| Justin Janicke | NTDP U17 | USHL | L | F | 6’0″ | 181 | Notre Dame | 2021 | Osseo, MN | 2003 | 2020-2021: C |
NCAA: NTDP vs Arizona State, February 2021: Janicke started the game flying and kept up the high pace throughout the game. He was a disruptive force as an F1 and was generally a thorn in the side of the ASU defenders all night. We noted multiple times that the puck does not slow him down as he is an explosive skater with high level agility and edge control. Janicke had multiple clean zone entries and was rewarded with a primary assist on a perfectly executed three on two. Defensively he showed patience while defending as a weakside forward and nice anticipation as a strong side winger on a high cycle. We liked his pace and commitment to being a 200′ forward.
NTDP Evaluation Camp Report, March 2019: Janicke isn’t as dynamic as several of the forwards listed above him; however, he’s a strong, balanced skater with deceptive hockey sense and skill. He gets to the net, he fights through contact and was able to get his stick on loose pucks, rebounds and finish around the goal. He has strong and smooth hands and scored a brilliant deke goal with a defender draped all over him. He tried the same play again in the next game but was stuffed; however, the ability to maintain his stride, complete a skilled deke move at top speed while getting hooked and hit is impressive. He likes to attack the zone going wide on defenders and either drives the net if he has numbers or pulls up or gretzky turns to the wall to wait for reinforcements. He reads time and space well and knows when to pick up the pace or when to hold back and let the play develop. Janicke showed hand eye in batting a puck out of mid-air in stride and was able to win board battles by staying with the puck and outworking his opponents. He is very tough to defend against coming off the wall or out of the corners with his powerful stride and soft hands. He made clever passes and he works hard away from the puck to get open and create space for his teammates. Janicke showed the versatility to play up and down the line up as an energy forward with hustle and grit or he has the skill, the skating and the vision to be a top 6, particularly in his ability to get through traffic and make plays under duress. College: Notre Dame
Minnesota High School Holiday Tournaments, February 2019: His game is very similar to that of Nevers from Edina in that he is such an impressive all-around player. He did not have to attack players one-on-one. His game was predicated off moving the puck quickly and getting it back in space. He showed all the tools in terms of skating, passing, and shooting the puck well. For his age, he is having a great year and looks to only improve as he gains strength. With big time hockey sense and the willingness to compete he was as advertised. A strong USNTDP candidate and younger brother of former USNTDP player Trevor Janicke. College: Notre Dame
Battle for the Blue Ox Tournament, November 2017: A quick twitch, creative forward who has great acceleration and a high hockey IQ, Janicke plays on the left wing with Kukkonen at center and Kernan on the opposite wing. They make up the top line in Bantam hockey in the State of Minnesota by a large margin. Janicke is a complete player who can score and thread passes alike. In one game, he lofted a puck high in the air, just missing a streaking Kukkonen down the middle of the ice. Very agile, very mobile and shifty on corners, he can sneak around the offensive zone by dipping and ducking his way through traffic. He’s a fun player to watch. His brother, Trevor, is a ‘00 forward on the USNTDP-18U team and is committed to Notre Dame, where their father played as well.
Western States Bantam Invite, September 2017: Speedy, fast twitch skater who can both get up and down the ice and win short races. Was at his best vs RHA. Immediately after RHA scored to tie the game up in the third, Janicke raised his game to a new level, racing around the ice and eventually finding himself on a 2 on 1. He slowed down, took the ice in the middle after the defender cheated over to weakside forward, and wristed a shot into the lower left corner to give Great Plains the lead back. We like his ability to change speeds and how well he can play down low in the zone. He’s always been good, this weekend he separated himself from the pack at times. 4 games: 2 goals: 3 assists
MN Bantam Elite League, August 2017: Fast twitch skater with good edges, Justin has good quickness and a good skill set. He is still light and lacks strength compared to others in his age group. Made good player in small areas but wasn’t as noticeable off the rush this weekend. He’ll stand out for those quick feet but otherwise we struggled to find an elite quality that had Justin stand out. Not that he doesn’t have one, or isn’t a good player, he just didn’t pop out this weekend like we’ve see in the past. Justin’s brother Trevor plays for the USNTDP and will be on the 18U team this year. His dad played at Notre Dame University and Trevor is committed to the Irish as well.
Minnesota Bantam AA State Tournament, March 2017: Another smaller forward who the puck seems to follow around and/or was always in the perfect place to receive a pass. He’s got a good stick and made the centering pass on the huge quarter final game winner in the 4th OT. Like lots of others his age, Janicke lacks strength and size but his bloodlines run deep. His Dad played a Notre Dame and his brother, Trevor, plays at the USNTDP-U17 and is a Notre Dame commit as well.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images