Kevan had a quieter series for the U.S. but showed good vision breaking the puck out of his own end. He made a couple stretch passes to linemates that were able to push the opposition back. In game two he seemed to be more physical, getting involved after the whistle in numerous scrums. He did have a few neutral zone turnovers which seemed to limit his ice time later in game two.

If not for Boumedienne, I would have to say Kevan’s season was not only one of the best in this age group, but he was able to finish 24th in league scoring and first among rookies. Picked 5th overall by the Bucaneers in the 2023 draft, Kevan rode the high of a 58 goal, 105 point campaign where he helped lead his LA jr. Kings to a national championship in the 15 only age group to earn a roster spot out of camp. Kevan is a highly skilled, driven player who has excellent tools but the unteachable instincts in the offensive zone is really where he shines and has been able to translate his game at each level he’s played at. While boasting a fairly modest physical ability, Kevan’s crafty game and ability to use his speed and skill to back off opponents and generate time and space for himself and teammates allowed him to make an immediate impact and turned him into a focal point for anything offense for Des Moines. The only downside to him having this kind of breakout is that he’s on the path to playing himself out of a third year in the league and is off to ASU after his NHL draft year.

Kevan finished this tournament tied for the lead in scoring with 7 points, including 5 goals. His goal scoring often came due to his hockey IQ and ability to find open space. He would tend to be off puck then find open space to get the puck from a teammate and fire shots at the net. His skating was very smooth and showed flashes of speed bursts. His goals came in all forms including shots, dangles, and net front battles. This versatility could be very helpful to him going forward. Kevan showed some instances of transition play but could benefit from being more involved. His ability to find open ice and be a good support option does make his lack of puck dominance in transition less concerning. I’d like to see him use that high IQ for finding open space to help with his playmaking ability. As of now he can be a bit one dimensional. If he can improve and use his playmaking more often his game could go to a whole other level.

The off-puck opportunism exhibited by Ben Kevan without sacrificing reliable defensive tendencies led to the second-most impressive performance by a Team Red player on day #2. Kevan’s developed chemistry with Sam Spehar was a large aspect of what enabled Red to return from their 4-1 deficit. Branching off from pressure when recognizing soft ice in the offensive zone, Kevan proved capable of exploiting the Team White defenses on multiple occasions. He possesses a high degree of puck skill, and selective shot timing that provides him with additional aspects with which to deceive his opponents.

Kevan was a clear standout in this game, arguably thinking at least one step ahead of almost everyone on numerous occasions. Kevan isn’t exactly a burner or the most skilled player on the planet, but you can easily see how he’s such a productive player. His vision around the ice is absolutely elite at this level, anticipating pressure so well with the puck and causing pressure without it with great routes and edges more than good enough to keep up with puck carriers. So many times, Kevan could gain inside position on the rush, find routes and make himself a dangerous scoring threat on and off the puck. Early in the game there were occasions of cutting inside, getting to the net, and showcasing quick skill in front to earn a couple of scoring chances. Shortly after, once again gaining an inside lane to the net and one-timed the 1-0 goal off a lovely pass from Luke Norcross. Kevan is obviously a target for opponents, but it didn’t seem to matter, threading drop passes on entries and exits after drawing in pressure with ease. Even when not scoring himself, he enables others to generate offense. He dragged pressure with him to the net on the rush, giving Timofei Runtso plenty of space to challenge the goaltender, wristing home the 3-0 goal early in the 2nd half. Kevan showcases brilliant passing in the offensive zone, seam creation and excellent vision in all zones with quick thinking and clearly capable of surprising his opponents. For good measure, while he wasn’t officially credited with it, I’m pretty sure he put home a one timer for the 4-2 goal. He was involved somehow, which makes sense, because he was simply excellent in this game.

I can’t say enough positive things about Kevan as I think he has true star potential and plays with that extra level of execution that you see from the game’s top players. He really put Pacific on his back in this contest scoring their first goal and providing the primary assist on their second. It seemed like every chance Pacific generated had his fingerprints all over it. His intelligence and ability to dissect a defensive structure is present at every moment. Whether creating something out of nothing on the rush or showing elite small area instincts in traffic, Kevan always seems in complete control of the game. His heroics weren’t enough to get Pacific the win, but it wasn’t due to a lack of effort.

Kevan had another fantastic game and has been the best overall player for Team USA in this tournament for my money. He collected another three assists in this game, driving play and being the focal point of offence whenever he was on the ice. His off-puck intelligence was on full display as he had a myriad of clever stick lifts to win battles, was jumping passing routes all over the ice, and continued to show perfect timing in his forays into soft spaces. His grit and competitiveness served as a blueprint for his teammates to right the ship any time their play started to fall off due to the score. There are so few weaknesses in his game and the maturity he shows will carry him far. I’m excited to see how he can use this as a launchpad into the junior ranks.

