USHL Fall Classic: Waterloo Prospects

The Waterloo Black Hawks were without Calgary Flames fourth round pick Nick Larson at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic, but the team still had plenty of talent on the ice. Defensive defenseman Patrick Wey and offensive defenseman Michael Montrose led the way amongst first-year draft-eligible players, but forward Matt Johnson emerged on the scene as an intriguing spark plug. The Black Hawks also featured a number of second-year draft-eligible players that received some consideration for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and are looking to prove their omission last year was an error by following in the footsteps of such former USHLers as Trevor Lewis, Steve Quailer, and Alex Kangas.

McKeen's correspondents Kevin Wey and Max Giese conclude their series on the USHL Fall Classic with notes on several Waterloo Black Hawks eager to make an impact this season.

Patrick Wey (2009), D, Waterloo

Defensive defenseman with a no-frills offensive game .. maintains a short gap, does not rely on crossovers, keeps a wide base, and has good mobility .. speed backwards is only average, though, and can be beaten wide by speed at times .. adept at angling opponents toward the boards, rubbing them out and stands opponents up at the blueline at times, but is not an overwhelming physical force .. knows when to execute leg drags to block shots or clog passing lanes .. skating forwards, he can get a bit upright, could lengthen his stride and add more speed .. passing is generally crisp and on the tape, but not creative .. tends to take wristshots from the point instead of slapshots, and has a hard, crisp wrister from the point that he keeps low for deflections .. good at making sure he clears the puck out of the zone, be it off the glass or a high, long clear .. 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman has all the tools to be a solid defensive defenseman that moves the puck reliably .. certainly worthy for consideration as a late-round pick .. in 2007-08, he scored 1 goal and 5 assists in 35 games for the Waterloo Black Hawks .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-2-2

Additional Comments by Max Giese

A studious and stabilizing defender .. methodical skater that is fairly fluid in reverse movements .. owns a quick wristshot that he keeps low, but struggles to get on net .. fairly composed with the puck and executes a clean first pass, however he cold use more urgency with the puck at times, as he's rather inefficient at creating offense from the point .. a finesse defender that is positionally sound with an active stick .. still needs to add more strength, although his upper body is noticeably developing .. often in the right spot at the right time.

Michael Montrose (2009), D, Waterloo

Mobile defenseman who distributes the puck well from the point .. confident with the puck and makes crisp passes from the point and has soft hands for receiving passes and moving the puck quickly, if necessary .. has strong lateral mobility with the puck at the point .. agility and lateral mobility helps him corral errant passes or loose pucks .. has good speed and acceleration for getting to loose pucks and hustles into the corners in the defensive zone to get the puck to start the breakout .. has a hard one-timer but also has a good wristshot and slapshot from the point .. listed at 5-foot-11, 171 pounds, but doesn't appear that thin and plays with some physicality .. has good backwards acceleration and has strong all-compass mobility backwards, but could improve his defensive angling and positioning .. does have some defensive awareness, though, and can block shots and clog passing lanes with leg drags .. played significant time on the powerplay at the Fall Classic and hopefully is allowed to do so during the regular season to further develop this potential .. a bit undersized, but still worthy of late-round consideration .. in 2007-08, he scored 1 goal and 3 assists in 32 games for the Waterloo Black Hawks .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0

Additional Comments by Max Giese

Purely offensive defenseman .. an exceptional skater with fast, nimble feet and strong strides .. blessed with skillful hands and while he owns a hard shot, he often takes a little bit off of it to ensure that it hits its target .. quarterbacks the powerplay and his ability to generate offensive opportunities through his puck-movement shines, however, he is still guilty of brain-cramping, dead-ending himself, and forcing horrific turnovers at inopportune times .. his best defensive asset is his remarkable mobility, however he gets manhandled physically and is too easily walked to the net.

