Played on Oct 24, 2025
Game Played in South Okanagan Events Centre
General Game Notes: The Hometown Penticton Vees jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, that could have been a lot more if not for the steady goaltending of the Wenatchee Wild’s Tobias Tvrznik who stopped 32 of 34 shots in the game. Work horses, Luka Shcherbyna and Caelan Joudrey scored quickly back to back in the second, with Rui Han scoring on a nice individual effort in the third for the winner. Make the final 4-2 with an empty net goal.
Diego Johnson (LW, R, 5’11”, 178, Penticton Vees, 09/07/2006, Connecticut)
Game Rating
B-
Diego Johnson is a versatile right wing who excels at both ends of the ice. He demonstrates strong skating ability and balance, allowing him to maintain possession and play a physical game on the forecheck. Johnson’s puck-hunting skills are effective along the boards and in traffic, showcasing his all-around skillset. He is reliable in his own end, displaying solid defensive awareness and responsible positioning, which enables him to make dependable plays over 200 feet of ice. Johnson has shown a knack for scoring around the net, having notched three goals in the team’s first four games.
1 Viewing
Comments: Johnson (2006) is a compact, sturdy 5’10’, 180 lb right wing committed to the University of Connecticut who projects as a secondary scoring option and power-play contributor. He is a good skater with average straight-line speed and shows quick hands and good puck skills—he can finish creatively, evidenced when he came off the wall and was able score on a sharp-angled short-side top-shelf quick shot—and he has some willingness to play around the net. That said, his motor and compete level seem inconsistent (season battle win-rate under 50%), and his overall game would benefit from more consistent two-way work and stronger board-battle engagement; currently he contributes on the second power-play unit and is not used on the penalty kill. With more consistent effort and more physical engagement he has upside as a reliable middle-six winger at the collegiate level.
Matteo Danis (C, L, 6’1″, 187, Penticton Vees, 03/27/2005)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Danis (2005) is a 6’0′, 185 lb left-shot center who reliably eats minutes and competes hard for the full 60; he’s a steady, hard-working two-way pivot who plays sound five-on-five and can contribute on special teams. A good — though not elite — skater with decent top end speed, he works hard on walls for pucks, pressures on the fore check and hunts pucks, is a net-front presence around the opponent’s crease. He also handles the puck well can make plays. In this game, he logged almost 18 minutes of ice time, won 56% of his face offs and about 70% of his battles. His compete level, work and versatility project him as a dependable center who can be trusted in key defensive-zone and penalty-kill assignments while chipping in on the attack and power play.
Jiri Kamas (D, R, 6’1″, 187, Penticton Vees, 03/04/2008)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Kamas (2008) is a 6’1′, 187 lb right-shot defenseman who played just over 15 minutes in this game and showed why he’s a reliable two-way option. A strong, hard-to-displace skater, he wins more than half of his battles this season and uses his edges and strength effectively along the boards and in puck protection. On puck retrievals, he would pre-scan effectively, allowing him to successfully go D to D or reverse the puck to his partner. He displays good puck skills and offensive instincts, willing to jump into the play and create chances without forcing things. Defensively he generally handles down-low coverage well, though he can occasionally get on the wrong side of his man; with improved situational positioning and gap control he could be a consistently impactful defender at the next level.
Tobias Tvrznik (G, R, 6’3″, 181, Wenatchee Wild, 07/29/2007)
Game Rating
B+
1 Viewing
Comments: Tvrznik (2007) is a 6’3′, 180 lb right-catching netminder who plays a quiet, positionally sound, structured game — minimal extraneous movement, consistently square to pucks and aggressive in taking away angles, which makes shooters often seem to have little to shoot at and results in many shots simply hitting him. He covers a lot of net and showed strong situational awareness and timing, turning aside a number of difficult chances; he was the difference in the first period with 11 saves, including a strong, textbook positional stop on a point-blank one-timer. Overall, he made 32 saves on 34 shots. He was beaten early high glove when a Vees player was left left alone down the middle, but otherwise displayed dependable fundamentals, good net presence and the makings of a reliable starter with further physical maturation and continued refinement of his glove-high reads.
Boston Tait (D, L, 6’1″, 182, Wenatchee Wild, 04/13/2009)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Tait (2009) is a 6’1, 182 lb left-shot defenseman that put in top four minutes in this game logging almost 19 minutes. He is an efficient, smooth skater with strong puck skills and the poise and confidence to carry the puck when space presents itself. He is an effective first passer who pre-scans the ice, makes the right plays under pressure, and recovers quickly on retrievals. He provided steady, dependable five-on-five minutes, and has been a consistent contributor on the penalty kill all season. While he won almost 50% of his battles in this outing, continued physical consistency and engagement along the wall will help him take the next step.
Josh Fluker (D, R, 6’1″, 187, Wenatchee Wild, 01/03/2006)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Fluker is a 2006, 6’0′, 187 lb right-shot defenseman who profiles as a dependable, stay-at-home defender with above-average mobility; he skates well and handles the puck cleanly, routinely making consistent, simple plays to move the game north. He plays a reliable 200-foot game — sound in defensive-zone coverage and responsible on defending the attack — yet can chip in offensively, evidenced by regular power-play deployment. Physical battles are competitive but not dominant (roughly a 50% win rate this season), and he can handle minutes (over 21 in this outing), making him a trustworthy top-four option who prioritizes work, defending and consistency over flash.
