Played on March 16, 2024
Ty Henry (D, R, 6’2″, 197, Erie Otters, 07/19/2006)
Game Grade: B-
Strengths:
- NHL Caliber Frame: Henry possesses the size and physical stature NHL organizations look for.
- Strong Defender: Difficult to play against, uses his size and strength to win 50/50 puck battles. Won 63% of his 50/50 puck battles versus Saginaw. Stands up for teammates and prioritizes defensive responsibility.
- Hockey IQ: Understands his limitations offensively and uses the boards an out whenever possible.
- Strong Backward Skating: Above average backwards acceleration allows him to defend line rushes effectively meeting opponents near the defensive blueline.
Areas for Improvement:
- Skating: While his backward skating is strong and confident, his forward acceleration and first step explosiveness is an area for improvement.
- Pivoting: Crossovers too frequently when pivoting, which will limit his defensive effectiveness at higher levels.
- Offensive Contribution: Limited offensive skills. Completed 82% of his passes versus Saginaw but has completed 90% of his passes on the season.
Details:
- Skating mechanics: Deep knee-over-toe posture, shoulder-width stance, three-quarter length strides.
- Attempted 4 shots, had 2 shots blocked by the oncoming forward.
Overall:
Henry is a physically imposing defenseman with a strong foundation for defensive play. His size, physicality, and hockey IQ are valuable assets. However, improving his skating agility and offensive contributions would elevate his game to the next level.
Nicholas Holomego (D, L, 6’4″, 202, Erie Otters, 05/19/2006)
Did not play
Matthew Schaefer (D, L, 6’1″, 170, Erie Otters, 09/05/2007)
Did not play
Brett Hammond (RW, R, 6’2″, 188, Erie Otters, 09/08/2006)
Game Grade: C
Strengths:
- Versatility: Capable of playing center and right wing, offering roster flexibility.
- NHL Frame: Possesses the size desired by professional organizations.
- Decent Defensive Awareness: Stays on the net side of wall battles and collects loose pucks.
Areas for Improvement:
- Skating: Shoulder width posture and three-quarter length strides indicate room for improvement. Needs to develop core strength for more powerful and efficient skating, especially noticeable in upper body bounce while skating forward.
- Offensive Awareness: Needs to improve gap recognition through the neutral zone. Can utilize soft strong sides chips to gain the offensive zone and create offensive momentum for his line and team.
- Strength and Power: Still developing the overall strength, power, and explosiveness needed at the professional level.
Details:
- Skating mechanics: Shoulder width posture, three-quarter length strides, needs core strength development.
- Recent Performance: Earned fourth line minutes against Saginaw.
- Defensive positioning: Stays on the net side of wall battles and retrieves loose pucks, but offers minimal support for defensemen.
Overall:
Hammond possesses the size and positional flexibility that professional scouts are looking for. However, his skating is an area for improving, and overall strength and power development are crucial as he moves through his OHL career. He also needs to improve his offensive awareness to create scoring opportunities or positive momentum for his team. With focused training on these areas, Henry could develop into a role player at a higher level.
Wesley Royston (RW, R, 6’3″, 174, Erie Otters, 11/22/2007)
Game Grade: C
Royston is a November 2007 who earned fourth line minutes versus Saginaw. Standing at 6’3″, 174lbs he is still quite light and developing strength, power and explosiveness. He is a real NHL prospect for the 2026 draft.
Skating:
- Strengths: Smooth skater with good leg drive and deep knee bend. Excellent straight-line speed. Uses cross-unders gain speed and accelerate out of turns.
- Weaknesses: Needs to work on first step explosiveness.
Offensive Skills:
- Strengths: Showed a soft first touch and completed 4 of 5 passes versus Saginaw but is completing just 72% of his passes on the season.
- He played fourth line minutes he had no shots on net versus Saginaw. Showed good speed on a second period zone entry but instead of attacking the crease for a scoring opportunity he used a blind backhand pass into the slot. The pass was intercepted trapping his linemates below the puck and skating in the wrong direction.
Strength:
- As a November 2007 he is still developing overall strength to consistently win 50/50 puck battles. He won 1 or 5 puck battles versus Saginaw and is winning 39% of 50/50 puck battles on the season.
Overall:
Royston showed an athletic skating posture that will allow him to gain speed and quickness as he gains weight. He is an interesting NHL prospect.
Malcolm Spence (LW, L, 6’1″, 193, Erie Otters, 09/22/2006)
Game Grade: A
Overall:
Spence seemed to have a nonstop positive impact against Saginaw, as he was a key contributor in all three zones and on special teams.
Offensive:
- Strengths: Demonstrated a shooter’s mentality with a high shot volume (8 attempts) and accuracy (7 on net, 87.5%). Showed good hockey IQ by generating scoring chances off the cycle (5 shots) and off line rushes (2 shots). He had the primary assist on Erie’s second goal of the game. On the play he knocked down an attempted breakout pass, he then won a race to the loose puck along the mid-wall and found a teammate alone at the top of the crease. He earned the secondary assist on Erie’s third goal of the game. On the play he won a puck battle as the F1 on the forecheck and then made an area backhand pass to a linemate in the right dot lane. After the pass Spence raced to beat his man to the net for a rebound.
Defensive:
- Strengths: Won a 80% of his 50/50 puck battles and showed nice puck anticipation as he recovered two offensive rebounds to keep the play alive. Displayed good defensive awareness by blocking a point shot which led to an odd man rush.
Penalties:
- Took a roughing penalty late in the third period in a post-whistle scrum. We have zero issue with the penalty.
Special Teams:
- Played a key role on both the power play (1:03) and penalty kill (1:55) units, demonstrating his versatility and potential to play up and down a professional line-up.
Overall Impression:
Spence’s performance against Saginaw highlights his well-rounded skillset that translates to the professional game. Defensively he has the attention to detail and toughness to impact game as he is more than willing to block a shot, take a hit to get the puck through the grey areas or make a hit just to send a message. Offensively his puck anticipation allows him to keep offensive zone momentum alive and his ability to fire rockets when he does not have much space will allow him to get high quality shots on net against larger smarter professional defensemen. As a late 2006 he is not eligible until the 2025 draft and we would expect after another summer of hard training that he will play his draft year at closer to 205lbs than 195lbs.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images