Played on October 6, 2023
General Game Notes: Neutral Zone was in attendance at the Peavey Mart Centrium in Red Deer, Alberta, as the hometown Rebels fell to the visiting Prince Albert Raiders by a score of 6-2. Our scout focused on 2024 NHL Draft-eligible players in this game which featured Hlinka Gretzky Cup 2023 gold medalists Ryder Ritchie and Ollie Josephson.
Doogan Pederson (D, L, 6’3″, 180, Prince Albert Raiders, 06/27/2006)
Game Grade: C
Comments: In the fifth game of his WHL career, Doogan was +1 and registered two shots on goal. The 6’3′ defender was physical and stepped up well at the offensive zone blueline to keep the play alive. Doogan’s skating is currently his biggest growth opportunity, as his skating is poor even in comparison to WHL skaters. When defending the rush, Doogan was often required to pivot to defend while facing forwards, as he could not keep up with the play backwards. His pivots were also slow and awkward and his straight-line skating was poor. Doogan struggled with the pace of the game and as a result, he often moved the puck too slowly for his passes to be effective. In the defensive zone, he often positioned himself on the wrong side of opponents and was thus caught to the outside of the play rather than being on the net side. As it stands, Doogan is not considered an NHL-level prospect by Neutral Zone at this time.
Cole Peardon (C, L, 6’0″, 175, Prince Albert Raiders, 03/26/2006)
Game Grade: C
Comments: In just his second game of the WHL season, Cole was two for five in the faceoff circle and was given time on the powerplay and penalty kill. In the offensive zone, he identified good space in the high slot and was able to get open as a passing option. Cole was prone to holding onto the puck for too long in transition and turned it over on multiple occasions as he was swarmed by defenders. On one occasion he missed a short (approximately three feet) pass to a teammate on the breakout as he fired the puck too hard, and his teammate understandably could not handle the puck. Along the wall, Cole was knocked down easily by opponents and must continue to add strength if he wishes to have a greater impact on the game. At this point in time, Cole would not be considered an NHL-level prospect by Neutral Zone.
Ryder Ritchie (LW, R, 6’0″, 174, Prince Albert Raiders, 08/03/2006)
Game Grade: A
Comments: Ryder was the best player on the ice in this game, and this was reflected on the scoresheet as he scored two goals on four shots. Ryder’s first goal came on the powerplay in the second period. As the puck swung from the half-wall to down low on the left side of the ice, Ryder snuck down the weak side just inside the faceoff dot. The puck was fed to him through the penalty killers’ box and he quickly one-touched the puck past the sprawling goaltender. On his second goal, Ryder sprinted into the offensive zone from the neutral zone and beat the defender to a loose puck near the goal line on the right side. He centred the puck and hit the goaltender in the side and the puck was redirected into the net. Ryder’s best ability is his ability to identify and attack open space. On one specific play, Prince Albert was on the powerplay, and the puck was entered into the zone along the right wall. Ryder identified that the near-side defenceman and forward had converged on the puck carrier. He sprinted into the zone (past the far-side forward) and was hit with a pass from his winger. As the far-side defender converged on him, Ryder slid the puck cross-crease to Chenier, but the Red Deer goaltender made a highlight reel desperation save with his stick as he reached across. Ryder is first and foremost a shooter, as he has a lightning-quick release and an accurate shot, but he also made very intelligent passes throughout the game. One such pass, he had the puck up near the blueline on the left side while Prince Albert was on the powerplay. He fed a hard pass through the killers’ box to an open teammate low on the weak side, who was unable to convert the chance. Ryder was excellent at settling bouncing pucks with both his stick and his feet, and even before he had full control, he was looking around the ice to find someone to pass to. In transition, he was also able to make high-skill passes to teammates through the neutral zone. One such pass, Ryder made a saucer pass over the stick of a defender and landed it perfectly on the tape of a teammate who was skating at full speed. In terms of his skating, Ryder is an average straight-line skater for this level of play and projects as being average at the NHL level. He is a better skater in tight than he is in open ice, as he is strong on his edges and able to change direction quickly. As a physically strong player, he is also able to withstand contact while protecting the puck. Defensively, Ryder was able to intercept breakout passes as he expertly read the breakout. Overall, this was an excellent showing for Ryder who projects as a mid-first round pick at this time
Matej Kubiesa (RW, R, 5’11”, 171, Prince Albert Raiders, 09/11/2006)
Game Grade: B-
