General Game Notes: In this well spirited game, which matched up two central division teams, started well for the visiting team from Barrie, who jumped into a 2-0 lead, in the first five minutes. Both goals were scored by Barrie while they were playing on the PP. The home team replied with a PP goal of their own and the first period ended with the score 2-1 in favor of Barrie. The game was close on the scoreboard but the home team had the territorial and puck possession advantage. Mississauga scored twice in the second period, one while playing even strength and the other goal was scored on the PP. Shot count heading into the final period favored the home team 30-16, and they were ahead on the scoreboard 3-2. Back and forth play in the third period, had the two teams tied on the scoreboard, 4-4, with only a few minutes to play. Barrie playing back on their heels and appearing to be playing for the tie, took a penalty with about three minutes left to play. Mississauga scored the winner on the PP and that sealed the win for the home team. 5-4.
Riley Patterson (C, R, 6’0″, 192, Barrie Colts, 03/22/2006) 2023-24 NHL Grade: C
Game Grade: B
Comments: Riley can score goals and knows how to get to the net. His physical development is a bit of a work in progress as he was getting knocked around a few times. He is just a rookie in this league and has always been putting up good offensive numbers where he’s been playing. He will be getting interest from the NHL scouts and he could help himself by finding a way to get more speed, or jump to his skating step. His top end speed is good but isn’t getting off the mark yet at the level he has to be at. Defensive side with his coach Marty Williamson is also very much improve
Tai York (LW, L, 6’0″, 180, Barrie Colts, 06/18/2004) 2023-24 NHL Grade: Free Agent
Game Grade: B
Comments: Tai is a very intelligent offensive player that has a knack for finishing off plays in the opposing teams end. He always seems to be able to separate himself from his check and have a plan for what he’s going to do when he gets the puck. His skating speed is good and will have to improve in order to make an impression on the NHL scouts. He is a very good all round player that will help you win in this league due to his good offensive skillset and he has been working hard to play in his own end.
Cole Beaudoin (C, L, 6’2″, 209, Barrie Colts, 04/24/2006) 2023-24 NHL Grade: B
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Cole is a very strong player who can get around the ice due mainly to his hockey IQ. He possesses a very strong, heavy and accurate shot. He scored the goal at the beginning of the 3rd period and this tied the game at 3. He is not the prettiest skating player but he gets around and he’s bound to get to the net. One of the most dangerous players in this game and if he can find some more speed will be a player of interest going into the NHL draft this year.
Beau Jelsma (LW, L, 5’9″, 174, Barrie Colts, 04/28/2004) 2023-24 NHL Grade: Free Agent
Game Grade: B
Comments: Beau is a top player for his team and his ability to find the open ice in this league is one of the most important things that he has to offer to his team and is his ticket to the next level of competition. The only question that Beau will need to ask himself is, what do I have to do to get the attention of the NHL scouts, as he is in a category of players that are small in stature, yet very skilled and smart enough to play professionally. He doesn’t have to look too far back to get the answer. Tye Kartye. I think Beau is a better all round skater when comparing the two guys, and Tye is more of a competitor. Tonight Beau was looking for help from the officials but, not surprisingly, he didn’t get it. So I guess it’s going to up to Beau. By the way Beau scored a goal and added an assist.
Kashawn Aitcheson (D, L, 6’1″, 186, North York Rangers U16, 09/21/2006) 2024-25 NHL Grade: B
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Kashawn is a confident defender that has been showing improvement in his defensive game since the last time I saw him play during the Ohl Cup in his draft year. For a young player who has a LBD, he was playing like a leader and is probably his teams best all around defender. He also has been showing off the offensive side to his play and the other interesting aspect is that he stood up for his teammates, while he was playing in enemy territory. He is a very strong player who can use his dukes to get the message out to the opposing teams players. I think that he took the decision in the spirited bout. He is a player who will garner a good amount of interest, going forward in the next year’s NHL draft.
Shamar Moses (RW, R, 6’1″, 212, Barrie Colts, 05/06/2007) 2024-25 NHL Grade: B+
Game Grade B-
Comments: Skating is improving as Shamar is coming to a complete stop or just not turning his back to the play and going for the big turn,or skate. He thinks that he has more time than he actually has and is getting caught, usually from behind by the opposing teams backcheck or is also trying to do too much. Learning to let the puck do the work, and quick puck moving for a big powerful player like Shamar will be more advantageous to his team and himself, as he will be a very difficult player to cover, once he starts going hard to the net.
