The 2004s
Josh Mori (D, L, 5’11”, 175, Edmonton Oil Kings, 03/27/2004)
Comments: Strengths: Josh Mori is a poised two-way defenseman with above average puck management skills and defensive awareness. His ability to consistently make smart breakout passes and transition the puck efficiently sets him apart as a reliable and composed blueliner. With his head always up, Mori shows maturity and calm under pressure, using his edges to evade forecheckers and create space. His offensive-zone awareness is notable, as he effectively walks the blue line and gets shots through traffic toward the net. Defensively, Mori excels in gap control and uses his positioning to force opponents into low-percentage plays. He demonstrated physicality and a willingness to stand up for teammates, evidenced by his penalty minutes for roughing and fighting, which indicate his readiness to bring a physical edge when needed. On the penalty kill, his quick anticipation and active stick led to an intercepted pass and a successful clear. Mori’s attention to detail, shot-blocking, and ability to force turnovers make him a dependable player in his own zone. Weaknesses: Mori’s physical frame, while sufficient for junior hockey, will require additional strength and power to compete at the professional level. He occasionally over-handles the puck, resulting in giveaways, as seen in tonight’s game where he had six turnovers. Improving his decision-making under duress will help minimize these errors. Offensively, while his shot is effective at finding lanes, it could benefit from added velocity and quicker release. His play on the power play was limited, and while he showed potential to contribute, further development of his offensive instincts would enhance his ability to quarterback a power play or be a consistent threat in the offensive zone. How NCAA College Hockey Benefits Josh Mori: An NCAA college hockey environment would provide the ideal setting for Mori’s continued development. Strength and Conditioning: The extended time for off-ice training would allow him to add muscle and explosiveness, enabling him to handle larger, faster opponents and enhance his physical game. Skill Refinement: With more practice time relative to games, Mori can focus on honing his puck skills, decision-making, and shot velocity. Game Management: NCAA hockey’s structured systems and competitive balance would sharpen his defensive positioning and his ability to handle pressure situations. Development Timeline: The NCAA path provides a longer runway for Mori to mature physically and mentally, allowing him to step into professional hockey as a more polished defenseman. Projection: Josh Mori projects as a dependable two-way defenseman who could thrive in a depth-pairing role at the professional level. His versatility, hockey IQ, and steady demeanor make him a coach’s asset in any situation. With time in the NCAA to add strength and further refine his game, Mori has the potential to transition into professional hockey as a well-rounded, reliable blueliner capable of contributing at both ends of the ice. Development Focus: Physical Development: Prioritize strength and explosiveness training to enhance his ability to win battles and improve his overall mobility. Puck Management: Focus on minimizing giveaways and improving decision-making in high-pressure situations. Offensive Contributions: Work on increasing shot power and developing his ability to run a power play. Physical Edge: Continue to embrace physicality while maintaining discipline to limit unnecessary penalties. Mori’s strong foundation of skills and hockey sense makes him a promising prospect. With the right developmental path, he has the potential to carve out a successful professional career.
Marshall Finnie (RW, R, 6’2″, 191, Edmonton Oil Kings, 01/02/2004)
Comments: Strengths: Marshall Finnie is a physically imposing two-way forward who brings a blend of size, physicality, and effort to his game. His ability to win puck battles and disrupt opponents with heavy body checks was evident in his performance. A memorable physical display came on a second-period backcheck where his effort forced a turnover at the defensive blue line, demonstrating his commitment to defensive responsibilities. His active stick in the neutral zone and aggressive penalty-killing make him a valuable asset in defensive situations. Offensively, Finnie showed flashes of skill by attacking seams with the puck and protecting it effectively under pressure. His ability to withstand contact and maintain possession highlights his power-forward potential. He won important faceoffs, showing versatility as a winger capable of stepping into the faceoff circle when needed. Finnie’s assist and ability to generate grade ‘A’ scoring chances illustrate his offensive contributions. Weaknesses: While Finnie’s physicality and work ethic are clear strengths, his puck management requires improvement. His five giveaways in tonight’s game are a concern, especially in high-pressure situations. His offensive contributions, while promising, would benefit from quicker decision-making and better puck distribution. Finnie’s skating, while sufficient, could use an extra gear in terms of explosiveness and acceleration. Enhancing his speed would allow him to capitalize more effectively on opportunities in transition and improve his ability to close gaps defensively. How NCAA College Hockey Benefits Marshall Finnie: We feel the added development of the NCAA path offers the ideal developmental environment for Finnie to refine his game and unlock his professional potential: Strength and Conditioning: Increased off-ice training would help Finnie add explosive power to his skating and enhance his overall physicality and footwork. Skill Development: The practice-heavy NCAA schedule would provide Finnie the opportunity to improve puck skills, decision-making, and offensive awareness. Hockey IQ: Competing in the structured systems of college hockey would further develop his two-way game, particularly in puck management and movement off the puck. Longer Development Timeline: The NCAA route allows Finnie the time to mature physically and develop into a more well rounded power forward. Projection: Marshall Finnie projects as a bottom-six power forward at the professional level, with potential to contribute as a net-front presence at even strength and on a second powerplay unit. His physicality, defensive reliability, and versatility give him a solid foundation to build upon. With continued development, he has the potential to become a disruptive and impactful player at higher levels. Development Focus: Puck Management: Minimize giveaways by improving decision-making and puck-handling under pressure. Skating Development: Focus on explosiveness and acceleration to complement his physical game. Offensive Contributions: Enhance his first touch and shooting to make him a more consistent offensive threat. Consistency: Continue to build on his physical and defensive game while maintaining a disciplined approach. Finnie’s combination of size, physicality, and effort is highly valued in today’s game. The NCAA pathway would allow him to fully develop his toolkit and prepare for the professional ranks. With the right focus, Finnie has the potential to be a reliable and impactful forward at the next level.