Comments: Matej recorded his second point of the season on Prince Albert’s third goal of the game. On this play, Macias entered the puck into the offensive zone while Prince Albert was on the power play. As the killers converged on Macias, Matej found open space to the right of the goal ahead of the rush and spun to face the play. He was hit with a pass and quickly fired it back to Macias at the net front who scored off the give-and-go play. Matej also drew a penalty in this game, as he was hooked when in possession of the puck along the wall. Throughout the game, it was evident that Matej’s confidence was growing. On multiple occasions, he rushed the puck well, and on one such rush, he carried the puck around the perimeter of the offensive zone before shooting on net from the slot. Matej was at his best away from the puck, as he was physical on the forecheck and came back hard defensively. On one specific play, he sprinted from the offensive zone back to the front of his net and tied up the opposing forward to prevent a scoring chance. Matej also defended well through the neutral zone as his stick was active. In one shift alone, he blocked two shots and positioned himself well in the defensive zone to protect the net and not let high-percentage chances through. Matej’s skating is currently his biggest growth opportunity as his stride is short and choppy, and his straight-line speed is ‘poor’ in comparison to NHL players. Despite his best efforts, Matej also struggled to generate speed while skating backwards as he defended through the neutral zone. It is also worth noting that in the third period, Matej had a 2:52 long shift in which he skated by the bench multiple times which is something that cannot continue. Despite his skating and shift length, this was a breakout performance for Matej who displayed a strong two-way game and projects as a late-round NHL draft pick
Chase Wutzke (G, L, 6’2″, 160, Red Deer Rebels, 07/26/2006)
Game Grade: Limited viewing
Comments: Chase was pulled after allowing four goals on 13 shots against Prince Albert. The netminder struggled with shots up top and was beaten over his blocker arm on two of the goals that he allowed. The fourth goal that he allowed went between his legs as he did not keep his stick down as he moved laterally off his post.
Ollie Josephson (C, L, 6’0″, 179, Red Deer Rebels, 07/22/2006)
Game Grade: B+
Comments: Ollie won 10/20 of the draws he took in this game as the 17-year-old was trusted to take key faceoffs in the defensive end for the Rebels. He often took draws in the defensive zone and then would immediately change to let another player come out to kill the penalty or rejoin his line. Ollie is an above-average straight-line skater for this level of play and projects as an above-average straight-line skater at the NHL level. Due to his speed, Ollie was able to stifle breakouts, as he would swoop in on opposing wingers and force turnovers. Ollie also finished every check throughout the game and on one play, he forced a turnover as the puck was rimmed; he hammered the intended recipient which forced him to bobble the puck. He also was willing to put his body on the line to make plays defensively and on one play took a hard hit in order to get the puck out of the zone. Offensively, Ollie pushed the pace of play in transition as he used his speed to attack defenders. On one two-on-one rush, he put the puck through the defender’s tripod and through to a teammate for a chance on goal. Ollie showed great control of the puck as on one play he went skate to stick with the puck at full speed as he kept the drive alive despite the bad pass. As Red Deer is not a deep team and Ollie is required to drive his own line with minimal support, his point totals do not project as being much more than half a point per game this season. That being said, he is someone who has the speed and skill to compete at the NHL level and projects as a bottom-six centreman.
Quentin Bourne (D, L, 5’7″, 160, Red Deer Rebels, 03/04/2006)
Game Grade: C
Comments: This was an informative viewing of Quentin, as the vast majority of WHL players are now back from NHL camps. Due to the returnees, Quentin is now on Red Deer’s second power play unit and this greatly limited his effectiveness and playing time. On the power play, Quentin stayed too close to the perimeter and did not move his feet as much as in our previous viewing. It was difficult for him to create offense as a result, especially given that he shot the puck into shin pads on multiple occasions. When defending the breakout, Quentin was effective at jumping up to pressure the winger and held the line well. When defending the rush, he must be sure to stay to the inside of puck carriers to stay between them and the net. He also must be willing to engage opponents more physically, as he was prone to fishing for pucks with his stick, which led to him getting passed. On one rush, Quentin took a suboptimal line to the puck and was beaten to it by his opponent. He did not hurry back to defend on this play and was beaten in a race to the net by his opponent. Quentin’s skating is his sole tool that projects as NHL level, as he is strong on his edges and able to change direction quickly. Due in large part to his size and defensive struggles, Quentin is not considered an NHL-level prospect by Neutral Zone at this time.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
Scout: Nick Earle