Alexandre Andre (C, L, 5’9″, 174, Wenatchee Wild, 05/18/2008)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Andre is a hard-working, 5’9′, 175 lb left-shot center who plays a strong two-way game; his stride and top-end speed allow him to contribute on the attack and get in on the forecheck but his game is moreso on the defensive side where he is committed to backchecking hard and being sound down low in his own end. Defensively he shows advanced awareness for his age, competes aggressively along the wall and through the body with effective pins, and posts a season battle success rate north of 60%. He has also shown an ability on the dot where his faceoff win rate sits around 50% — and his compete level, motor, and puck-retrieval ability make him an effective pivot in all three zones with an upside as a penalty killing, defensive-specialist center.
Darian Rolsing (D, R, 6’5″, 186, Wenatchee Wild, 02/14/2008)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Rolsing is a 6’5′, 185-lb (2008) right-shot defenseman who got more comfortable as the game progressed — early miscues on simple plays gave way to growing confidence and cleaner decision-making. He’s a deceptively effective skater whose technique needs some refinement, but he can get back quickly on retrievals and carries the puck calmly under pressure rather than blindly dumping it; one shift he spun off a fore checker, drove three–four strides up ice and delivered a strong rink-wide pass to a streaking winger. His puck skills and poise in retrievals were solid for his size, and defensively he uses his stick well to disrupt plays on the attack and down low. He plays physically on the down low coverage with solid hits and pins. With that, he struggled with his angle on a particular play where a puck carrier was coming at him below the hashmarks, the result was he was beat and the player scored. Improved edge work and tighter mechanics, he has upside and would project as a sound defensive blueliner.
Sam Elliott (C, L, 6’2″, 177, Wenatchee Wild, 03/14/2005, Merrimack)
Game Rating
B
1 Viewing
Comments: Elliot is a left-shot, 6’2′ center committed to Mercyhurst University who plays a reliable two-way game and can be counted on for solid minutes each night; he’s a good skater with a strong overall skill set that showed up in the attack, where his speed and puck skills were a consistent threat all night backing off the Vees defence. He also has a very good change of speed that he uses effectively on the rush, and he’s trusted on special teams — deployed on the top power play and the penalty kill — and logged nearly 17 minutes overall in this outing. On the downside he struggled on the boards in this game (around a 30% battle success rate), although his season mark sits closer to 50%, indicating this was likely an off night in physical battles. He has the ability to be a reliable two-way centre at the university level.
Luka Shcherbyna (C, R, 5’10”, 182, Wenatchee Wild, 06/01/2006, Colgate)
Game Rating
B+
Luka Shcherbyna is a physically imposing presence on the ice, utilizing his wide stance skating style to maintain control and stability in tight spaces. His strong work ethic is evident throughout every shift, making him a reliable asset for his team. Shcherbyna’s speed and puck skills are equally impressive, allowing him to quickly transition from defense to offense and exploit defensive lapses. He is also an effective physical presence, using his body well in battles to win key possessions. His ability to adapt to different situations, including power play and 4v4, showcases his versatility as a player.
1 Viewing
Comments: Shcherbyna (5’9′, 182 lbs) plays well above his size — a high-energy, competitive right centre who uses explosive stride and low, powerful edges to win puck battles, finish checks and protect the puck through contact. His skating and relentless motor allow him to apply fore check pressure playing the body all the time. With the puck he is a hard-to-dislodge option down low; defensively he reads coverage well, pins and hits with authority and is dependable over 200 feet. Offensively he showed his quickness and speed as he darted into a middle seam on the attack from the off wing, unleashed a a quick release wrist shot, tucking it low blocker side for the Wild’s first goal of the night. He is always in the middle of scrums, and willing to push back with authority. His usage (nearly 19 minutes, top power play and some PK minutes) reflects coaches’ trust in his two-way, high-work ethic game.
Caelan Joudrey (C, R, 6’4″, 181, Wenatchee Wild, 01/17/2008, Quinnipiac)
Game Rating
B+
Caelan Joudrey’s impressive skillset showcases his exceptional size, agility, and hockey IQ. He possesses excellent puck handling skills, demonstrating awareness of where to be on the ice. This allowed him to make a confident, nifty pass in the neutral zone, showcasing his vision and decision-making. His physicality is also evident as he digs into battles along the walls and netfronts with a willingness to go into tough areas. Joudrey’s defensive awareness is noteworthy, particularly in his own zone where he finishes plays with contact. With these skills combined, Joudrey has high upside, making him an exciting young player to watch.
1 Viewing
Comments: Joudrey (2008) is an imposing 6’4′, right-shot center – with a very sound, well-rounded skill set. For a big forward he skates very well, showing very good top-end speed and mobility to get around the ice, and his puck skills allow him to handle in traffic and make plays in tight spaces. He competes hard on the boards and in the dirty areas, consistently grinding for pucks and providing a reliable two-way presence driven by a strong work ethic. He can act as a playmaker or crash the net — exemplified by a play where he chipped a board-side draw back to the point, drove to the net and finished for a rebound goal — which underlines his net-front instincts and willingness to go to the hard areas. Overall projects as a high-ceiling, two way middle six centre who will compete hard for pucks, contribute physically, offensively can chip in and simply put in solid minutes.
Photo credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images