Rylen Roersma (LW, L, 5’11”, 190, Edmonton Oil Kings, 07/25/2004)
Comments: Strengths: Rylen Roersma is a hard-nosed, 200-foot player who brings energy, effort, and intelligence to every shift and leadership to the line-up. Known for his anticipation for loose pucks, Roersma uses explosive strides to reach his top speed and make plays under pressure. His ability to anticipate puck movement allows him to consistently win battles and create turnovers, making him an asset in all three zones. Offensively, Roersma combines good skating with above average puck-handling skills. His ability to rush the puck with his head up and attack with speed is a hallmark of his junior career. He demonstrates creativity entering the zone, often using deceptive pauses or directional changes to create time and space. With a quick release and strong hands around the net, he is adept at capitalizing on rebounds and delivering accurate passes to teammates. Defensively, Roersma shows excellent awareness and work ethic, excelling as a penalty killer and a disruptive force on the forecheck. His ability to read the play, intercept passes, and force turnovers highlights his game processing and value in tight games. Weaknesses: While Roersma is a strong skater with good agility, his reliance on speed and North-South rushes can become predictable. Adding East-West deception and more creative offensive tools in tight spaces would make him a greater threat, especially against structured defenses. Roersma’s scoring struggles this season could be partially attributed to bad puck luck, but improving his shot accuracy and release would help him regain confidence and productivity. Additionally, his physical style demands continued improvements in core strength and lower-body power to remain effective at higher levels. How NCAA College Hockey Benefits Rylen Roersma: The NCAA environment is perfectly suited for Roersma’s continued growth and development: Strength Development: With access to elite strength and conditioning programs, Roersma can add the muscle mass and lower-body explosiveness necessary for his grinding style of play. Skill Refinement: The NCAA’s practice-to-game ratio provides an opportunity for Roersma to focus on improving his release, puck-handling in tight areas, and offensive creativity. Hockey IQ: Exposure to the highly structured systems of college hockey would sharpen his defensive awareness and fine-tune his ability to adapt his game to different situations. Maturity and Confidence: The longer NCAA development window allows Roersma to build his game at a steady pace, preparing him mentally and physically for the professional ranks. Projection: Rylen Roersma projects as a versatile, bottom-six forward at the professional level with the potential to thrive as a penalty killer and energy-line contributor who leads by example. His work ethic, hockey sense, and willingness to play a physical, grinding style are traits that translate well to the pro game. With continued growth, he could carve out a role as a reliable two-way winger capable of providing depth offense. Development Focus: Offensive Creativity: Expand his offensive game with more lateral East-West movement and creativity in tight spaces. Strength and Conditioning: Add core and lower-body strength to support his physical, high-energy game. Shot Improvement: Focus on quicker, more deceptive shooting mechanics to enhance his finishing ability. Zone Entry Variability: Diversify his approaches to entering the offensive zone to avoid predictability. Rylen Roersma is a tenacious and intelligent forward with the foundation to succeed in a professional setting. Adding the NCAA development pathway would provide the time, resources, and structure to maximize his potential and prepare him for the challenges of pro hockey.