Kevan was dominant in this game, consistently pushing the Swiss back on their heels and spending almost the entire contest in the offensive zone. He was arguably unlucky to only collect a goal and assist as he created chance after chance. His goal in particular was a thing of beauty as he picked up the puck on a broken play in the neutral zone, exploded past the flat-footed defender, and buried a quick shot in the upper corner. Kevan has that extra layer of crispness in his game that you see from top end talents. He thinks the game at a higher level than most of his peers and he uses that extra mental half step to exploit lanes and place the puck in smart places for his teammates to skate onto. There are very few weaknesses in his game; he has the small area touch and grit to be successful in high traffic areas and he has the open ice pace and vision to beat you off the rush. He has the poise and confidence to be the tip of the spear on the attack and the positional awareness to get into open lanes and soft spots off-puck. Really impressive stuff from Kevan today and he’ll be a player I keep a close eye on over the years.

Easily the most important and most effective player on the ice in this game. From winning board battles, to stickhandling around fallen players and evolving situations, and dragging laterally to the extension of his reach while cutting deeper on his edges, Benjamin was dangerous and evasive. He can drag pucks past his hip to open up wider passing angles or curl back towards the boards and thread the needle on a pass into the slot. He was defensively responsible by using stick lifts and then immediately turning the play around to accelerate aggressively through the NZ. Everything worked today. His reaction timing, reach, stride, defensive motions, and puck luck in the offensive zone all were on point. He finished the day with a goal and four assists.

As the event has gone on, Ben Kevan has only gotten better, his compete seemingly hits a new high each game, and the physical talent impresses more-and-more each time. He was the beneficiary of a pass to the slot where a nice catch-and-release shot beat the goaltender, albeit the goal was waved off due to the net being dislodged, nonetheless, a further example of his shooting prowess. On the powerplay he was able to execute a strong stick lift to the surprise of the defender, right next to the net, and slipped the puck past the goaltender in tight. He’s such a strong player in all senses of the word, with the puck and without, he can both overpower and endure stick checks, along with body checks. He racked up another point by taking a shot on goal that created a rebound for Caden Campion to jump on, extending the Kings lead to 2-0. Even when he’s not shooting to score, Kevan’s high IQ lets him shoot for rebounds, and owns a shot hard enough to seemingly create a rebound every time despite the goaltenders’ best efforts to control it. His best play of the game came on the penalty kill, forcing a puck free at the line and showing off great speed, he pulled away and came in all alone on the goaltender, with a series of quick stickhandles he beat the goaltender in tight to extend the lead to 3-0. To wrap up a lengthy report, his overall play in all areas, offensively, defensively, transitionally, physically, and everything in between has been phenomenal, and continued to be so as he led his team into the championship game.

I got to see Ben get more comfortable as the days went along even if I wasn’t in particular writing about him for PuckPreps. You can tell that he leans into the offensive side of things especially if he can play off the rush. He absolutely burst past a layer on the outside when the defender mistimed the angling of the rush defense. Ben took full advantage and accelerated until he could push into the inside and score a great goal. He had another 2on1 chance later on which resulted in a goal too. I think he is going to be a very good complimentary winger who could move up and down the lineup if he makes the team.

Ben Kevan continued to leave his mark in a multidimensional collection of ways for Team Kane. He showed a good ability to absorb checks and protect the puck along the boards, drawing in plenty of attention of Team Matthews defenders, the physical abuse he endured allowed him to open passing lanes to the middle, in which he routinely took advantage of. Assisting on one of Landon Hafele’s goals, he landed a strong body check, freed the puck up, endured a brief battle, and sent a strong, crisp, and accurate pass to the high slot. He had another play where off the rush he took a hit just inside the offensive blueline before dishing a puck to Sam Spehar for a partial break. He was able to show off his shot power on one play as well. Collecting a puck in the high slot off a cycle he got a decent shot off that showed some good power.

Ben Kevan continued to double-down on what makes him such an effective player for his AAA team. The off-puck tenacity and constant effort makes him an extremely effective forechecker. Similar to Landon Hafele, he hunts down pucks very well, uses the body and some good strength to smother players against the wall, and goes to work. He was present in the slot area, battling for ice, looking for rebounds and setting screens, showing good battle and grit. The athleticism that Kevan owns lets him keep pace with his peers, with good strength, size, speed, and a high effort level, it serves him well in all areas of the game.

Ben Kevan continued to show off his elite goal-scoring prowess in this one, scoring the fourth goal of the game for the Western Selects to seal the deal. Forcing a turnover at the line he was able to win a puck race with great acceleration and use his patented wicked release to quickly snap the puck home and beat the goalie. His full-length stride is something that separates him from others, and of course his wicked release on his snapshot and wrist shot are also defining factors of his game.

If only there were a bit more offensive support on the Kings roster I think Benjamin Kevan could develop the confidence to earn himself a place in the next tier of 2007 forwards. The physically developed forward boasts a strong stride and excellent puck protection ability despite having limited options with what to do with the puck when he gets to the offensive zone. He has an excellent reach and can be quite deceptive in using a broad stroke of his stick to move the puck around his opponents. He has a ton of ability to drive the puck into the middle of the ice, yet, I found in this game his tendency was to get around the first line of defense and take a low percentage shot from the perimeter, or high in the offensive zone. His confidence in carrying the puck deep, like I’m sure he could, seems to be fleeting. His goal to tie the game at 2-2 game as a result of selling a pass to the slot from behind the net, thus pushing the Wisconsin goalie off of the post, and opening a miniscule gap for him to bounce the puck into off of the goaltenders back.