elude the oncoming forecheck, although he lacks that extra gear to carry the puck much further .. makes good decisions with the puck when pressured and delivers a crisp first pass, although he lacks the creativity to quarterback the powerplay at the next level, despite doing a fine job getting his shot on net .. anticipates the play well defensively and can land some bone-crunching, open-ice hits if he catches the opposition with their head down .. a strong one-on-one defender that comes out of the corners with the puck, although he can be beaten to the net by speed if body positioning is not established .. ranked No. 194 by Central Scouting in their Mid-Term Rankings, Ludwig stands an outside chance of being drafted because of his dependable game and bloodlines.

David Toews (2008), C, Shattuck St. Mary's Prep

Savvy and skilled much like his brother Jonathan .. generates most of his offense in tight around the net and below the hash marks where he's particularly effective pulling the puck off the wall to attack the net before threading the needle with a deft pass through traffic or utilizing his compact release to pick corners from in tight .. poised with quick hands and virtuous offensive instincts, Toews' ability to cover the puck and manufacture offense in traffic is his standout quality .. not a great skater but he's in the right place at the right time to cash in on scoring chances thanks to his great hockey sense and ability to anticipate the opening seams in the offensive .. mediocre skater with decent agility and foot speed, Toews lacks his brother's secondary gear to be an offensive threat carrying the puck through the neutral zone .. competitive in puck battles, however he does lack his brother's elite balance, although his recent hernia may have something to do with that .. floats at times and does not play hard away from the puck at this level .. committed to North Dakota, if his body and skating continues to mature as his brothers did after his draft year, he will be a player.

David Carle (2008), D, Shattuck St. Mary's Prep

Steady two-way defenseman that oozes poise while playing a mistake-free game with the puck .. a beautiful passer with great vision, poise, and soft hands that makes a great first pass every time .. quarterbacking the powerplay with more effectiveness recently, beginning to display some creativity and is getting his shot off quickly and on net with regularity .. displays great small ice mobility thanks to his fluid pivots and stride along with the ability to accelerate fully in just a couple of strides .. lacks a third gear to skate by anyone with the puck but who cares when he can stretch the ice with a tape-to-tape pass and beat three opponents in the processes .. has a good feel for the game and anticipates where the play is going in all three zones .. steadying presence on the backend that properly plays odd-man rushes, plays bigger than his size to effectively win one-on-one battles, and utilizes his great defensive awareness to always be in position .. maintains a healthy gap before making the correct read to seal his man off to the wall, as he angles outside speed well .. much like his older brother Matt, this Carle is a Denver recruit and a promising NHL prospect.

Derek Stepan (2008), C, Shattuck St. Mary's Prep

Highly skilled Wisconsin recruit with tremendous offensive upside and a progressively developing all-around game .. can dominate when he fully applies himself and seems to get better and better as the game progresses .. mobility continues to improve, as he now possesses a long stride with quick enough feet to stimulate a deceptive change of gears to get around a sleeping defender with his slick toe-drag move .. deadly goal scorer in tight with great timing around the net and an excellent release that propels his accurate and quick shot .. an electrifying dangler with top line, game-breaking skill and a long wingspan .. can create through the passing game thanks to his ability to see the ice and the knowledge of where he wants to go with the puck before he receives it .. hockey strong, despite his gangly appearance with the ability to fight-off checks and retain possession in traffic or around the net .. underrated defender that is decent on faceoffs, relied upon to kill penalties, and is on the ice late in the game when the lead needs to be preserved .. with the skill and offensive instincts that cannot be coached, Stepan could be one of the true gems in the 2008 draft class.

Jordan Murray (2008), C, Shattuck St. Mary's Prep

Pugnacious spark plug that plays a fearless and physical style of hockey .. quick and agile with gifted hands but he is ultimately ineffective offensively because he over handles the puck and does not see the ice well .. fiercely competitive center that does strong work on the forecheck and in the corners .. an effective penalty killer with impressive defensive awareness and commitment to pick up his man on the backcheck .. committed to the University of Wisconsin and stands an outside shot at being drafted late because of his endearing work ethic and physical play may have some teams projecting him as a future checking line center.

Luke Greiner (2008), C, Shattuck St. Mary's Prep

Pint-sized but immensely talented and savvy offensive center .. creative and poised with the puck, Greiner is a dangerous one-on-one threat thanks to his quick and nimble feet, and his ability to get his phenomenal wristshot off in a hurry while coming down the slot at full speed .. small, but he is deceptively strong on his feet and never hesitates to venture into traffic areas .. anticipates the play well and has great hockey sense, as he's on the puck as much as anyone game in/game out .. blessed with lots of skill and a brilliant mind for the game, Greiner will be an impact collegiate player but he might be too small for the NHL.

Sam Alfieri (2009), C, Shattuck St. Mary's Prep

Naturally gifted center with soft hands and impressive patience with the puck that never plays with enough urgency to make himself an impact player on the ice .. displays one or two flashes of brilliance each game and then disappears for the remainder of time.

Emerson Etem (2010), LW, Shattuck St. Mary's Prep

This young pup could be a horse down the line if he gets bigger and stronger .. naturally elegant skater with a long and strong stride .. blessed with loads of skill and a deft passing game, Etem is beginning to involve himself more in physical areas and is definitely a player to keep an eye on over the next couple of years.

