[transplant99]

Now, there’s no doubt that smaller players face a disadvantage in hockey. They get pushed off of pucks more easily, they don’t have as much reach on their stick and they’re not able to naturally cover as much ice with their skating because their strides are shorter.

However, a lack of size is not a disqualification. If a player has the skill, the smarts, and the work ethic, that’s all that they need to succeed in the NHL.

Luckily for Moncton Wildcats left winger Jakob Pelletier, no three attributes describe his game better than skill, smarts, and work ethic.

Hockey has always come pretty easily for the 5-foot-9 winger from Quebec City, who was a phenom in his home province from a very young age and was chosen third overall in the 2017 QMJHL draft. He has natural hockey sense and a feel for the puck, the kind that you simply cannot teach.

What makes Pelletier so special, though, is how he approaches the sport and the work that he puts in. Some players have the natural sense and the skill, and then coast a little too much because of how easily the game comes to them — but not Pelletier. He’s aggressive without the puck, churning his feet and chasing down whoever has it, even if it means going into dirty areas. He’s also tough to strip the puck from when he does have it, twisting and turning along the boards or pushing hard to get just enough speed to gain separation from opposing defenders. He’s pretty fearless for a guy his size, carrying the puck into traffic to generate a scoring chance even if he takes some physical punishment for doing so.

He's gonna win a Stanley Cup.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p...r=Y&pid=209005