USHL: All-Star Game Notes

Notes on prospects at the recent USHL All-STar game.

Matt DiGirolamo (2007), G, Waterloo

Only uncommitted player at the game .. anticipation is the strong suit of his game as he did a good job getting square to the puck .. played the puck astutely and moved it up the ice well .. skates well outside the crease .. displayed impressive footwork and controlled but quick lateral movement .. is not afraid to challenge the shooter .. has strong rebound control and controlled the flow of the game .. mechanically sound.

Calle Ridderwall (2007), F, Tri-City

Plays a mature two-way game .. was buzzing around the puck all night thanks to his superior anticipation and quickness.. handled traffic and along the boards well for a smaller player .. hands are soft and he has good offensive creativity .. finishes and creates equally well.

Tommy Wingels (2007), F, Cedar Rapids

Broke out with a two-goal performance and flaunted his impressive two way game .. boosted his stock for the draft and could be a safe second day selection .. has an impressive top end gear and he uses his size well on the fore check .. has good hockey sense.

Colby Cohen (2007), D, Lincoln

Leads all USHL defensemen in scoring .. has a quick release .. his shot is heavy and accurate .. showed off his very skilled hands while skating the puck up the ice several times and making a few nifty moves in the process.. was complacent in front of his net on some occasions.

Dustin Gazley (2007), F, Sioux City

Has incredibly fast feet that produce an exceptional top gear .. displayed impressive creativity offensively.

Jesse Martin (Atl), F, Tri-City

Registered three assists while displaying a mature two-way game and impressive vision of the ice .. was strong along the boards .. played a mature two-way game all night .. did a fine job in his own end and is committed to his defensive assignments even in the all-star game .. marks his man quickly .. role player type .. limited offensively but he handles the puck adequately and is a decent playmaker .. stride needs to be lengthened and will need

more power.

Nick Petrecki (2007), D, Omaha

Jumped into the play offensively many times .. was not hesitant to let go his rocket shot .. showed off his impressive skating ability and hand skill by rushing the puck up the ice a couple of times .. was noticeably physical for an all-star game .. at times was guilty of trying to do too much in his own end and could be caught chasing the puck which makes scouts question his hockey sense.

Jeff Petry (Edm), D, Des Moines

His elegant, long, and powerful stride was pure eye candy for this scout .. his mobility is superb .. poised with the puck .. sees the ice well and distributes the puck efficiently .. has a quick release and keeps his shot low.

Shane Sims (NYI), D, Des Moines

Did a great job taking his man out along the boards off the rush .. all compass mobility is impressive but he is not an explosive skater .. was creative on the point and showed off his heavy slap shot.

Aaron Palushaj (2007), F, Des Moines

Has a pro frame and used it to be strong along the boards .. undressed Derrick LaPoint one-on-one before just missing the net wide .. has a pro release that produces impressive accuracy and velocity .. has a little Thomas Vanek in him .. is not an explosive skater but his stride is fine and his speed is decent.

Blake Kessel (2007), D, Waterloo

Did a good job one-on-one down low in his own end .. made the first pass on the mark every time .. was not hesitant to jump into the play and let go his quickly released point shot that is accurate and heavy.

Vincent LoVerde (2007), D, Waterloo

His mobility is strong .. his lateral movement especially stood out .. has soft hands and is poised with the puck .. showed fine vision and creativity quarterbacking the power play or while stretching the ice with a long distance outlet pass.

Max Pacioretty (2007), F, Sioux City

Did not drive the net or use his size much .. sees the ice very well and has a creative play making touch .. has a long stride with decent power .. his release is quick and his shot is heavy but he lacks the instincts of a goal scorer.

Robin Bergman (2007), F, Cedar Rapids

Has a fluid stride that is long and powerful that he knows how to use to get past the opposition to the outside .. shows a good burst of speed through the middle of the ice .. has a good head for the game and seems to be in the right place at the right time .. goes hard to the net.

Tristin Llewellyn (2007), D, Tri-City

Decent agility but he lacks quickness .. took good angles to his man .. did a fine job standing up the opposition at the blue line .. inconsistent moving the puck and his poor hockey sense lowers his stock.

Ben Ryan (2007), F, Des Moines

He is quick with soft hands and was difficult for the opposition to contain in tight .. played with grit and wins battles along the boards .. sees the ice well and displayed some nice creativity moving the puck .. short but very stocky and strong.

Dan Hobbs (2007), F, Ohio

The lone Ohio Blue Jacket at the game .. has a heavy shot but struggled to get into areas to use it .. used his impressive speed to get to the outside on defenders .. other than that, he was invisible through this contest and despite his impressive physical tools, he still is having difficulty adjusting to the pace .. plays for a poor team and this was his chance to put himself back on the map but he let this opportunity slide by.

Derrick LaPoint (Fla), D, Greenbay

Having a terrific year in Greenbay and looks ready to contribute in the NCAA next season .. he skates like a small forward .. his agility is ridiculously good for a big man .. light on his feet .. has soft hands and displayed a few nice moves .. has a quick release and gets his shot low to the net .. seems to hand cuff the goalies as he generates many rebounds .. was caught watching the puck at times one-on-one.

Podge Turnbull (2007), F, Waterloo

Displayed the ability to be a strong penalty killer .. has good anticipation and the puck seems to follow him .. showed off his quick release and heavy shot .. he is a pest to the opposition on the fore check and creates many turnovers .. has a little T.J. Oshie to him.

Corey Tropp (2007), F, Sioux Falls

Named the games MVP with two goals and a plus-3 rating .. had a few nice rushes where he displayed his fine one-on-one ability .. has a goal scorer's instincts, release, and accuracy .. hit the post in the first with a laser wrist shot through heavy traffic .. found the quiet areas near the net and exploited them with two goals off one timers near the crease.