Played on Dec 5, 2025
Game Played in Scotiabank Saddledome
Eric Tu (G, L, 6’3″, 206, Calgary Hitmen, 10/26/2008)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Eric is an incredibly athletic goaltender with a very calm demeanor. He has great flexibility allowing himself to make those timely saves at the right time. His rebound control is great, as he squares his body to the play and at most has to get his glove on the puck at the bottom of his butterfly. Eric made some very timely saves, like a back-door pad save on a defensive breakdown early in the game. Otherwise, Eric reads the play well and makes complicated saves seem simple. Stopping 29/31 gave him a .935 save percentage on the night and the second star of the game.
Hunter Aura (D, R, 5’10”, 168, Calgary Hitmen, 10/22/2007)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Hunter is a very smooth and fluid-skating defenseman. His skating stride looks effortless as he does not have to work hard to create speed or space for himself. Before making breakout passes, Hunter gets his feet up ice, scanning for the best option. He QB’s the Calgary power play as a puck mover, wanting to find open teammates to attack once he has pulled a PK attacker out of position. Nothing seems to faze Hunter and he manages the highs and lows of the game very well, something most junior players are only beginning to learn about.
Wyatt Pisarczyk (D, L, 5’10”, 177, Calgary Hitmen, 07/20/2007)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Wyatt had himself a successful game doing what he does well. Wyatt is not the best skater or shooter, but his consistency as a reliable defenseman with a knack for finding shooting lanes led to his success tonight. Both his goal and assist came from a D-to-D pass and, as he gathered the puck, he stayed in motion to find his shooting lane. Simple, smart hockey. Defensively, it is hard to critique his game as Calgary managed the game well. His gap control was efficient, and Wyatt did not struggle tonight in defensive-zone battles. Overall, a successful game because Wyatt did the little things without over-complicating them.
Brandon Gorzynski (C, L, 6’2″, 187, Calgary Hitmen, 03/12/2007, Arizona State)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Brandon is great with the puck as he has above-average puck-handling abilities. He understands the game well along with the pressure on him. This game saw Brandon lay massive hits in the defensive zone, drive the net finding loose pucks, and beat multiple players in the offensive zone along the wall. His ability to scan the ice under pressure allows Brandon to make confident plays others would not attempt. Brandon was a threat all over the ice tonight and, even though he did not have any points, he was a difference maker.
Landon Amrhein (RW, R, 6’5″, 192, Calgary Hitmen, 04/06/2008)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Landon, with his very large size, plays a skilled game that does not lack effort. The most notable play of the night came on the backcheck on a broken neutral-zone play. His effort to recover the puck and not give his opponent time or space speaks volumes to his effort around the ice. Pair this with a playmaking passing ability and you have Landon. On the power play tonight, Landon found himself in the QB position as he distributed the puck to his flankers quickly and precisely. With his size, it is hard to strip the puck off him or bully him in the corners.
Ethan Moore (LW, R, 6’0″, 176, Calgary Hitmen, 02/23/2005)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Ethan played a smart and simple game tonight. He excelled at his corner puck protection, moving the puck high to his defenseman as he went to the net. Ethan regularly looks to pass, looking for open teammates in the offensive zone and off the rush. With decent speed off the rush, Ethan likes to enter the zone and wait for his teammates to join, as he pulls opponents toward him then moves the puck. The small details were the difference maker tonight, and Ethan’s experience showed as he made sure to follow through on these details. Finally, Ethan did a great job of keeping his composure while frustrating his opponents. He took some of the Raiders off their game when they should have been focused on tying the game.
