General Game Notes: It was a high scoring game with a couple impressive individual performances. The Spruce Kings were able to take home the victory due to an incredible start that at the Express were not able to climb back from, but they for sure made it interesting down to the last minutes of the game.
| Ben Feenan | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | L | D | 6’1″ | 179 | Tri-City Americans | 2019 | Surrey, BC | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Feenan played a stay at home style with a little more puck movement in his game than you might expect. When you think his game is only physical in his own end, looking to move pucks up to his forwards, all of a sudden he has a bomb shot on net that creates a rebound and chances. Tonight, he stayed silent at times clearing pucks and bodies out of his own end, then would show up with a one timers that were quality chances in the offensive zone.
| Joseph Odyniec | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | R | RW | 6’2″ | 202 | Connecticut | 2024 | Washington, DC | 2004 | 2023-2024: C |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: What stood out about Odyniec game tonight was that he puts pucks where his line mates can best utilize the time and space. He is a solid stickhandler who thrives in possession and can make defenders look out of place. Couple times tonight he went for a dangle that he pulled off and looked like he does it twice a game. He is dangerous when given time, especially on the power play as he takes full control of the play from the half wall with the puck, using his impressive vision to make plays. He attacked seams and if the other flanker could pull off a hard pass one timer he might have had a couple assists.
| Luke Vardy | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | R | D | 6’1″ | 194 | Hammond Plains, NS | 2003 | 2020-2021: C |
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Vardy had a great combination of size and feet that allow him to be effective in many ways with and without the puck. He can skate the puck out of the zone and showed tonight regrouping loose pucks in the neutral zone, he has the ability to hold on to the puck and wait for teammates to set up. This looked so effective when the other team was tired and he was able to lets his teammates to fill lanes and would snap them a pass to right back on offense. While in the offensive zone, Vardy will dart in behind the coverage or into the slot confusing the defensive zone coverage and making himself hard to defend.
| Andrew Garzone | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | R | C | 6’1″ | 190 | Princeton | 2024 | Dover, MA | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Garzone is a bigger center who reads plays and coverages well. He sits low in his own end being a good spot on the break out and transitions back the other way. One thing that stood out about Garzone right away was his shot. He is able to get it off quickly and accurately. Couple times he found dead space behind defenseman and would show his catch and release with no stickhandle that missed by inches. Scored a couple goals tonight that started back in the neutral zone. On entries he gets lost, he sneaks up behind defenseman and acts like a second wave in the zone.
| Sam Frandina | Coquitlam Express | BCHL | R | D | 5’8″ | 166 | St. Lawrence | 2024 | Hanover, NH | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B
Comments: Frandina is mobile enough that he uses his skating to defend. He avoids contact and physical play in open ice but can defend well with his speed and ability to close. It gets tougher for him when bigger players recognize what he is trying to do and want to use size against him. Offensively, he likes to skate with the puck but his offense usually comes from moving the puck, letting his forwards do the work, and Frandina will jump up into the play. His first puck touch usually comes with a pass that he can connect consistently.
| Marcus Ouellet | Prince George Spruce Kings | BCHL | L | G | 6’0″ | 206 | AIC | 2024 | Toronto, ON | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B
Comments: He did have four goals against tonight but Ouellet was peppered with shots. Has a great use of motion side to side. He seems smooth in his lateral movement where he can get across his crease and still be in position to catch one in his chest. He reacts quickly to pucks that find ways to drop into his crease which happened a couple more times than he probably wanted to but showed the reaction time to recover. He plays the puck well when it comes to him but needs to get out of his net more and stop the rim, help his team transition the other way.
| Kai Greaves | Prince George Spruce Kings | BCHL | R | D | 6’2″ | 185 | Princeton | 2024 | Cambridge, ON | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Greaves is an offensive defenseman who can lug the puck the length of the ice and breakdown forechecks with his passing or skating ability. Multiple times tonight when going back for a puck, he would bait in the forechecker getting him close, and with a stutter step, he would go one way and the other player go the other. He used this impressive footwork along the blue line where he was able to get lateral and change directions on a blocker opening a shot lane. He also has great size to help him defend in his own end. He looks at his best when he plays the same intensity in his own end that he does in the offensive zone.
| Linden Makow | Prince George Spruce Kings | BCHL | R | RW | 5’10” | 170 | Vanderhoof, BC | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: A
Comments: A smooth-skating, playmaking forward who showed tonight that he has a good skating agility and top speed, but is more quick than fast. Couple times he would stop on a dime forcing defenseman to back their gaps and reattack with the same speed. He is able to make quick turns and displays good lateral movement with his head up and scanning the ice. Found teammates in seams or back doors multiple times. Though he is not big or strong, but he still shows willingness to take hits and battle for space by going into board battles and uses his body to fight for pucks. Has that grit for his size.
| Owen Goodbrand | Prince George Spruce Kings | BCHL | R | C | 6’2″ | 181 | Watertown, ON | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: A-
Comments: The big man had himself a night with three assists showing that he sees the ice well and can make plays under pressure. He did a good job tonight at inviting players to confront him only to make passes around and sometimes through them. He is not afraid to make some risky plays that worked out well, and can tell when he is feeling himself, he makes things happen. He uses his big frame to also invite those same players in and initiates contact on them. He wins puck battles doing this, being the first to make contact, which catches the other player off guard.
| Killian McGregor-Bennett | Prince George Spruce Kings | BCHL | L | LW | 5’9″ | 181 | Surrey, BC | 2003 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: A-
Comments: McGregor-Bennet showed tonight that he has the speed to create gaps on the defenseman that he challenges. Couple times tonight, on rushes, he would start at a slower pace, change speed and force defenders back into the zone giving him space to either cut to the middle to delay or wait for the second wave. Tonight he was able to show that all the tools were there but capitalizing was not. Beating guys with his skating was not the issue, rather the play after. He makes himself hard to play against being able to track guys with his skates.
| Lucas Veilleux | Prince George Spruce Kings | BCHL | R | C | 6’0″ | 180 | Colgate | 2025 | Gloucester, ON | 2005 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Shifty player in the offensive zone, when both his hands and feet are working at the same speed, he makes himself hard to make contact on and hard to play against. He did a good job tonight at slashing through the neutral zone forcing defenders to turn and cover the width of the ice. He recognizes when his defenders have full control and looks to attack open ice to be available for them. At times, get bumped off the puck causing unforced turnovers, if he can find away to manage the puck under contact, even given his size, his game will be more complete.
| Kazumo Sasaki | Prince George Spruce Kings | BCHL | L | LW | 5’10” | 150 | Lake Superior | 2025 | Tokyo, JPN | 2005 | Not yet rated |
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Sasaki is a smaller forward who is not afraid to dart through the neutral zone with and without the puck. He does a great job at getting available for his teammates to find him. Couple times tonight, he recognized a turnover in his own end and with 100% full control, he shot out of a cannon looking to get a stretch pass wide open. He does the same with the puck, attacks space and makes it hard for defenseman to not pivot forward and chase him. He takes pucks to the net getting his shoulder low looking to out position bigger defenseman for space.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images