Hunter Mayo (D, R, 6’1″, 202, Red Deer Rebels, 05/07/2004)
Comments: Strengths: Hunter Mayo is a rugged, physical defender who thrives in the dirty areas of the ice. He embraces a shutdown role and plays with a combination of grit and intelligence, making life miserable for opposing forwards. Defensively, he excels in net-front battles, blocks shots with consistency, and uses his powerful strides to close gaps and eliminate time and space. Mayo is particularly effective at forcing turnovers, evidenced by his ability to anticipate and disrupt plays with active stick work. In the offensive zone, Mayo demonstrates a measured approach, moving the puck quickly and efficiently. His one-touch passes are clean and hit teammates in stride, allowing for smooth transitions and quick exits from the defensive zone. When shooting from the point, Mayo shows strong awareness, often aiming to create secondary chances rather than simply scoring. His ability to spot and exploit backdoor royal road passing opportunities highlights his offensive vision. Mayo’s power and poise make him a dependable presence in all situations. His ability to play tough, absorb pressure, and distribute the puck quickly without overhandling adds stability to his team’s blue line. Weaknesses: Mayo’s aggressive defensive style can occasionally lead to overextensions, particularly when he steps outside the dots without sufficient back pressure. This tendency can open up the middle of the ice, leaving his team vulnerable to dangerous scoring chances. While his physicality is a strength, harnessing it within a more disciplined structure will be crucial as he faces faster, more skilled competition. Although Mayo makes quick decisions with the puck, his offensive game remains secondary to his defensive skill set. Developing his lateral movement on the blue line and improving his ability to create dynamic offensive plays will help round out his game. How NCAA College Hockey Benefits Hunter Mayo: The NCAA environment offers the ideal setting for Mayo to improve his overall game: Discipline and Structure: With the NCAA’s tactical focus, Mayo can work on refining his positioning and decision-making, ensuring he balances physicality with defensive awareness. Strength and Conditioning: Access to elite strength and conditioning programs will help Mayo maximize his powerful stride and maintain his physical edge against stronger, older competition. Skill Development: The NCAA’s higher practice-to-game ratio will provide ample time to work on improving lateral mobility, offensive creativity, and puck-handling under pressure. Maturity and Patience: The extended development window in college hockey allows Mayo to hone his game awareness and fully adapt his aggressive game to higher levels of competition. Projection: Hunter Mayo projects as a physical depth defenseman with the potential to thrive as a penalty-killer and situational shutdown player at the professional level. His grit, competitiveness, and intelligence make him an attractive option for teams seeking stability and toughness on the back end. With further refinement, he has the potential to evolve into a consistent, all-situations defender. Development Focus: Positioning Discipline: Work on maintaining proper coverage in defensive-zone situations to avoid leaving the middle open when looking for an opportunity to hit. Lateral Mobility: Enhance side-to-side skating to improve blue-line movement and offensive zone effectiveness. Offensive Skill Expansion: Develop puck-handling confidence, a more consistent first touch and simple creativity to add more dimensions to his offensive game. Controlled Physicality: Maintain a high level of physicality while ensuring it aligns with team structure and reduces unnecessary risk. Hunter Mayo’s mix of physicality, intelligence, and poise makes him a player to watch closely. The NCAA pathway would offer him the resources and time needed to refine his strengths and address his weaknesses, setting him up for a more successful professional career.
Jace Weir (D, R, 6’2″, 186, Red Deer Rebels, 05/21/2004)
Comments: Strengths: Jace Weir is a poised, athletic defenseman with a skill set that balances offensive creativity and defensive reliability. With a wide skating base and smooth stride, he moves efficiently on the ice and shows mobility that will only improve as he adds weight, power and strength. Offensively, Weir excels at walking the blue line, using head fakes and stutter steps to change shooting angles. His shot, while not overpowering, is consistently accurate and creates second-chance opportunities for teammates. Weir is an active participant in the offensive attack, frequently joining as the second wave or rushing the puck himself when space allows. His ability to mask his intentions with look-offs and execute passes on the move makes him an impactful threat in transition. He rarely overthinks plays, demonstrating decisiveness that minimizes risk. Defensively, Weir’s anticipation and awareness stand out. He clears the net front effectively, establishing position early and maintaining control of shooting lanes. His core strength allows him to fend off forecheckers while making clean breakout passes, and his ability to battle through contact without losing momentum is a testament to his balance and composure. His strong skating and quick reads enable him to jump on loose pucks and win races with consistency. Weaknesses: While Weir demonstrates high-end abilities, his play can sometimes be marred by inconsistencies, particularly with his puck movement. Soft passes and occasional turnovers suggest a need to improve his ability to adjust on the fly and decision-making under pressure. His point shot, though accurate, could benefit from increased velocity to make him a more dangerous weapon on the power play. Defensively, while generally sound, Weir’s lapses