[Sandman]

Hlinka-Gretzky Thoughts, Day #2:

It's a travesty that the arena in Trencin, Slovakia is named after the late Pavol Demitra. It's an old building, and they were having a huge problem today with a thick fog hanging over the ice- which was also terrible. Luckily, there was no problem seeing the game on TV, but from the vantage point of the cameras behind the nets, you could barely see the players at the point- it was that bad. During stoppages in play, they had fans blowing in the arena that sounded like air-raid sirens. Bush league. Canada beats the home team, Slovakia, 14-4.

-Coaches for Canada switched it up a bit for today's matchup, putting Michael Misa (2025 eligible) on the top line with Berkly Catton and banger Carson Wetsch. Misa responded with 2 goals, and 4 assists, and is now tied for the tournament lead in scoring. Misa is the kid that was granted exceptional status to play in the OHL last season. Misa isn't the fastest, but he's an excellent skater, and he showed today why there was so much hype about him. He's just a dynamic offensive player with supreme skill and vision, and a lightning-quick shot with a deceptive release and pinpoint accuracy. He's a superstar in the making, no doubt about it.
-Ryder Ritchie, son of Byron and nephew to Andreas Johansson, had 3 goals and 2 assists today to put himself in a tie for the tournament lead in scoring. As I said yesterday, Ritchie loves to have the puck on his stick, but I think he could stand to use his teammates more. He was grandstanding a bit today, and obviously it served him well, but he won't get away with that in higher levels. It could be that he's enjoying playing against players so young, too. There was one sequence (and he was doing it yesterday too), where he did a complete circle around the Slovaks zone, but had the puck poke-checked off his stick just inside the blueline, and out of the zone. He then collected the puck in the neutral zone by himself, waited for his teammates to tag up, then charged back into the zone along the wall, cut inside the circle, and fired it top-shelf for a goal. Obviously, he's a gifted player with all the right stuff- skating, shooting, skill, and vision. He battles in the tough areas, and goes to the net with no fear.
-RW Carson Wetsch of the Hitmen will be a fan favorite wherever he goes. He's 6'2", and hits like a mack truck. Today, he launched an opponent into the team Canada bench, and was dishing it out all game. I wouldn't say he's a burner, but he's pretty mobile, and he really keeps his legs pumping. He had a goal and an assist today, and was all over the ice- showing off his work ethic, and taking away all time and space from the Slovaks. He's not without skill, or IQ.
-It's a tourney for players 17 and under, so one can't get too worked up over a player's performance. That said, C Roger McQueen (2025 eligible) reminds me a bit of Jonathan Toews at this level. He was Canada's Player of the Game today, with 2 goals, 2 assists, and a plus-5- centering the second line. Incredibly, he's only 16 and already 6'4", with a powerful, galloping stride. Like Toews, he plays a detailed game, and does all the little things needed to win. He's cerebral, skilled, and takes pride in his defensive game. He goes to the greasy areas and wins pucks, and will bowl a guy over to do it. Uses his size as leverage, and goes to the net. Very good hands and vision. I've become a fan, and will be watching him going forward.
-C Cole Beaudoin was Canada's Player of the Game yesterday, and he had another admirable showing today. 2 assists, and plus-3, and was an absolute stalwart on the PK today. He was dominant in man-down situations, leaving attackers with no time or space to get anything going. There was a few occasions when he actually corralled the point man, and chased him out of the zone with the puck, forcing his opponents' teammates to tag-up and re-set. He also seemed to deny countless entries, and he blocks shots. He's 6'2", skates well, and will not be outworked or outmuscled. It's a young man's tourney, but it's hard to not love this kid.
-Captain Berkly Catton centered the top line again, and produced 2 goals, and a plus-3. He'll be a first-rounder in 2024. He's not big (5'11"), but he has everything you want in a top-6 player- excellent 2-way play, speed, good shot, and top-tier hockey sense. He's already a leader, and plays hard.
-D Charlie Elick is one of those players you don't notice until you check the stats sheet after the game. Today, he led Team Canada with 21:54 TOI, and had a game-high plus-6 (!!), to go with 2 assists. The Calgary product plays a very simple game, eats up minutes, knows his role, and obviously takes pride in his defense. He moves fairly well for a kid who stands 6'3".
