Western Elite Hockey Prospects Release Top 10 Player Rankings

January Top 10 Player Rankings

1.   Tyler Benson - Edmonton SSAC Lions (AMBHL)

2.   Kale Clague - Lloydminster Heat (AMBHL)

3.   Brett Howden - Eastman Selects (MBAAAMIDG)

4.   Nolan Patrick - Winnipeg Hawks (WPGAAA)

5.   Dante Fabbro - BWC Bruins (PCBHL)

6.   Sam Steel - Sherwood Park Flyers (AMBHL)

7.   Beck Malenstyn - OHA (IND)

8.   Matt Barberis - BWC Bruins (PCBHL)

9.   David Quenneville - SSAC Southgate Lions (AMBHL)

10. Tyson Jost - POE (OMAHA)

WEHP Releases Top Ten Team Rankings

* Rankings reflect many factors and are not just subject to league or tournament play in determining position.  Strength of opponent is also a factor.

Top 10 Team Rankings for January 28, 2013
1.   North Shore Winter Club (21-2-2 142-26)
2.   SSAC Southgate Lions (26-0-3  219-60) 
3.   Burnaby Winter Club (21-2-2  127-16)
4.   Calgary Bisons (23-2-2  164-65) 
5.   Lloydminster Heat (19-4-6  163-83) 
6.   Notre Dame  Hounds (15-2-6  106-55)
7.   POE (12-1-2  103-27)
8.   Winnipeg Hawks (20-3-1  143-41) 
9.   Calgary Northstar Sabres (21-6-1  148-65) 
10.  MLAC Scott Pump (17-6-4  140-85)

Honorable Mention
Sherwood Park Flyers (14-7-6  140-93), Winnipeg Sharks (18-6-0  117-62), Winnipeg Monarchs (22-2-1 129-49), OHA  (36-7-3 181-88) -Tournament Play/Not part of league, Southeast Hockey Hounds (17-10-2 156-112)

Top 5 Saskatchewan AA Bantam
1.  North East Wolfpack (17-3-2  106-45)
2.  Regina Pat Blues (18-4-1  124-55)

3.  West Central Wheat Kings (18-3-2  115-54)

4.  Swift Current Kabos Raiders (12-7-4  107-83)

5.  Balgonie Prairie Storm (11-10-0  94-67)

Tyler Benson scores 4 goals on Sunday

Alberta
They are now 1-25-3 after defeating Grand Prairie this afternoon 3-2.  The Grand Prairie Golden Arrow Storm are now at 3-23-3 and are allowing over 7 goals per game and average just 2 goals per game scored with 60 in the 29 games.....Jordan Taupert scores his second consecutive 2-goal game and added an assist in the Southeast 7-3 win this afternoon over Red Deer White.  Taupert leads the Hounds in scoring this season with 20-47-67 in 29 games, good enough for a tie for 6th in league scoring.  Michael Clarke added 3 more assists, as he did yesterday to give him 57 points, good enough for 18th in league scoring.  For Red Deer, Tyler Steenbergen scored 2 more goals, giving him 34 and a tie for 8th in goals.  The next best for goals scored on Red Deer White has just 11 this season....In Edmonton, Tyler Benson extended his lead atop the AMBHL scoring race with another huge game vs. Leduce.  Benson scored 4 goals and 1 assist and now has a staggering 53-84-137 with 4 games to play in the season.  D - David Quennville chipped in with 4 assists, giving him 64 points to sit just 4 back of Dman scoring leader Kale Clague.  Leduc F - Noah Gregor scored all 3 goals in the 7-3 loss.  Gregor leads Leduc with 39-22-61.....

Saskatchewan
In Prince Albert, it was the Regina Pat Blues increasing their lead atop the South Division of the SBAAHL to 11 points over Swift Current with an easy 7-0 win.  Turner Ripplinger scored twice to give him 8 goals on the season while JC Dubecky added 3 points to pace the attack. Zach Johnson picked up the goose egg for Regina.

Reported Weekend Results

British Columbia
Friday Action
NSWC 3 - Abbotsford 0
NSWC out-shoot Abbotsford 28-10 and get 2 goals from Quinn Benjafield in the win.  Dante Hannoun was in on all 3 goals for NSWC.  Cole Demers stopped 10 shots for the shut-out.  NSWC remains undefeated heading in to Saturday's showdown with also undefeated BWC.

 Vancouver 2 - South Delta 2 
The TBirds out-shoot South Delta 42-19 and have two goals disallowed in this one. Nick Wicks with a highlight reel goal in this game.

Kamloops 6 at POE 6

Saturday Action
NSWC 2 - BWC 0

Prince George 1 at POE 12

Sunday Action
South Delta at Coquitlam
POE at Kelowna
Prince George at Kamloops

Alberta
Friday Action
Edmonton CAC 4 - Lloydminster 4
'99 born D - Troy Dudley picks up 1-2-3 and Bronson Littlechilds with 1-1-2 for CAC in a 4-4 tie against heavily favored Lloydminster.  Kale Clague put up 1-2-3 for Lloydminster and broke Dion Phaneuf's AMBHL scoring record for a defenceman in the process.  Brayden Goulet scored a hat-trick for Lloydminster, giving him 20 goals.  Lloydminster out-shot CAC 42-19.

Calgary Royals 7 - Lethbridge 6
The Royals get 2-1-3 from Connor Kendall and 1-2-3 from Bryce Richmond in the victory.  Lethbridge got 1-3-4 from Tyler Anderson who is 2nd in team scoring with 33 points.  Team scoring leader Grayson Constable picked up 2 goals, giving him 18 goals.  The Royals held a 42-29 shots advantage.

Edmonton SSAC 15 - Camrose 0
Tyler Benson breaks the AMBHL scoring record by recording 10 points, giving him 132.  One more point than Ty Rattie had back in the 07-08 season.  '99 born Josh Paterson continues his stellar rookie season with 2-3-5 and  now has 67 points which places him 2nd in team scoring - 65 points back of Tyler Benson.  David Quenneville had a huge game with 3-3-6, giving him 30-30-60 this season.  The Vikings remain winless at 0-25-3 while SSAC is at 25-0-3.  In four games against Camrose and Grand Prairie, SSAC have outscored them 64-2!  Tyler Benson has 36 points in those 4 games against those teams.

St. Albert 6 - Edmonton KC 3
D - Dylan  Huot scored his 5th and 6th of the season and Zach Sherburne added 3 assists in pacing the St. Albert win.  KC team scoring leader Alex Rotundo picked up 2 goals and 1 assist and now has 39 goals with 4 games remaining.  KC held a 47-40 shot advantage.

Saturday Action
Calgary Flames 4 - Red Deer White 4
Tyler Steenbergen picked up 2 goals and 1 assist for Red Deer, giving him 32-21-53 in 26 games.  That is 33 more than the next highest scorer on the team, who has just 20 points.  Nathan Paramchuk paced the Calgary attack with 1-1-2.  Paramchuk has 15 points now this season.  '99 born G - Dawson Weatherill stopped 48/52 shots for Red Deer.

Leduc 6 - Lloydminster 3
Lane Zablocki scored twice and team scoring leader Noah Gregor had 3 points in doubling up Lloydminster 6-3.  Leduc with the win move to 14-10-4 and held a 55-39 shot advantage over Lloydminster.  The Heat got a goal from Cole Johnson, his team leading 34th of the season.  Johnson leads the entire AMBHL in PIMS with 164.

Southest 6 - Red Deer Black 5
Southeast got two goals each from Jordan Taupert and Michael Doneff and line-mate Michael Clarke chipped in with 3 assists in the win.  Top defenceman Tash Bowles sat this one out.  The line of Taupert/Doneff and Clarke all have over 54 points with Taupert a team leading 64 so far.  Red Deer Black got 1-1-2 each from Luke Coleman and '99 born Jeremy Klessens.  Red Deer out-shot Southeast 42-31.

Lethbridge 11 - Okotoks 2
Jed Horvath scored a hat-trick, giving him a team leading 21 goals on the season.  Daylan Marchi also scored 3 times, giving him 10 goals and team scoring leader Grayson Constable had 5 points in the lopsided win.  For Okotoks, it was '99 born Dylan Prpich with 1-1-2.  Prpich now has 10 points in his rookie bantam season.

Calgary Bisons 5 - Airdrie 1
Jake Ashton scored twice, giving him 25 goals and 52 points and Dylan Williamson added 1-1-2 in the win.  The Bisons are a south division best 23-2-2 and sit 2nd overall in the AMBHL standings behind SSAC.  Jordan McConnell scored the lone marker for Airdrie, he now has 28 goals. Bisons out-shot Aidrie 38-34.

Grand Prairie 4 - Edmonton KC 3
The win for Grand Prairie was just their 2nd of the season.

Fort Saskatchewan 3 - Spruce Grove 2

Sunday Action
Grand Prairie at Camrose 
- perhaps as good of a chance Camrose will have at the first win of the season.

Southeast at Red Deer White

Lloydminster at Sherwood Park

Airdrie at Lethbridge

Calgary Royals at Calgary Northstar Sabres

Red Deer Black at Okotoks

Leduc at Edmonton SSAC

Saskatchewan
Friday Action
Humboldt 3 - Estevan 2
Humboldt pick up their 2nd win of the season despite being out-shot 50-27 by Estevan.  Braxton Stenson stopped 48/50 shots for Humboldt in the win.  Reagan Poncelet scored twice, giving him 8 goals this season.  For Estevan, Peyton Stevenson had 1-1-2, giving him 23 points in 22 games now this season.  The Bruins drop to 7-11-3 with the loss.

Regina Silver Foxes 2 - Balgonie Prairie Storm 1
In Balgonie, it was the Silver Foxes moving to 10-7-5 while dropping the Prairie Storm to 11-10-0.

