| Nolan Ritchie | Brandon Wheat Kings Midget | Midget | L | C | 5’9″ | 179 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 2017 | Brandon, MB | 2002 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Ritchie is in his third year of draft eligibility and after not having him ranked in the previous two drafts we feel he is making a strong case for consideration for 2022. This year he not only looks bigger, but he is splaying as if he has gained core and lower body power during the extended Covid training season. We feel he is stronger on the puck, shows an improved explosiveness when going after loose pucks and now has the lower center of gravity that allows him to pack some pop when making body contact to hold off larger defenders. Offensively we feel he has always processed the game very quickly and this year Ritchie continues to see plays developing early, but we feel he is playing with more confidence and making those same offensive plays with more authority. The real debate over his game will be can he defend at the professional level and will his attention to detail without the puck be high enough to play at an NHL level?
Manitoba Midget AAA Showcase (Portage la Prairie), October 31, 2018: Nolan Ritchie is a smart and versatile centre. He has quick hands and nice vision with the puck. He’s a dual-threat with a strong/accurate shot but looks pass first and rarely misses his man even in tight coverage. We really liked his effort when he made an outstanding play while falling down. He kept control of the puck and was still able to pass it to his teammate for a great scoring chance. The ’02 is reliable in all areas of the ice and played top minutes on the PP and PK. He scored 2 goals and added an assist over 2 games. Grade: A+
U16: WHL Cup (2002s), October 31, 2017: A smart player on the ice. He plays with good pace, but could work on generating more power from his legs. On the powerplay he mans the point looking to set up teammates for one timers on the half boards, or using his strong wrist shot through the crowds in front. On defense he plays positionally sound, but lacks the physicality to create turnovers on his own. Grade: B+
| Zakhar Polshakov | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | L | C | 5’11” | 179 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 2021 | Minsk, BLR | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
The September 2003 Polshakov is an averaged sized center who plays a consistent 200′ game. In the defensive zone he is a reliable low forward that understands body positioning to keep himself between the opposing forwards and his net. The inside edge skater shows a quick first step to loose pucks and again shows the awareness to get his hips and shoulder in front of the opposition when racing for a 50/50 loose puck. There are times when he can get out muscled during wall battles, but we feel as he continues to train and add strength that his instinctual habit of taking away his opponent’s legs will help him win those battles. As a center Polshakov has a smooth first touch when receiving passes on both his forehand or backhand and we like how he deceptively changes the angle of his blade after receiving passes to open up the next passing lane. Polshakov plays with strong hands showing the quick stick to one-time bouncing pucks on both his strong side or natural one-time position. Although we feel the WHL is a huge jump up in physicality and intensity for Polshakov, we feel he is adjusting quite well and he is a player who should be watched closely during the second half of the season.
WHL: Brandon Wheat Kings as of December 27, 2021 Season stats: Games played 20, Goals 4, Assists 9, Points 13, plus/minus 5, Penalty Minutes 6, Penalties Drawn 4, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 19:32, Power play time 2:26, Short-handed time 02:55, Shots 3.4, %Shots on goal 54%, Face-off % 45%, Puck battles 13, %Puck battles won 50%, Hits 1.05, Hits against 0.5
| Logen Hammett | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | L | D | 6’1″ | 187 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 2018 | Regina, SK | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
A big defender who plays heavy all over the ice. Logan’s biggest asset is his size and strength. A long the boards, in the corners, and in front o the net, he battles hard and often wins battles through sheer physical strength. If he is within a stride of an opponent, he is going to control the play. Where we start to see holes in his defensive game is when he doesn’t have containment and he’s forced to chase opponents. His lack of good edge work can leave him vulnerable to more nimble opponents who will shake off his coverage for dangerous scoring chances. Logan plays a straight forward game with the puck. He is not interested in carrying the puck long. He often will differ to his d-partner to make break out plays. If he is forced into anything, he keeps his play safe and rims pucks out of trouble. We think he has enough poise with the puck to be able to carry it more, but right now he just doesn’t seem comfortable. Everything he does on the ice is done hard. His hits are hard, his shots from the point whether they are wristers or slapshots are hard, his passes are very hard. He’s a tough defender, but he’ll need to work on his puck skills and mobility to add another dimension to his game and take his defending to the next level.