-D Henry Mews was again the best D-man for Canada, despite playing the 3rd-most minutes, at 18:44. 3 assists, and plus-3, putting him in first for scoring by D in the tournament. It's very premature to make comparisons to players this young, but like I said yesterday- he reminds me of Brandt Clarke. Very calm and composed, but is a play-driver, and is quite cerebral in his approach. Excellent skater, high IQ, good shot, and plenty of attention to his defensive play.
-RW Justin Poirier (who looks a lot like his older brother Jeremie), is a little ball of energy, and a sparkplug. He's only 5'8", but has a big chip on his shoulder. Despite his size, he's not afraid to attack the net and hack and whack. He will dish out hits, and has no problem competing in the dirty areas. There's plenty of offensive skill here, and some good hands, and he put up a goal and an assist in only 11:12 TOI. Like his older brother, he could use a tune-up in his defensive play, but unlike Jeremie, his stride is a bit short and choppy and in need of more power. He likes to show off his hard, accurate shot.
-D Sam Dickinson was impressive again today, with 2 assists and a plus-4, while wearing the "A". Dickinson is an excellent two-way player, with good mobility- especially for a kid who stands 6'3". He keeps his game simple, and doesn't activate much in the offensive zone, instead running the play from the point. He's hard-working, physical when he needs to be, and always separates his man from the puck. He has a good breakout pass, and some transitional ability when he sees the opportunity.
-D Zayne Parekh was the 7th D today, and only played 8:40. He was put out on the PP in the first period, but much like Ritchie, I feel like he needs to use teammates more. He was all over the offensive zone, and perhaps not in a good way. He doesn't seem to like quarterbacking the play from the point, and seems to want to pinch for a goal, circling around the zone and forcing his teammates to cover for him. It resulted in at least one egregious turnover. He's an excellent skater and stickhandler, and he loves to shoot- plus, he plays a pretty good 200-ft game. He's still one to watch for the 2024 Draft as a top offensive D.
-RW Maxim Masse' played on the third line, but he was dangerous all game long, and wound up with a goal, an assist, and a plus-2. He's going to have a big year in the Q with Chicoutimi, and will likely be a first-rounder. This past season, he was the recipient of the Michel Bergeron Award, given out to the best offensive rookie in the Q, after piling up 62 points in 65 games. Simply put, he's an offensive weapon-but he still plays a good 200-ft game. I think his skating needs work, but everything else is there- he has supreme skill and vision, stands 6'1", and seems to be equally good at shooting as he is at creating.
-D Frankie Marrelli played the second-most minutes for team Canada, at 20:06, and put up 1 assist and a plus-4. Marrelli is a bit diminutive, at 5'11", but he doesn't back down from anyone. Like Poirier, he has a giant chip on his shoulder, and plays with energy. He's not devoid of offensive skill, but he proved again today that he takes pride in being a good defensive player first. He played in all situations today, and was solid. I would like to see what he does in junior this year, as his offensive game is a bit of a question mark to me- he distributes well, and can shoot, but didn't put up good numbers for the 67's in the regular season this year. My guess is that he was buried on a powerhouse team, but he came through with 7 points in 11 playoff games.
-RW Porter Martone had a goal and an assist in 14:29 today, but finished even in plus/minus. He looked a bit slow today at times, and took a hooking penalty when an opponent beat him. I think he's got a good top speed in a straight line, but needs work on his acceleration and short-area quickness. At his best, Martone is a 6'3" power-forward with skill who goes to the net, and uses his size and strength to bull his way around the ice. He's dominant along the boards, and has a good shot and release.
-I used to be a fan of F Branko Radivojevic, so I watched his son, D Luka Radivojevic for Slovakia. The younger Radivojevic is only 5'10", and had a "meh" game, with no points and a minus-4- though he played a team-high 21:48. He looks to be a good skater with offensive instincts, and he puts effort into his defensive duties. He's not eligible to be drafted until 2025, though- so he has plenty of runway.
-If there was a Slovakian player to be impressed with, it would definitely be C Tomas Pobezal, who isn't draft-eligible until 2025. Goal and 2 assists in 18:48 TOI. Pobezal had a game-high 5 shots (tied with Poirier), and those shots are hard and accurate with a nice release. He's not huge right now (5'10"), but he skates well and isn't afraid of the danger areas.