Weyburn 2 - Moose Jaw 2
In Moose Jaw, Kyle Arndt scored both goals for the Warriors, he now has 9-17-26 and 124 PIMS. Blake Dempsey replied with his 10th of the season for Weyburn.

Saturday Action
Northeast Wolfpack 4 - Regina Pat Blues 2
In battle between two of the top teams in the SBAAHL, it was Northeast getting goals from four different players which included '99 born Connor Tuffs scoring his 10th of the season.  The Pat Blues got 1-1-2 from team scoring leader Riley Woods.  Woods has 20-30-50 in 22 games so far this season.  Curtis Meger was out-dueled by '99 born top goalie Hunter Arps.  The 5'10 Arps is a perfect 13-0-0 with a 1.77 GAA.

Swift Current 5 - Weyburn 3
The Kabos Raiders continue their surge up the standings and are now 12-7-4 after a 5-3 win on Saturday.  Kole Lind paced the attack with 3-1-4, giving him 34 points in just 16 games.  D - Cody Spagrud picked up a pair of goals.  Spagrud is one of the highest scoring d-men in the SBAAHL with 24 pts in 23 games.  Weyburn sit last in the SBAAHL south with a 3-14-4 record.

Yorkton 6 - Regina Silver Foxes 4
The Terriers are now 9-8-4 after defeating the now 10-8-5 Silver Foxes on Saturday.  Brennan Watson led the way for Yorkton with 2 goals and 1 assists.  Watson has 18 goals in 21 games.  Brayden Miller also scored twice for Yorkton, giving him 10-7-17 in 17 games.  Mostyn Findlay and Dryden Kaczmar each had 2 point games.  Silver Foxes out-shot Yorkton 32-19.

Battlefords 1 - Humboldt 1
The game featured just 2 goals despite the shots being 42-39 Battlefords.  Braxton Stenson once again was a story of the game stopping 41/42 meaning he turned aside 89/92 shots over the weekend.  Dax Desmarais stopped 38/39 for the Battlefords.  Shane Sherban for Humboldt and Brandon Lesko for Battlefords scored in the 2nd period.

Sask Valley 3 - Estevan 0
The Vipers allowed just 11 shots in out-shooting the Bruins 32-11 in the game.  Carson Allbrecht, Clayton Mckenzie and Dayton Brown all had 2 point games for Sask Valley who moved to 11-9-3 with the win and sit 3rd in the AMBHL North.

Prince Albert 6 - Melville 5
In Prince Albert, Braden Isbister scored a hat-trick and Drew Warkentine added 1-3-4 in the VH Raiders 6-5 win on Saturday.  Isbister has 31 points now in 18 games while Warkentine has a team leading 27-15-42 in 22 games.  '99 born Riley Sawchuk picked up two points to give him 30 points in 22 games.


Sunday Action
Melville at Battlefords

Estevan at Northeast

Regina Pat Blues at Prince Albert

Manitoba
Friday Action
Winnipeg Sharks 8 - Yellowhead 4
D - Garrett Kuklica scored 2 goals, giving him 10 on the season and Jordan Young also scored twice, giving him a team leading 19 goals.  Morgan Geekie scored twice for Yellowhead and he now has 15 goals.

Saturday Action
Winnipeg Monarchs 4 - Central Plains 2

Winnipeg Hawks 6 - Southwest 1

Winnipeg Warriors 4 - Interlake 3

Brandon 3 - Pembina Valley 1
'99 born Connor Gutenberg had 1-1-2 in moving Brandon to 8-15-2.  Pembina Valley drop down to 12-9-0 with the loss.

Kale Clague and Tyler Benson break AMBHL Records on the same night

Western Elite Hockey Prospects would like to congratulate both Tyler Benson from Edmonton SSAC and Kale Clague from the Lloydminster Heat on breaking the AMBHL scoring records for defenceman and overall points in a season.  Ty Rattie held the previous record of 131 points which Tyler Benson broke tonight with an 11 point game.  While Dion Phaneuf held the previous mark by a defenceman with 65.  WEHP has Tyler Benson and Kale Clague as the top two rated prospects for the WHL Bantam Draft in May.

Interview - WEHP with Yahoo Sports

There has been no shortage of 15-year-old hockey superstars turning heads in Western Canada this year.

The 2013 Western Hockey League bantam crop, however, doesn’t have a prospect that has clearly separated himself from the rest of the pack like last year with B. C. native Mathew Barzal, who was selected first overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds.

As it stands, it seems it is a two-horse race between Edmonton native Tyler Benson and Lloydminster native Kale Clague.

“I think it will come down to Benson or Clague for whoever has the No. 1 pick,” says a WHL scout, who asked to remain nameless. “Benson is a power forward that a team could build around, while Clague is a franchise defenceman. It’s a win-win situation at this point in terms of their potential.”

With Benson and Clague both being natives of Alberta, it seems the Oil-driven province has taken another step forward in separating themselves as the top spot in Western Canada for producing young hockey stars.

“It would be difficult to argue against Alberta being the province with the most talent, season after season,” says Tyler Boldt, manager of the WHL’s player development and recruitment. “This is shown by WHL Bantam Draft selections, as well as the number of Alberta players currently in the WHL. While each province produces excellent players every year, it seems that Alberta always has the best overall depth.”

Nearly every media outlet has put Benson on a pedestal as Western Canada’s up-and-coming power-forward sensation. Mark Spector of Sportsnet called him “the next big thing,” and NHL.com writer Ryan Dittrick described him as “the real deal.”

This high praise wasn’t freely given, though. Benson earned it with his outstanding second season with the SSAC Southgate Lions in the Alberta Minor Bantam Hockey League, tallying 47 goals and 122 points in just 27 games.

The 5-foot-11, 181-pound winger, who is the brother of Edmonton Oil Kings’ Cole Benson, has the potential to blossom into Western Canada’s poster-boy superstar. He is molding into a solid frame, knows how to use his size to his advantage, and possesses uncanny offensive skill and instincts.

“Tyler Benson is most definitely a player to watch,” says Tyler Neisz, director of scouting forWestern Elite Hockey Prospects scouting service. “Tyler has a good combination of size, skating, offensive awareness, and defensive play as well. At this point, it looks like Benson has limitless potential in terms of being a star down the road. His style is very much comparable to (Chicago Black Hawks first rounder and Prince Albert Raiders captain) Mark McNeill moving forward in my opinion and should have even a higher offensive upside as well. He is more of a pass first player, but at the bantam level can definitely score when he wants to at times.”

Despite some scouts leaning towards him as the No. 1 prospect of the draft, Clague has Defenceman Kale Claguebeen somewhat overshadowed by Benson.

Clague, who has scored 28 goals and 64 points in 26 games with the Lloydminster Heat in the AMBHL, is regarded as the complete package on the back end. The 5-foot-11, 150-pounder has the gritty and fearless attitude to be a shutdown defender and the impeccable offensive instincts and skating ability to be the anchor on a power play.

“Clague has it all,” says a WHL scout. "He is a great skater, has a good shot, strong offensive instincts, and uses his body. I think he is in the same calibre as Brycen Martin (Selected second-overall by the Swift Current Broncos in 2011). He is calm with the puck at either end of the ice. This makes him very valuable on the power play and he makes smart decisions with the puck in his own end. I don't know if he'll go No. 1, but he'll be right in the mix. It would be hard to pass him up."

Behind Benson and Clague, Jaeger White stands out as one of the next best options.

Scouts have been marveling over White since he broke Portland Winterhawks star Ty Rattie’s peewee record with 124 goals and 148 points in 30 games with the Medicine Hat Venom in the South Central Alberta Hockey League. It is safe to say White was in a couple of peewee goaltenders' nightmares in 2010-11.

The 5-foot-9, 150-pound centre, who is the brother of Moose Jaw Warriors forward Torrin White, suits up for the Burnaby Winter Club in his second year of bantam puck. The program doesn’t release their stats until the end of the season, but BTN has learned the Medicine Hat native’s point production is impressive enough to drop a jaw or two. After all, he did post a 15-point game in October.

One of the most appealing aspects about White is his character with his maturity being well beyond his years. It appears he has the perfect personality to lead a team with a letter on his chest.

“Jaeger White is one of the elite players of the draft,” says Neisz. “He is highly skilled player, perhaps the most skilled player in the draft. He doesn't have the edge to his game that his brother Torrin had at the same age, but his offensive skills are definitely at a high level. He is a very personable person and has a lot of character.”

Potent notables

Sam Steel, forward, Sherwood Park United Cycle Flyers (AMBHL) –The vast majority of scouts believe Steel will be a top-5 selection this April in Calgary.

The 5-foot-10, 155-pound centre is tearing up Alberta’s top bantam league, notching 40 goals and 79 points in 24 games with Sherwood Park.

Dante Fabbro, defence, Burnaby Winter Club – Some have regarded Fabbro as the top B. C. native of this year’s draft.

Fabbro has been a standout blueliner on BWC this year. He has showcased his phenomenal skating ability, puck-moving skills, offensive instincts, and a solid shot.

Brett Howden, forward, Eastman Selects (MMHL) – Howden is one of the few bantam-eligible players that made the jump to the AAA midget ranks this year.

He has showed his age-group bump was the right move for his development by being one of Eastman Selects' top players, scoring eight goals and 19 points in 25 contests.

The 6-foot-1, 170-pound forward plays a very similar two-way style to his older brother, Florida Panthers first-rounder Quinton Howden.

Parker Aucoin, forward, Calgary Northstar Sabres (AMBHL) – Aucoin is a shoot-first player that has scouts drooling over his hard, accurate shot.

The 5-foot-10, 145-pound centre is the leading goal scorer in the AMBHL, notching 50 goals in 26 games, while adding 20 helpers for the Northstar Sabres.