WHL: Brandon Wheat Kings as of December 27, 2021 Season stats: Games played 30, Goals 1, Assists 8, Points 9, plus/minus -1, Penalty Minutes 8, Penalties Drawn 8, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 19:10, Power play time 1:04, Short-handed time 02:51, Shots 2.3, %Shots on goal 46%, Puck battles 12, %Puck battles won 55%, Hits 0.57, Hits against 0.63
WHL: Brandon Wheat Kings weekend series vs Moose Jaw Warriors and Winnipeg Ice, March 312021: We only got to see Hammett in one of the games the Wheat Kings have played so far, but outside of his inaugural WHL shift he played fairly decent. Hammett had one of the nightmare first shifts; indecisive decision on a pinch left him in no-man’s land as the Winnipeg forward blew by and received a breakaway pass which he scored on. Following that Hammett made very sound plays and showed some very high skill levels. Of all the defenceman on the Wheat Kings Hammett may have the best hands, they are really impressive. Coming around the net on his backhand side he made a quick stickhandle on a forechecker then lifted a buttery soft backhand sauce perfectly to his winger for an easy breakout. He made several plays like that throughout the game. He did release a few shots from the point, they were decent but need to be quicker and heavier. For his skating; his agility trumps his speed. In tight spaces his feet and hands get him away from forecheckers and allow him to recover on attackers. His overall speed needs improving, but you can see he is processing the game at a higher speed than his legs are moving him. C+ Weekend Series 1gp, 0g, 0a, 1sog
| Zach Turner | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | L | D | 6’2″ | 181 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 2019 | Boissevain, MB | 2004 | Not yet rated |
The offensive minded Turner is still adjusting to life in the Western Hockey League averaging just under seven minutes per-game and seeing relatively no special teams minutes. We feel he is player who’s game will continue to develop and we will be watching for him to earn more ice time in the second half of the season and year number 2.
U18 AAA Manitoba: Parkland vs. Yellowhead and Southwest vs Brandon, October 28, 2020: Zach is a tall, mobile defenceman with excellent puck-moving skills. He plays top power play minutes, and he was consistent at getting pucks on net or finding his teammates through tight lanes. He loves to drop down low in the offensive zone looking for backdoor passes and he loves skating with the puck up the ice. The ’04 has very good skating for his size. His stride is long and smooth, and he has a long reach to go with it, allowing him to easily fend off forecheckers. He finished the night with two assists in this one, one on the power play and one at even strength. Grade: A
2004s:Winnipeg Jets AAA Bantam Classic, December 4, 2018: Zach had a solid weekend on the backend. He played well defensively and almost seemed to focus more on that element of his game. We didn’t notice him take as many chances with the puck in the offensive zone and he played tight/smart coverage in both the neutral and defensive zones. The ’04 finished with 2 assists and saw a lot of time on the PP and PK. Grade: B+
2004s: Hockey Manitoba Bantam Showcase, October 12, 2017: Zach is an offensive defenseman who finished the weekend with one goal and three assists over three games. He is a fast skater and smooth stick-handler and is a huge asset for the Cougars when he is on the power play. Zach needs to be a little more responsible in his own end as he was caught out of position a few times. Grade: B-
| Mason Ward | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | R | D | 6’5″ | 214 | Red Deer Rebels | 2019 | Lloydminster, AB | 2002 | Long Term Player Watch |
At this stage of his major junior career Ward is simply stronger than most of his peers and when he makes contact his opponents go flying. The 2002 is in his third year of draft eligibility so we’re fairly confident that he will not be drafted this year too, but we are seeing improvements to his overall game and we feel National League teams should be paying attention. He will need to continue working on his agility and footwork as we have seen Ward crossing-over when pivoting, but with that being said he we like how he has begun to move laterally along the offensive blueline looking to create shooting lanes. Defensively there were times in the past where Ward looked content to share his ice with an opposing forward in front of his net. This year we like that he is owning his ice and looking to drive opposing forwards clear of the shooting lanes. When it comes right down to it there are only so many 6’5″ right shot defensemen in the World and we feel that Ward’s deep knee skating base, his understanding of what he is as a player and the potential for continued individual improvement make him a very interesting project for an NHL development coach.
WHL: Brandon Wheat Kings as of December 27, 2021 Season stats: Games played 30, Goals 1, Assists 5, Points 6, plus/minus +4, Penalty Minutes 44, Penalties Drawn 6, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 23:32, Power play time 2:36, Short-handed time 3:14, Shots 5, %Shots on goal 48%, Puck battles 12, %Puck battles won 57%, Hits 1.27, Hits against 0.36
| Rylen Roersma | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | L | C | 6’0″ | 181 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 2019 | Lethbridge, AB | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Roersma is a maximum effort 200′ center. He is strong on the puck and shows the tenacity to out work his opponents to win battles. We like his anticipation for loose pucks and he shows a single explosive stride to achieve his top speed in any direction. Roersma is hungry around the net showing strong hands and a quick stick for rebounds. Although he is a fixture on Brandon’s special teams units we view him as legitimate penalty killer in professional hockey where his work ethic and attention to details can impact a game. In the long run Roersma will need to continue developing core strength and lower body power to have a professional career because he is best suited for a hardnosed brand of hockey.
