| Brett Chorske | St. Cloud Norsemen | NAHL | R | F | 6’6″ | 190 | Colorado | 2021 | Edina, MN | 2001 | 2020-2022: College Free Agent |
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, March 2021: Brett will always be an interesting player for me. He’s a true late bloomer who not only looks bigger every time I see him, he looks more and more like a real professional prospect. Yes, obviously there are things he needs to work on, but his approach and mentality are starting to fit his size. He’s using his reach to extend puck possessions in the offensive zone and his puck poise looks dramatically improved. I’m not seeing the hopeful toe drag or the magical dangle between defender’s triangle. He’s protecting the puck with his head up and leaning into the defenders to make them feel uncomfortable. His first touch looks improved which allows him to move the puck more quickly and jump into open space. He looks more fluid and confident in give and go situations and I just like the progression to his overall game.
NAHL: Austin; St. Cloud; Minot; Bismarck; Aberdeen, March 25, 2021: Smooth skating goal scorer. Great bursts of speed that can easily separate him from opponents. Quick hands and decision making around the net. Able to get the puck high on the goalie in tight. Works hard in both zones on the ice. Grade: A-
2001 National Rankings, June 2020: Brett was ranked #104 in Neutral Zone’s 2001 birth year rankings.
USHL Draft Recap, May 2020: Brett was drafted #179 by the Fargo Force in Phase 2 of 2020 USHL draft.
February NHL Draft Rankings: Brett was ranked #237 in Neutral Zone’s February 2020 NHL Draft rankings.
Brett Chorske Scouting Report, January 2020: Brett is a big kid who improves every time we see him. To be more specific, Brett is a 6’6 190 pound 18 year old who is only going to get bigger and stronger who improves every time we see him. He has very soft hands and a good first touch. He handles passes to his backhand smoothly and does not need extra time to settle the puck down. By using his long reach Brett does an excellent job of getting defenders to lean and get off balance to expose passing lanes or shooting lanes. Brett is comfortable playing with the puck on his stick and using his extended reach to quickly pull the puck from one side of his body to the other to make passing plays that create two on one situations. He can settle poor passes down very easily, has a quick release and has the ability to put the puck where he wants it. In the defensive zone, he is a reliable low forward who does not cheat on 50/50 pucks. Brett maintains net side positioning during wall battles and is beginning to understand that pushing the opposing forwards into the scrum will allow him to use his reach to his advantage for quick transition and breakouts. This is a subtle skill that National League centers regularly use to generate incredible amounts of time and space. To us, it shows that Brett is accepting Wenatchee’s coaching and wants to improve. He is very good at reading the offensive zone cycle and will only become a more dominate physical force when he decides to attack the net. When his line mates are trapped below the goal line Brett is consistently patient in the high slot and displays good reads as an F3. We’ve said many times that big kids take longer and we are seeing that with Brett’s skating. His stride is getting longer and is gaining pace. His hips are getting lower. His improved body positioning is translating into more power and improved lateral quickness. We feel Brett is only going gain straight ahead speed as he trains and develops, but the real noticeable difference will continue to be in his first step. Brett is obviously very long and we feel he is just starting to feel comfortable with his size advantage. He’s a big human now who consistently wins battles and he will win more as he gets stronger and understands how to use his leverage to his advantage. He shows quick strong hands on face-offs while also showing the coordination to tie up the opposing center’s stick and use his feet. He boxes opposing forwards out and is showing a much quicker first step in transition. He back-checks with a purpose while having a very active stick. These are all small things that matter to NHL coaches because they lead to wins. These are also skills that will continue to improve as Brett gets stronger. So can you imagine Brett going to college, training hard for four years, turning pro at 6’6 220 pounds and still having the same high level of hockey sense? We certainly can and think there is a pretty good chance that an NHL team will too.
Minnesota High School Holiday Tournaments, February 2019: Chorske is a prototypical late bloomer and has risen on the scene this season with a breakout year. He is very tall and displays long reach with the puck. His game with and without the puck was very sound along with his positioning. He was able to make simple and smart plays with the puck consistently. A soft touch on the puck and his offensive instincts left everyone curious as to his top potential. He is the son of former NHL player Tom Chorske. Grade: B