A few Videos on Top Prospects - Via Global Edmonton

Jaeger White Video

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/future+stars/video.html?v=2328555352&p=1&s=dd#video

Alex Rotundo Video

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/athlete+of+the+week/video.html?v=2324082295&p=1&s=dd#athleteoftheweek/video

Tyler Benson Video

http://www.globaltvedmonton.com/video/tyler+benson/video.html?v=2327128670#stories/video

Bantam Draft Study Feature

Bantam Draft Study Feature
With the 2012-2013 bantam season nicely underway, I thought it would be we take a look at some interesting reading to take a look at some previous bantam draft statistics

We will take a look at a snapshot of the WHL scoring leaders and where they were drafted. It proves that sometimes you don’t need to be a high draft pick to be an elite player at the WHL level. Also, we will take a look at the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft, as those players would now be in their final eligible bantam season. Who may it to the NHL, who is still producing at the WHL level and who is out of hockey? Which talents were taken after the first round but are now stars?

Further, we will take a look back at the past 6 WHL bantam drafts and determine which provinces were strong in a given season. In addition to that, we will determine which province had the most picks in the top 2 rounds and which province has the strength in the draft per year!

What does the Bantam Draft really mean?

Every year there are several players over-looked in the WHL bantam draft who go on to become big stars in the WHL. The list is long and includes names such as Jarome Iginla, Darcy Tucker, Jeff Friesen, Dan Hamhuis, Scotty Upshall, Joffrey Lupul, Jeff Woywitka and Shane Doan. Many of these names not only were World Junior hockey players for Canada, but also went on to All-Star type careers in the NHL in most cases.

Current Top 20 Scoring Leaders and Where They Were Drafted
1.   Nicholas Petan - 1st Round, 16th overall
2.   Brandon Leipsic - 6th Round, 112th overall
3.   Colin Smith - 1st Round, 7th overall
4.   Adam Lowry - 4th Round, 78th overall
5.   Justin Feser - 9th Round, 194th overall
6.   JC Lipon - Listed
7.   Tim Bozon - Import Draft, 27th overall
8.   Myles Bell - 1st Round, 17th overall
9.   Ty Rattie - 1st Round, 2nd overall
10.  Curtis Valk - Listed
11.  Brendan Kichton - 3rd Round, 55th overall
12.  Todd Fiddler - 3rd Round, 65th overall
13.  Hunter Skinkaruk - 1st Round, 14th overall
14.  Elgin Pearce - 2nd Round, 42nd overall
15.  Josh Nicholls - 2nd Round, 27th overall
16.  Brooks Macek - 2nd Round, 43rd overall
17.  TJ Foster - 2nd Round, 35th overall
18.  Alex Gogolev - Import Draft, 63rd overall
19.  Mitch Holmberg - 1st Round, 21st overall
20.  Henrik Samuelsson - Listed


Brief Summary of drafts 2007-2010
2007 Bantam Draft Summary
Players who failed to make in impact Round 1
2nd overall - Luke Moffatt - Never came to the league.
8th overall - Ryan Aasman - 1 goal in 166 games. Journeyman 6-7 dman.
11th overall - Conner Redmond - 10 goals in 122 games. No longer in the league.
12th overall - Mike Betz - Just 1 goal in 32 games. Depth BCHL player now.
17th overall - Brandon Regier - OUT OF HOCKEY, never played in the league, just 4 games.
18th overall - Mark Reners - Scored just 23 goals in 117 games. Not in the WHL right now.
19th overall - Mitch Spooner - No longer in the league. 3-14-17 in 84 games.

Players who were Top talents.
1st overall - Quinton Howden - Pro
3rd overall - Mark Pysyk -Pro
5th overall - Brad Ross -Pro
7th overall - Kevin Sundher -Pro
10th overall - Brett Connolly - NHL
14th overall - Austin Madiasky - Pro
15th overall - Brendan Ranford - WHL
21st overall - Tyler Bunz - Pro
22nd overall - Kent Simpson - Pro

Players who are Secondary talents
4th overall - Charles Inglis - WHL
6th overall - Alex Therieu - WHL
20th overall - Drew Czerwonka - WHL
Players who are Depth talents
9th overall - Christian Magnus - Jr A
13th overall - Dominik Favreau - Jr A

Top Talents selected in subsequent rounds:
27th overall - Josh Nicholls - WHL
33rd overall - Alex Petrovic - PRO
38th overall - Calvin Pickard - PRO
46th overall - Dylan McIlrath - PRO
55th overall - Brendan Kichton  - WHL
86th overall - Max Reinhart - PRO
92nd overall - Mark Stone - PRO
115th overall - Emerson Etem - PRO
168th overall - Cody Sylvester - WHL
195th overall - Brendan Gallahger - PRO
303rd overall - Ty Rimmer - WHL
Last pick of the draft - Greg Fraser

Synopsis
- It could be argued that many of these picks after the first round could've in fact been first rounders. Just goes to show that it isn't the be all and end all to be ranked in the first few rounds.

2008 Bantam Draft Summary
Players who could've been first rounder’s looking back:
30th overall - Dalton Thrower
67th overall - Colin Jacobs
78th overall - Adam Lowry
121st overall - Joel Edmundson
129th overall - Jaynen Rissling

First Round Bantam Draft – Study
2006 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 10
Alberta - 3
Saskatchewan - 6
Manitoba - 2
Forwards - 14
Defence - 6
Goalies - 1
After Cowen picked 1st overall, the next defenseman taken was 11th. Saskatchewan had 4 of the top 9 selections. Alberta was remarkably low on draft picks with 3 players taken and 2 of them - Penner and Chaffin never did anything of note in the WHL.

2007 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 8
Alberta - 8
Saskatchewan - 3
Manitoba - 2
USA - 1

Forwards - 14
Defense - 6
Goalies - 2
At the top of this draft both Manitobans were selected and the lone American selected Luke Moffatt never played in the league. Just 3 defenseman were taken in the top 13 picks with Aasman and Theriau failing to live up to big expectations. Just one Albertan in the first 14 picks (Brad Ross). Again, another season with not much high end depth in Alberta. Saskatchewan was very weak for high end talent as Magnus, Czerwonka and Favreau have all become secondary type players only.

2008 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 4
Alberta - 13
Saskatchewan - 3
Manitoba - 1
USA - 1
Forwards - 12
Defense - 10
Goalies - 0
Alberta continues to rise in terms of draft picks from the province. British Columbia continues to drop off but produce easily the best player in the draft in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Manitoba again with under 3 picks and having just Michael St. Croix in the first round picked. 4 players were picked from the Sherwood Park team including 3 defenseman in Siemens, Scarlett and Busenius.

2009 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 9
Alberta - 6
Saskatchewan - 5
Manitoba - 1
USA - 1
Forwards - 12
Defense - 10
Goalie - 0

In what will become known as the "year of the defenseman", the top 4 picks were all dmen. And 7 of the first 11 players picked were dmen. The first and only Manitoban in the first round went 16th overall - Reid Gow. The lone American was Seth Jones. Saskatchewan had just 1 players selected in the first 12 picks.

2010 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 5
Alberta - 12
Saskatchewan - 5
Manitoba - 0
USA - 0
Forwards - 11
Defense - 10
Goalie - 1
The first 3 players were all forward selected as Forsberg, Lazar and Merkley went 1-2-3. After that, just 2 of the next 11 were forwards. Alberta was very strong once again with 5 of the top 7 being Albertans. Manitoba continues to be limited in the first round with no picks and Saskatchewan had a better than normal showing with 5. Nobody takes a chance on an American this time! Just two B.C. players in the top 14 selected.

2011 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 3
Alberta - 12
Saskatchewan - 6
Manitoba - 1
Forwards - 14
Defense - 7
Goalie - 1
Perhaps this will go down as the "year of the forward", with the most selected in the past 6 years. However, that may be all thrown out the window cause picks 2, 3 and 4 were all defenseman. Hicketts, Gropp and Virtanen were the only 3 B.C. players picked in what was a very strong year in Alberta. Saskatchewan also had a strong year in the bantam ranks. Jordan Thomson was the lone Manitoban selected at 4th overall.

Summary of selections accumulated
Average Picks for province
British Columbia - 10, 8, 4, 9, 5, 3, 11 = 8.33
Alberta - 3, 8, 13, 6, 12, 12, 5 = 9.8
Saskatchewan - 6, 3, 3, 5, 5, 6, 4 = 5.33
Manitoba - 2, 2, 1, 1, 0, 1, 2 = 1.50
USA - 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0 = 0.50

Average Picks by position
Forwards - 14, 14, 12, 12, 11, 14 = 12.8
Defenceman - 6, 6, 10, 10, 10, 7 = 8.16
Goalies - 1, 2, 0, 0, 1, 1 = 0.83

2012  First Round Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 11
Alberta - 5
Saskatchewan - 4
Manitoba - 2

Forwards - 12
Defense - 9
Goalie - 1

Past Six WHL Bantam Draft First Round Picks
Alberta - 53
B.C. - 43
Saskatchewan - 27
Manitoba - 7
- It is interesting to note that although Alberta has dominated the bantam draft in the first round over recent year's in terms of top talent, the last first overall pick they have produced was KYLE CHIPCHURA back in the 2001 WHL Bantam Draft. It has been 10 full Bantam Drafts since Alberta has had a first overall pick.
During that span, here is the number each province has had:

Top 2 Rounders by Province
2006 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia -10 + 8 = 18
Alberta - 3 + 6 = 9
Saskatchewan - 6 + 3 = 9
Manitoba - 2 + 3 = 5
USA - 0 + 1 = 1

2007 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 8 + 7 = 15
Alberta - 8 + 9 = 17
Saskatchewan - 3 + 3 = 6
Manitoba - 2 + 3 = 5
USA - 1 + 0 = 1

