Just outside the top 5, James Scantlebury was an extremely impressive player who had a short run at the Nationals playing only 3 games but still demonstrated his elite talent and processing ability by powering his team’s offense and generating countless scoring opportunities. The way he maneuvers with the puck is so fluid, he has an explosive stride that allows him to accelerate quickly up the ice using small but quick handles off the puck keep it out of reach of defenders while continuing to attack with speed. He uses such smooth cuts and spins to create space for himself when under pressure that allows him to keep his momentum with the puck and not have to constantly stop and start to shake defenders. His moves on the ice always seem to be calculated as he pulls off simultaneous moves, one after the other, around and through opponents pulling them out of position before slipping a pass through sticks to an open teammate or when he’s given the space, let off his incredibly accurate shot using a drag technique where the puck whips off the blade of his stick. He does such a great job at disguising his passes to his teammates while roaming around the offensive zone as he processes the game at such an elite level that the split second a seam opens up to deliver a pass, he’s ready to slip the puck unsuspectingly past defenders making him such a dangerous player with the puck on his stick. In this event, he was able to show his ability to take over games in certain instances, but he wasn’t able to capitalize as often as he had all year.

Get used to hearing the name James Scantlebury, our 2nd-ranked Canadian skater and our top player from Eastern Canada. Hailing from Châteauguay, Quebec, Scantlebury headed south of the border this season to suit up for the Bishop Kearney Selects where he’s currently torching the 14U AAA circuit with 121 points in 50 games. What makes him such a special player is his ability to process the game and execute at high speeds, whether it be baiting defenders towards him to create space for teammates or reading the body positioning of defenders to exploit them one on one. His offensive toolkit really is overflowing in abundance, as he possesses the triple-threat ability to either beat defenders with speed, thread pucks through traffic to hit a teammate in stride or score from a distance with his impressive shooting mechanics. At this juncture, Scantlebury is the cream of the crop for what seems to be a rather impressive 2009-born class from Eastern Canada.

The first of a 3-headed dragon that kept the BK Selects in this one, James Scantlebury was arguably a top-2 player in this game, and is evidently the most talented, but didn’t get the breaks necessary to put the puck in the back of the net as much as you would hope. He opened up the scoring with a great wrister from the slot, with an extra stick handle to freeze the goalie and change the angle, little plays like that when in prime scoring locations, a level of confidence and skill to not overhandle the puck, yet make small changes to increase chances of success are partly what make him such a special player. His ability to skate the puck was on display all game long. Whether it be 2-line transition rushes, backing off the entire defensive line, or making unbelievable smooth cuts and turns with the puck deep in the offensive zone, slipping away from checkers, and centering a pass to linemate Gianfranco D’Agata. Between D’Agata and himself, they practically drove offensive possession for the Selects, darting in-and-out of coverage, there were plenty of good looks spread out amongst the two with quick puck movement and execution of what appeared to be set plays. Later in the game as the clock ticked away on the Selects, Scantlebury took it upon himself a bit more to flaunt his skill and try and make a difference late. He did just about everything but score down the stretch, with the goaltender making some great saves on him, his curl-and-drag shot was seen a few times, entering the zone with speed, using the defender as a screen, and ripping the puck from the middle-lane of his body onto the net. Not for a lack of effort, Scantlebury ends this one with 1 goal and 1 assist.

Scantlebury was the obvious standout in this one as our #2 ranked 2009-born skater in North America. He’s such an explosive skater who was demands the attention of the other team when he roams around the zone with the puck which allowed him to slide passes through to open teammates in front of the net plenty of times during the game but to no avail. He processes the game at such a high-speed, his moves are so calculated that when he touched the puck it seemed as if he already knew the next 2-3 maneuvers that he would use to slip through the defenders and create a scoring chance while seemingly having the puck on a string, tapping it through players sticks and pushing it slightly ahead to avoid stick checks. He created a lot of scoring chances for himself in this game and after a few missed shot attempts, he was able to find the back of the net on a powerplay where he picked the top corner on the short side for a beautiful snipe. Scantlebury was by far the most dangerous and dynamic player on the ice in this one.

Scantlebury was the obvious standout in this one as our #2 ranked 2009-born skater in North America. He’s such an explosive skater who was demands the attention of the other team when he roams around the zone with the puck which allowed him to slide passes through to open teammates in front of the net plenty of times during the game but to no avail. He processes the game at such a high-speed, his moves are so calculated that when he touched the puck it seemed as if he already knew the next 2-3 maneuvers that he would use to slip through the defenders and create a scoring chance while seemingly having the puck on a string, tapping it through players sticks and pushing it slightly ahead to avoid stick checks. He created a lot of scoring chances for himself in this game and after a few missed shot attempts, he was able to find the back of the net on a powerplay where he picked the top corner on the short side for a beautiful snipe. Scantlebury was by far the most dangerous and dynamic player on the ice in this one.