Kyle Furey (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
Comments from May 2017 Massachusetts Final 40 Evaluations where Kyle earned a National Camp Invite:
NZ Scout #1 – “Furey is still thin and raw. He was one of the most athletic players here and any mistakes he made, were aggressive ones. He forced turnovers and defended with speed and toughness. One might say he ran around a bit but we liked how he played. From a development standpoint, he has a lot of tools you can’t teach. He was a top player here. Grade: A-”
NZ Scout #2 – “Steady puck moving defensemen. Sees the ice well and doesn’t panic with the puck. Makes a good first pass out of his zone. Does a good job at cutting down space and has an active stick. Grade: B“
Comments from Massachusetts Selects All-Star Games in October of 2017:
Long left-shot defender. Has a long stride which allows him to get up-and-down the ice. Transitions well and maintains good gaps through the neutral zone. At times will push the pace from the back-end and isn’t afraid to skate with the puck. Is smart and made several nice reads to create positive plays. Grade: B+
Massachusetts High School Report from January 2018:
Kyle is a tricky skater to keep in front of you because he is so slippery when he moves laterally. He was regularly on the top PP unit for the Lancers and made a habit of walking defenders on every possession. He is very good at stop and start plays when he has the puck. Can break down defenders and create. Fired home a nice shot from the point for the first goal of one game: using a teammate as a screen for the goaltender. In his own zone he covers shot lanes responsibly and has a quick stick to use for poke checks. Lots of upside here for the 2002. He was a consistent.
May 2018 Massachusetts Festival 2002:
Furey seems to have added some size over the course of the year with Malden Catholic. In MIAA play he was very good against older competition, here we thought he was rock solid. He is simply able to use his size to lean on puck carriers – or to deliver some hard hits. His stick is active and his reach is long: he’s also pretty smart in how he uses it. Combining his strength and his reach allows him to shut down lanes and wear down opponents. Showed a strong shot from the point as well and an ability to change angles to make sure his shot gets to the net.
November 2018 Massachusetts Tier 1 Midget Playoffs:
Kyle is a smooth-skating polished defender that moves the puck quickly. He has a balanced stride and gets around the ice quickly. Good mobility and closes down gaps on forwards. He sees the ice well and makes a strong first pass out of his end. He defends well in front of his net and leans on forwards below the goal line. Doesn’t panic under pressure and will draw forwards to him before dishing the puck to an open teammate. He will be expected to contribute on the Lawrence back-end this Winter. Grade: B+
Evaluation from May 2019 at U16 USA Hockey Nationals:
Furey is a tall, rangy, athletic defender who showed a lot of tools here. He is raw and will need to dial it in as he got out of position, his footwork needs polishing particularly his lateral mobility and first step quickness. He has a long frame, long reach and is able to stay with bigger, stronger forwards as well as quicker, shiftier play makers. He showed some touch on his passes, was able to carry through the neutral zone and make the simple pass. He kept pucks in the offensive blue line, he used his reach to knock pucks off sticks and showed some shot blocks in his own end. Raw, but exciting upside as he fills into his frame and grows into his body. Someone to keep an eye on.
May 2019 Massachusetts Festival 2002s:
NZ Scout #1 – “Strong stick, heavy on opposing forwards. Big body with OK boots and a long reach. Was physical in the corners and broke up plays with a smart active stick. Did little things well, shot blocking especially. Grade: B-“
NZ Scout #2 – “Kyle looked stronger since my last viewing. He moved men out from in front and controlled sticks really well. He looks long and lanky, and at times a little awkward, but it was obvious he was trying to do the right things. He’ll be an interesting kid to watch develop.”
Comments from a December 2019 Holiday Tournement:
Tall, thin, athletic defender that is mobile and moves the puck well. He sees the ice well and made some nice reads through the middle of the ice to facilitate the offense. He wheels the net and snaps passes to his wingers. He isn’t afraid to take open ice and join the offensive rush. He likes stretching the ice with passes and has the vision and strength to send pucks across multiple zones. He plays a solid game defensively. He uses good anticipation and an active stick to cut down plays and breakup passes. He plays physical when need in his own zone and is tough along the walls. Tough to play against in front of his net and leans on forwards.
Neutral Zone NHL March 2020:
Kyle has shown incredible athleticism which has translated into improvement on the ice in his overall game. He has quick feet and an explosive first step in all four directions allowing him to be patient on the offensive blueline and have excellent gap control. In the defensive zone Kyle shuts down the cycle quickly, yet shows the awareness to not run around and expose the scoring areas. He consistently leads with his stick and creates turnovers. He does not lead the rush offensively, rather choosing to make the quick first pass and join the rush as a late option. He has hard accurate shot from the point that does not get blocked. He is smart enough to change the shooting angle to avoid shinpads or to shoot off the end boards for an indirect pass. We feel Kyle has the frame to carry 200lbs and the athleticsm to do it well. He is player with professional upside.