USHL: Black Hawks Down

The high-powered Waterloo Black Hawks went 10-3 down the stretch en route to clinching the fourth and final playoff spot in the USHL's East Division, all of four points behind the first-place Green Bay Gamblers, and finishing the regular season as one of the hottest teams in the league. NHL-Draft-eligible forwards such as Craig Smith, Jordan Samuels-Thomas, J.T. Brown, and Brock Montpetit all played significant roles in helping the Hawks lead the USHL with 246 goals in 2008-09. Waterloo's pointmen were also fully utilized in the attack, as blueliners Lee Moffie, Patrick Wey, and Dan Sova were each in the top-15 in defenseman scoring in the 12-team league. However, despite tremendous depth at both forward and defense, the Black Hawks were downed in three games in a best-of-five series by Green Bay in the first round of the USHL Clark Cup Playoffs, robbing Waterloo fans and scouts alike the opportunity to see a number of skilled prospects at least one more time this season.

McKeen's correspondent Kevin Wey was able to catch the Waterloo Black Hawks in action twice in the second half of the season, once in February and once in the final weekend of the regular season. Players such as Craig Smith, Patrick Wey and Jordan Samuels-Thomas are featured along with a host of other prospects on the deep Waterloo roster.

Craig Smith (2009), C, Waterloo

A fairly complete hockey player .. has explosive quickness that helps him emerge from the corners or off the half boards .. also uses his speed and quickness on the forecheck .. has very good speed with the puck and can make opponents look silly .. finishes his checks and can do so with some force .. plays with some aggressiveness and is not immune to adding a punch to a check now and then .. has patience with the puck to drag it around opponents or to make plays .. beware the give-and-goes at speed and the centering passes .. has notable shot power .. both wristshot and slapshot are hard and a danger from the perimeter .. plays in all situations and on both special teams .. has decent size at 6-foot-0, 190 pounds .. speedy, skilled, physical, and plays a two-way game, which all add up to a likely selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft in his third year of eligibility .. played for Team USA at World Junior A Challenge and scored 3 goals and 5 assists in 5 games and was named to All-Tournament Team .. played for Team CCM (East) at USHL Prospects/All-Star Game .. named to RBK All-USHL First Team .. finished the regular season with 28 goals and 48 assists in 54 games, third in USHL overall scoring .. finished the playoffs with 1 goal and 3 assists in 3 games, leading Waterloo in playoff scoring .. committed to Wisconsin for 2009-10 season. Click the link for a recent interview with Craig Smith

Patrick Wey (2009), D, Waterloo

Prides himself on his mobility as a strong suit, but positioning is more his primary asset .. does have good lateral mobility at the point and smooth pivots from backward to forward, but is an upright skater with average speed both backward and forward .. could afford to lengthen his stride .. does a very good job to let his gaps close at or before the blueline and engages physically .. not uncommon to see him step up for a hit in the neutral zone and makes it difficult for opponents to gain the attack zone .. angles his opponents well .. very responsible defensively and can use his angling to help younger, less-experienced d-partners recover from getting beat in the neutral zone .. average speed backwards does mean he gets side-stepped or beaten from time to time, but always playing it how he should .. makes crisp, accurate passes, be they first passes, outlet passes, or from the point .. moves the puck quickly but accurately from the point .. has a crisp wrister from the point and a smooth transition from pass reception to shot .. generally makes the simple play .. will pinch in from the point to lay down the body to keep the puck in the attack zone from time to time, but is very responsible doing it .. plays on both the PP and the PK .. 6-foot-2, 200-pounder has good size, is textbook positionally, and moves the puck reliably .. needs to make technical improvements to skating, but if Greg Pateryn went in the early fifth round of 2008 Draft (deservedly so), then Wey should go by the late sixth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. played for Team CCM (East) at USHL Prospects/All-Star Game .. finished the regular season with 7 goals and 27 assists in 58 games, seventh in USHL defenseman scoring .. finished the playoffs with no points in 3 playoff games .. committed to Boston College for 2009-10 season.

