| David Gucciardi | Muskegon Lumberjacks | USHL | L | D | 5’11” | 165 | Michigan State | 2021 | Toronto, ON | 2002 | 2020-2021: C |
USHL: Waterloo vs Dubuque, January 29, 2021: Gucciardi is another aggressive defender for the Black Hawks who likes to get involved on the offensive side of the puck as well. He uses his feet to break the puck out and carry it up ice, often trying to navigate the neutral zone by himself. The Michigan State commit drew a penalty early in the game as he broke away from oncoming forechecks and heeled the net. He added an assist in this game on Waterloo’s first goal after making a crisp pass to start the play. On occasion, Gucciardi can be a little overaggressive in his game, whether that’s with the puck on his stick or without. He has a tendency to try and do too much with the puck while skating through the neutral zone, which pays off when it works but also can turn into an odd man rush against if he turns it over. Overall, Gucciardi’s best asset is his skating and he uses it for the entire sixty minutes, on both ends of the ice. Grade: B+
USHL: Waterloo vs Lincoln, December 30, 2020: Gucciardi is a mobile defenseman for the Black Hawks that was effective in breaking his team out in this game and did a great job of using his skating to his advantage. On the breakout Gucciardi used escape moves to evade forecheckers and create space to make a play. He liked to use the net to wheel with his feet moving and head up, where he would usually distribute to his teammates and then look to jump in the rush. On one particular play Waterloo was pinned in their own end for an extended period of time, Gucciardi won a board battle, escaped from an attacker and used his feet to gain the back of the net, sending a crisp pass up the boards to get his team out of their own end. When carrying the puck up the ice Gucciardi does an excellent job of keeping his eyes up, using small fakes, and hitting his teammates with hard passes in stride. Defensively, Gucciardi also uses his feet to his advantage, angling opponents into tight spaces where their options with the puck are limited. Overall, Gucciardi is a mobile defender that uses his skating well on both sides of the puck. Grade: B+
USHL: Dubuque vs Muskegon, November 2020 (Ian Moran): David was a smooth offensive catalyst versus the Fighting Saints. He moved the puck quickly in transition and was quick to activate as the late attacker. David’s excellent feet and low base allowed him to maintain tight gaps and force poor decisions that resulted in both icings and turnovers in the defensive grey area. He walked the blueline with confidence while creating shooting lanes and looking for his forward’s sticks. It was an unremarkable game for David, but as a defenseman that can be a positive. David finished with a zero offensive stat line, zero shots and a plus/minus of -2 in Youngstown’s 5-3 win.
OJHL: North York Rangers at Toronto Patriots, December 2018: David is a smart player with the puck showing no panic in his game. He consistently shows a willingness to take a hit in order to make a play. This at times can get himself into trouble by waiting too long with the puck before making a play, but for the most part, David is able to make the right play with the puck. He is aggressive as well with it on his stick and will jump up into the offensive end. Defensively, his gap control is strong and he uses his quickness and skating to apply pressure to the opposition. He is a smooth skater with above average straight-line speed and a quick first few steps. College: Michigan St. Grade: B-
2018 Eastern Canada Cup, December 2018: David showed off his skating ability and puck skills by getting up in the play and attacking. His mobility allowed him to support the rush and get back on defense when the play transitioned. He can handle the puck well at full speed and move it up ice. His age showed at times as he got caught running around a bit and game up scoring chances. As he gets older he should learn to pick his spots better and value possession a bit more. A talented player with power play type of skill. COLLEGE: MICHIGAN ST.
OJHL: Kingston Voyageurs vs. Toronto Patriots, November 2018: David showed excellent poise throughout this game playing without panic and a high level of confidence. He possesses strong control of the puck and skates it with his head up. He is able to think on the fly and can react quickly to the fore check, making a strong first pass as well as being able to skate the puck out of the zone himself. He is a smooth skater with a long stride and above average straight-line speed. He has a quick first few steps as well along with strong agility allowing him to stay with the opposition’s speedier forwards in 1-on-1 play. He made life difficult for the opposing forwards trying to access the offensive end with strong gap control and an active stick. David’s all around skill-set of smarts, puck skills, and skating will continue to make him a difficult opponent for the opposition. College: Michigan St. Grade: B+
Marlies Holiday Classic, February 2018: David continues to show well and seems to be one of our most underrated D-men. Neutral Zone continues to be a fan. We like him more and more each time we see him. He has been the leader defensively in Don Mills runs to the playoffs in all 4 major tournaments so far this year. His mobility and first pass were excellent in the Marlie tournament and defensively he used his speed to close on opponents in all 3 zones. He gets involved all over the ice and his great skating/mobility makes up for whatever mistakes are made by him or others. If David can let the game come to him and play with some more patience and poise (sometimes he forces things and tries to do too much) we will continue to develop his overall abilities.
Wendy Dufton, October 2017: David was among the most mobile defensemen in the tournament. He continued with his impressive play since we watched him in the Titan’s Early Bird tournament. Gucciardi is not overly big but plays strong on his skates and can make a good first pass. He has the ability to skate it out and/or lead the rush to the offensive zone. Defensively, David used the body well and has the speed and mobility to close quickly on offensive players.