I would just like to take this opportunity to wish all the readers of the blog and donators to the newsletter a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season. If it weren't for the readers and all of you people, WEHP wouldn't exist and there simply wouldn't be an outlet for everyone to gather and talk bantam hockey.
This is the 3rd season of Western Elite Hockey Prospects and this season has been very interesting once again with many happenings across western Canada and the USA. So with that said, I thought we should look at the top 10 story lines up to the point in the season.
Tyler Benson/Kale Clague battle for 1st overall
- Since the beginning of the season, there has been a 1A and 1B for 1st overall in the WHL Bantam Draft. Benson is on a record breaking pace in the AMBHL and is on track for 152 points this season. Of course, as we have discussed on several different occasions that Ty Rattie hold the record with 131 in the 07-08 season. Kale Clague, now in his 3rd bantam season has been very dominant and also on track for a record breaking season for a defenceman. It will likely depend on who is picking first overall for the draft as to who goes first.
Jaeger White to BWC
- The biggest buzz entering the season was the move of Jaeger White from Medicine Hat to BWC. White has shown to be one of the more talented players in western Canada and has his BWC squad rated #1 one again in Western Canada. Having won the Medicine Hat Tournament, they will enter the St. Albert Tournament as the favorite. White has been a huge factor in the success and provides much of the offence on what is primarily a defensive type team. Of course we all remember the notorious 22-1 win over Cloverdale to which he had a 15 point game.
Nolan Patrick entering in the conversation for 1st overall
- Nolan Patrick was injured to the start the season and as a result was a bit of an enigma in that we really weren't sure how he would measure up to the top players. Moreover, he wasn't with the Winnipeg Hawks at the Medicine Hat Tournament. Since his return a few weeks ago, he has been head and shoulders above everyone in the Winnipeg AAA league and by head and shoulders, we aren't talking about his 6'2 175lb size! Patrick has 30 points in 9 games so far.
SSAC dominance of the AMBHL
- The annual powerhouse SSAC Southgate Lions have gotten off to a 19-0-1 start and have allowed less than 2 GPG while scoring 7 GPG. Led by arguably the top forward (Benson), one of the top defenceman (Quenneville) and top goalies (Skinner) - the Lions are able to dominate at the bantam level. Some top rookies for the Alberta Peewee Champions from 11-12 have contributed.
MLAC forward Ryan Jevne with 2 - 6 goal games.
- Ryan Jevne has shown to be a dominate goal scorer at times this season with 2 games to which he has scored 6 goals in a span of a couple weeks. He has also had 3 - 4 goal games this year.
Jordy Bellerive proving worthy of #1 ranking for 99 born players
- Bellerive has been one of the top offensive players in western Canada on one of western Canada's top teams. He currently leads NSWC in scoring with 46-30-76 in 37 games and is a plus-44. Fellow '99 born deserves an honorable mention on NSWC in G - Dorrin Luding with his 1.12 GAA and 14-2-2 record.
Vancouver Thunderbirds/PCAHA Banter
- This is for the message posters! In the three years that WEHP has been in existence, we have never seen so much back and forth banter - both good and bad, in one season. The Thunderbirds have a good enough team to be in the PCAHA Flight 1, case closed. Are they a top team? No. Are they a good team, Yes! Lets just leave it at that for the new year. The PCAHA has been very entertaining with the 2 winter clubs dominating again and a tier of several teams to follow.
The Academies are top teams again
- POE, Notre Dame and OHA continue to be top teams and be scrutinized as a result. I'm in agreement of what has been spoken about in regards to perhaps a "special division" of POE, Notre Dame, OHA, Edge School and heck even BWC and NSWC could be part of this division. I'm sure all these teams could travel and have several mini tournaments throughout the season and even join the other top teams in Medicine Hat and St. Albert. Something worth thinking about.
Lack of high end Saskatchewan Talent
- In the scouting world, it is evident that the common belief is that Saskatchewan is in a down turn for high end talent for the '13 bantam draft. We would be stunned if a player went in the top 10 picks at this point and some have suggested that it may be a stretch in even having a first rounder from the province. That is not to say there isn't depth, cause there is some depth, just not high end talent as in years past.
Northern Alberta - Cream of the crop for the draft!
The lower mainland dominated the '12 bantam draft with the likes of Barzal, Harkins, Gawdin, Musil, Ronning and Soy all high picks. In fact, the province of BC had 11- 1st round picks and 6 of the top 8. This year, the high end talent has clearly shifted to Alberta and more specifically Northern Alberta. Benson, Clague, Steel, Quenneville all have a very good chance on being top 10 picks and the province in general has a chance at matching the BC output of 11 first rounders if you include the players attending academies.
40 comments:
I would be curious to read what some of the other Bantam rankings say in comparison. Will/can you provide what other sites rank the bantam players for comparison sake?
No other site does what WEHP does or offers. I know a BC ranking site but those rankings are so far off it isn't even funny. The other site steals the rankings from here. There really isn't anything else and there doesn't have to be either.
White is falling off the local rankings in the PCAHA league, he should have stayed home and played in the weaker Alberta league where its very common for players to score 5 and 6 goals in a single game.
