| William Godfrey | Brockville Braves | CCHL | L | D | 5’11” | 172 | Uncomm. | Whitby, ON | 2004 | Long Term Watch |
Godfrey is a defensive minded defenseman with the passing and slating ability to provide a consistent option from the backend. Offensively, he can make hard accurate passes without having to stickhandle. Along the offensive blueline we feel his first touch needs improvement, but in transition or below the goal line Godfrey has the footwork to receive passes as he fades away which allows him to have a softer first touch. He is not a banger, but he is strong and has the skating posture that will allow him to carry more weight. Godfrey has never been a defenseman who impacts the game on the score sheet, but we feel his offensive numbers will improve quite dramatically in his second year of Junior hockey and he feel more comfortable.
CCHL: Hawkesbury Hawks vs Brockville Braves, December 14, 2021: We first noticed Godfrey mid-way through the first period while he was defending a quick 2 on 1, when after a neutral zone turnover he communicated loudly with his backchecker telling him to pursue the trailing Hawkesbury forward. This allowed Godfrey to buy himself time and eventually break the play down without giving up a shot on net. Early in the game we liked his ability to receive a pass without stickhandling to find the center option, but as the game wore on it appeared as though he was forcing transition up the middle instead of looking for the simple passing read up the wall. In the defensive zone Godfrey showed good strength as he ended the cycle quickly. His skating posture of hips down and chest up allowed him to knock opposing forwards off the puck without looking like he had to put much effort into doing it.
CCHL: Brockville Braves vs Cornwall Colts, November 11, 2021: Godfrey is an average sized left shot defender who showed the pivoting ability and ice awareness to play both the left or right sides. We liked how he retrieved dump-ins with pace while still showing the awareness to scan the ice locating forecheckers. During offensive transition he looked to move the puck quickly rather than overhandling it and getting himself in trouble, but he has the skating ability to get the red line for a quality dump. Godfrey earned a secondary assist from the defensive zone after breaking up a line rush and starting a quick transition that led to a 2 on 1. He played primarily 5 on 5 minutes, but we feel that the combination of his stick on puck defending style and powerful skating base will lead him to earning penalty kill minutes as the season progresses.
Midget AAA: OMHA Championship, March 25, 2020: Godfrey recently had an outstanding OMHA Championship Tournament in Belleville, ON. Bringing a combination of shut down defense and offensive tempo with upside to the Wildcats, he truly portrayed as a calming influence on the blue line and was trusted by his coaches to play in any situation. He closes gaps well and angles puck carriers to the outside wall with a high degree of efficiency. In the bronze medal game against Southern Tier, he diffused three two-on-one attempts meticulously enough that he came away with the puck every time. His defensive anticipation and slot coverage were quite strong throughout the weekend. He saw power play time that allowed him to contribute on the score sheet, notching four points in five games. Godfrey was easily one of the top defenders on the weekend and will be rewarded with hearing his name in next month’s OHL Priority Draft. Grade: A-
Midget AAA: Toronto Titans Early Bird Tournament, September 24, 2019: Godfrey is a steady eddy smart defender with good hockey IQ on both sides of the puck. Godfrey does a lot of things well – he is strong, manages his gap well, passes the puck with zip and has a heavy shot. Godfrey skates well and is quick to retrieve pucks to start the transition back to offense. A solid, reliable defense first player Godfrey provides stability for the Wildcats on their backend. Grade: B
2004s: Eastern Exposure Cup, November 7, 2018: William showed the ability to make plays from the backend, he had a few nice looks on the offensive blue line that led to some quality scoring chances. He did a good job at getting pucks to the net through traffic. He has size and mobility as well as good skill to be a solid puck moving D. Grade: B
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images