On February 17th Neutral Zone watched the Steelheads host the Erie Otters. The Otters won 4-0, but Mississauga had some NHL prospects who made an impression.
Aidan Prueter (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
In a 4-0 loss I feel that Aidan stood out as a real positive. His effort was something that in other games would have been something to build on. He was outstanding in wall battles and beating his man to the net or back up the ice in backchecking situations. I loved his mentality while killing penalties and it was obvious that the Steelhead coaching staff felt the same way. Aidan sacrificed his body to block shots or maintain shooting lanes and when he had a chance to clear the puck he made sure to get a 200′ clear. Offensively, he did not expose the puck while cycling instead using his body as a shield to protect the puck and generate quick 2 on 1s. I feel that Aidan was a real positive in a tough shutout loss. Game Grade: B+
James Hardie (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B+) Forward
James was very effective at finding the soft areas in the high slot. In tonight’s contest he was floating out into the uncover-able area near the blue line and then darting into the high slot looking for a one-timer near the tops of the circle. He was good along the walls and made handling poor passes look easy, but what really impressed me was his toughness and commitment to his teammates. While sitting on the bench James took a puck to the face. In a game like this it would have been easy for him to call it a night, but after getting some repair work done he stayed in the game and battled. I love seeing that type of toughness and competitiveness. Game Grade: B-
Ty Collins (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
I like how Ty battled and competed. Over the course of a long season there are nights when your the bounces aren’t going to go the team’s way. You have two options. 1) Battle your ass off or (2) Battle your ass off and get your teammates to play the same way. Ty took option #2. He was force on the forecheck and made sure that Erie’s defensemen knew they were going to have to take a hit to make a play. He dug for rebounds and looked to draw penalties by digging a little too long. He tried to attack the offensive blueline with speed and did a good job when gaining the zone to generate opportunities. I liked his battle and I liked his compete. Game Grade: B
Ole Bjorgvik Holm (4 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B-) Defense
Ole played better as the game went on and by the third period he was playing a very effective two way game. He retrieved pucks with pace while shoulder checking and was a catalyst for clean breakouts and zone exits. There were instances early in the game where I felt he was too passive while defending line rushes or while trying to clear shooting lanes, but as the game became more physical and chippy Ole started to shine. He used his smooth stride to close on opponents and eliminate them all over the ice and when he made body contact it was obvious that he is 6’3″ and 200 pounds. He had a few hard shots from the point and he looked like a young defender who has the chance to blossom in a few years. Game Grade: B-
Ethan Del Mastro (4.5 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — B-) Defense
Ethan played a simple direct game that certainly made him look much more like a mature veteran rather than an OHL rookie. His physicality and composure are going to translate into something special as he gains confidence and experience leaving little doubt that NHL scouts will be watching him closely in 2020-21. Game Grade: B-