Jordan Samuels-Thomas (2009), LW, Waterloo

Made significant improvements over the course of the season .. stride looks much better .. skating is now smoother and showing better knee bend in stops and starts, tight turns, and in crossovers .. now demonstrates some quickness without the puck, such as on the forecheck .. does still lack acceleration with the puck .. has quick feet to move laterally .. has decent top speed and now gets to it much quicker .. puts in a good effort on the forecheck and backcheck .. 6-foot-3, 195-pounder is not an aggressively physical hitter, though .. does a good job using his size to shield the puck, particularly with swivels .. improvements to skating have helped him also improve his playmaking a bit .. does still make the occasional ill-advised pass, bringing his hockey sense into question .. the occasional question puck movement aside, now makes smooth, crisp, hard passes that are on target .. still has the hard shot he's shown since last season .. a regular on the powerplay .. his skating improved so much in a season, as he showed almost none of the awkwardness he used to show .. showed excellent chemistry on a line with Craig Smith and J.T. Brown .. hockey sense still a bit in question, but has made such significant improvements that he's a legitimate possibility to be selected in the late rounds of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. second year of draft eligibility .. finished the regular season on a 7-game points streak .. finished the regular season with 32 goals and 22 assists in 59 games, fourth in USHL goal scoring .. finished the playoffs with 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 games .. committed to Bowling Green for 2009-10 season.

Daniel Sova (2009), D, Waterloo

One of the most physical defensemen in the USHL down low .. aggressive in clearing his crease and knocks a lot of opponents over down low along the boards .. a willing combatant if the gloves drop .. does a good job to reduce crossovers backwards and can angle opponents, particularly for big hip checks .. inconsistent in keeping a wide base backwards .. agility needs work .. a bit upright accelerating backwards and relies on short steps instead of power .. ends up stumbling backwards too often when an opponent utilizes their agility .. stops and starts are awkward at times and could use more power .. passing game needs refining .. generally makes smooth, crisp passes to d-partners, particularly point-to-point .. breakout passes can get a bit wobbly or be a bit off the mark .. played on the second powerplay unit and played on the PK .. 6-foot-3, 215-pound blueliner has the size and is aggressive with it, but needs to improve skating and passing game .. second year of draft eligibility and is a possibility to be selected in the late rounds of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but not a certainty .. finished the regular season with 2 goals and 26 assists in 55 games .. finished the playoffs with no points in 3 games .. committed to Michigan Tech for 2010-11 season .. probable to return to Waterloo next season.

J.T. Brown (2009), RW, Waterloo

Missed the first two months of the season due to a wrist injury, but was impressive in his USHL-rookie season .. can fly .. excellent speed .. also has quick agility .. executes smooth, crisp passes on the tape and can do so on the break .. adept one-touch passer on the attack .. 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, but will engage physically going for the puck and in finishing his checks .. plays on the powerplay .. main asset is his speed and his ability to move the puck, either skating or pass, through the neutral zone quickly .. second-year eligible player with impressive production in the USHL, but may still be a long shot to be selected in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. finished the regular season with 14 goals and 22 assists in 36 games .. no commitment to college program yet .. finished the playoffs with 1 goal and 0 assists in 3 games .. probable to return to Waterloo in 2009-10.

Lee Moffie (2009), D, Waterloo

Put up strong numbers for the season, but still has things to work on as a defenseman .. relies on crossovers too much .. upright skater both backward and forward .. could afford to keep smaller gaps and backs into his defensive zone too much .. needs to maintain a lower stance and a wider base backward to put himself in a power position .. does have good lateral movement at the point with the puck .. has a hard one-timer .. has a decent wristshot, but is also content to lob wristers on net for rebound chances and deflections .. able to rifle some hard passes, but does need to further refine his accuracy .. saw significant time on the powerplay and some time on the penalty kill, too .. second-year eligible player will need to alter his skating style, particularly backwards, for maximum effectiveness at the pro level in the future .. production puts him in position as a possibility for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, and he has decent size at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds .. played for Team USA at World Junior A Challenge and scored 1 goal and 2 assists in 5 games .. finished the regular season with 9 goals and 35 assists in 55 games, third in USHL defenseman scoring .. finished the playoffs with no points in 3 games .. committed to Michigan for 2009-10 season.

