Playing on a line with England to start the tournament, Hilderman was another Edge School prospect who stood out for Team Black. Hilderman does a lot of things well, but I think his shot is an elite skill that will translate well as he progresses up the ranks. He can absolutely rip it and he attacks with a very deceptive release point. He has that high end ability to toe drag through the release to change the angle at the last moment that you see from some of the best goalscorers at higher levels. I also really value Hilderman’s play without the puck and ability to be a positive impact even when he’s not on the scoresheet. He is a force on the forecheck and is relentless in pursuit. He really gives no room to breathe and even otherwise poised defenders seem to get flustered when he’s bearing down on them. I think he could have even more value as a do-it-all Swiss Army knife if he can iron out some kinks in his stride. At this level his mental pace and raw effort more than makes up for it but the efficiency in his stride needs improvement to maintain that effectiveness at higher levels. I think Hilderman’s ultimate ceiling will be as a complementary offensive piece as opposed to a true top line talent as he did look a little less effective in the attacking zone when forced to carry his own line in this tournament. Despite this, his value in all three zones is immense and his ability to play any role up and down the lineup should result in him being sought after early in the draft.

Projection: Top Line Forward
Projectable Skills: Puck protection, Net Front, Hockey IQ
Development Opportunities: Skating

I haven’t been able to shake the effectiveness of Matthew all year for Edge U15 Prep. His unique role on the team has shown such high-end effectiveness and his effort, energy, physicality, and attention to detail make him project with such certainty. He can be found on the top line of the top CSSHL team this season by winning puck battles down low, finishing body checks properly to maintain inside position, pestering defenders, and being the best net front player in Western Canada. It isn’t necessarily a role that everyone at this level embraces but he’s truly excelling at it. Outside of being that high-level touch passer and glue player, he can dangle players one on one off the rush by driving wide and pushing his way to the interior. He does lose some of his skating power at times because of his stride but his strength and determination often make that a non-issue at this level. He’s able to do everything he needs off the forecheck anyways while continuing to produce off cycle play and on the PP. While other players might have a bit more flash and flair to their game, the efficiency and work ethic of Matthew is only going to lead to successes.

Matthew might be the best U15 net front player I’ve ever seen at this stage of his development. Edge really has done a great job teaching and molding players into specific roles. In the last few drafts, I’d say there were only a handful of players who I’d even call a net front/slot player. Matthew has excellent hand-eye coordination to tip shots, gather rebounds, jam away as loose pucks, and is often in a wonderful position to redirect backdoor passes. He also can quickly pivot and fire pucks heavily on net when he gets slick passes in the slot. If fans are interested, one player who has some tactical resemblance to me is Matthew Seminoff. Edge’s leading goal scorer was Hilderman because of that style of net front play. He potted 22 goals in 23 U15 Prep games.

Our 9th ranked skater is the versatile workhorse from Edge U15 Prep, Matthew Hilderman. He can be found on the top line of the top team this season winning puck battles down low, finishing body checks properly, pestering defenders on the forecheck, and being the best net front player in Western Canada. It isn’t necessarily a role that many people embrace at this level but he has found a way to hone the craft. Outside of being a high-level glue player, Matthew has incredible pass timing, can dangle players one on one with pull moves and delay options, and gives ample second effort on every shift.

One of the more well-rounded forwards in this draft can stickhandle around you one-on-one, chip and chase to win board battles against you down low, or be effective by tipping pucks and finding space in the slot and net front to create offense. While at times he lets others on the line handle the puck in transition a bit more than him, his game without the puck is getting better as well.

I still think that Matthew is one of my favorite players to watch from this draft because of how detailed and explosive his 5on5 play is, especially below the goal line. He forechecks, angles well, finishes body checks, stick checks early, causes turnovers, and makes net front rebound chances seem like butter. I loved watching him dangle around two opponents and then finish a check on someone who stepped up on him. While sometimes his aggression means taking a penalty by finishing a check along the boards, I’ll absolutely take it every day of the week. I think it is so hard to find players who do the grimey work on the ice with as much skill, intellect, and effectiveness as Matthew does. He’s one of those players you can put on a line and instantly the line is better.

I am certainly quite familiar with this player already and thought it was a solid tournament for him. He has that heavy snap to his release in stride and he can move pucks well to his forehand in preparation. It is quick and heavy. He has the ability to both shoot off the rush/breakaways or try to delay and wait out goaltenders laterally. While I did see him pushing players off their routes defensively, I think his tendency was to fish pucks out of feet rather than bully them off the puck along the boards. His goals scored were simply very accurate wrist shots.

No player pushed harder for Alberta when searching for an equalizer than Hilderman. His desire to be a difference maker is second to none and he plays with such confidence that he can beat the goalie from anywhere. He may have one of the best releases in this age group as the puck explodes off his stick with the kind of pace that makes what should be a routine save, difficult. He is far from a one dimensional off-puck triggerman however as he is perhaps even more adept at creating his own opportunity through sheer force of will. He is relentless on the forecheck and can pull the puck from off the wall and into the slot in a heartbeat. They didn’t keep track of individual shots for at this tournament but if you told me Hilderman had ten in this game, it wouldn’t surprise me.

This was a really impressive performance from Alberta as a whole. Despite the lopsided shot advantage without anything to show for it through 35 minutes, their composure never waned and their compete only elevated. No one embodied that more than Hilderman. He wanted it bad and as the game progressed tilted the ice more and more in Alberta’s favour. His compete when down four to nothing, galvanized the rest of the team and only served to increase their collective fight. Shooters are going to shoot and Hilderman finished the evening with four goals by pounding the net with his elite shot, outworking the opposition to regain possession, and then shooting it again.