Carter Lowe (LW, L, 6’3″, 203, Barrie Colts, 03/01/2006) 2023-24 NHL Grade: C
Game Grade: B
Comments: Carter, who, for a big player, was involved in the play on both sides of the puck and because he has a good head, or hockey IQ, is always going to be around the puck due to his understanding of what is going on in the play and where he’s supposed to be. When Carter can improve his ability to start winning more of the short races to the puck, he will then be able to play the game with effectiveness, rather than just play a puck pursuit style of game.
Ryerson Leenders (G, L, 6’1″, 179, Mississauga Steelheads, 06/01/2006) 2023-24 NHL Grade: B
Game Grade: B
Comments: Dean has found his scoring touch again, since he was picked up by the Steelheads 15 games ago from the Saginaw Spirit. Tonight he scored twice while playing on the PP. He has been able to find the right lane, in order to be more effective and consistently is getting shots through to the net when he’s playing with Misa as his setup guy. If Dean was to learn to be more balanced when he gets into puck pursuit battles, his puck protection techniques would improve tremendously. As it is presently, he is easily getting knocked off his feet. He definitely has a goal scorers touch but he will have difficulty scoring from the seat of his pants.
Jakub Fibigr (D, L, 6’0″, 171, Mississauga Steelheads, 07/22/2006) 2023-24 NHL Grade: C+
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Jakub is highly skilled player that includes his exceptional skating abilities as his premier attraction. His exceptional performance was only effective, in this game, until Jakub was playing in giving mood. He gave a big hit, when he stepped up, in the neutral zone and caught a Barrie player, that had his head down, looking for the puck which was passed to him. It was a legal challenge and a good, solid shoulder to chest, textbook check. The issue is that, when a rookie player is going to take the liberty of hitting a skilled player, that has been playing in this league for a couple of years now, he (Jakub) is going to have to answer the bell. He turned away and acted like it was all over. Jakub was sadly mistaken, for he was now looking over his shoulder and for the next couple of shifts he was playing in a different way, kind of like he was afraid of what was inevitably going to happen. To no surprise to me, Jakub was given a very good, solid, within the rules, body check and he was very slow to get up. As a matter of fact, Jakub was not seen on the ice again for quite a few shifts. Jakub was not giving any longer in the same kind of way as he was earlier in the game but was more selective about his assertive approach and who he would be playing hard against physically. Live and learn. The law of the jungle. I don’t doubt that Jakub will eventually become a very good player in this league and he has the ability to play more of a variety of styles, whether it be the offensive skill-side, defensive assertive or a combination of the two, but he had better take it easy until he gets a little more seasoned.
Parker VonRichter (D, R, 6’1″, 175, Mississauga Steelheads, 05/17/2006) 2023-24 NHL Grade: C
Game Grade: B
Comments: Parker gets an upgrade of his rating by putting up some points on the board for his team and his goal was the winner. His solid defender role remains the most effective part of his game and is an extremely important role playing for his team. I think that he’s starting to gain some trust from his coaches in the fact that he’s on the ice, playing late in a game where it could have gone either way. Jumping on a slick pass from his defensive partner and getting his good well placed shot through the block and the screen in front of the opposing teams goalkeeper was justice served for Parker as he was playing up to his potential for this entire game. He is still growing and learning how to get more speed out of his legs, especially when he is carrying the puck through the neutral zone. When he gets to where he can jump into the offensive side rush and continue to play his very strong defense, he will be getting much more attention from his critics and then get the respect he is deserved of.
Finn Harding (D, R, 6’1″, 198, Mississauga Steelheads, 03/02/2005) 2023-24 NHL Grade: C
Game Grade: B
Comments: Finn was playing against the best six forwards the opposing team had and was able to do a better than average job, which was the result mainly because he’s unable to get the positioning that is going to be successful in this league. The top players for the first six forwards of his opponents tonight are either stronger at the assertive physical style, or were faster skating players. For the most part Finn was doing an adequate job,while playing even strength situations, and he had a few times in his defending against the opposing teams best players, who were attempting to score while playing on their PP. His positioning and footwork are the things that Finn should be able to correct, with the help of his coaches. Offensively Finn is able to make good decisions, while he is moving the puck with his good crisp passing to his teammates and when he was playing on the PP he is also very capable of setting up plays. His foot speed is a work in progress as he appears sluggish at times. All in all he had a good night and picked up a pair of assists while playing on the PP.
Dean Loukus (LW, R, 5’9″, 179, Mississauga Steelheads, 02/12/2003) 2023-24 NHL Grade: Free Agent
Game Grade: B
Loukus is a thickly built compact 2003 who played each shift with maximum effort. He was a key member of both of the special teams units. He finished the night with two goals and honestly could have had two or three more.