Brock Montpetit (2009), C, Waterloo

Speedy and skilled center finished the season with 5 goals and 9 assists in the final 12 games of the season .. smooth skater with very good speed to beat opponents wide or for use on the forecheck or backcheck .. very quick and slippery down low with the puck .. excellent agility, changing direction at speed and on defensemen maintaining a short gap .. has the speed, hands, and agility to split defenses .. good offensive vision, opening up to the play and assessing his options .. makes crisp, hard passes on the tape .. confident stickhandler with quick hands and adept handling out wide and bringing it back into his body .. definitely has the skill to be on the powerplay, but was utilized more on the penalty kill .. buzzes on the forecheck with his speed and quickness .. also helpful to his defensemen on the backcheck and can strip opponents of the puck .. 5-foot-10, 185-pounder plays with some physicality and lays down some hard hits .. was very impressive at the end of the season .. if he returns to the USHL for a third season in 2009-10, he should be one of the leading scorers .. second-year eligible player has become a well-rounded player, but is probably a long shot to be drafted .. finished the regular season with 13 goals and 30 assists in 59 games .. finished the playoffs with 0 goals and 1 assist in 3 games .. no longer committed to Wisconsin .. may return to Waterloo in 2009-10.

Tyler Barnes (2009), RW, Waterloo

Became more of a defensive player for Waterloo, seeing significant time on the PK .. playing with more physicality than earlier in the season .. finishes his checks .. has very nice power skating backwards and can execute a fine hip check .. has some power in his strides and maintains fairly long strides .. has good agility and quickness .. has the speed to beat opponents wide and also uses it on the forecheck .. put in a fairly tenacious effort on the forecheck toward the end of the season .. still showed some of his offensive creativity at times .. generally good for one move a game that you haven't seen before, although they may not work at higher levels .. incorporates a z-axis into his dekes, dropping to knees and such .. did an admirable job of embracing his role as more of a checking-line forward despite his more-than-adequate offensive skill .. lack of production makes it unlikely second-year-eligible Barnes will be drafted, but 2008-09 should prove useful in making him a well-rounded player in the future and ensure he plays at least minor pro hockey someday .. finished the regular season with 9 goals and 17 assists in 55 games .. finished the playoffs with no points in 3 games .. committed to Wisconsin for 2009-10 season.

Zach Palmquist (2009), D, Waterloo

Split-season player joined Black Hawks in early March out of Minnesota high school .. does a good job to let gaps shrink by the blueline, but would like to see it start shorter in the neutral zone .. sometimes comes over too much on his d-partner, probably a residual of a feeling of necessity to do so in high school .. maintains a fairly wide base backwards, no crossovers .. legs look awfully thin .. uses his stick a lot down low and lets his stick get high in his checks, which an opponent will correct someday if he does not do so first .. makes fairly hard, crisp passes on the tape .. 5-foot-11, 175-pound defenseman is a long shot to be drafted due to size, but has the makings of a good two-way defenseman in the USHL .. finished the USHL regular season with 0 goals and 3 assists in 12 games .. finished the USHL playoffs with no points in 2 games .. scored 15 goals and 25 assists in 27 games for South St. Paul High School .. finalist for Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award .. named to AP All-State First Team (Minnesota) .. named Pioneer Press All-State Honorable Mention .. named to Star Tribune All-Metro (Twin Cities) First Team .. committed to Minnesota State for 2011-12 season, but possible 2010-11 .. slated to play for Waterloo in 2009-10.