2008 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 4 +7 = 11
Alberta - 13 + 9 = 22
Saskatchewan - 3 + 5 = 8
Manitoba - 1 + 1 = 2
USA - 1 + 0 = 1

2009 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 9 + 5 = 14
Alberta - 6 + 9 = 15
Saskatchewan - 5 + 7 = 12
Manitoba - 1 + 1 = 2
USA - 1 + 0 = 1

2010 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 5 + 5 = 10
Alberta - 12 + 9 = 21
Saskatchewan - 5 + 5 = 10
Manitoba - 0 + 2 = 2
USA - 0 + 0 = 0
NWT - 0 +1 = 1

2011 WHL Bantam Draft
British Columbia - 3 + 5 = 8
Alberta - 12 + 4 = 16
Saskatchewan - 6 + 8 = 14
Manitoba - 1 + 5 = 6
USA - 0 + 0 = 0

2012 WHL Bantam Draft

British Columbia - 11 + 9 = 20
Alberta - 5 +7 =12
Saskatchewan - 4 + 4 = 8
Manitoba - 2 + 1 = 3
USA - 0 + 1


2006 WHL Bantam Draft
Province by round
British Columbia
1 - 10
2 - 8
3 - 9
4 - 8
5 - 3
6 - 2
7 - 7
8 - 3
9 - 5
10 - 3
11 + - 4
Total - 62

Alberta
3
6
4
7
9
7
3
8
7
7
9
 Total  - 70
Sask.
6
3
6
3
5
6
5
5
4
3
0
 Total -46
Manitoba
2
3
2
3
3
3
4
5
4
1
6
 Total - 36
USA
0
1
0
0
1
3
1
0
0
3
6
 Total -15

2007 WHL Bantam Draft
Province
B.C.
8
7
4
7
5
8
7
7
2
3
8
 Total - 66
Alberta
8
9
6
8
5
7
5
6
7
4
9
 Total - 74
Sask.
3
3
7
5
6
1
5
7
7
2
5
 Total - 51
Manitoba
2
3
4
2
3
2
3
2
3
5
3
 Total  - 32
USA
1
0
1
1
2
4
3
0
2
4
4
 Total - 22

2008 WHL Bantam Draft
Province
B.C.
4
7
7
4
6
3
4
4
3
3
2
 Total - 47
Alberta
13
9
6
9
6
3
9
8
7
3
4
Total - 77
Sask.
3
5
5
4
6
4
4
3
6
5
0
 Total - 45
Manitoba
1
1
2
2
4
8
4
6
3
2
3
 Total - 36
USA
1
0
1
3
0
4
1
0
2
5
4
 Total - 21

2009 WHL Bantam Draft
B.C.
9
5
5
5
3
7
7
2
5
5
3
 Total - 54
Alberta
6
9
11
4
10
7
5
6
3
9
4
 Total - 80
Sask.
5
7
1
3
6
4
3
8
3
4
2
 Total - 46
Manitoba
1
1
4
6
4
3
3
2
3
2
3
 Total - 32
USA
1
0
1
1
2
0
3
3
5
5
3
 Total - 24

2010 WHL Bantam Draft
Province
B.C.
5
5
7
4
5
3
7
4
6
3
5
 Total - 54
Alberta
12
9
10
7
6
10
7
8
6
11
7
 Total - 91
Sask.
5
5
3
7
4
5
0
3
3
3
4
Total - 42
Manitoba
0
2
1
2
7
2
5
6
1
2
1
 Total - 29
USA
0
0
1
0
0
1
2
4
4
1
2
Total - 15

2011 WHL Bantam Draft
Province
B.C.
3
5
9
4
4
3
6
4
5
7
3
 Total - 53
Alberta
12
4
7
9
7
9
8
11
7
3
4
Total - 81
Sask.
6
8
5
4
6
5
4
3
3
0
1
Total - 45
Manitoba
1
5
0
3
3
2
2
0
5
4
3
Total - 28
USA
0
0
1
2
2
3
2
3
2
2
4
Total - 21


2012 WHL Bantam Draft
Province
B.C.
11
9
3
7
3
5
5
8
4
3
5
 Total - 63
Alberta
5
7
3
8
9
9
7
6
6
6
1
Total - 67
Sask.
4
4
8
3
1
3
4
3
7
5
5
Total - 47
Manitoba
2
1
4
3
5
4
2
0
4
2
3
Total - 30
USA
0
1
4
2
2
3
4
4
2
3
4
Total - 29



Summary
Average Picks Per Season - Provincial
B.C.
62
66
47
56
54
53
63
Total - 57.2
Alberta
70
74
77
80
91
81
67
 Total - 77.1
Sask.
46
51
45
46
42
45
47
Total - 46.0
Manitoba
36
32
36
32
29
28
30
Total - 31.8
USA
15
22
21
24
15
21
29
Total - 21.0

January 24, 2013 Newsletter is now ready!

Rankings

The January 24, 2013 newsletter is now ready.  In this edition of the newsletter, we update the Top 200 for 98's, Top 130 for 99's.  As well, stats have been updated for all players in the 98 and 99 age group with the exception of some PCAHA teams. The Top 40 western American players are updated.  With the completion of the John Reid Memorial Tournament, the rankings have been adjusted accordingly as some players really helped their cause while others have fallen.  There are several new players who are making their first appearance in the newsletter.

Interviews

I had a chance to interview a big defenceman who played a solid shut-down role in St. Albert.  He doesn't play a flashy game by any means but is very steady nonetheless.

We speak with one of the top 99 born defenceman who was named to his leagues all-star team, which is no small honor.  He will be someone to watch as we head in to the 2014 Bantam Draft season and for the rest of this year with a top 10 team in western Canada.

Interviewed, is one of, if not the top defenceman in all of Western Canada.  He combines offence and defence and has routes in the WHL already from his family.

Lastly, we interview another top first year bantam player who is making a huge name for himself and will almost certainly be a first rounder in 2014 as well.

Team Rankings

The top 20 team rankings make its Seventh appearance in the newsletter.  Some major adjustments made on them with the completion of the John Reid Memorial Tournament.  A pair of Saskatchewan teams make their appearance on it as well.

John Reid Memorial Tournament Review

Reviewed is the John Reid Memorial Tournament.  We give several scouting reports within a game by game report.  There are nearly 20 full game reports from the tournament with dozens of players highlighted and scouted.

WEHP Releases Top 10 Team Rankings

* Rankings reflect many factors and are not just subject to league or tournament play in determining position.  Strength of opponent is also a factor.

Top 10 Team Rankings for January 21, 2013
1.   North Shore Winter Club (19-2-2 137-26)
2.   SSAC Southgate Lions (24-0-2  194-54) 
3.   Burnaby Winter Club (20-1-2  122-13)
4.   Lloydminster Heat (19-2-5  153-69) 
5.   Calgary Bisons (22-2-2  159-64)
6.   Notre Dame  Hounds (13-2-6  92-50) Midget AA
7.   POE (11-1-0  85-20)
8.   Winnipeg Hawks (18-3-1  130-39)
9.   Calgary Northstar Sabres (20-5-1  137-61)
10.  MLAC Scott Pump (16-6-4  133-83) 

Honorable Mention
Sherwood Park Flyers (13-7-6  136-90), Winnipeg Sharks (16-6-0  97-58), Winnipeg Monarchs (20-2-1 118-45), OHA  (35-7-3 176-87) -Tournament Play/Not part of league

Top 5 Saskatchewan AA Bantam
1.  North East Wolfpack (16-3-2  102-43)
2.  Regina Pat Blues (16-3-1  110-49)

3.  West Central Wheat Kings (18-3-2  115-54)

4.  Swift Current Kabos Raiders (10-6-4  91-74)

5.  Balgonie Prairie Storm (10-9-0  90-63)

NSWC are John Reid Memorial Cup Champions!!!

Championship Game:  NSWC 3 - SSAC 2 FINAL
SOG:  31-24 SSAC
First Period
The first period was a bit of a feeling out period for both teams.  '99 born Bellerive has been simply outstanding for NSWC and scored the lone goal.  I am sure his parents are getting annoyed by people asking if he actually is a '99!  His strength and stability on his skates are amazing.  Clint Colebourn has an assist and has done a great job of shutting out Benson so far as well as the rest of the NSWC d-core.  The line of Patter, Tomares and Wanat have been solid for SSAC.  Benson, Paterson and Yaremko have been solid  but nothing to show yet.  Anholt has an assist, Hannoun, Benjafield and Almeida have been very good so far as well.  Great game!

Second Period
Back and forth, even period of play with both defenses and goaltenders playing well.  With Colebourn in the box, Quenneville tied it up with a nice one-timer.  Benson and Hamblin picked up the helpers on the PP goal.  It was Benson who dug the puck out of a scrum and got it to Hamblin who fed Quenneville.  Then Dante Hannoun of NSWC dazzled the crowd on the PP, making a couple nice moves and then going backhand off the bar and in with no space or so we thought.  The assist on the play went to Benjafield - who made a nice pass to start it all.  Hannoun continues to impress with his speed, hands and aggressive play.  Jordy Bellerive and Justin Almeida continued to play well and had some nice shifts down low on the cycle.  Anholt is having a great game, even though he hasn't hit the scoresheet yet.  He makes some nice chips and passes off the wall out and has nice patience.  NSWC d-core continues to play well and keep Benson to the outside for the most part.

Third Period
OFF to OT!!  The 3rd did not disappoint, it was a tight period once again.  David Quenneville tied it with his 2nd  of the game 13:55 beating Luding on a screen shot, Yaremko and Paterson with the assists on the play.  Quenneville had a very good 3rd - playing solid defence and throwing his wweight around.  Tak Anholt and Jordy Bellerive were sold on the PK in the 3rd.  Hannoun also finished strong, battling for loose pucks and winning a lot of his battles.  He protects the puck very well.  All five NSWC players seem to collapse right in front of Luding when the pressure begins to develop, which makes it tough for him to see.  Benson continues to try and create space for himself and his linemates but still can't get much going.  Luding and Skinner both made great saves late to send it to OT!