Jack VanVolsen (C, L, 6’1″, 188, Mississauga Steelheads, 01/12/2006) 2023-24 NHL Grade: C
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Jack was the third wheel of the most effective line for the Steelhead forward combinations tonight. He is being given the opportunity to play with the one-two punch of Angus MacDonell and Lucas Karmiris. He was not clicking with his linemates for reasons that I have yet to see. If I were Jack I would just drive to the net, with my stick on the ice, and be looking for the puck either from his linemates or from a rebound. Jack will score if he uses his big frame to get separation from his opponents defenders and he keeps his stick free to knock anything lying around in towards the net. Just needs to keep it simple.
Angus Macdonell (C, L, 5’10”, 181, Mississauga Steelheads, 05/01/2005) 2022-23 NHL Grade: C
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Angus is an instigator that gets under your skin, like a rash and he keeps bugging you, and bugging you until you have had enough of him that you need to do something about him. Tonight though he was able to get into the heads and occasionally he was also involved physically with his designated, probably well thought out, specific players to target, and he went to work. Most of his teammates are able then to get into their own groove and just keep loving the thing that Angus does. Oh,by the way, the people who don’t think that Angus is a legitimate person of interest or doesn’t have what it takes to get to the next level of play, are not familiar with a player named Brad Marchand or others who play this style, and are very successful at their craft. Angus was drafted by Dallas and will be back at their camp, if he can remain healthy and continues his rambunctious, nasty style of play. Angus scored a shorthanded goal, which was a thing of beauty and the play of the game, in my opinion. He and Karmiris were on the PK when Angus intercepted a cross ice D to D pass, while defending in their own end. Angus quickly chipped the puck, up the near boards, to a breaking Karmiris, creating a two on one situation, going the other way. Angus then created some separation from his opponents other D man who was trying to get back into the play. Once Angus was in front of his check, he drove to the net and then took a beautiful pass from Karmiris to tap in the goal. This was an NHL caliber goal. I think that I could have a couple of pages of copy, just on the list of the little things that Angus did tonight but I am going to summarize this player as a player who you love to have on your team, but you hate to have to play against.
Lucas Karmiris (C, R, 5’11”, 181, Mississauga Steelheads, 09/27/2006) 2024-25 NHL Grade: B+
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Although Lucas is not eligible for this year’s NHL’s draft, due to his LBD he was very effective in all three areas of play and his two way game is very much improved since I saw him play before the priority draft a couple years ago. I still think that Lucas is growing and has already seen a couple of inches in height since he last was measured. Nevertheless, the fact that he’s now playing with a different perspective, which is that when he’s got puck possession, he will have more chances to score. It’s that simple. Now he wants to play with that thought in his mind and he wants to get the puck back when his team doesn’t have it. He was very effective on the PK, when he was given the opportunity to play on it and he set up the best goal in the game with a beautiful pass to Angus MacDonell. Lucas has a very good shot that he gets away quickly, and with some patience will be a top scorer once he gets his timing down. He is just getting to know the opposing teams goalkeepers and he is also getting into better positions in order to maximize his chances to score. I think that he’s on the cusp of becoming a top scorer in this league. His skating speed has shown that he’s going to be one of the best breakaway type players in the near future.
Luke Misa (C, R, 5’10”, 170, Mississauga Steelheads, 02/28/2005) 2023-24 NHL Grade: B
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Luke is a setup player first and foremost and he isn’t far behind as a goal scorer. His skating speed is in the second from the top tier of players in this league and provides the separation from most of his opponents. The problem that Luke has to be careful with, for his own wellbeing, is that he is not as elusive as he is going to have to be in order to make the jump into the next level of competition. He also has a very noticeable kind of delay to his play once he gets hit by his opponents. If he can continue to play, in his very effective, offensive minded style, and start to get out of the way of the opposing teams players, that are trying to eliminate him or separate him from the puck, he will be a player of interest going into the NHL’S upcoming draft. If he can keep working hard on finding the power to get to the next stage or level of speed then possibly we may be comparing Luke with the likes of Marner.
Porter Martone (RW, R, 6’3″, 196, Mississauga Steelheads, 10/26/2006) 2024-25 NHL Grade: A
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Porter is a power forward, plays on the edge of what’s allowable and tonight he was playing within the rules of play. His energy is also very much a very strong part of his game. This bigger player seems to not be willing to back off, when he is set to engage in a battle for the puck, and he was pretty successful with his puck pursuit game. He can continue to keep working on how to use his body to maintain control of the puck and work on his puck handling skills, Porter could be one of the most sought after players in next year’s NHL draft. He was all around the opposing teams net and was just a little bit off with his stick touch. One of the most impressive performances I’ve seen him play. Now to get the finish should be one of his priorities along with his skating edges and stride extension.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Scout: Mike Crawford