| Saige Weinstein | Spokane Chiefs | WHL | L | D | 6’0″ | 174 | Spokane Chiefs | 2020 | Whitemud, AB | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
NZ’s Director of NHL Scouting Ian Moran says: Weinstein is a highly competitive left shot defender who impacts junior hockey at both ends of the ice. He is strong enough to clear shooting lanes and win wall battles in the defensive zone. Offensively his passes are hard and accurate. We feel he will receive late round consideration because he has the strength and power to contain the larger forwards of the professional game as well as the skating ability to play shoulder to shoulder with the smaller quicker forwards he will face in professional hockey.
WHL: Spokane vs Kamloops, October 1, 2022: This was the first game we had seen Weinstein since the Hlinka-Gretzky and we liked what we saw. He played in your face defense and was ill-tempered as he finished with multiple hard body checks including a beautiful hip check midway through the second period that put the opposing forward over the boards. Weinstein also had a spirited fight where he switched hands and came away smiling. Weinstein finished the game with 14:58 in ice time including 1:30 while shorthanded, 1 secondary assist, an even plus/minus, 2 grade “A” scoring opportunities, 5 PIMs, 3 hits, 2 shots blocked 1 giveaway, 2 takeaways and he won 44% of his 9 puck battles.
Hlinka-Gretzky Cup: Canada vs Sweden, August 7, 2022: Weinstein was again dressed as the seventh defenseman. He totaled 3:56 in ice time, had 1 hit, 1 shot blocked, had 0 giveaways, 1 takeaway and he won 100% of his 1 puck battle.
Hlinka-Gretzky Cup: Canada vs Finland, August 5, 2022: Weinstein was dressed as the seventh defenseman finishing with 8:12 in time on ice which was 6:30 lower than the next defenseman. He did finish with a secondary assist on Canada’s second goal. It is easy to see that Weinstein is not used to playing so little and when he gets on the ice he is stepping outside of himself looking for the big hit or to be part of the night’s highlights. He finished +1, with 2 shots, 1 grade “A”, 2 PIMs, 3 hits, 2 giveaways, 2 takeaways and he won 100% of his 2 puck battles.
Hlinka-Gretzky Cup: Canada vs Sweden, August 3, 2022: Weinstein was used on the forth defensive pairing finishing with 9:04 in even strength ice time. He was not used on the power play and had 0:10 of short handed time. He did show lateral quickness while defending a line rushes and used an extended stick to force quick decisions. But unfortunately there were times when he went for the big hit and ended up catching only half of the Swedish forward which caught him on the wrong side of the puck. Weinstein used his feet to activate as the second wave and showed an understanding of how to fill lanes and adjust his pace. He finished the night even, with 1 hit, 2 shots blocked, 5 giveaways, 3 takeaways and he won 100% of his 2 puck battles.
WHL: Spokane vs Tri-City, December 31, 2021: Weinstein is an average sized left shot defender with above average strength. In the defensive zone he used his powerful frame to hit and pin opponents to the walls to eliminate his man. He appeared to use a longer stick than normal for a 6’0″ defender which allowed him to break up royal road passing attempts and pick off passes. Offensively he finished the game with two primary assists and both came off of quick release shots from the point. Weinstein finished the game +3, but he was also on the ice for two goals against that originated on broken plays from below his goal line where he was caught in indecisively in no man’s land. On both goals he ended up being caught below the goal line after his defensive partner was trapped along the wall. Weinstein finished the game with 2 hits, he had 3 shots blocked, 5 giveaways, 12 takeaways and he won 29% of 14 puck battles.
WHL: Spokane vs Everett, October 3, 2021: Weinstein is a young left shot defender with a stocky frame and smooth feet. He was tough to miss in this one as he took three minor penalties, two of which came in the offensive zone (roughing & tripping)and the other came when he fired the puck into the crowd in the defensive zone. Weinstein totaled 10:34 in even strength ice time and he did not participate in the special teams game. On the night he was -1 on a play where failed to recognize an odd man rush through the neutral zone. HIs lack of recognition allowed him to get sucked outside of the dot lane which allowed the Silvertip’s line rush to take advantage of a wide open center shooting lane. Weinstein finished with 2 hits, had 1 shot blocked, 5 giveaways, 3 takeaways and he won 55% of his 11 puck battles.
Western Canadian Crown, April 14, 2020: Weinstein is a solid, balanced defender with powerful edges. He plays with sneaky physical play. For the most part he makes defensive plays because of his great anticipation and footwork, but he will lay out opponents when he sees the opportunity. He is a crafty puck mover from the back end and has smooth hands. His stride isn’t overly smooth but he’s strong, covers a lot of ice and skates with confidence and awareness. He has a heavy slap shot, but on the offensive end his game doesn’t come quite as natural as it does on the defensive end. He finished the tournament with 2 goals and 4 assists in 6 games. Grade: B
CSSHL Bantam Championship, March 21, 2020: Saige is an excellent two-way defender, who can contribute in both aspects of the game equally as well. He is an excellent skater with great edges and mobility to cover ground quickly. His transition quickness is impressive and he can go defense to offense or vice versa extremely quick. In his end he works his corners and net front with intensity and is very effective at controlling net front men using stick on hips. He can use mobility and speed to carry puck up ice and avoid pressure. And he is active on the blue line making himself available as a pass option, moving across quickly with puck, and getting a good hard accurate shot through to the net. Grade A
Rocky Mountain Classic, January 1, 2020: One of the best skaters in his class, Saige is instant transitional offense with his feet and vision. He sends nice passes all over the ice, and plays the puck with poise and confidence. His stride is smooth and effortless, but on the rare occasion he finds himself out of position, he shows a real explosive edge that allows him to recover quickly. Saige has a heavy shot from the point, and is a nice one time option from the point. He plays with good strength and can keep his net clear, but he does play a more cerebral game. Grade: A
2018 Winnipeg Jets AAA Bantam Classic, December 4 2018: Saige is a smooth skating, puck moving defenseman. He gets the puck up ice quickly whether that be by skating it or making accurate headman passes. The ’05 isn’t afraid to join the rush and has good awareness picking up his man in the defensive zone. He engages physically and makes a lot of plays in all three zones on the ice. We really liked his ability to keep his head up when he had the puck on the offensive blue line; he did well to get his shots through traffic or find open teammates with creative passing and puck movement. Saige was the team’s best defenseman this weekend and finished with 1 goal and 3 assists. Grade: A
North American Hockey Classic, June 27, 2018: Saige is a smart defenseman who’s calm with the puck and aggressive in the corners. He makes clean/crisp breakout passes and plays with an edge. The 05 saw time on the PP and was quick to retrieve pucks in the defensive zone.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images