Showing off some stronger offensive instincts in this showcase in comparison to what I’ve seen in the past from him, Sig Ebersold had some moments of solid offensive involvement, contributing on the scoresheet as a result. He was a lot more willing to shoot the puck from what I could tell, boasting a quick release, and using some good lateral movement to step off the wall and closer to the middle lane, he was able to sift pucks on net through screens and have it found a way past the goalie. His calmness and poise with the puck as he moved around the ice was another strength of his, and with some improved mobility and speed from previous viewings, he did a great job under pressure at making plays, and or simply outskating incoming puck pursuing opponents. He remained solid defensively in addition to his newfound offensive developments, he clogged up the middle of the ice very well, taking away lanes and using his size to overpower puck carriers, shutting down play to the outside via smothering puck carriers along the boards and ultimately coming out on top in a handful of battles to regain possession. A nice piece of contrast to his team’s blueline, while still adding a decent degree of offensive flare to arsenal.

Ebersold’s steady defence and strong puck moving from the back end made him a reliable defender for Team Gold throughout this camp. His effectiveness in the defensive zone came from his strong defensive stick which allowed him to often come out of battles with the puck and dispossess opposing puck carriers attacking the middle of the ice. How strong he was on his stick also showed in his offensive game as I thought he moved the puck very well with hard and accurate passes especially on the breakout where I liked his ability to make a strong first pass out of the zone to spring plays in transition. Along the offensive blue line, he was a smart distributor of the puck as well but never wasted an opportunity to fire a quick shot that more often than not made its way through crowds and onto the net.

Sig is the final defender on North America who caught my eye over the Draft Day Showcase. Ebersold was yet another effective puck mover on their backline, helping them exit the defence zone, breakout with control, and transition the puck up ice. He was always patient with the puck on his stick, scanning for passing options, and could reliably move the puck up ice and get North America off on the rush. Similarly, if there was open ice, Sig didn't hesitate to carry the puck out of his zone, navigate around defenders in the neutral zone, and enter the offensive zone with control, showcasing he could positively impact transition in a few different ways. In both of these areas, there was a noticeable blend of confidence and patience that shined through, helping him to escape pressure and thrive as a puck mover, which was the main area of his game that made him stand out over the showcase weekend.

Ebersold had a couple of strong defensive plays in this game where he was able to use his skating and physicality to shut down plays along the wall and regain pucks for his team as well as a few rush stops including one where he broke up an odd-man rush opportunity with his stick and was able to turn it into a quality shot attempt for himself going the other way. There weren’t many flashy plays off his stick but I found he provided a stable presence on the back end for his team and got a couple of good looks for himself with timely activations up the ice.

I thought it was a solid all-around showing from Ebersold who quietly made smart plays at both ends of the rink quite consistently. In his own end, I liked how strong he was on his stick below the goal line to hold onto pucks or win battles along the boards and his puck movement on the breakout was clean with short and simple plays. He also made an impact on the offensive side of the play by activating up the ice creating odd-man scenarios and was able to pick up an assist when he fired a hard shot from the point off the right pad of the goaltender that found its way onto the stick of Abolenskiy for Team Gold’s second goal of the game.