Overtime
On a broken play with 2:35 left in OT, Justin Almeida grabbed a loose puck at the hard marks and took a weak backhand that hit an SSAC defender and ended up behind the netminder Skinner.  Tough way to lose for SSAC.  Anholt with the assist.

John Reid Memorial Tournament Awards
MVP - Tyler Benson
Top Forward - Tyler Benson
Top Defenceman - Kale Clague
Top Goalie - Austin McGrath

Reid Team All-Stars
F - Matthew Phillips - Calgary Bisons
F - Mason Shaw - Lloydminster Heat
F - Tyson Jost - POE
D - Kale Clague - Lloydminster Heat
D - Josh Mahura - St. Albert Sabres
G - Austin McGrath - Lloydminster Heat

Iginla Team All-Stars
F - Tyler Benson - Edmonton SSAC
F - Dillon Dube - Notre Dame Hounds
F - Kaden Elder - Notre Dame  Hounds
D - David Quenneville - Edmonton SSAC
D - Dante Fabbro - BWC Bruins
G - Ryan Kubic - Winnipeg Hawks

Calgary Northstar Sabres 9 - Edmonton MLAC 2 FINAL
SOG:  42-35 Calgary

Calgary Royals 5 - Sherwood Park 3  FINAL (featured game)
SOG:  42-40 Calgary Royals
First Period
The Royals got off to a quick start, scoring on their 1st 2 shots against Sherwood Park tender Lush.  It has been back and forth action since then.  Lucas Fraulin and Montgomery scored the Royals early goals.  We liked Fraulin in the offensive zone but not a lot of hustle back to his own end at times.  He is a big kid with decent hands and a shot though.  Sean Montgomery was solid - working hard every shift, his work ethic is very strong.  We also like small forward Joseph Karpyshyn today, who shows a lot of hustle and grit.  He showed off some nice hands as well, beating a Sherwood Park dman but couldn't tuck it past Lush, who has settled in after a shaky start.  Carter Gosbee and Lucas Mackenzie also had good periods for the Royals.  For Sherwood Park, Sam Steel has had some nice rushes and played well on the PK but hasn't been able to make a lot happen yet and still could be battling injury.  Jack Hamly and Ryan Krushen also were good on the PK.  It has been a bit of a penalty fest so far!

Second Period
Back and forth action all period long.  The Royals added 2 more goals midway through the 2nd period.  First it was Reece Sourkoff hitting Montgomery with a beautiful stretch pass and Montgomery made no mistake, going backend.  Soukoroff now has two helpers and has been very strong from the backend.  Jaxen Gemmell has played a strong game and got rewarded with the 4th Royals goal with some good net front presence.  The Flyers got three back with the first coming from Veinot finally beating Marcoux and then next it was a beautiful passing play - started by Steel to Mckenzie to Biro, who buried.  Sam Steel then showed off his puck skill, making a nice move around the Royals dman and then putting it past Marcoux for an unreal goal.  Steel absolutely dominated a lot of his shifts in the 2nd as he stpped it up big time showing his creativity and speed. His stamina is something special as well.  Jack Hamly kept up his solid play for the Flyers and Skyler Mckenzie had a strong showing - creating some chances and getting 2 helpers.

Third Period
Close game until the end.  Montgomery completed his hat-trick in the 3rd with helpers to Soukorff and O'Connor who played well at both ends of the ice for the Royals.  Montgomery plays a solid game and is definitely the leader for the Royals.  Karpyshyn, Gosbee, Nic Herringer, Bryce Richmond all hard working shifts in the 3rd for the Royals.  Connor Kendall had 2 assists.  Lucas Mackenzie shows a lot of hustle with his crash and bang style, could use a bit more work on his skating though.  Adam Marcoux had a tremendous game in the Royals goal.  The Flyers couldn't get much going in the 3rd as they were on the PK for a bit.  Roszko took 3 penalties and showed some undisciplined play in this one.  Sam Steel finished the game strong but couldn't muster up any more offence, he has amazing speed with an extremely creative mind and opens up space for his linemates.  Hamly also finished strong and is a good penalty killer.

BWC 3 - Lloydminster Heat 6 FINAL
SOG:  24-23 BWC
First Period
BWC lead with 2 quick goals midway through the 1st.  Devan Purhar scored the 1st goal on the PP and then Henry Rhyu added one even strength.  Dante Fabbro and Matt Barberis have been solid defensively once again - moving the puck extremely well, especially on the PP.  Jaeger White has been alright in the the offensive zone - creating some chances but has yet to dazzle as expected.  Lloydminster have taken some penalties but had some chances on 1 of their 2 PP's.  The big guns for Lloydminster haven't been great yet as Clague, Johnson, Shaw, Franklin and Mohr have had only a few moments.  Doyon has done well again in a defensive, PK role.

POE 8 - Notre Dame Hounds 5 FINAL (Bronze game)


Winnipeg Hawks 4 - Calgary Bisons 3  FINAL
SOG:  37-34 Winnipeg Hawks
First Period
The play started out a bit sluggish in this one but picked up late in the period.  The Hawks line of Patrick/Barley/Loschaivo have been solid at both ends of the rink.  They also have both Hawks goals with Barley scoring the 1st from Patrick and Loschaivo.  The 2nd goal was Patrick from Loschaivo and Brakel.  Patrick has played well finally in this one as he has shown good hustle both ways which is nice to see.  Jon Morrow also had another good showing, using his speed and good work ethic on the PK.  Adam Thurlbeck has been good again but has taken some runs - trying to hit guys and has got caught flat-footed on more than one occasion.  For the Bisons, the line of Ashton/Phillips/Olson haven't been a factor yet but have had some good shifts.  Williamson had a good period for the Bisons showing some good board work.  McKinstry has been solid like usual but isn't too flashy or as noticable as Clague for Lloyd.

Second Period
Nolan Patrick dominated almost all his shifts in the 2nd period.  He was driving the net heard all period long, creating scoring chances and turnovers.  His work along the wall and down low has been very solid in this one as he is using his size and strength to his advantage today.  He also burned Mckinstry wide on one occasion.  Morrow still continues to impress with his gritty style of play and hustle, the type of player any team needs.  Vince Loschaivo is playing a solid game but can tend to float sometimes.  Bannerman has looked very solid in the Hawks net thus far.  The Bisons haven't played their best in this one.  Phillips, Ashton and Olson have been shut out so far.  George King for the Bisons has played a solid game and created some offensive opportunities and does have the Bisons lone goal.  '99 born Setoguchi is playing well on the Bisons backend, he skates very well and doesn't get beat to often.

Third Period
The Calgary Bisons tied it late in the 3rd on a Phillips PPG with Patrick in the box.  The tie was short lived however as Connor Barley replied less than a minute late for the GWG assist to Loschaivo - who played a very good game and had 3 helpers.  They then added an EN goal from Patrick who had 2 goals and 1 assist.  Barley, Patrick and Loschaivo all played well and had some nice shifts, finding one another in the 3rd.  Morrow had a solid game for the Hawks and he plays a high energy game and likes to mix it up.  Thurlbeck wasn't his best and did get beat 1 on 1 a few times.  He really needs to work on his skating moving forward.  Riley Bannerman and Nick Sanders both played tremendous games in net.  For the Bisons, Mckinstry wasn't as impressive as he can be.  He has good sills and skates well but needs to play more consistent.  Setoguchi was solid all game.  Matthew Phillips scored but his line wasn't outstanding today.

Red Deer Black 4 - Winnipeg Monarchs 3 FINAL
SOG:  28-19 Red Deer
Parker Smyth with a very nice goal for Red Deer, using big time speed and  tucking it around Hall. This is not our featured game.  The featured game will be coming up which is Calgary Bisons vs. Winnipeg Hawks.  Parker Smyth scored the GWG very late in this one.

St. Albert Sabres 5 - OHA 3 FINAL
SOG:  46-30 OHA

John Reid Memorial Tournament - Day 3

FINAL
SSAC vs. NSWC tomorrow afternoon!!!

Semi - Final Action
POE 5 - SSAC 6 FINAL
shots:  45-25 FINAL
-Jost kicked out midway on an iffy boarding call and SSAC took full advantage.

NSWC 5 - Notre Dame 3 FINAL - NSWC advance to tournament final
Shots:  35-32 NSWC
First Period
The Hounds just can`t seem to get much going so far and are starting to look a bit tired.  NSWC went ahead with 2 quick goals late in the period on goals from Tak Anholt and `99 born dman Nolan Kneen.  Dillon Dube and Kaden Elder have had some good hard work shifts but have nothing to show for it.  Nolan Reid has been good Defensively but not outstanding along with Newfoundlander Elijah Francis.  Hannoun and Anholt have been impressive so far with their speed, hustle and hands.

Second Period
Notre Dame goalie Brett Evens has had some rebound issues which has led directly to Benjafield PPG early in the 2nd.  He then added goal midway through the period with Mokhtari getting the assist.  The line of `99 Almeida, `99 and Anholt have dominated a lot in the tournament and always creating space for one another.  Mokhtari, Hannoun and Benjafield are also dominate in the offensive zone consistently.  We really like the level of compete that Hannoun brings as he`s not the biggest guy in the world but plays a big game - same goes for Burgart who also has another strong game for NSWC.  Burgart is not flashy by any means but does his job in his end and knows his limits on the ice.  The Hounds responded with a PPA of there own from big Tyran Brown who banted in a a rebound shot of Nolan Reid.  The entire D-core of NSWC has been extremely sold - limiting ND`s chances and boxing out in front of Luding to see.