Cody Murphy (2009), C, Team Illinois

A 5-foot-10 power forward that like a chameleon, can thrive in any role and on any line because of his incredible work rate and talent .. possesses very quick hands that he can execute with at full speed while coming through the neutral zone at full force.. owns a quick shot but he is still a bit one-dimensional in the way that he always relies on his ability to beat the defender one-on-one rather than moving the puck to a linemate when trying to gain the offensive zone .. a mean-spirited power forward that does not even look at the puck while forechecking, as he just takes his man out physically .. should be a sought after player in next years draft for his skill and competitiveness.

Frankie Simonelli (2011), D, Team Illinois

This is the best Simonelli has played all season and it is intriguing to see him on an upward development curve .. the fact that someone so young is already quarterbacking his team's powerplay and playing in all key situations, is a testament to his physical ability .. making much better decisions with the puck recently, Simonelli effectively created offensive opportunities while quarterbacking the powerplay and using his check-down options while making a nice first pass .. skating well with the puck, although he still needs to improve on his first step, Simonelli is a defender worth monitoring.

Jonathan Merrill (2010), D, Detroit Little Caesars

Possibly the best 1992 DOB in the country, there is not nothing physically that Merrill is capable of accomplishing .. a big and skilled puck-moving defenseman with exceptional mobility, Merrill possesses all the qualities that scouts look for in identifying an elite defenseman .. would be a high pick in this year's OHL draft if his parents were not so determined to have him play College hockey for the University of Michigan .. could be the American-born version of Alex Pietrangelo down the road.

Sean Little (2009), C, Madison Capitals

Cerebral, offensive center with good skill, Little was one of the leading scorers in Wisconsin High School hockey before leaving to play for the Capitals because of his second incident involving alcohol that left him suspended .. despite his short stride, his acceleration appears to be crisper thanks to an added burst of speed to his quick start-up strides .. type of player that likes to lurk in the weeds before striking, as he lets his linemates do most of the work before breaking the play open with his skill, if he gets the chance .. creative player that especially thrives on the powerplay where he consistently creates space for himself in the offensive zone to be ready for the pass, although scouts will want to see him improve his play five-on-five for next season.

Jeff Teglia (2009), G, Chicago Mission

Unorthodox goaltender that does not play with any technique or a set style, Tegila remains one of the best goaltenders in Midget hockey because of his elite athleticism and prototypical mental make-up .. great skater with quick lateral movement and "Gumby like" flexibility to stretch himself out to make saves he has no business making .. flops around a lot but he can also make brilliant reflex safes thanks to his superior limb quickness . confidently challenges the shooter and owns a fast glove hand .. plays the puck fairly well outside of his crease and he does an effective job controlling most rebounds .. if a team can look past his mechanical shortcomings, they could have themselves a prized prospect in next years draft.

David Ziuzia (2010), RW, Chicago Mission

Highly skilled but one-dimensional forward with the quickness to separate in the open ice and the skilled hands to make any defender foolish in a one-on-one situation .. owns a quick release but his accuracy is poor and despite possessing a strong stride, Ziuza always seems a step behind defensively .. has all the individual talent you look for but he must cease playing selfish, lone-ranger hockey for him to make it further.

Broderick Browne (2008), RW, Texas Attack

Big and skilled winger oozing upside that is receiving considerable NCAA interest and a few looks from NHL scouts .. possesses all the attributes you look for, as he is big, skilled, and owns a good first step .. his stride is fine but his feet are a bit heavy and he tends to coast a lot .. needs to play with more urgency to maximize his ability and become a legitimate prospect.

Armand DeSwardt (2009), LW, Dallas Stars AAA

Big winger with strong mobility and a rocket wristshot that should receive considerable attention for next years draft .. strong on his feet with a commanding power game in the corners and around the oppositions net .. possesses soft hands with the ability to distribute the puck effectively and finish anywhere from inside the top of the circles thanks to his deft-touch, in close and bone-rattling wristshot .. a stable skater with a strong stride and adequate foot speed for a player of his size .. could improve his defensive work habits but all the other ingredients are here.

Anthony Hamburg (2009), C, Dallas Stars AAA

Poised and skilled center with a lot of offensive ability that sees the ice well and is a creative playmaker with a deft-touch, in tight around the net .. trouble is that he lacks urgency and speed, as he is a sloppy skater that also struggles to get back to cover his defensive assignments .. the skill is there but you want to see his skating improve and you do question if he wants it bad enough.

Blake Coleman (2010), RW, Dallas Stars AAA

Strong defensive-minded winger that can make plays at both ends and in traffic .. handles the puck well in tight and displays glimpses of a blossoming scoring touch, although his skating is just okay at this point.

Justin Jones (2009), C, Dallas Stars AAA

Passionate player with a non-stop motor that plays a gritty-style-of hockey .. anticipates the play well, as the puck just seems to find him and he is a dangerous player in tight around the net .. savvy defensive player that is a thorn in the opposition's side with his impressive speed and combative work ethic to finish every check while pursuing the puck.

Soren Jonzzon (2010), C, San Jose Jr. Sharks

Very defensively committed, two-way center that is a physical and competitive presence on every shift .. owns an accurate and heavy shot with a second gear of acceleration, however he needs to upgrade his explosiveness out of the gates and take more chances offensively .. hard-working kid that already is an alternate captain despite being the youngest player on the team.