Michal Orsulak (G, R, 6’4″, 222, Prince Albert Raiders, 08/26/2007)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Michal is a large goalie who combines his size with great athleticism. Michal can be aggressive and above his crease, or he can play deep, relying on his large frame and reflexes to make the save. His side-to-side movement is excellent as he can easily get his butterfly across the whole net. Through screens, Michal is very good at getting square to the puck, making difficult saves look routine. He stopped multiple breakaways in the first period with patience’s and not being overly aggressive. The only goal Michal would want back is the eventual game winner, when he was beaten five-hole from a bad angle. Nonetheless, Michal played an excellent game, giving his team an opportunity to win. (20/23 .869%
Daxon Rudolph (D, R, 6’2″, 206, Prince Albert Raiders, 03/06/2008)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: Daxon is a great defenseman who is continuing to develop his game and define what kind of player he is. Tonight was not his night, but the good news for him is he still finished with an assist and an even plus/minus rating. What Daxon does well is crisp passing on breakouts, pulling opponents to him in the offensive zone, and moving for his teammates to become an option. His defensive game is solid, holding a strong gap, forcing opponents to try and beat him one-on-one or dump the puck. He battles hard and with composure in the defensive zone, staying on the defensive side of the puck, not allowing opponents inside the slot. Tonight, Daxon found himself in trouble purely from the lack of using his feet. On breakouts he did not take his available ice, which led to him not having options and making bad decisions which caused turnovers. He found himself in no-man’s-land at one point when an opponent got behind him for a breakaway, and luckily they did not score. Daxon is the top point-producing defenseman on Prince Albert and bumps in the road are going to happen for the underage defenseman.
Brock Cripps (D, R, 5’11”, 161, Prince Albert Raiders, 07/23/2009)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Brock is adapting to the WHL as a 16-year-old. Defensively, Brock is solid, relying on his feet and stick more than his size. He does this well, swarming his opponents and attacking with lots of energy and a very active stick. Offensively, Brock is a gifted defenseman. Once again using his feet, he can easily escape pressure and lead the breakouts. He attacks without fear while having multiple ways to beat his opponents. Being very shifty, he can pull pucks inside, around his opponent, or attacking their triangle. Off the rush tonight, after beating the first opponent, Brock did make some questionable puck decisions. Looking pass, he made high-risk plays through multiple layers of opponents. These are plays that cannot be made at the WHL level; he needs to learn from these mistakes and limit these turnovers as he continues to develop his game.
Max Heise (RW, R, 6’3″, 176, Prince Albert Raiders, 02/26/2006, Michigan State)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Max is a reliable center that understands the importance of staying below the puck, meaning on the breakouts he is always available, never getting ahead of the play or his teammates. Defensively, Max ensures with his shoulder checks that he is always between the puck and his assignment. These details make it hard for his opponents to work through so many layers, helping his team successfully defend and attack the other way. Plus, it allows Max to preserve some energy to explode out when he does have the puck. With his long explosive strides, Max creates separation from his opponents in space. In the offensive zone tonight, Max found himself as F3 a majority of the time. This is where he excelled at finding the soft ice and taking high-quality shots when he received the puck. Winning 5/10 of his faceoffs gives him another nod for helping give his team puck possession.
Brayden Dube (RW, R, 5’10”, 176, Prince Albert Raiders, 09/22/2005, Bemidji State)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: The age-out Brayden Dube continues to show his offensive abilities with the puck on his stick. With a shifty skating stride and very good hands, Brayden finds ways to give himself Grade-A scoring opportunities. Add in a layer of deception and Brayden can manipulate his opponents to put their sticks in the wrong lanes, opening up his first options. In the defensive zone, Brayden won a majority of his wall battles, which led to him leading the rush down the ice. Brayden found multiple pucks in his feet that he kicked to his stick while under pressure. Without a point tonight, Brayden still had multiple opportunities and was just unable to capitalize.
Ty Meunier (LW, L, 5’8″, 159, Prince Albert Raiders, 08/16/2008, Nebraska Omaha)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Ty is an energy player who forces opponents to work harder than him, which is near impossible. Ty thrives on the forecheck due to his quick transitions and incredibly fast first three steps. His motor never stops working and Ty never passed up an opportunity to pressure his opponent. With all of this hard work, he can still find the ability to recover the puck and look to attack. Ty has a solid shot that can beat goaltenders, but sometimes he lacks the awareness to find open lanes. After he recovers pucks on the forecheck, it seems Ty looked to move the puck. If he can continue to use his feet and find space rather than just look for an outlet, this could potentially open up more options for his line. Overall, a workhorse on the forecheck and adding the same will with the puck on his stick could only improve his point production.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images