| William Vote | NTDP U18 | USHL | R | RW | 5’7″ | 159 | Boston College | 2023 | Arlington, MA | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
Vote is a cerebral undersized right shot forward. Offensively he might not be a deadly 1 on 1 dangling threat, but he has excellent puck control skills to go along with the edge control to make defenders look foolish after contact. He handles hard bouncing passes with ease and can pull pucks out of his feet without breaking stride. While cycling through the offensive zone Vote rarely stays at a consistent pace or on a predictable path. Instead to create space he accelerates while cutting at a 90 degree angle or baits the opposing defender into trying to spring with him to the net so he can slam on the breaks which leaves in open ice. Coming in at 5’7″ and 159lbs Vote will need to continue developing is strength and power to have an NHL career. We feel that this is statically backed up by him winning 42% of his puck battles through this point in his NTDP career and being on the receiving end of over 1.10 hard body checks per game. We do like his willingness to play in traffic and love that he has scored 21 goals from within 15′ of his opponent’s net, but again we also feel this proves that he will need to continue developing his overall fitness to have this same type of success in the National Hockey League.
USHL: USNTDP U18 vs Dubuque, December 17, 2022: Vote totaled 16:50 in ice time including 3:42 while on the power play and 2:04 while shorthanded. He finished with 1 goal, 1 primary assist on a beautifully executed 2 on 1, +1, 2 shots on goal, 2 grade “A”, received 3 hard body checks, 6 giveaways, 6 takeaways and won 56% of his 9 puck battles.
NCAA: USNTDP U18 vs Niagara University, November 18, 2022: Vote totaled 13:39 in ice time including 2:15 while on the power play and 0:57 while shorthanded. He had a secondary assist, but the pass came after he received a poor pass in his feet and he settled the puck quickly without breaking stride. On the night he finished -3, with 0 shots, 2 hits, received 1 hard hit, had 1 shot blocked, 6 giveaways, 0 takeaways and won 40% of his 10 puck battles.
USHL Showcase, November 15, 2022: Vote is a small elusive playmaker who finished last season as the second leading scorer on the team. He was a bit quiet here with 0 pts and just 2 shots in 2 games but he’s got quick hands and nimble feet to create separation and make plays in open ice. He has a quick processor reads the play and can find his teammates on zone entries with the ability to thread passes through tight windows sauce it over stick blades and liked to circle back wait for support and hit late trailers in stride. Vote has slick hands natural offensive instincts and can make defenders miss 1v1 through the neutral zone on the rush. He has a quick and crafty stick plays with his head up and was able to win pucks in small areas and spin and curl off checks and get to open ice. Dangerous player in transition but he wasn’t able to get inside on defenders and was a bit perimeter at times. His offensive chances came on the power play and on the rush so he’ll have to find ways to create offense in zone off the cycle and on broken plays and get more shots to the net. Grade: B
USHL: USNTDP U18 vs Youngstown, October 31, 2022: One of the more committed players on his team he take the shot when he sees it and doesn’t hesitate. Scored a nice goal on the power play this way being a shooter some players want to pass up the opportunity for the fancy back door pass not Vote. One aspect about Votes game that really was highlighted was his ability to create trap passes in the offensive zone. He was able to get his teammates the puck when you think they’re not open but they are. He compresses the coverage and opponents to him which opens his teammates up for scoring chances. Grade: A-
USHL: USNTDP U18 vs Youngstown, January 29 & 30, 2022: Vote is a smaller forward who is a good skater with quick legs and good acceleration. He used his quickness to pressure defensively and create turnovers on the forecheck. He was an effective penalty killer and used his quickness to apply pressure and create bad passes or turnovers. He shows some shiftiness skating the puck through open ice. He shows good vision and awareness with the puck and finds open areas without the puck. He scored the 1st goal in game two finding a loose puck in front off the rebound on the rush burying it on his backhand. Grade: B+
2005s: Triple Crown Showcase, August 21, 2020: Vote is a highly skilled, puck possession forward with great poise and hockey IQ. While his ability to dangle defenders and make them look silly at times gets the most attention; it’s his hockey sense, creativity and vision that separate him from the pack. He’s very smooth, he’s polished with the puck, he knows how to read pressure and find open ice and makes tape to tape passes with touch. His cerebral style and crafty stick make him difficult to defend against in open ice because he’s as lethal a passer as he is a shooter and puck handler. He puts defenders on their heels with his speed in the neutral zone, he can change speed and change direction to get ice and his head is always up surveying the ice to make plays. His poise draws defenders towards him and opens up ice for his teammates and when they don’t come out to play him and