WHL: Calgary and Chilliwack

The Calgary Hitmen and Chilliwack Bruins were on opposite ends of the WHL standings this year. However, one thing they did have in common was that they do not have any top-end prospects for the 2009 NHL Entry Draft with Ryan Howse from Chilliwack and Kris Foucault from Calgary being the only likely candidates to go before Round 4. McKeen's correspondent Randy Gorman has notes on Howse and Foucault as well as other Hitmen and Bruins looking to get selected in the later rounds.

Calgary Hitmen

Chase Schaber (2009), C, Calgary

Schaber has surprised scouts with his steady workmanlike game, as he made an impact on the fourth line .. great side to side skater with an extra gear and checks opposition forwards well .. was a plus-7 on the season .. Schaber produced 8 goals and 12 assists in 53 games .. protects the puck well and is tough to knock off the puck .. gives you honest effort every game and plays with passion .. Schaber has offensive upside and is capable of putting up better numbers.

Kris Foucault (2009), LW, Calgary

Foucault has really cranked up his game ever since coming over in a trade deadline deal from the Kootenay Ice .. great skater with very good speed .. the 6-foot-0, 180-pound winger works hard and goes to the net looking for loose pucks regularly .. getting regular icetime, Foucault had 9 goals, 17 points and was a plus-5 in 26 games .. Foucault has a decent wristshot with some zip .. creates open ice for his teammates by utilizing his speed .. needs to improve on his body position when checking opposing forwards, as too often they tend to spin away from him and gain better position for scoring chances.

Erik Bonsor (2009), D, Calgary

This big mobile d-man will be one of the anchors of the Calgary Hitmen in the future. .. the 6-foot-1, 202-pound Bonsor plays a good physical grinding game and is surprisingly quick and strong for a 17-year old .. he appeared in 51 games and for a stay-at-home defenseman he put up ok numbers with 2 goals, 11 points and a plus-13 rating .. Bonsor's stretch passes out of his own zone are generally good, but sometimes he reacts too quickly when it's not necessary, as he has to learn to be more patient .. shows a willingness to block shots and pay the price to make the right play .. has a good shot from the point but must harness better control, something he has time to work on.

Michael Snider (2009), G, Calgary

Snider appeared in just 12 games for the Hitmen but won 10 of them and only losing two. .. he's not a very big (5-9, 165), but he's feisty .. Snider has to work on his rebound control and with being a smaller goalie, he must improve his vision on shots coming through traffic .. his lateral movement is good and he handles shots in close rather well .. competes well, but his size is working against him.

Chilliwack Bruins

Ryan Howse (2009), LW, Chilliwack

Howse was considered Mr. Everything to the Bruins this season leading the team in scoring with 44 points including 31 goals in 61 games .. Howse is an average skater with deceptive speed .. good stickhandler through traffic with good athleticism .. Howse is more of a shooter than a passer and has to be more patient with the puck .. has a good work ethic but must work harder on the defensive part of the game .. he gets frustrated at times and loses focus .. good special teams player, who often quarterbacks the powerplay.

Alexander Wiklund (2009), LW, Chilliwack

At first, Wiklund was having a hard time adjusting to the North American game, but as the season progressed he turned into a real grinder .. capped his first season off with a 25-point performance including 12 goals in a full 72-game schedule, as he became one of the iron-men on the team .. Wiklund is not a typical Euro, as he's not afraid to mix it up and battle with his grit and moxy .. has great hockey smarts and is blessed with good speed .. spots the open man and works diligently on the backcheck, however he had a minus-33 rating, but the Bruins weren't having a great season as a team so that's reflected pretty much on every player.

James Bettauer (2009), D, Chilliwack

Bettauer had an average season, as he has to get meaner and play more physical to be effective .. skating is a concern, as he needs improvement in his crossovers and improve his gap control .. he plays a stay-at-home style of defense, however he must make better decisions with the puck and improve his hockey sense, as far too often he caused many turnovers in his own zone, which either led to goals or good scoring chances .. on a more positive note he has a hard shot which he must use more often and jump into the play a little more .. he's a pretty good passer but must get more involved physically.

Scott Ramsay (2009), D, Chilliwack

Chilliwack's most stable defenseman is a hulking 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds .. plays physical and punishes opposing players with hard bodychecks along the wall .. not blessed as a speedster in the skating department, but he does have a hard right edge stride .. he had 3 goals and 12 points, but amassed a 129 penalty minutes in 61 games .. his outlet passes from his own zone are crisp and on target .. must work on tying up opposing forwards properly without taking stick infraction penalties .. Ramsay competes and hates to lose, he will be one of the leaders on the blueline for the Bruins for the next couple of seasons.

Lucas Gore (2009), G, Chilliwack

Gore split the crease duties with Mark Friessen and recorded a 9-20-1-1 record in 35 games .. squares up to the shooter and properly judges the right angle when coming out to challenge opposing players .. like most young goalies he needs work on handling the puck .. his lateral movement is good and he is very good at making multiple stops, as he has great hand- eye co-ordination .. however, he has trouble with low shots to the glove side ..he communicates well with his defense and often helps in directing the play to move the puck out of his zone .. he battles hard and is a tireless worker.