Matt Johnson (2009), RW, Waterloo

Unheralded prospect made himself known with his impressive hustle and effort .. tenacious forechecker and backchecker whose speed, effort, and physical game makes him a spark plug .. listed at 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, but does not seem that small, and he always finishes his checks .. gives a consistent effort every shift and throughout every shift .. uses his speed and hustle to get to loose pucks and to crash the net for offensive chances .. always quick off the faceoffs, be it to get to his defensive assignment or to help the play offensively .. has good speed with the puck and has the confidence to make some moves with the puck, but typically is not overly flashy .. did not put up big numbers in Minnesota high school hockey, but may be of interest to certain NHL clubs that believe strongly in a strong defensive effort, some sandpaper, and underlying skills (Calgary, anybody?) .. in 2007-08, he scored 10 goals and 16 assists in 26 games for Stillwater High School of the Minnesota High School Hockey League .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-1-0-1, 2 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

His fast feet jettison his quickness and agility .. displays adequate on-ice vision and passing skills, however he is mostly a dump-and-chase-style-of-player .. small, but physical and hits anything that moves, making him a strong F1 on the forecheck .. backchecks hard and is a useful energy player on both sides of the puck.

Lee Moffie (2009), D, Waterloo

Was ranked 181st by CSS amongst North American skaters heading into the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected, which is surprising having now seen him in action .. has good speed and all-compass mobility .. adept at angling the opponent toward the boards and rubbing them out or standing them up at the blueline .. has quick feet, but his strides are not absent of power .. quick laterally .. executes smooth pivots from backwards to forwards, stays in a power position, and does not take too many steps to do so .. does have a little wasted movement at times skating forward at top speed .. plays with some physicality and will go for an open-ice hit from time to time .. has a hard shot from the point and an especially hard shot skating in from the point .. also has a quick wristshot ..makes crisp, accurate passes .. has good speed with the puck and appears confident with the puck .. a good two-way defenseman with decent size at 6-foot-1, 205 pounds .. for comparison, after these viewings, Moffie looks like a better prospect over former Black Hawk defenseman and Buffalo Sabres draft pick Drew MacKenzie .. no reason Moffie can't impress and have a solid chance of being taken in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he scored 7 goals and 25 assists in 27 games for Avon Old Farms of the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association .. committed to University of Michigan .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-2-1-3, 2 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

Waterloo's top defenseman is an impact player that changes the complexion of a game .. fairly strong skater in top flight with sharp cuts and the ability to move well laterally on the point to open up lanes .. has galloping initial strides and still needs to get quicker .. utilized on the power play for his decent puck smarts and great one-timer .. still has brain cramps at times when under pressure .. has above-average size and strength with a brash physical game that can get under the opponents skin.

Tyler Barnes (2009), RW, Waterloo

Cerebrally and positionally, he plays the game how one would like to see a player play, but needs to add significant lower body strength, if not strength all over .. legs appear very thin and skating even seems a little wobbly at time, particularly stops .. does show some speed, a little power and usually plays with good hustle .. has some agility for evading checks and manning the point on the penalty kill .. despite a lean 6-foot-0, 165-pound frame, he does position himself to get the puck and protect the puck, but isn't always successful due to lack of strength .. has a nice set of hands and can undress defensemen despite his lack of breakaway speed .. in many regards, he could continue to play exactly how he currently plays and just add strength for additional speed, power, and quickness, and to help him compete physically .. if a team believes Barnes can add that necessary strength, they may draft him, because he does put himself in the right places and tries to do the right things .. in 2007-08, he scored 23 goals and 27 assists in 50 games for Burnsville High School of the Minnesota High School Hockey League .. committed to University of Wisconsin .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-1-0-1, 2 pim.

Additional Comments by Max Giese

Has good feet and swift acceleration despite his chicken-legged appearance .. needs to get a thicker trunk, as this would add even more power to his stride and improve his balance .. has good hand-eye coordination, although he struggles to generate offense in traffic because of his lack of strength … goes to the net and competes, however he is rail thin and is overmatched at this level of play.

