February 26/27, 2021
Lethbridge Hurricanes @ Edmonton Oil Kings
Final Score: Hurricanes 1 Oil Kings / Oil Kings 7 Hurricanes 2
Shots: Hurricanes 27 Oil Kings 47 / Oil Kings 37 Hurricanes 19
Summary:
Edmonton showed this weekend that they are the team to beat in the Alberta division. Their top
line of Guenther-Oliver-Neighbors exposed the youthful defense corps of the Hurricanes on
numerous occasions. Zack Stringer and Joe Arntsen were the two draft-eligible players from the
Hurricanes that stood out the most for us and their reviews are below.
Lethbridge Hurricanes
|Briley^Wood^#12| – 2003 – Briley saw limited minutes on the fourth line, however some things
we noticed was when the puck was trapped in the defensive zone, Briley came down low and
supported the puck and his defensemen well. Wood’s ability to transition could use some
improvement as he struggles getting his feet moving from a standstill and when changing
direction. In multiple shifts that we saw Briley in the defensive zone, he has a heightened sense
of awareness of what is going on around him, as evidenced by the fact his head is always on a
swivel and he does his best to maintain pace with his defensive marker, regardless of puck
location. Grade: C
|Zack^Stringer^#18| – 2003 – Zack saw first line minutes in both games, and despite being only
17 years of age, he played like a seasoned vet. Zack has a unique, yet effective stride when he is
skating, and gets from point A to point B very quickly. Every shift, regardless of time of game or
score, Zack exhibited enthusiasm and exuberance, providing energy to an otherwise
unimpressive Hurricanes squad. Zack was always first on the forecheck and was fearless getting
into dirty areas in an attempt to break the puck free from his opponent. Stringer’s low stride leads
to a low center of gravity and when initiating contact, he packs a powerful punch. Another one of
Stringer’s strengths is his puck carrying and vision, there were multiple times he was leading the
rush out of his defensive zone and he saw his teammates cross ice and was able to zip a tape-to-
tape pass perfectly. Zack was able to do this as his head is consistently up while his feet are
moving at top speed and his confidence in making split second decisions allows him to be one
step ahead of the defensive players. On the defensive side, Zack is a little too puck-centric, as
there was a few situations where he put himself in a vulnerable position reaching for the puck
and took a hard hit as a result. Compared to his peers, Zack plays at a level above and beyond the
norm and does not look out of place with older and more experienced linemates and opponents.
He will be a force in this league now and in coming years. Grade: B+
|Ty^Nash^#21| – 2003 – Ty played on the third line as a left winger both games this weekend, and
while he isn’t flashy offensively, he is quite attentive on the defensive side of the puck. Ty has no
problem with puck pursuit as he has an active stick and takes away passing lanes effectively
against the opposing breakout. In the defensive zone, he needs to find a way to carry over this
pursuit as there was a couple times in the second game this weekend where he was caught flat
footed and the Oil Kings were able to capitalize. In the offensive zone, Ty is able to find quiet
ice when his linemates have the puck and put himself in spaces where if the puck finds a way to
him, he should have a prime scoring chance. While Nash is not defensively weak, we feel that he
just needs to adjust to the pace of the Western Hockey League better, and he can do this by
reducing his shift time and by keeping his feet moving and covering his man better in the d-zone.
Grade: C
|Chase^Pauls^#3| – 2003 – Had a limited viewing of Chase as he only played in the first half of
the weekend doubleheader, and he played on the third pairing with fellow 17 year old Kayden
Sadra-Kang. At 6’3 225, Chase has a big frame that he uses to his advantage when defending the
rush. Using his reach and wide stride, Chase on multiple occasions was able to steer his
opponents away from the middle of the ice and into low scoring chance zones where his
supporting forwards were able to attack and turnover the puck. Pauls was exposed a couple of
times when he was burned wide as his foot speed needs improvement in order for him to pivot
and pursue effectively. When engaged in front of his own net with an opposing forward, Chase
was relentless and effective in tying up man and stick in front of his own net, he just needs to
ensure he doesn’t tie himself up for too long in some situations as there were times he lost other
forwards behind him. Overall we believe Chase is close to being an elite defenseman in the
WHL, he just needs to improve his foot speed and awareness in the defensive zone. Grade: C
|Kayden^Sadra-Kang^#6| – 2003 – Kayden is a similar player to his playing partner Chase Pauls,
both in size and style of play. One of Kayden’s strengths was his ability to read the rush and
breakout, allowing him to have a solid gap and prevent opposing attackers from beating him
wide. Even as the Oil Kings broke out of their zone, Kayden was able to read the play well and
cut off the attack prior to them even gaining the red line. Sadra-Kang does need to simplify his
game somewhat as while he was confident carrying the puck and attempting to gain the offensive
zone, there were multiple times he turned the puck over at the blue and red lines. In the defensive
zone Kayden is conscious of where his markers are in front of his net, but he needs to make sure
he keeps his head on a swivel and not become complacent as there were times his opponents
were able to sneak to areas beyond his range of coverage. Grade: C+
|Joe^Arntsen^#7| – 2003 – Joe logged probably the most minutes out of all 2003 players in both
games, seeing consistent icetime on the first and second pairings, in all situations. Joe is a big
mobile d-man that likes to be involved in the play, he engages the puck carrier early, and does
not allow the opposing forwards to begin their attack sequence. While it is encouraging that he
wants to be involved and not wait for the first move, there were times, particularly on the penalty
kill where he got caught chasing and was beat by a pass through or behind him, resulting in goals