He has struggled to score 3 goals in the past 3 regular games, Richmond he had 1 goal, Coquitlam he had 1 goal, Abbotsford he had 0 goals, and Burnaby Minor he was shut down again
Not much to brag about there!
Just saying, keep it real out here and post the true facts, he is talented but not worth over promoting
A couple of us willbe watching BWC play against Richmond Minor tonight and the proof is in the pudding ...... and the thing no one posts is how much ice he gets by the coaching staff
Thanks to his Octagon Hockey program who are his coaching staff
BWC players and parents seeing the true light again, only a couple will be promoted
Any site ranking anyone other than Bantams is just silly. One BC site is ranking 2003's and I am sure there are many parents paying good money to see their kids name. Even the 99 list here will change so much by next year, I think that is pushing the limit a bit.
How many assists did white have in those games??? 3 or 4 at the least. It's not all about goals . Don't put down the kid because he's passing the puck
December 20, 2012 10:27 AM
Yes you are very correct on this. Two of the players you can see that are actually playing against each other for stats. Have seen them 3x's against Richmond. You can tell by the parents who are high on themselves and who want to play as a team.
a example
when you are up 4-0 and you rush the puck to make a breakaway.....
they will bash their own teammates to promote their own son.
The ones that hold the team together you rarely hear about.
5:17pm
Agree. Before Bantam hitting its a waste of time. We all know of the kids who thrive before that often disappear. Many of the highly ranked PCAHA players that were promoted at the start of the season are now turning out to be average at best. Is it time to shake up those rankings? WEHP does a good job but is still ranking by draft order not skill set. Then again big and clunky usually does get drafted high so they could be right.
That other site is a complete joke. It will be gone within a year.
December 21, 2012 8:26 AM
The best skilled players get lots of assists and only idiots ignore that!
i must have missed those game or games when he was passing the puck it was not posted on the website.
must have been impressive, drop passes to no one?
do the simple test, watch how long he carries the puck only to take the shot or more seen loose the puck.
the boy is skillful and lacks game sense.
he has the individual talent similar to that shmyr kid that left bc and went to alberta.
shmyr still drafted high based on his personal skill set
i hope some coach will be able to break white to be a contrbuting team stud rather then a one hit wonder from youtube
December 20, 2012 10:27 AM
"BWC players and parents seeing the true light again, only a couple will be promoted"
What did the parents expect!
Thats why he was brought here.
Still too many BWC players ranked.
Yes, the whole Octagon connection needs to be exposed. The Coach's son is an Agent/Advisor, so (quite naturally) the Coach showcases the players that will advance his son's interests. The shenanigans at BWC aren't limited to recruiting.
The BC ranking site has POE as the 6th ranked team in BC behind Semiahmoo and Langley. Richmond #5 lol.
Hey 10:27 it must really irk you that the program there is so good, year after year after year.
Same with NSWC, good program every year.
Enough bashing people and programs, its a game. A game that kids love to play.
Is it right to consider Alberta kids playing in BC as BC kids. As they will probably go home next year.
Anther has it as
BISONS,SSAC,NSWC,ND,BWC,POE,SABERS,ROYALS,OHA,FLAMES.
another has
SSAC,BWC,BISONS,NSWC,POE,ROYALS,ND,HAWKS ,MONARCHS,FLYERS
Hey 10:27
Stick to trying to rebuild your spring program because your scouting is laughable. You talk about his lack of goal production ( 3 in 3 games, not bad) but you failed to mention all the assist he gets. Those don't count???? ... Lots to brag about with this kid.
Successful programs allow coaches to run the program and make the decisions, not the parents. If one couldn't influence the coaches they turned into the parent that any coach would hate to have on his team . That's why some leave and cause problems at the next association. Sound familiar??? Your comments are just that and people see right through you. Why did your program fail?
10:20
I"M GOING TO EXPOSE IT. HE IS A PLAYER AGENT... and guess what???
Kids that have agents, usually are the best players and they do get more ice. Call it showcasing, I call it just plain reality and its going to get worse at the next level.
Question: What does it matter if he's a player agent? If the kids and the parents on the team are happy , that's the only thing that should matter. People that want to make it an issue aren't involved and jealous.
Yes I agree, POE, Is one of the top teams, with some of the top drafts ..Tyson Jost is a power forward, along with many skilled defence man. Anthony Bishop is a multi-talented defenceman, with amazing strength and tenacity. This kids skating ability is outstanding, and when playing as a D,or filling in as a forward,he can produce winning results no matter what position he fills. Only standing about 5'9/5'10 this kid has hidden talent that could make him a superstar. I watched him play forward years ago, Kelowna Minor I believe, and he is effortless.
I will agree with that. POE and Kelowna in general, produces some talent thats for sure.
Look at the BC hockey connection to NSWC. For under 16 etc plus seafair connection .
What a gong show - Surrey vs Abbotsford.
December 22, 2012 9:11 PM
"What a gong show - Surrey vs Abbotsford."
What does that mean?
