| Taige Harding | Fort McMurray Oil Barons | AJHL | L | D | 6’7″ | 236 | Providence | 2021 | Irvine | 2002 | Not yet rated |
AJHL: Spruce Grove Saints vs Fort McMurray Oil Barons, April 5, 2021: Taige showed off his big shot from the point again this game. He scored on the power play after dropping low into the slot and letting go a strong one-timer for the goal. He brings a monster presence to the net front after whistles and most players back off once he comes in during scrums. His compete level is strong and he backchecks hard after blocked shots or turnovers near the offensive blue line. The ‘02 was able to win a key race for a puck late in the third period that could have sent a Saints player in on a breakaway. Grade: B+
AJHL Three Game Report: Spruce Grove vs Fort McMurray, Drumheller vs Olds, Okotoks vs Calgary Canucks, March 15, 2021: Taige played with an edge in the first period and mixed things up after the whistle and was in peoples faces making his size well known. He showed some good patience with the puck after dump ins and was accurate with his first pass. He used his long reach again and had a few nice stick checks to break up the play. Taige started the second by holding the blue line and keeping the play alive. He saw power play time and he does well to place his shots on net even if they’re not the heaviest. He is smooth with the puck and his feet along the blue line which is impressive given his tall frame. The ‘02 saw time in the 3-on-3 overtime and we thought he did well to settle things down and not force anything and he moved the puck effectively when needed. Grade: B+
AJHL: Fort McMurray Oil Barons vs Bonnyville, October 27, 2020: Has a massive frame and uses it really well. For most players that height their skating struggles but that is not the case for Taige. They like to use him frequently for one timers on the powerplay and he does a great job getting himself into an available spot for this. I really liked his composure on one powerplay sequence. He missed a one timer opportunity completely but got the puck back settle down and put himself back into an open spot, his teammate found him again and he got all of the shot the second time around. Uses his reach very well to shut plays down. For a bigger player he keeps his gaps really tight which was nice to see. Grade: B
AJHL: Drayton Valley Thunder vs Fort McMurray Oil Barons, January 1, 2020: Harding is a player who stood out simply because of his size and physicality. He is tall and mean making him tough to play against. He had multiple hard hits along the boards and it seemed as though the opposing team was scared to go into the corner with him. He has slow feet and his movement is not great. If he can clean up his game a little more he has the potential to really make some noise. Grade: C+