Third Period
The Hounds started to put some good shifts togther and control the play midway through the 3rd but it wasn`t enough.  They got goals from Brady Third and Gage Ramsey who had some strong shifts throughout the 3rd and showed a lot of hustle in the loss.  Elder and Dube also had some good shifts creating offense but the NSWC defence and Luding were up to the task for the most part.  We thought `99 born Nolan Kneen played well in this game and was rewarded with a goal and 2 assists.  He can be an offensive threat but needs to remember his own end a bit more sometimes.  Dante Hannoun and Quinn Benjafield had an assist in the 3rd as they both played extremely well.  Tak Anholt was good but not outstanding in this game.  Jordy Bellerive has people double checking the roster to make sure he is a `99 born!

Sherwood Park 6 - Red Deer Black 4
Shots:  34-30 Red Deer

OHA 1 - Calgary Northstar Sabres 2  (FINAL SO)
Shots 44-20 OHA
First Period
This games has really lacked intensity from the get go.  The offensive chances have been few and far between to this point.  OHA's entire d-core has played - litmiting the Northstars #1 line of Aucoin/Dunn to very few chances.  Beck Malenstyn is back in the lineup and has made an immediate impact as he has an assist on Carter Kyles hard work in front where he out-muscled Yewchuk and banged it in.  Malenstyn also had a great PK shifts and is a good leader - working hard every shift for OHA.  Koch hasn't stood out in this one yet.  Ryan Kielty and Liam Nijhoff have also shown a lot of jump and both play well in the d-zone and on the PK.  Yewchuk hasn't been overly impressive as for being the biggest kid in the tournament and still needs much improvement in his skating.  Although it has improved in recent months and shot will need a bit of work moving forward too.

Second Period
Not much happening at all in this game but OHA has continued to impress with a solid defensive game.  All defenceman have played solid in moving the puck up the ice and limiting the Northstars to a few scoring chances.  Anagnostopolous hasn't seen much work but absolutely robbed Brayden Dunn on a rebound in tight, late in the period.  Malenstyn has continued his strong play and some nice rushes in finding the open ice and isn't afraid of the high traffic areas like some of the skilled guys can be.  Koch has had some good shifts as well - showing speed, creativity and is good on the PK.  OHA's PK have all been outstanding.  The Northstars are looking rather flat and just can't seen to get much going.  Chase Goods has played some good defence he's not overly flashy but makes the simple players.  Connor Page has also shown a lot of hustle for the Stars.  Hildebrand hasn't had to make to many tough stops but is keeping his team in it.

Third Period
The play picked up in the 3rd as the Northstars tied the game midway through the period.  Parker Aucoin finally broke through and used his good shot, scoring for the Stars.  He has been more noticeable in the 3rd.  Both teams defences are playing strong as well as both goaltenders when called upon.  It is a treat to watch Beck Malenstyn as he plays a tremendous game at both ends of the rink.  He has great speed, vision, IQ, creativity and leads his team by example.  Koch also played well, using his speed.  Kielty, Kyle and Nijhoff have all had strong games as well and all 3 play a hard-nosed, gritty game and like to mix it up a bit.  Rizzolo and Stevens both look extremely solid on OHA`s backend.

Overtime
Heading to a shootout.  Jordan Fizanza took a 5 minute major in the final minute of OT but Hildebrand was strong for Calgary Northstar Sabres.

Shootout
OHA - KOCH (miss)
Stars - Dunn (goal)
OHA - Ward (miss)
Stars - Aucoin (miss)
OHA - Malenstyn (miss)

Edmonton MLAC 4 - St. Albert 3 FINAL
Shots:  21-14 Edmonton

Calgary Royals 5 - Winnipeg Monarchs 5 (14 mins remaining)
Shots:  27-25 Royals

Quarter - Final Action
POE 3 - Lloydminster 2 FINAL
shots: 29-27 Lloydminster
First Period
The Heat are really controlling the play for the most part with the exception of 2 late POE PP's.  The Heat defence core are playing extremely well, shutting down the POE top forwards.  POE's PK units have played well limiting the Heat's PP to minimal opportunities.  Cole Johnson, Zane Franklin and Tre Doyon have all thrown some big hits and all play a gritty game.  We are especially  impressed with Doyon's hustle, gritty play and d-zone work as well as PK work.  We really liked '99 born Zane Franklins play but it looks like he could work on conditioning a bit moving forward.  Cole Johnson has shown a tone of strength and is a force on most shifts.  For POE, forward Marcus Mitchell continues to a physical force, he's not super big at 5'9 134lb but plays with a tonne of heart and we've enjoyed viewing him!  Kale Clague once again exiting the zone with ease and is truely dominant.

Second Period
Two quick goals by Dallas Goodwin give POE the early lead in the 2nd period.  The 2nd goal was a weak goal from outside the blueline as Heat goalie Dow was then pulled in favor of McGrath.  The Heat responded midway through the 2nd with a nice backhand goal by Doyon who continues to play a great game.  He plays with a tonne of heart and is a great penalty killer.  Kale Clague continues his strong play - he always has his head up and rarely makes a bad decision out of his own end.  He has had some nice offensive rushes as well.  Marcus Mitchell continues to make his presence felt with his agitation skills and ability to draw penalties.  Jost and Mcdonald have yet to be a factor in this one as well as Shaw of the Heat.  Although Shaw is competing very hard.  The D-pairing of Jarrett and Bishop have also been strong in their own end for POE.  Nathan Spark in goal for POE is also playing well, although he can look somewhat awkward at times in goal for POE.

Third Period
A very competitive 3rd period with back and forth action.  Late in the 3rd, Kale Clague hit the post and then POE's Kutkevicius then picked up the puck, headed up the ice beating the Heat defender wide and went backhand for a beautiful individual effort and the GWG.  Mason Shaw made a beautiful move around a POE penalty killer and then dished to Clague who made no mistake and showed off his powerful one-timer.  Hines also had an assist and now has 2.  Clague and Shaw both stepped up there games and had outstanding 3rd period.  Shaw likes to play with an edge and works hard but can sometimes take some penalties which can be costly.  Doyon also played well in the 3rd and played an overall stellar game.  Jost and Mcdonald had some nice shifts but couldn't beat McGrath who was solid after replacing Dow.

Calgary Bisons 1 - North Shore Winter Club 3 FINAL
Shot:  36-20 Bisons

Burnaby Winter Club 0 - SSAC Southgate Lions 3  FINAL 
shots:  33-20  SSAC

Notre Dame 4 - Winnipeg Hawks 1 FINAL
shots:  34-18 Notre Dame

-Stay tuned in throughout the day again for the period by period updates or follow on twitter.  Good night.

John Reid Memorial Tournament - Day 2

SSAC 4 - OHA  3 FINAL
Shots are 36-34 OHA
First Period
Both teams have played a solid game so far, the game could easily be tied still.  SSAC scored a PP goal on a tip-in by Benson on a Paterson shot.  SSAC's first line of Yaremko, Paterson and Benson have been creating chances at will - especially Benson.  He just simply controls most of the play when he is on the ice and loves to get in to the dirty areas.  Derek Patter and Peter Tomaras have had solid games as they both play a gritty game and work hard out there.  Robertson as well as Quennevill have both been solid on SSAC's backend.  Davis Koch for OHA has  looked good as he skates well and shows good puck skills.  Darren Rizzolo and Any Stevens have been fairly sound, matching up against the Benson line.  Cote has always looked on the OHA blueline - skatin well and playing good in his own end.  Both tenders Willms and Berlin haven't seen too many great scoring chances but have been there when needed.

Second Period
Back and forth period of great action.  OHA tied it up twice in the 2nd on 2 PPG's by Koch, with Rizzol getting 1 assist.  Benson is having a strgon game and has another goal, he just seems to find that net.  He continues to opne up space and make everyone around him better.  Quenneville, Yaremko and Benson have all started getting physical, throwing some huge checks.  Higson and Khaira for OHA both played well in the 2nd, skating as well as moving the puck up the ice, both had good PP efforts.  They are big bodies and both can skate very well.  Koch kept up his sold play and high skill level, vision and hockey iq are really starting to show.  Bowen has also started to show off his skill and hard work in the 2nd.  Both tenders are playing great and giving their respective teams a chance to pull out a W.

Third Period
OHA fight till the finish with a weird ending as OHA pull the goalie with 30 seconds left, needing to win but Benson came up big again scoring the empty in a tie game.  Ward scored the go ahead goal early in the 3rd period but Paterson responded late in the 3rd on a PP with Benson and Yaremko getting helpers.  Bowen kept up his solid play throughout the 3rd, showing some speed and creativity and he also had an assist on the goal.  Davis Koch had a tremendous game in the absence of Malentstyn and OHA's best forward in every situation.  Tyler Benson also kept up his strong game, his hockey IQ is something special, he is so creative that it can catch his line-mates off guard from time to time.  Quenneville kept up his physical play with a couple more big hits.  The entire OHA defence core had a solid game holding SSAC to 2 goals.  Both Berlin and Willms had outstanding games in goal.

Notre Dame 7 - Red Deer Black 2  FINAL
Shots are 22-13 Notre Dame


BWC 1 - Sherwood Park 1 Final
Shots:  34-18 BWC
First Period
The play has been very even, although the shot clock says different.  BWC hasn't dominated this contest by any means.  The Flyers are playing well considering they are without Steel once again.  Keenan Roszko and Jack Hamly have played well, showing some grit and taking the body.  Fabbro, Ginnetti and Barberis have all once again been solid with some nice offensive rushes.  Jaeger White, kryski haven't been forces yet and Kylyshbek has shown some nice work with the puck so far.  Lush solid again in goal for Sherwood Park.

