Brayden Willis was a nice scoring threat for Mount St. Charles as he slipped into space and was constantly where he needed to be to make the most his quick release. He caught a handful of passes from his strong side and was quick to fire it on net. A strong snapshot both in motion and from a standstill, he gave defenders little time to get their stick in the way of his shot. Extremely shifty as a whole, even in situations where he didn’t have a shooting lane, he was quick to make a play off an initial pass reception, making him tough to read and contain. Explosive on his lateral movements, he could step around flatfooted opponents with ease, giving him a bit more room to work with as he walked his way into the slot off some quick moves. He was willing to go to the dirty areas of the ice with the puck despite being a bit smaller than the rest, showing good resolve on his feet, he had some good chances as he worked his way in tight to the net.

Brayden Willis was probably the most consistent player on Team Purple from start to finish at the Selects camp. His intelligence off the puck made him incredibly effective, he had such a great understanding of how to support his teammates and position himself to receive the puck and already had his next decision mapped out beforehand. He used well-timed bursts of speed to pop into space and upon receiving it he was ready to wire a shot on goal or make a cute little touch pass to lay off to players overlapping him into space. He was quick to make little adjustments to his body or stick positioning to enable him to better access shooting and passing lanes. He didn’t delay in his making decisions and he was constantly following up his passes and shots to remain involved in the play and look to cash in on any opportunities that presented themselves. He was very effective in his distribution of the puck and saw the ice extremely well, showing really great vision to unlock the defense with his passes and set up dangerous shooting chances. He did well off the rush to get his shot away, frequently testing the goalies and forcing tough saves out of them. There wasn’t a whole lot of flash to his game but everything he did was calculated and likely the right move to make in the current situation. He was effective on the forecheck as well, pressuring the defense and steering them into his supporting forecheckers. His neutral zone and defensive zone play was equally strong, making steps to cut out passes and reading the intentions of the opposition quite well to prevent them from getting into areas where they could do damage. It was an overall very strong series of performances from Brayden Willis and I came away really impressed with his game.

He was one of the more agile forwards for Phoenix; finding himself on rush chances at times and releasing slingshot wristers targeting the far top corner or recognizing when teammates were driving the net front and firing low shots for rebounds too. I thought he made his money in these games with his weighted passes to spring teammates on breaks or find them cross ice. His passing was diverse; varying from feathered passes or crisp lead passes. When he did get some space in the offensive zone too, I liked when he’d curl around the net and look for centering feeds into the interior from trailing teammates. I thought his IQ and puck control stood out.

One of the top shooting options for the Jr. Mounties, Brayden Willis was fed the puck all game and displayed a wicked release that challenged the goaltender each and every time. He got the scoring going as he went to the crease, settled a pass, made a quick move in tight to his forehand and lifted the puck past the goaltender. On the powerplay he did a great job at balancing his shooting tendency and passing game. Circling back and recalibrating if the lane wasn’t there, he showed good decision making to move the puck if the shot wasn’t there, limiting any low-danger shots that would’ve simply been blocked. When he did shoot the puck, he showed off the ability to shoot off a pass reception, giving defenders little time to get set to take away his lane. One of his better set-up plays came from high in the zone, wide open he caught a pass and before even receiving the pass he identified an option towards the goalmouth and immediately hooked a pass to the slot to set up a great chance. Willis would end the game with his lone goal, but played a huge role in generating offense for his team.

Somewhat quietly picking up 5 points in the victory, Brayden Willis was another marquee forward for the Jr. Mounties. His evasiveness and high-end skill was on display once again. He’s so difficult to slow down and contain once he gets his feet and hands in sync. He can explode around opponents from a standstill, handle the puck afar and in tight to his body, pulling pucks across his body and around opponents, he did a great job at creating brief pockets of time and space for himself throughout the game as a result of this skill of his. He scored the 4-2 goal for his team as he sniped the top-right corner from a low-percentage angle, showing off his elite accuracy and ability to score on shots that most players simply aren’t able to achieve. His second goal of the game made the game 7-2, on a 2-on-1 chance he settled a puck and was able to rip a shot past the goaltender. An underrated element to his game is his ability to settle and control rolling or bouncing pucks and quickly make a play off of it. He can turn chaos into controlled plays, making him appear to have the puck on a string at times, turning “lucky bounces” into well-deserved chances. Willis continued to rip shots on goal throughout the game, challenging the goaltender directly along with creating rebound chances that enabled him to pick up a few assists as a result. Overall, a great dual-threat outing for Willis, showing off both his quickness on the puck with great dynamic moves along with his scoring prowess that beat the goaltender cleanly.

