Played on Feb 19, 2025
Western Hockey League
Game Played in VisitLethbridge.com Arena
General Game Notes: This was a four to one game in the middle of the third period, until the Hurricanes started to make a push. Unfortunately the three goal deficit proved too much but the Hurricanes were able to get a pair with some late period heroics. The Blades scored early and maintained momentum tonight to hold on to the victory.
Carsen Adair (D, L, 6’3″, 190, Lethbridge Hurricanes, 02/14/2007)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Adair was able to show tonight that he is a tough, physical defenseman who plays with an aggressive edge and has the ability to deliver big open-ice hits. However, his offensive contributions are limited, and he can find himself in penalty trouble if he doesn’t maintain discipline. has good size, decent strength, and plays a gritty, physical game. He isn’t afraid to use his body to make an impact. Where he gets caught is when he is looking to reach and smaller more agile players with slip the puck through his triangle. He has a little trouble recovering if he cannot recover with force.
Brayden Edwards (RW, R, 6’0″, 186, Lethbridge Hurricanes, 12/23/2004)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: In the offensive zone, Edwards was able to show that he is a natural playmaker, comfortably setting up plays under pressure in small areas. Little dink passes to space where his teammates can skate on to it is something that he excels at. He has a quick and effective release. His acceleration could use some improvement, but once at full speed, he is fast and tough for defenders to contain. Defensively, He plays a smart, structured game, avoiding unnecessary risks and making simple yet effective decisions, demonstrating strong spatial awareness. He will attack scoring spaces regardless of the amount of players in the area, his confidence with the puck allows him to do that.
Kash Andresen (C, R, 6’2″, 185, Lethbridge Hurricanes, 01/01/2007)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Andresen demonstrated tonight that he is a versatile, big-bodied forward capable of playing any position up front. He puts in relentless effort across the ice and excels in battles along the boards where he can use his size. His game is defined by grit and physicality, making him a tough opponent to play against. When he is at his best he is looking to draw players in and dish around them. He has the size to take on contact and make plays with pressure. He needs to lower the shoulder more off the rush and drive the net. With his strength he should be able to out muscle more players at the net.
Brayden Yager (C, R, 5’11”, 171, Lethbridge Hurricanes, 01/03/2005)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Not overly large, but plays with a lot of grit and energy. With his speed, guts, and defensive smarts, he makes for a great penalty killer. Owns decent passing and puck handling skills, as well as the ability to play in multiple different situations. On the power play, he is a strong presence around the net, creating a lot of his chances from close range. When he has time and space with the puck, he is dangerous mainly because of hit shot. It is an obvious reason as to why is able to get twenty three goals on the season along with some assists. His shot is lethal enough that it will leave rebounds or his teammates to bang home.
Ethan McCallum (G, L, 6’4″, 195, Saskatoon Blades, 04/11/2006)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: One of the better aspects how his game is how well he was able to to control initial shots. When he did leave some rebounds, he kept them within reach and available to smother quickly to avoid second attempts. McCallum stays back in his crease, giving quality shooters more net to work with. His athleticism is able to get him out of a lot of these shot attempt but as the shooters increase in skill, McCallum will need to figure out how to cut his angles out. Does a good job at playing pucks, he was able to make some solid break out passes to his defensemen and wingers that were five to ten feet. Tonight, he struggled with making any passes at a longer distance than that.
Ben Saunderson (D, L, 6’0″, 191, Saskatoon Blades, 09/24/2004, Quinnipiac)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: Two standout qualities are his hockey sense and skating ability. He is an exceptionally intelligent player who makes smart decisions and consistently delivers accurate passes. His mobility is a strong asset, as he possesses good overall speed and accelerates well. While he is more noticeable in the offensive zone, he plays a responsible two-way game and is reliable in his own end. He is on the larger side as far as defenseman go but not particularly physical, he makes up for it with his vision and puck-handling skills, allowing him to navigate difficult situations effectively. To elevate his game further he needs to add some upper body to be able to pin and play a more aggressive style of defense.
Isaac Poll (D, R, 6’2″, 187, Saskatoon Blades, 05/03/2007)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Poll was able to show tonight that he is a stay-at-home defenseman with very good size and strength. He has the potential to become a bruising defenseman if he develops his physical game. At this point, his is inconsistent when it comes to playing the body and should act with more resolution and confidence along the boards and in front of his goalie. He does not have the fundamental skills to contribute in a big way in terms of points and hockey sense is limited to playing it safe in his own end. Motins puck skills are rather average and on the downside, mobility and speed could use some improvement. Tonight, he was able to focus on making the smart first play, he sees a pass he delivers it, no dusting or double thinking which made him effective in his own end.
Grayden Siepmann (D, R, 5’11”, 185, Saskatoon Blades, 05/26/2004, Minnesota Duluth)
Game Rating
B-
1 Viewing
Comments: When Siepmann head is up and attacking north with the puck, he is extremely hard to get a body on when he has time and space. His smooth skating is agile enough and deceptive enough to make multiple players miss on the forecheck. On pick ups in his corner, he can make F1 miss getting his body going one way and skates the other. He is constantly diving into the offense, wether that is in zone creating switches along the wall, or being late man in the rush joining for the second wave. His style of game of course has some risk to it and one negative to his game tonight was that he needs to do a better job at managing that risk.
Hayden Harsanyi (LW, L, 5’9″, 175, Saskatoon Blades, 01/10/2007)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Off the wall, in the offensive zone, is where Harsanyi is able to show his speed and skill. Multiple times tonight he was able to escape from a battle or a pressure situation, with his feet, stickhandle around someone to get to the slot and put a quality shot on net. He does a good job at keeping the puck close to his body showing that he is able to expose defenders looking to go stick on puck. Right when you think the puck is going to get taken from him, he has a second effort and is twice as hard on his stick, he does not let go of the puck easy. Due to his stature, he needs to work on getting more stable on his feet to be able to take contact from larger players.
Hunter Laing (RW, R, 6’5″, 205, Saskatoon Blades, 05/16/2006)
Game Rating
A-
1 Viewing
Comments: There was a lot of reasons why Laing was an impressive watch tonight. Scored a nice goal attacking the goalie, out waiting him, and with the puck glued to his stick, he was able to tuck the puck at the post when he was behind the goal line. The combination he has of being one of the taller players on the ice, and being able to efficiently skate, makes him hard to play against. Laing was able to score two tonight, showing off the offensive presence that he has. One down fall right now in his game is how quick he can get to top speed. Smaller more agile players are able to at least catch him in tighter areas, but he does have the size and strength right now to defend them off and extend his possession. Once at top speed, his rush ability is hard to play as a smaller defender. Laing is not afraid to lower a shoulder and drive the net, but also has the feet to stop up and find the late wave.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images