Game played on 11/29/2024.
General Game Notes: This is a report on the 20 year old players for the London Knights. All three are impactful and important players for London and contributed to this 5-4 win.
Austin Elliott (G, L, 6’0″, 173, London Knights, 05/14/2004)
Grade: B+
Comments: Austin Elliott is a good sized goalie with good mobility. He ended up in London this year as a 20 after spending the last two seasons in Saskatoon where he collected accolades. He is very poised in the net while playing calm and collected. Austin’s movement on his feet is very strong. He moves well laterally and does a good job at covering the lower portion of the net. He has a high compete level on pucks in close and uses his strong lateral movement to take away scoring chances in tight. Austin sometimes relies on covering the bottom of the net too much which can, at times, make his susceptible to getting beat up high. Overall, Austin gives his team a lot of stability in the net and makes a lot of the saves he should make.
Jacob Julien (C, L, 6’4″, 190, London Knights, 09/12/2004)
Grade: B
Comments: The NHL drafted prospect had a solid outing in tonight’s game, where he uses his long reach and checking game to shut down opposing players in all three zones. He pursues pucks with intent, looking to always force turnovers and create disruption that can lead to offense. This was seen in the middle of the game as he used his awareness to cut off a lane and intercept a cross seam pass, then turning up ice for transition. His reach is his best asset, as he is constantly maneuvering his stick into lanes and guiding players into non-danger areas. He is still a very raw player and doesn’t possess the high end skill of some players but can still create offensively with his puckhandling in tight and ability to hold off defenders. He has 16 points in 29 games. He projects as a checking forward who can play up and down the lineup, bringing size and physicality to a lineup.
Landon Sim (C, L, 5’10”, 190, London Knights, 07/17/2004)
Grade: B+
Comments: Landon is an old school feisty forward, who lives off getting under other players skin. With a fight and an assist, he was all over the scoresheet tonight. Offensively he skates through the neutral zone with speed, often navigating with his head up waiting to make the next play. His puckhandling is above average as he can move the puck laterally well to open up passing and shooting lanes. This was seen on his assist as he burst through the middle and found his linemate on a 2-0 backdoor. His energy and physicality make him a player who’s versatile and able to play in all situations including special teams. In his defensive zone he uses an active stick to break up passing lanes and apply pressure quickly. He often accelerates to finish checks and make opponents feel uncomfortable with the puck. Just under a point per game, the NHL drafted prospect can do it all with offense, toughness and reliability in his defensive zone. He projects as a versatile forward who plays with an edge every game.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images