Game played on April 23, 2024
General Game Notes: USHL playoff action, Game 3 between Muskegon Lumberjacks and the Green Bay Gamblers. It was a goaltending duel all night as both goaltenders, Adam Gajan #31 for Green Bay was superb, but at the other end Gadzhiev Shikhabutdin #29 was perfect as he recorded the shutout, ultimately leading his team to a 2-0 victory.
Adam Gajan (G, L, 6’3″, 187, Green Bay Gamblers, 05/06/2004, Minnesota Duluth)
Game Grade: A
Comments: Gajan is quick, intense and as solid as it gets. With his wide stance, he covers much of the net when he is on his feet or in the butterfly. His intensity is always high as he’s ready for anything that comes his way, showing his readiness once his opponents enter the zone. He moves well post to post, following plays behind the net and adjusting accordingly to passes out in the slot area. He smothers rebounds by tracking the puck accordingly, and if he is to let one out, he battles, gets low and finds ways to make the next save.
Chris Romaine (D, R, 6’1″, 197, Green Bay Gamblers, 02/01/2004, Ohio State)
2022 round 6 #193 overall by Colorado Avalanche
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Romaine is a solid 2-way defender who plays well at both ends of the ice. He plays relatively physical, and boxes out his opponents early to allow his goalie to see pucks cleanly. He blocked some shots by standing net-front and filling lanes. Additionally, he won puck battles and moved pucks well up the ice. He also wasn’t afraid to move his feet and jump into the rush as the second wave of offense. He owned a heavy shot that he was able to get through from the offensive blue line, creating second chance opportunities.
Jayson Shaugabay (C, R, 5’9″, 165, Green Bay Gamblers, 04/05/2005, Minnesota Duluth)
2023 round 4 #115 overall by Tampa Bay Lightning
Game Grade: B
Comments: Shaugabay had some good looks, but was ultimately unable to capitalize on his chances. A smaller, skilled forward, he was able to make plays with the puck, often showing good patience and finding his teammates in scoring areas. Without the puck, he drove the net hard. Despite his smaller size he tried to capitalize in the net-front area beating his opponents there using his speed.
Benjamin Poitras (C, R, 5’11”, 181, Green Bay Gamblers, 07/18/2005, Northeastern)
Game Grade: B
Comments: Poitras had some good looks on the PP by filtering out near the dot lanes, hammering one-timers on net. He found pockets in the offensive zone where he was able to either one touch, or catch and release pucks towards the goal creating chaos there. His shot fuels his offense and he is a shoot-first type player with a quick release and heavy shot.
Julian Lutz (LW, L, 6’2″, 187, Green Bay Gamblers, 02/29/2004)
2022 round 2 #43 overall by Arizona Coyotes
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Lutz is a strong forward who can control the game utilizing his size, skill and puck protection skills. He uses his physicality to separate himself from his opponents, collecting pucks and making smart/efficient plays that fuel his teams offense. He is great along the walls as he has an active and strong stick, not turning over pucks when gaining control of them. He made some heads up plays on the PP, controlling pucks on the half-wall and finding the seams to set up his teammates in scoring positions. Overall, he has a good balance of defensive and offensive capabilities that fuel from his size, strength and skill-set.
Mykhailo Danylov (C, L, 5’7″, 156, Green Bay Gamblers, 08/01/2004, Michigan State)
Game Grade: B
Comments: Danylov worked his butt off. He chipped pucks into the offensive zone, kept his feet moving and was hard on pucks. Despite being of smaller stature, he had an active stick and did not shy away from throwing hits. He created energy for his team by always working and never stopping, which was infectious.
Ryan Humphrey (LW, L, 5’11”, 188, Green Bay Gamblers, 04/08/2003)
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Humphrey created some effective cycles in the offensive zone with his linemates by maintaining control of the puck, utilizing cut backs, and changing the angle of his hands to get the puck from low to high (and eventually to the net). He was strong on pucks and didn’t force pucks into unnecessary areas.
Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev (G, L, 6’2″, 170, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 10/26/2004)
Game Grade: A
Comments: Gadzhiev was quick, mobile and shut the door from puck drop to finish. He was quick down low, using his legs to kick pucks out (mostly controlling rebounds, but at times into troubled areas). Although letting some rebounds out, he remained calm, quick and compact, following the rebound and choosing his save selection from in tight. He moved well laterally whether it was on his feet or knees. Lastly, his readiness allowed him to read plays well, as he wasn’t behind on many shots/passes.
Sacha Boisvert (C, L, 6’2″, 179, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 03/17/2006, North Dakota)
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Boisvert makes things happen offensively. He uses his explosive speed to get that extra step on his opponents, funneling pucks towards the dangerous areas in the offensive zone. Whether he takes it there himself, or uses his vision and passing to get it there, he continually makes plays in the threatening areas of the OZ. He reads plays well in the defensive zone, chipping pucks by pinching defenders, creating odd man rushes utilizing his stick-handling abilities to go with his long, smooth skating strides.
Ethan Whitcomb (RW, L, 6’4″, 209, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 05/13/2004, Connecticut)
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Whitcomb did a good job at using his physicality to separate himself from his opponents. No matter where it was on the ice, he leaned, bumped, or hit his opponents to create space, which typically led to more puck possession/offensive zone time. He showed signs of good IQ where he used his peripherals to see where his teammates were in the offensive zone, trying to move pucks in their direction, opposed to simply just shooting it on net. Between his skill-set and his size he was hard to defend against and wore on his opponents.
Cody Croal (LW, L, 5’11”, 173, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 06/17/2003, North Dakota)
Game Grade: B
Comments: Croal created offense by surveying the ice and always knowing where his outlets/options were. He collected pucks along the walls, kept his head up and made tape-to-tape passes to his teammates in the slot area. He is a cerebral player as he can control pucks in rush scenerios, cut to the middle ice and either attack the net, or find a second wave of offense going towards the goal.
Justin Solovey (C, L, 6’2″, 210, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 11/29/2004, Harvard)
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Solovey is a big, strong forward who has speed, physicality and skill. A complete, full package type hockey player where he finishes his checks, creates turnovers, and can bury the puck in the net. He moves well for his size, pushes the pace up the ice, and can catch and release pucks with a quick release and heavy shot. The first goal of the game was scored by him, where he received a pass going to the net and with a flick of the wrist, ripped a shot top shelf past the goaltender.
David Klee (C, L, 6’3″, 182, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 05/10/2005, North Dakota)
2023 round 7 #196 overall by San Jose Sharks
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Klee made it difficult for his opponents all night, especially the defenders. He chipped pucks into the offensive zone, kept his feet moving and used his size to finish his checks (with authority). His ability to use his physicality, particularly on the fore-check continually created turnovers, wore on defenders and allowed his team to play more offense. He made good puck plays when given time and space, and displayed his skill in tight areas, protecting pucks, utilizing his hands and making plays to the net-front area.
Matvei Gridin (F, L, 6’1″, 185, Muskegon Lumberjacks, 03/01/2006, Michigan)
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Gridin is a big, strong forward who skates well and finds pockets in the offensive zone to attack the net. He owns a heavy shot and he can get it off in a hurry. When doing so, he catches pucks in stride, doesn’t stop moving his feet and rips the puck hard (all in one motion while moving). He has that knack where pucks find his stick in scoring areas whether it be off the rush, or 5 on 5 play. He has a mix of grit, skill and size that makes it hard to defend against.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Scout: Mike Garteig