in execution can lead to unnecessary giveaways. These areas of his game will need refinement for him to handle the pace and precision required at the professional level. How NCAA College Hockey Benefits Jace Weir: NCAA hockey offers the perfect developmental environment for Weir to polish his game: Physical Development: The collegiate schedule will allow Weir to dedicate significant time to strength training, helping him add size and power to his already solid frame. Consistency and Focus: The structured practice environment will help him eliminate soft passes and improve the reliability of his puck movement. Tactical Refinement: Coaching at the NCAA level will provide Weir with the tools to better manage turnovers and refine his defensive positioning. Special Teams Mastery: With experience on both the penalty kill and power play, he can continue to hone his skills in these critical roles. Projection: Jace Weir projects as a mobile, two-way defenseman with the potential to slot into a depth role at the professional level. His size, skating ability, and offensive instincts make him an intriguing prospect, particularly for teams seeking defenders who can contribute in transition and on special teams. Continued focus on consistency and puck management will be key to unlocking his full potential. Development Focus: Puck Movement Precision: Sharpen passing accuracy and eliminate soft or risky plays, especially under pressure. Strength and Conditioning: Build core strength and explosiveness to maximize skating efficiency and physical engagement. Point Shot Velocity: Improve the power of his shot to enhance his effectiveness as a shooter on the power play. Game-to-Game Consistency: Work on maintaining a steady performance level by focusing on mental preparation and on-ice awareness. Game Summary vs. Edmonton: Total Ice Time: 24:33 (Team High) Power Play: 2:53 Penalty Kill: 3:12 Key Stats: 1 shot on goal 13 takeaways (Team High) 8 giveaways -2 rating Jace Weir’s heavy minutes and active defensive play showcased his ability to impact the game in multiple facets. While his 13 takeaways were a bright spot, the 8 giveaways highlighted areas for improvement. He continues to impress with his skating, puck-handling, and ability to influence both ends of the ice, but reducing errors will be critical for his long-term success.
Jhett Larson (C, L, 5’8″, 180, Red Deer Rebels, 02/03/2004)
Comments: Strengths: Jhett Larson is an undersized but dynamic forward whose game revolves around speed, energy, and relentless pressure. His skating is elite, particularly his edge work, which allows him to generate momentum and change direction seamlessly. Larson’s speed is a consistent disruptor, forcing opponents into rushed decisions and creating turnovers. His motor runs high every shift, and he excels at capitalizing on lapses in opponent focus. Offensively, Larson is a playmaker with good vision and the ability to anticipate his teammates’ positioning. His puck-moving skills are sharp, and his quickness enables him to find seams or create time and space for himself and others. Around the net, he shows soft hands and a knack for pouncing on loose pucks to generate scoring chances. Larson’s work ethic is contagious, and his game pace makes him an asset in transition. Defensively, he is relentless in his pursuit of the puck, using his agility and quick reads to disrupt plays. He is also effective on special teams, using his speed to pressure penalty killers or counterattack on the penalty kill. Weaknesses: At 5’8″, Larson’s lack of size is a limiting factor when it comes to physical battles or net-front play. While his speed compensates in many areas, he can struggle against larger defenders who can outmuscle him along the boards or in puck-protection scenarios. Turnovers are another area of concern. Larson’s high-tempo style occasionally leads to risky plays or rushed decisions, resulting in giveaways. His decision-making under pressure, especially in tight spaces, requires refinement to minimize these errors. Additionally, while Larson generates scoring chances through his speed and anticipation, his production will hinge on his ability to convert those chances more consistently. Projection: Jhett Larson profiles as a high-energy, depth forward at the professional level, with potential as a penalty kill specialist and situational offensive threat. His speed and work ethic make him an appealing option for teams looking to add pace to their lineup. However, he will need to further develop his playmaking consistency and limit turnovers to solidify a role at higher levels of competition. Development Focus: Strength and Conditioning: Improve physical strength to better compete in board battles and withstand contact from larger players. Puck Management: Focus on reducing giveaways by improving decision-making under pressure and simplifying plays when necessary. Finishing Ability: Work on increasing shot accuracy, varying release points and confidence to convert scoring opportunities into goals. Versatility: Continue to refine defensive habits to maximize his effectiveness on the penalty kill and in other key roles. Game Summary vs. Edmonton: Total Ice Time: 20:30 Power Play: 3:08 Penalty Kill: 1:52 Key Stats: 1 shot on goal 1 grade “A” scoring opportunity 1 faceoff win (1 attempt) 1 hard body check 12 giveaways 5 takeaways Larson’s performance highlighted both his strengths and areas for growth. His relentless energy and speed were evident, creating a high-grade scoring opportunity and forcing five takeaways. However, the 12 giveaways underscored the need for improved puck management and decision-making. His ability to generate momentum for his team makes him a player to watch, but addressing his turnover tendencies will be critical for his continued development.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images