You took the trouble to post a comment, but made no effort to be understood. What the ?????
The only gong show in the Surrey - Abby game was the ref, this guy is a pathetic embarassment to the city of Surrey and the sport of hockey. Abby averages less than 8 penalty minutes per game, and he dishes them 91 minutes, handing out game misconducts like it's candy on Halloween night. Then to top it off he sealed the 2-1 'victory' for Surrey by calling the game with over 2 minutes left on the clock. Put a picture of this guy in every rink across the country to make sure he never refs a game again.
December 22, 2012 9:11 PM
What happened with Surrey vs Abbotsford? 64 & 91 mins in penalties?
What gives?
It was really bad, Abby coach could not control his players which was part of the problem, but would agree that the ref was in way over his head, it was unnessesry to punt all the players, if the coach had been punted it might have calmed it all down
December 21, 2012 9:39 AM
this site is trying to do too much and nothing well at all . its only stats and not plus /minus.
Who takes bad penalties.
This site is becoming very stale.
Its very clear who this site likes.
But their are some many players out their that this site does nothing.
The sooner this joke of a site closes, the better. My 9 yr old daughter could run a better product. What a JOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dec 21 11:18
Is it right to consider BC players playing in Alberta, an Alberta player even if they move or not?
Ask Braylon Shmyr. He is from BC and played Bantam in Alberta and got drafted. The bottom line, WHO CARES. You make an issue where you don't understand the reasons for families moving. They are Canadian players and thats all that matters!!!!
WEHP is an amazing site with a great blog(s) and lots of open information re: team rankings etc. that you don't have to pay for. Further, they put out tournament updates on their blogs and are up to date with weekly information The site master puts a tremendous amount of effort and time on this site without renumeration. The newsletters have interviews and more in depth info than what is put on the blogs which is great! The latest negative comments are obviously from the newly formed site based in BC which is the laughing stock of the hockey rinks and they are desperate therefore putting negative comments out there regarding WEHP. This site is based in BC and is run by a couple hockey dads who are desperate to "rank up" their kids and team mates so will start up a website to do just that. They say they'll update for tourneys yet do nothing with respect to tournaments. You have to pay to see ANYTHING and there truly is nothing to see. Sorry for the long comment but it really needs to be said.
What's funny is that when BWC played Richmond, Richmond had some of their top players out for all three games. If this is the best in Western Canada, that's pretty sad. Besides Jake Kryski I didn't see anyone to brag about on BWC.
December 26, 2012 12:25 PM
here is a little fyi
not only does BWC have the lowest GAA at 1.40 and not based on this or the BC site. they have the lowest in all of Bantam Canada. The 4 goals against is lower then last years BWC team at the half way point. While this team may not score alot. not many score against them either.
Ask SSAC or the Bisons on how they are, The two teams I mentioned are very strong as well.
The dads running that other site have been stealing money from other hockey parents for years. Notice how they say it is run by "scouts" but aren't willing to name them on the site. Just another scam.
BWC's Defence is remarkable, the strongest in Western Canada.
Would agree with 943.
It's all about promoting his kid and making cash of people . See him strut around in his scout jacket. Even has the scam out there where if you pay something like 200 bucks will come scout one of your kids games . Pathetic
This is a good site it covers all of western Canada and has done a good job the last 3 years .
They should nailor the other site down !
Everyone is hitting the Naylor on the head on that joke of another site, used to promote his kid and its so biased on the rankings.
The scouting deal is a rip off, donate the money to the food bank instead of the beer fund.
Parents dont buy the cool aid, there all 14 and 15 and have years to develop, at the end of the day what people say on a ranking site is an opinion, its not the end all.
I know the 99 group very well and have a son in the age group who is performing well. Both sites have had him ranked fairly high. Get off your high horses you cowards who have nothing but bad to say about B.C. Site... Just because your kid isn't ranked on either Site doesn't mean you need to knock others down anonymously. Easy to hide behind a wall isn't it? Have some balls and speak up at the rink please.
Hey 1016. Then why don't you post your name . The point is the other site is a joke. Why don't nailer and musio just come out and put their names on it. Who are their scouts? Why would they try to zap 200 bucks out of parents to scout a game. People have their opinion.
This site we know who runs it. The site has daily updates. The site is informative. It has done lots to show that while the draft is important that lots of players are never drafted and still work hard and make it.
Some integrity on this site . Just an opinion
Lol. Some guy makes a post because he doesn't like anonymous posters and then signs his own anonymously.
I don't k ow much about the other site but if its true that its run by someone who's own kid is involved in the process than obviously the whole site would have zero credibility.
10:16
I think the issue with the other site is "The Scout" is a coin operated ranker and requires money in his pocket to get your kid ranked or moved up on the rankings. Do you think thats makes for accurate rankings? Do waste your money on that site.
How about your kid not making a team because the coach (aka The Scout) took a payment from another parent of a kid with the same talent as yours?
The sooner we stop enabling these parasites from minor hockey they better off the kids will be!!!! They shouldn't coach, develope, scout or have anything to do with minor hockey or hockey in general. That's my nail on the head!!!!
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