Second Period
BWC scored a late goal off a Jaeger White rebound as Didyk did a nice job of going to the net and burying.  The 5'7 Lush continues to have a great tournament for Sherwood Park and has kept them in their games.  BWC has had a couple PP's but Lush has shut the door - making 2 spectacular saves in the same sequence on Jaeger White.  Scout in attendance reports White as being disappointing, although he has 1 helper on the BWC goal, he has also taking some very long shifts with not a lot of hustle back to the d-zone.  Jake Kryski hasn't been as good as this morning but does have a point again as well.  For Sherwood Park, Joel Lakusta and Ryan Krushen have both had soldi games defensively for the FLayers.  Hamly and Roszko are still battling hard out there and have some of the few Flyers scoring chances.  Big forward Kaedan Browne has also stepped up and played very well, he is a big kid who can throw his weight around be strong on the puck.

Third Period
The final period saw some good even play as both teams had chances to get the go ahead goal but neither could capitalize at even strength or on their PP's.  Clinton Veinot tied the game in the 3rd for the Flyers who played a hard game.  Veinot also did a great job penatly killing on a late BWC PP.  White had a couple good shifts showing his vision but nothing outstanding by any means.  Kryski also started to pick it up a bit in the 3rd.  Fabbro and Barberis continued their strong play for 60 minutes.  Kaedan Browne for Sherwood Park continued to play well for the Flyers.  Lush was solid again in the 3rd, making several key stops especially on a late BWC PP.

Calgary Bisons 5 - St. Albert Sabres 4 (FINAL)
Shots:  42-28 Calgary

Winnipeg Hawks 4 - Calgary Northstar Sabres 2 FINAL
shots:  35-26 Winnipeg

Poe 6 - Winnipeg Monarchs 3 FINAL
SOG:  31-26 POE
First Period
Another very close battle.  The Monarchs are though carrying the play for the most part and have had some good spurts.  J.P. Lovell opened the scoring for the Monarchs and has been strong thus far.  The line of Martin/Curtis/Libbrecht have also played quiet well early on.  Thiessen hasn't been a factor yet, he took a huge hit early on and hasn't returned.  For POE, Tyson Jost  continues to play well  and has two beautiful goals in the period and has opened up lots of space for his team-mates using skill and his high hockey IQ.  Kody Mcdonald has had a much stronger game this time around and has worked hard to assist on both POE markers.  Defensively, Ralph Jarrett has had a very strong showing on the backend.  Spark solid in goal for POE early on.

Second Period
The Monarchs goaltending continues to be an issues as Hall has allowed four goals on 20 shots.  Dylan Thiessen has returned but seems very rattled and hasn't been able to do to much at all.  Libbrecht did score for the Monarchs in the period on a bit of a lucky goal with Martin causing some havoc in front of the POE tender.  Lovell has kept it up with some hard-nosed shifts down low.  He could use work on his skating but is a big body and hustles.  Kody Mcdonald for POE has been outstanding in the offensive zone and has created tonnes of space and scoring chances on most shifts and has assisted on all 3 of Tyson Jost's goals.  He also showed off his scoring touch by scoring a nifty five-hole goal on Hall.    Jost picked up the assist on that and sniped his hat-trick goal late in the period.  Ayre has also had a couple nice shifts - showing his playmaking ability as well.  Andrusiak has yet to show up in this tournament as a threat.

Third Period
It was a very spirited 3rd period with several huge hits thrown by Marcus Mitchell of POE and Kruase from the Monarchs.  Weak goaltending by Ryan Hall in the game didn't help the Monarchs cause.  Lovell, Martin and Libbrecht all had solid games throughout.  Thiessen had 1 assist on Spencer Ferbers goal in the 3rd period and didn't play as well as we know he can.  Tyson Jost and Kody Mcdonald were easily the best players on the ice in this one.  Jost added his 4th goal and 7th of the tournament into an empty net.  Nice to see Kody Mcdonald pick up his play after a bit of an off day yesterday.

NSWC 12 - Calgary Royals 3 FINAL
SOG:  

Lloydminster Heat 6 - Edmonton MLAC 2 FINAL
SOG:  42-23Lloydminster


Notre Dame Hounds 3 - SSAC Southgate 3 FINAL
SOG:  25-20 SSAC
First Period
A defensive battle so far with very few good offensive chances.  Benson and Quenneville have been very good on the PP and moving the puck at will.  They both assisted on the '99 born Josh Paterson goal.  The Notre Dame top line of Klatt/Elder/Ramsay have been good with a couple big hits and hard work on the cycle.  Taylor Ross has shown some good playmaking ability but needs to continue to work on conditioning to take his game to the next level.  He does have solid hockey IQ though.  Notre Dame was able to tie it up late in the period on a Elder going with Ramsay and big Tyran Brown picking up assists.  Brown has caused havoc in front of the SSAC net on a few occasions.  He does need lots of work on his speed and skating however.  Both Jeff Faith and Nolan Reid have been decent.    Reid keeps it very simple and Faith took an undisciplined boarding penalty.  Dube has been average thus far.

Second Period
The play really picked up on the 2nd as action was back and forth in what has been a very even matchup to this point.  Dillon Dube has really stepped his game up as the contest has progressed.  He blocked a shot on one play early in the 2nd and then skated out and walked around the SSAC defender and scored a beautiful goal - top shelf.  Tyler Benson then scored a goal from the slot with assists to his linemates Yaremko/Paterson.  Benson has been solid but not spectacular.  Notre Dame's PK has been solid after allowing SSAC to score on the first PP chance.  Notre Dame goalie Brett Evans seems to be having some rebound control issues but made an enormous save on Benson late in the 2nd to keep the score tied at 2-2.  Nolan Reid is playing well, making the simple plays in both zones, not flashy though.  Both teams hit cross-bars late in the period.

Third Period
The play in the 3rd period was very even once again, with both teams getting chances for the win.  Tyler Benson hit the score-sheet once again in the 3rd, he is a special talent who finds a way on to the scoresheet with ease.  He possesses very nice puck skill and poise but isn't flashy or do any toe-drags.  Just a basic player who reads the play extremely well.  He works  hard every single shift and has a strong body language - especially on the bench with his coaches and peers.  Quenneville was also solid, he is an extremely offensive threat on the backend.  Nolan Yaremko and '99 born Josh Paterson had solid games and work hard in the dirty areas.  Notre Dame tied the contest up late in the 3rd on a nice PPG goal with Klatt - Elder to Ramsay who buried.  From his high tempo play and hustle, Elder is a good lead by example type player.  Captains Elder and Benson were named MVP's in the game.

OHA 3 - Red Deer Black 3 FINAL
SOG:  32-23 Red Deer
- RD captain Parker Smyth injured.  Luke Coleman has been good.

Burnaby Winter Club Bruins 4 - Winnipeg Hawks 2 FINAL
SOG:  29-16 BWC
starting goalies:  Shugrue - BWC and Bannerman - Wpg Hawks
First Period
The play in the first period was fairly even with both teams trading some early markers in the period.  Nolan Patrick scored his 1st of the tournament as d-men Barberis/Pears got their signals crossed down low.  Patrick is starting to show his strength in this game with some good shifts down low.  Jongmin Lee replied for BWC with assists going to Fabbro and Kryski.  Kryski is showing some nice puck skill as well as creativity and speed up the ice.  Dante Fabbro continues his solid play on defence and finds ease exiting his zone consistently.  Jaeger White has been a bit of a non-factor so far in this one.  For the Hawks, Adam Thurlbeck continues to play very solid, intense hockey.  Forwards, Linden McCorrister and Vince Loschaivo are paired together on defence in this one.  Loschaivo has yet to impress but is playing out of position.

Second Period
Both team are starting to look a bit tired as the game progresses.  Nolan Patrick is showing his versatility playing defence in the 2nd period now as McCorrister and Loschaivo have moved up front.  Patrick has shown good body language and rarely gets rattled or frustrated out there.  D - Skyler Thorsteinson has caught our eye and plays a steady, non flashy but effective game.  Jon Morrow has shown good hard work and hustle.  Jake Kryski continues to be the top BWC forward, hands down with nifty puck skills.  Uy and Seidel combined for a fluky goal for BWC soon after White made a nice pass to Kryski who buried a nice backhand in tight on Bannerman.  Other than a couple nice passes Jaeger White hasn't been a big factor.

Third Period
Hawks ran out of gas in the 3rd period of this one.  Jake Kryski continued to impress with his speed as he set up Jaeger White a 2 on 1 for the Bruins 4th goal.  Thurlbeck's intensity got the best of him in the 3rd period as took a Checking from Behind penalty with 11 minutes remaining in the game.  His intensity is very high but he has to stay more controlled and working the skating.  Nolan Patrick played a complete style of game and does an excellent job on the PK.  Fabbro and Barberis played solid games on the backend as well and Cam Ginnetti who showed he can head man the puck and play a solid all around game.  Jaeger White showed some speed in the 3rd period but only had a handful of solid shifts throughout the game.  Jon Morrow for the Hawks continued to work hard and show compete and hustle through the 3rd and is one of those players who give 110% every shift.  Patrick, McCorrister and Barley combined for a nice goal late in the 3rd with Barley burying top shelf.

Calgary Northstar Sabres 4 - Sherwood Park Flyers 3  FINAL
SOG:  31-30 Calgary
-Sam Steel is NOT in the lineup today.  Paramedics on the ice late in the 3rd as the Northstar goalie looked seriously injured.




Stay tuned all day long once again to the twitter account @WEHPscout or shortly right after each period here on the blog for period by period re-caps once again.