Willis’ contribution to the Jr. Mounties offence came in the form of smart and effective puck movement which allowed for fluid passing plays both in the neutral zone and during extended possessions inside the offensive zone. He made a few strong setups coming off the wall, displaying his impressive passing ability to sift passes through traffic that included a saucer pass across the crease for Cover who got denied on a grade A chance on the ensuing shot. In transition, I thought he did a great job at facilitating plays up the ice with smart touch passes to ensure plays flowed naturally without missing a step and allowing for teammate to enter with speed even if he received passes at a standstill.

Consistently involved in the thick of things, Brayden Willis’ energetic and pacey style of play both with-and-without the puck gave him ample opportunity to force turnovers, along with generate offensive chances. He was effective in battles along the boards, or when contending for a puck in open ice, the delicate hands and good degree of balance allowed him to contend with larger opponents, come out on top, and make a play shortly after coming out with the puck. He was one of the leading shooting threats for the Jr. Mounties. Particularly when the Gulls were slowing down the game, Willis managed to sift his way into the high slot with some good hands and quick feet to open a lane to fire a puck on net with a snappy release. On the Jr. Mounties’ powerplay opportunities, Willis was one of the leading catalysts for his team at setting up chances and moving the puck. He showed good poise in the face of pressure, relying on his skill and agility to evade opponents, freeze defenders, and overall buy time and pull opponents out of position. Pulling off some great cross-ice passes with the man advantage, there were a few plays where Willis could’ve come out with an extra assist on top of the assist he already collected.

Willis showed a nice passing layer to his game in the semi-final. He was scanning for options, taking his time with his possessions, and looking to thread pucks to the scoring areas. Brayden was confident with the puck on his stick, using his hands to buy time and space to operate, giving him plenty of options. He had a few nice sequences crossing the offensive blueline, delaying with slick handling, and then dishing to a teammate that caught my eye as positive moments.

Willis was always hovering around the offensive zone and in the right spots to be open for dangerous passes. He had a handful of catch-and-release shots that were thanks to his off-puck play to sneak into open pockets of space and support the puck carrier. He scored on one of these shots, one-timing a pass from Pelosi into the open net. Brayden also added one in the assist column, attacking the middle of the ice, firing from the slot area, which sparked a rebound that his linemate finished.

Brayden Willis was another catalyst in this game, generating shooting chances for himself with his ability to carve openings with subtle adjustments to his shooting angles. He opened up the scoring with a sharp angled shot that was perfectly placed and caught the netminder off guard, he trusted his shooting ability and with good reason. His playmaking ability is what really impressed me as the game went on, he generated chance after chance for his teammates finding the open man with excellent vision. His passes ranged from quick short passes, to long cross ice ones, and a particular cross ice backhand saucer pass through the seams that nearly led to a goal of the tournament contender. His ability to see the ice was perhaps second to only Tang in this one, maybe even better, and him coming away without an assist was baffling. The key to his game wasn’t necessarily the simplicity but the speed at which he played, he was quick to get the puck off his stick and didn’t get caught lingering in possession. He added some timely defensive interventions such as stick lifts from behind before shots were able to be taken. I really liked Willis’ play in this one and he could easily have come away with a bushel of points.

I really enjoyed the play of Brayden Willis, he moved very well off the puck and showed an excellent understanding of where to be in the offensive zone to have the puck wind up on his stick. He was on the end of passes, shot rebounds, and loose pucks all because he positioned himself appropriately. He flashed quick bursts of speed in the offensive zone to dart into spaces and gain a step on his man to open up a shooting lane. He carried the puck well and while he wasn’t necessarily outpacing or deking his way through players he did a nice job of timing his speed and puck handling to earn a few chances off the rush. There was enough in this game from him to suggest that he can be a very effective player due to his intelligent decision making and style of play.

Another strong game for Brayden Willis as one of Team Purple’s top performers, he opened the scoring just over two minutes into the contest. The goal made me chuckle because it was just another example of how well he positions himself to be in the right place and quickly capitalize on the opportunity he’s presented with. His movement in the offensive zone is excellent, he follows up shots very well, and he is constantly moving and rotating with the puck to find a good support area to be in to provide an outlet for his teammates. He made a number of good cuts to the back post that could have turned into goals themselves, as he seemed to be on the same wavelength as his linemates. With the puck on he stick he was effective as well, carrying the puck to the slot and quickly stick handling or shimmying his way inside to get a high quality scoring opportunity away. He had some strong defensive involvements as well, getting in on the forecheck and cutting out some passes with timely steps in the neutral zone. The way Willis goes about his game is very easily replicated and he continues to find success working in conjunction with his teammates.