take the passing lanes away he can cut to the net and get shots off. He shoots with his head up, he shoots to score and follows up rushes stopping on the net front for rebounds. He showed no quit in the corners and despite his size had balanced edges and got off checks and skated through contact. He’s tough to get a body on as he spins and dips his way through tight areas but he showed he can win 50/50 battles in the corners. A slippery, skilled playmaker with excellent offensive instincts and creativity; he makes split second decisions under pressure and sets up his teammates in scoring areas all over the offensive zone. He was lethal on the power play coming off the wall and feeding the backdoor or high slot area with passes or cutting to the slot and getting pucks to the net. High IQ player who makes everyone around him better and ready for the next level. An obvious CHL/NCAA D1 prospect. Grade: A-
2005s: Blue Line Elite Prep Cup, August 5, 2020: The Crows forward made the game look so easy. Vote was flying around the ice. He plays a 200-foot game and is a factor every time he touches the puck. He supports his defensemen well and provides another layer of defense. He provides hard back pressure through the middle of the ice and can pickpocket you when you least expect it. Vote’s stride is very smooth and he can really turn the jets on when he needs to. He is balanced and talented with his edges. He knows the situation and reads the play well. He can transition quick and will put back pressure on quickly. Vote thrives in the offensive zone and loves to shoot the puck any chance he can get. He has an absolute rip with a quick release. He scored a goal where he picked a corner and then another one in the shootout. He is a player that is very dangerous if you give him time and space to work. Vote has a lot of upside and was very entertaining to watch. He will be attending Dexter next year and he could be a major factor in prep hockey. Grade: A
U14: Tier 1 Massachusetts State Tournament, March 19, 2020: Listed as a defender but was playing forward all weekend. Crafty style and uses his vision, smarts and skills to create offense each time out on the ice. Quick first step lets him separate. Very talented with the puck on his stick and will either carry the puck away from trouble or quickly one-touch passes to open-up lanes. Not the biggest player but is constantly in motion and uses change of speed and timing to get to spots right before the puck. Will need to get stronger but has as much upside as anyone here. Grade: A
U14: Seacoast Performance Academy Showcase, February 24, 2020: He was Smith’s running mate in an 8-2 win over Shattuck. He is quick and fast. his mobility and edges are elite. Vote used the skating ability to find seams and create space. He picked up several points at this event and had a four point game against Shattuck. He showed he can snipe as well as make all the passes to spring his linemates. His hands are quick and the puck doesn’t slow him. He also has great sense and the puck seems to find him. William works extremely hard and that alone points towards continued improvement. He is already really good and his ceiling is high.
U14: Bantam Eastern Exposure Cup, November 13, 2019: We liked almost every one of Vote’s shifts here. Sometimes we leave a game and think a bit about it and realize a player like Vote really has a ton of tools. We just kept seeing him near positive plays. His skating is excellent as he is fast and mobile. He can change direction quickly with the puck and not lose pace. His stick is quick and at times tricky. He never forced any plays but either took his ice or moved it to a better spot. He picked up a beautiful assist (perhaps the best play, all weekend) when he took on two Titans, was hauled down (penalty coming) and from his back, swept the puck to a wide-open Smith for a goal. High level of athletic intelligence. Of all the players on a Top 5 bantam team (NZ’s opinion,) he is perhaps the one we look most forward to watching develop. Lots of tools in the toolbox and he is extremely athletic. High ceiling and high-level prospect.
U14: USHL Showcase, October 19, 2019: Vote was really entertaining to watch the more and more you saw his shifts come up. He was an absolute pain in the butt to play against because he was constantly putting pressure on the puck carrier. He plays a very aggressive style of forecheck and he was routinely forcing the defense to cough up pucks; at one point leading to an assist on one of the goals in a late game. He was routinely the F1 forward on the forecheck and he was constantly hunting the puck forcing the D to flush it away from him into the waiting arms of other attacking forwards. Off the rush he did a nice job of being aware of his trailer: executing a solid drop pass for another assist on a goal. Simply put, he takes ice offensively whenever you give it to him and he tries to take what little ice you already have defensively. Grade: B+
2005s: STX 68 Combine, September 3, 2019: Vote showed some of the best stickhandling ability of anyone on the weekend. Really good hands and creativity. Especially good with the puck in traffic and does well to create space and maneuver through traffic. Can make things happen with the puck and disruptive in the offensive zone.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images