Matt Johnson (2009), LW, Waterloo

Played an energy role for the Black Hawks .. fairly speedy with quick strides .. quick stops and starts .. active on the forecheck and has the agility to change assignments quickly .. has good quickness for loose pucks and for short races and good top speed for longer races .. would like to see a little more power in his strides and less reliance on turnover .. crossovers have quick steps, but could use more power .. finishes his checks .. good effort on the backcheck and will lay down a hit from the side .. saw regular time on the penalty kill .. an extreme long shot to be drafted in 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but fulfilled his role as an energy line player very well .. finished the regular season with 2 goals and 6 assists in 40 games .. only played one game in playoffs, tallying no points .. no commitment to college program yet .. slated to return to Waterloo in 2009-10.

Mike Montrose (2009), D, Waterloo

Waterloo's depth on defense limited Montrose's icetime .. stays fairly low backwards .. able to stop quickly backwards to engage physically .. has very good lateral movement .. able to execute leg drags backward at speed .. skilled passer .. makes smooth, crisp, accurate passes to his d-partners and in distributing the puck from the point .. displays some offensive vision from the point .. adept one-touch passer .. has a hard slapper from the point that he keeps low .. was scratched in the February viewing .. speed seemed a bit lower in April viewing than in previous viewings .. unfortunate he did not receive more icetime in his draft year, as he now has virtually no chance of being drafted despite always showing a decent skill level .. finished the regular season with 0 goals and 5 assists in 29 games .. only played two games in the playoffs, tallying no points .. committed to Bowling Green for 2010-11 season .. slated to return to Waterloo in 2009-10.

Derek Arnold (2009), LW, Waterloo

5-foot-9, 165-pound left-winger played like a smaller version of Brock Montpetit .. quick player with good separation and good top speed .. finished his checks on the forecheck .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. able to connect on passes at speed on the rush .. has a fairly hard wristshot .. like Tyler Barnes, a fairly skilled player who played more of a checking-line role down the stretch, accepted it, and even excelled .. was a regular on the penalty kill at the end of the season .. second-year eligible player with virtually no shot of being taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but deserving of recognition for a fine season .. real chance of being an impact player for Waterloo next season .. finished the regular season with 20 goals and 12 assists in 52 games, fifth in Waterloo goal scoring .. finished the playoffs with 0 goals and 0 assists in 3 games .. committed to Maine for 2010-11 season.

Nick Larson (Cgy), C/W, Waterloo

Calgary prospect's role was still primarily as a checking-line forward, although he was still a top-six forward .. provided an imposing power game .. 6-foot-2, 202-pound winger with a lot of speed and willing to drive the net .. likes to be the initiator of physical play driving the net .. does a good job shielding the puck and will muscle his way toward the net .. able to make some quick lateral moves for quick plays .. able to execute some tight turns and make some deep cuts .. all shots in his arsenal are hard .. generally makes crisp, accurate passes, but isn't a high-level, cerebral playmaker .. uses his speed to pressure defensemen on the forecheck and can also catch some of the USHL's speediest on the backcheck .. saw some time on both the PP and the PK .. has filled out well and despite ho-hum production, his game looks more like that of a pro hockey player than most USHLers .. played for Team USA at World Junior A Challenge and scored 0 goals and 2 assists in 5 games .. played for Team CCM (East) at USHL Prospects/All-Star Game .. finished the regular season with 19 goals and 17 assists in 51 games .. finished the playoffs with no points in three games .. committed to Notre Dame for 2009-10 season.

Nick Pryor (Ana), D, Waterloo

Acquired by Waterloo from Des Moines before the roster freeze .. missed most of March due to an ankle injury and played only one game in April .. nothing much new to note on Pryor .. continues to use his huge shot from the point .. makes hard, crisp passes on the tape .. makes quick d-to-d passes .. consistently shows good agility with the puck to make tight circles and switchbacks to regroup or to ditch forechecker .. saw time on both Waterloo's powerplay and penalty kill .. for Pryor's sake, hopefully the ankle injury does not affect his off-season training and his freshman year of college .. finished the regular season with 1 goal and 5 assists in 12 games for Waterloo in addition to 6 goals and 12 assists in 31 games for Des Moines .. did not play in the playoffs (injured) .. committed to Maine for 2009-10 season.