against. Arntsen does not shy away from lugging the puck up the ice, but he is prone to panic
when faced with pressure. Once his forwards are set up in the offensive zone, Joe uses his
mobility to find open ice on the point to provide an outlet for his attackers. Joe utilized his heavy
shot in smart ways a few times this weekend, keeping it low to the ice and seemingly aiming for
the back end boards in spots that the puck rebounded back to the slot. Joe will continue to see
lots of ice with the Hurricanes relatively young d-core this year and we expect him to gain more
poise and calmness with the puck as he gains more experience. Grade B-
|Cole^Miller^#8| – 2005 – Cole was the Hurricane’s first round pick in the past bantam draft and
is essentially an underage in this shortened WHL season. Miller played a regular shift despite his
age, and while he did look timid and unsure of his spot on the ice at times, he did show bursts of
skill and confidence that will certainly come to the forefront as he gains experience. Cole had no
problem keeping up with his older peers and he worked hard on the forecheck attacking the puck
and angling his opponents away from the middle of the ice. If he continues to progress and play,
Cole will be an exciting player to watch come his draft year in 2 years. Grade: C
|Chase^Wheatcroft^#26| – 2002 – Chase was a puck controller all weekend, using his frame and
edges to protect the puck well. It seemed at times that opposing defenceman simply bounced off
of him when attempting hits. Chase saw time on the powerplay and it was here we had the
chance to see his heavy shot from high in the zone where he was positioned. Chase was also
highly aggressive in his puck pursuit, which while he took a minor penalty for high-sticking, it
was encouraging to see his never-give-up attitude. Chase does not have the softest hands on the
ice by any means, but if he continues to use his size and aggressiveness when attacking the zone,
he will be find himself muscling goals past and through opposing goaltenders. Grade: B-
|Alex^Thacker^#20| – 2002 – Alex impressed us in his first shift of the game with his quick feet
and hands. He was able to create a chance for himself with a shifty move entering the zone and
burning the d-man wide. Alex continued to use his speed on the defensive side of the puck as
well, taking effective angles on attacking forwards and eliminating passing threats with an active
stick. Alex is not one to initiate and accept contact when he has the puck, and while his shiftiness
often makes up for this, he will need to learn how to absorb and roll off hits in order to maintain
puck control for an extended amount of time in the offensive zone. Grade: B-
|Jett^Jones^#17| – 2002 – Jett saw the bulk of his minutes on defensive zone faceoffs and on the
penalty kill this weekend. While he is a big body, he is a relatively strong skater and his
defensive discipline when defending was what impressed us the most. When attackers tried
driving the slot, he was adept at keeping them to the perimeter and returning to his position to
defend the pass. Jett saw the most faceoffs out of any centremen on his team this weekend, and
he was well over 50%, showing that his coach relies on him for big draws in all situations. While
we didn’t particularly notice any offensive prowess, his skills defensively make him a Swiss
Army knife that any team would want to have to eat minutes. Grade: B-
|Justin^Hall^#9| – 2001 – Justin accounted 66% of his teams goals this weekend, and he was
consistently a threat when he had the puck in the offensive zone. Justin is very puck hungry and
any time the puck is on his stick in the vicinity of the net, his shot is a weapon that can kill you
every time. While he is aggressive on the puck when it is within stick length, when he is away
from the puck or play, he was often seen coasting and kind of lackadaisical in his body language.
Justin had similar play on the penalty kill, he was active and engaged when the puck was near
him, but it was clear that his goal was to poke a puck past the carrier for a breakaway rather than
to defend effectively. Justin will continue to see first line minutes and he is a threat to score any
time he is on the ice, but he will also need to commit to defending his own half of the ice in order
to be considered a well rounded player. Grade: B
|Noah^Boyko^#19| – 2002 – Noah saw first line minutes in all situations in both games this
weekend. There were times in both games where it seemed as if Noah had the puck on a string,
and he stickhandled his way out of trouble with ease. His craftiness is further exemplified by his
patience, he is in no hurry to get the puck off his stick and does not waste chances by simply
throwing the puck at the net. One situation in particular Noah had the puck at the top of the slot
and when pressured he toe dragged through the middle of the ice and snapped a quick wrister to
the opposite side he came from, forcing Sebastian Cossa to make a great save. While Boyk
certainly has great skill when handling the puck, there was times he had his head down and he
paid the price by taking a booming hit. If Noah can consistently combine his skill and patience at
full speed while maintaining situational awareness, he will have a great year and put up some
impressive numbers. Grade: B+
|Trevor^Thurston^#25| – 2002 – Trevor was another 2002-born player that saw significant
minutes while playing the point this weekend. Thurston was a pain for the Oil King forwards to
deal with all weekend, with his stickwork in front of his net and physicality along the boards.
Trevor seemed to read the opposition attack well, he consistently kept his gap and forced
multiple turnovers at his own blue line. One play that would have stood out for anyone watching
the game was his hit on first-rounder Jake Neighbors who had attempted to cut to the middle at
the blue line with a nifty move. While this was a bone-crushing hit, it resulted in a 2 on 1 behind
him in which Edmonton capitalized. This play was not a one-off where scoring chances against
were created due to Trevor looking to make a hit. If Trevor can better determine a time and place
to implement his physicality, he will be a top defenseman in the Alberta division, because he
does have good skating and angling skills. Grade: B