Jordan Samuels-Thomas (2009), LW, Waterloo

Skating has improved a bit since 2007-08, but probably not enough to make him an impact player in the USHL .. skating is still a little awkward, although he does show some speed and power at times .. does have some agility in tight spots with the puck at lower speeds and uses his 6-foot-2, 190-pound frame to protect the puck .. can get a good head of steam once he gets going, but acceleration needs improvement .. has a hard shot, wrister or slapper, and this is one of his primary strengths .. able to make crisp, accurate passes while stationary, but passes become inaccurate while moving .. offensive awareness is questionable, as he makes erratic plays at times .. ranked 133rd overall amongst North American skaters by CSS for the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, but went unselected, and looks like he'll be a long shot for the 2009 Draft, too .. in 2007-08, he scored 13 goals and 10 assists in 58 games for the Waterloo Black Hawks .. committed to Bowling Green State University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0 4 pim.

Joe Howe (2009), G, Waterloo

Ranked 25th amongst North American goaltenders by CSS prior to the 2008 NHL Entry Draft but went unselected (no USHL goalies were taken in the 2008 Draft) .. quick crease movements .. able to go down and up quickly .. also has quick lateral movements, including loading up with one leg and pushing off to move laterally from the butterfly position .. plays his angles well and does a good job to track the puck .. put up good numbers as Waterloo's backup in 2007-08 and should be one of the top goaltenders in the USHL in 2008-09 .. has a chance at selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he played 22 games, 1215 minutes, for the Waterloo Black Hawks and compiled a 13-5-1 record, 2 shutouts, a 2.12 goals-against average, and a .915 save percentage .. committed to Colorado College .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 94:44 min, 0-0-1, 1.27 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage.

Brock Montpetit (2009), RW, Waterloo

Looked very good in his one game at 2008 USHL Fall Classic before going down to injury .. an agile player with good quickness and top speed .. very agile with the puck and is difficult to defend around the net .. has a nice set of hands and can undress defensemen with his combination of speed and stickhandling .. plays with some grit and finishes his checks .. even though he does not play small, the 5-foot-10 180-pounder right-winger will need to put up close to a point per game for strong consideration for selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft .. in 2007-08, he scored 12 goals and 18 assists in 55 games for the Waterloo Black Hawks .. committed to the University of Wisconsin .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 1-0-0-0

Daniel Sova (2009), D, Waterloo

Big defenseman needs to improve skating and speed .. appears heavy-footed and stride is a bit lumbering .. lacks speed and is a bit slow laterally .. passes are generally crisp, but do not always lead teammates enough .. has a hard slapshot from the point .. 6-foot-3, 210-pound defenseman plays with some physicality and aggressiveness and is willing to drop the gloves .. considering his combination of size and the points he put up in Minnesota high school, a little more was expected at the Fall Classic .. has some potential if he becomes quicker and improves his footwork, but may merely end up roughly equivalent to former Waterloo Black Hawk Pasko Skarica .. in 2007-08, he scored 11 goals and 31 assists in 31 games for Hill Murray High School of the Minnesota High School Hockey League .. no college commitment of yet .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-0-0, 11 pim.

Brett Beebe (2009), C, Waterloo

Center generally plays in a checking role, but he is not without some offense .. speedy pivot puts a good effort into the forecheck and finishes his checks .. at the 2008 USHL Fall Classic, he showed some offensive vision as a playmaker connecting on centering passes from the corners and off the half boards .. makes crisp, accurate passes .. has good speed with the puck and can use it to advance the attack .. was primarily a defensive forward in 2007-08, but is actually a good two-way center that warrants top-nine icetime with the Black Hawks .. a real long shot to be drafted in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, but is worth monitoring due to his underrated skill, speed, and his effort .. in 2007-08, he scored 5 goals and 4 assists in 34 games for the Waterloo Black Hawks .. committed to Western Michigan University .. 2008 USHL Fall Classic stats: 3-0-2-2, 6 pim.