John Reid Memorial Tournament - Day 1

END DAY 1 - See you all first thing in the morning!
Calgary Bisons 8 - POE 4...FINAL
SOG:  33-30 Calgary
First Period
Once again the line of Phillips/Ashton/Olson is dominant and figured in on all 3 goals.  Matthew Phillips 2-1-3, Ashton 1-2-3 and Olson a pair of helpers.  '99 born Aiden Roche-Setoguchi has been solid again as he was in game 1 and has stepped up to make some big hits.  Mckinstry has been very steady and has totally shut down the POE top line of Jost/Mcdonald/Kutkevicious.  Bisons goalies Josh Belisle was solid, shutting the door on a late POE 5 on 3 PP.
Second Period
Bisons pulled out to an early 5-1 lead and then started to sit back a bit.  POE pulled the starting goalie in the first period but have put him back in .  The POE top line still not really generating a whole lot in this game, although Jost does have the goal on the PP.  Zach Andrusiak has left the game after a Hit from Behind.  The Phillips/Ashton/Olson have been fantastic so far in the tournament.
Third Period
The Bisons sat back a bit in the 3rd, allowing POE some chances.  Both teams played undisciplined hockey in the period which led to PP goals for both sides.  The game started to get a bit chippy late in the 3rd.  Mcdonald and Kutkevicius still didn't show much.  Tyson Jost started to show some of his puck skill with many skill plays and scored a another goal in the 3rd on the PP.  Phillips had a huge game again and with his 3 goals and 2 assists, is tied for the tournament lead after 2 games with 8 points.  '99 born Kyle Olson had 4 points and Jake Ashton had 3 points.

Winnipeg Monarchs 4 - St. Albert Sabres 6 FINAL
SOG: 36-32 Monarchs
The host Sabres score 4 consecutive goals late in the 3rd period to pull off the win and even their record at 1-1-0 after a heart breaking 3-2 loss to POE earlier in the day.  Jake Warawa scored 2 more goals, giving him 3 now.  Defenceman Connor Deighton and Dylan Huot each had multiple point games.  Nolan Leibrecht had 3 goals for the Monarchs and Connor Bowey with 1-1-2.  Dylan Thiessen was held to just 1 assist.

Lloydminster 4 - North Shore Winter Club 0 FINAL
SOG:  23-22 Lloydminster
Starting goalies:  McGrath for Lloydminster and Luding for NSWC
First Period
Kale Clague has been a rock in his own end and rarely beat by the talented NSWC forwards.  He is also jumping in to the play every chance he gets but is able to get back easily.  He has one of the goals for Lloyd with hard, hitting forward Cole Johnson the other.  NSWC has looked very off this evening, unlike this morning.  Luding continues to fight the puck for NSWC in this one and has now allowed 7 goals on 27 shots faced.  McGrath has been solid for Lloydminster when tested.
Second Period
The Heat continue to impress and are really playing a strong team game tonight.  Clague and Hines continue to shutdown and frustrate the NSWC offence.  '99 born Zane Franklin has some very good tools but needs to work on his D-zone play.  Mason Shaw made a tremendous cross-ice pass to Brayden Goulet for the 2nd period marker.  McGrath very solid in the Heat net.  Tak Anholt for NSWC is always doing something positive on the ice as well as Jordy Bellerive but neither have been able to score obviously as of yet.  Luding is still battling some issues but his communication on the ice and is something other goalies in the tournament could take notice of.
Third Period
In the third, Clague made a nice move and burned a NSWC d-man wide and then dished to Cole Johnson who made no mistake and scoring his 2nd of the game.  Lloydminster played a solid game from start to finish and NSWC had  no answer for Austin McGrath.  Hines, Petrie and Clague all played solid defence and frustrated the NSWC forwards in this one.  Clague, Shaw, Goulet and Johnson all had 2 point games.  Clague and Shaw both have 5 points now.

Edmonton MLAC 5 - Calgary Royals 4  FINAL
SOG:  35-23 Calgary Royals
Sean Montgomery picked up 2 goals and 1 assist and Connor Kendell with 2 more goals in the defeat for the Royals.  Ryan Jevne picked up 2 goals, he now has 5 goals this tournament to lead in that category.  He also leads in points with 8 through 2 games. Michael Di Lullo had a 4 point effort.

SSAC 7 - Red Deer Black 2 FINAL
SOG:  41-26 SSAC
Staring goalies:  Gradyon Larson - RD Black and Stuart Skinner for SSAC
Tyler Benson and '99 born Josh Paterson picked up 4 assists each and line-mate Nolan Yaremko added 4 goals today in the victory.  D - David Quenneville scored once for SSAC. 

OHA 1 - Notre Dame 7 FINAL
SOG:  36-28 Notre Dame
Dillon Dube had 2 goals and 2 assists in pacing the Notre Dame attack.  Taylor Ross scored twice while Kaden Elder and Brady Third each had 3 point games.  Dube and Elder currently rated in the WEHP first round.  Taylor Ward scored the lone OHA goal.


Sherwood Park Flyers 0 - Winnipeg Hawks 0  FINAL
SOG:  31-31
First Period
Very even game in all aspects thus far.  Both Ryan Kubic for the Hawks and Lush for the Flyers have faced ample shots and scoring chances but have stolen the show thus far.  Sam Steel has had some good shifts but hasn't been outstanding by any means.  Same goes for Nolan Patrick.  Connor Barley from the Hawks has shown a lot of hustle and isn't afraid to mix it up.  Linden McCorrister of the Hawks has been playing F/D due to some injuries on the Hawks.
Second Period
Goaltenders Kubic and Lush have been very hard to beat in this game and have been "unreal".  Nolan Patrick has laid some big hits but hasn't impressed yet.  Same for Sam Steel still, not real noticable.  D - Adam Thurlbeck of the Hawks has played a very intense game and has been matched up against Steel all game long.  His skating could use a bit of work but is big and strong and hard to beat.
Third Period
It was once again a very even 3rd period as both teams keyed on the respective top players Patrick for the Hawks and Steel for Sherwood Park.  Hawks demise was not being able to capitalize on the PP in the 3rd period.  Adam Thurlbeck was rock solid in shutting down Steel all game long.  The MVP's awarded in the game were to both goalies Kubic for the Hawks and Lush for Sherwood Park.

Winnipeg Monarchs 2 - Calgary Bisons 6 FINAL
SOG:  Wpg Monarchs 33 - Calgary Bisons 19
Starting goalies:  Hall for Wpg and Sanders for the Bisons
First Period
It was the Matthew Phillips and Jake Ashton show in the first period as they were all over the ice and clicking at will.  Phillips has 2 goals and Ashton 3 assists.  The Monarchs were are very slow out of the gate and to this point, their star forward Dylan Thiessen has been un-noticable on the ice.  Ryan Hall hasn't been very strong between the pipes and has been fighting the puck for the Monarchs.
Second period
The Monarchs had some good push back but the goaltending of Nick Sanders from the Bisons has been the difference over Ryan Hall and the Monarchs.  Dylan Thiessen of the Monarchs had some dominant shifts and showed good creativity.  The shots are 24-16 for the Monarchs currently.  Ferbers has the goal for Winnipeg.  The Calgary D-core has been very strong in limiting chances to the outside.
Third Period
The Monarchs couldn't dig out of a slow start, despite out-shooting the Bisons 33-19 in the game.  Dylan Thiessen had a beautiful goal in the 3rd - going cross-bar and in.  Libbrecht and Curtis both strong for the Monarchs in the defeat.  Nick Sanders played very well for the Bisons.  Phillips and Ashton showed great speed all game long.  Voted MVP's were Phillips for the Bisons and Jakisch for the Monarchs.

POE 3 - St. Albert 2 FINAL
SOG:  34-33 POE
Starting goalies:  Spark - POE and Dechaine - St. Albert
Top 2 round rated prospect Kody Mcdonald scored twice and added 1 assist in the victory.  Tyson Jost picked up 2 assists for POE.  Webb and Warawa replied for St. Albert.

BWC 7 - Calgary Northstar Sabres 1 FINAL
SOG:  30-26 BWC
Highly rated prospect D - Dante Fabbro scores twice while Jaeger White and Jake Kryski who are all ranked as first rounders pick up 3 points each in the win.  Kylyshbek, Uy, Seidel and D - Barberis all had 2 point games.  Parker Aucoin picked up the lone goal for Calgary.

North Shore Winter Club 5 - Edmonton MLAC 5 FINAL
SOG:  NSWC 35 - MLAC 19
Starting goalies:  Lorenson - MLAC and Luding - NSWC
First Period
Tak Anholt with 1 goal and 1 assist for NSWC who showed great vision on the ice and was the top player that period.  Benjafield and  Hannoun also very strong for NSWC.  The MLAC goal was scored by Ryan Jevne.  Our scout reported that Jevne has a heck of a shot but could push harder and use his linemates a bit more.  So far an even game as reported.
Second Period
Second period action saw '99 born Jordy Bellerive score 2 goals and Quinn Benjafield of NSWC undressing 2 MLAC dmen to score a highlight reel goal.  Gritty forward Desi Burgart played his role well and mixed up on a consistent basis.  Ryan Jevne scored again for Edmonton MLAC but still needs to use his team-mates more.  Nolan Volcan was very strong for MLAC with a pair of nice assists.
Third Period
North Shore Winter Club took four straight penalties in the 3rd period to allow MLAC to tie it up 2 PPG.  Ryan Jevne picked up a Hat-Trick and was awarded game MVP while Bellerive was the game MVP for NSWC.

Lloydminster 5 - Calgary Royals 2  FINAL
SOG:  33-20 Lloydminster
Starting goalies:  DOW - Lloydminster and Kreitz - Cgy Royals
WEHP #2 overall rated prospect Kale Clague with 1-2-3 and 99 born Zane Franklin had 2-2-4.  Franklin is rated in the '99 born top 10, so both he and Bellerive with strong opening games.  Mason Shaw and 99 born Logan Ganie were strong as well for Lloydminster.  Sean Montgomery and Connor Kendall scored for the Royals.