WHL: Brandon Wheat Kings as of December 27, 2021 Season stats: Games played 30, Goals 8, Assists 8, Points 16, plus/minus -6, Penalty Minutes 8, Penalties Drawn 7, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 18:33, Power play time 2:42, Short-handed time 02:23, Shots 2, %Shots on goal 67%, Puck battles 11, %Puck battles won 39%, Hits 0.80, Hits against 0.53
2004s: Mac’s AAA, April 8, 2020: Roersma is a strong skater. He has good acceleration, quick feet and nice agility. His top end speed is good, but we’d like to see him use his East-West abilities a little more. He prefers to enter the offensive zone with speed, slam on the breaks and create plays with the space he creates for himself. The trick works most times, but can be repetitive. In these moments, when he enters the zone, he will use the extra time to scan the ice and send nice passes to streaking teammates, or use his quick release to snap pucks on goalies. Roersma still has some room to grow, and has the potential to be more of a threat on the half boards and in tighter areas, but right now he is relying on his speed off the rush to create offense. Continuing to add strength will be key to his success as he moves up to the Junior level. Grade: B+
2004s: North American Hockey Classic (Winnipeg), June 27, 2018: Rylen is a smooth skating centre with a real hop in his step. He makes nice one-touch passes and has a sneaky toe-drag release on his shot. The 04 was the team’s best forward and most consistent forward; he was quick on pucks dumped in and engaged physically in the corners. Grade: A-
Medicine Hat Hockey Hounds Tournament, December 21, 2017: Roersma was excellent over the weekend for Lethbridge and showed that he’s the go to option for his team. Roersma is a top end prospect for the upcoming bantam draft and proved why over the weekend, showing his high skill and skating ability and that lead to many quality chances over the tournament. He’s got a great stride and top end speed that allows him to carry play all over the ice, especially through the neutral zone where he see’s the open ice that’s available and takes what’s given to him- leading to tons of zone entries for himself. He battles hard in the corners and comes out with the puck often due to his size and strength. In the offensive end he attacks lanes and has the hands and speed to find separation and look for teammates to set up with is high end vision or take a shot on net hat owns a lot of power behind it. An area Roersma could look to improve would be playing with a bit more physicality in his game as he can be a pit passive along the boards in his own end and off the forecheck where you would like to see him finish his hits. Grade: A
| Tyson Zimmer | Brandon Wheat Kings | WHL | R | RW | 6’0″ | 192 | Brandon Wheat Kings | 2019 | Russell, MB | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Zimmer is a hard charging right wing who is at his best when his feet are moving keeping the other team on their heels. He has a smooth first touch on his forehand and does not need to over handle the puck to make the next pass or fire a rocket on net. We like his ability to shoot his snap shot through a screen or through the defender’s legs. Right now he is seeing regular power play time for Brandon, but we feel with an improved attention to detail he can be a legitimate penalty killer in professional hockey. As with all young players we will be watching for improved strength to help him win loose puck battles, but his feet are always going to get a scout’s attention.
WHL: Brandon Wheat Kings as of December 27, 2021 Season stats: Games played 29, Goals 4, Assists 6, Points 10, plus/minus -13, Penalty Minutes 12, Penalties Drawn 10, 2021 Game Averages: Time on ice per-game 14:22, Power play time 1:44, Short-handed time 0:09, Shots 2.6, %Shots on goal 68%, Puck battles 9, %Puck battles won 42%, Hits 0.34, Hits against 0.38
U16: WHL Cup, November 10, 2019: Zimmer is a strong playmaker. He has great vision, and the ability to thread difficult passes through traffic. He anticipates his teammates well and makes solid leading passes. Zimmer moves really well, he looks like he’s exploding out of his skates with each stride and gets really deep and low in on his crossovers and edge work. Zimmer plays well at both ends of the ice using his feet and high IQ to make plays. He has a nice slap shot as well, and is a nice one time option on the powerplay. Grade: A-
2004s: North American Hockey Classic (Winnipeg), June 27, 2018: Tyson displayed is strong –accurate shot this weekend, scoring twice and having a ton of chances. He creates offense every time he’s on the ice and has a knack for finding the puck around the net. We noticed Tyson use his size a lot more this tournament and he seems to be gaining confidence in the corners and uses his big frame to his advantage. Grade: A-
U14: Hockey Manitoba Bantam Showcase, October 12, 2017: Tyson is a pure shooter, scoring three goals over the weekend and adding an assist; every time he had open ice to shoot he had fans on the edges of their seats. He has a heavy shot with precise accuracy and played lots on the power play. The 2004 was the bright spot on a Parkland team that didn’t have a great weekend, losing all three games (one of which was an exhibition game against the RHA Nationals). Grade: B-
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