“They are big, mean and nasty to play against.”
“They know how to handle themselves and they aren’t shy to drop them when needed.”
“When it comes to the physical aspect of the game, they don’t back down and are a real pain in the ass to play against.”
Phrases like that are about as rare as the players that they describe in today’s game. Obviously, the game has drastically changed and so have the players, but it’s undeniable that players that are big, mean, nasty and willing to mix it up physically are still incredibly valuable and highly sought after.
Every team and dressing room needs it while only certain players can ever bring it. You can’t win without grit and character. Intangibles have always mattered, but it seems like they matter more now than ever before.
Scouts continue to search endlessly for players that possess all of the right intangibles it takes to win, but in many cases physicality or the “willingness” to bring that aspect to the game is lacking in today’s player. With individual skill and speed at the forefront of today’s game, some player deficiencies and tendencies get redistributed during the ranking process to ensure the aforementioned attributes take precedence.
Every scout and organization see things differently and that’s what makes the profession so intriguing, but there’s a sense that players of the “big, mean and nasty” variety are somewhat of a “hidden gem” with where the game is trending.
Long gone are the days of staged fighting in the major junior ranks. Everyone knew that hurt the game and at times was a mockery of it, but some argue that the subsequent rule change in the QMJHL has potentially limited some players when it comes to other variables or intangibles they possess. How are prospects in the QMJHL going to be prepared to make the jump to the pro ranks in that area?
This isn’t all about dropping the gloves, in some cases it goes beyond that, but there’s very few players that bring an unwavering compete level and grit to the lineup on a nightly basis. Those that do definitely jump off the page. A well-rounded, “big, mean and nasty” player can be quite imposing and can drastically impact the outcome of the game at the junior level, but what about beyond that? Does their skill translate to the next level?
Scouts talk about transferable skills all of the time when it comes to projecting a player and their trajectory in the game. Simply put, “big, mean and nasty” players bring an element to the game that many other players don’t possess. In many cases, it all comes down to the player’s constitution. Do they have what it takes inside them to be a difference maker at the next level?
We all know the major junior ranks is all about development, but what about the “big, mean and nasty” players that can’t apply their craft (i.e. fighting) in junior for fear of suspension? How are they going to be ready for the rigours of that task in the professional ranks?
Here’s a few “big, mean and nasty” players that have caught some Neutral Zone scouts attention this season across the Canadian Hockey League.
QMJHL
Will Murphy (LD, Cape Breton Eagles – 6-foot-4, 211 pounds, 2007) 54 GP 2 G 2 A 45 PIM
OHL
Kashawn Aitcheson (LD, Barrie Colts – 6-foot-2, 198 pounds, 2007) 64 GP 26 G 33A 88 PIM
David Bedkowski (RD, Owen Sound Attack – 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, 2006) 35 GP 3 G 4 A 73 PIM
Evan Passmore (RD, Barrie Colts – 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, 2007) 62 GP 3 G 8 A 58 PIM
Rio Kaiser (LD, Peterborough Petes – 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, 2006) 25 GP 1G 5A 42 PIM
WHL
Aiden Foster (LW, Prince George Cougars – 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, 2007) 68 GP 11G 13 A 136 PIM
Dawson Gerwing (LW, Kelowna Rockets – 6-foot-3, 225 pounds, 2007) 58 GP 15 G 13 A 98 PIM
Nate Corbet (LD, Kelowna Rockets – 6-foot-2, 181 pounds, 2006) 72 GP 4 G 14 A 176 PIM
Jaxsin Vaughan (C, Everett Silvertips – 6-foot-1, 201 pounds, 2006) 64 GP 5 G 16A 103 PIM
Roger McQueen (C, Brandon Wheat Kings – 6-foot-5, 193 pounds, 2006) 17 GP 10 G 10A 40 PIM
By Craig Eagles