Carter Meyer was with all certainty one of the top players at the Eastern Exposure Cup with dominant play at both ends of the ice, highlighted with elite skills controlling the puck, making his way into dangerous areas, and setting up high-quality plays. He has several rush chances working with solid speed, control, and flash, as he pulled pucks around a defender and gave himself space to work with on an odd-man rush. He’s so powerful in his stride, and calm with the puck that he’s tough to get a read on for defenders. Quick and explosive moves laterally give him the leg-up on his opposition as he carries the puck around the ice, and in transition across the bluelines. He was excellent at distributing the puck and getting his linemates involved, seemingly never making an errant pass or poor decision, he made the most of the simple play along the wall on the cycle, along with displayed the creativity and vision to execute high-end plays through the slot, through a series of sticks and bodies to teammates in a scoring position. On the powerplay from the left-wall he was dominant across the viewings, controlling the flow of play, using fakes, tight turns, and quick passes to spread out defenders, ultimately giving him ice to work with to fire shots on the net, showing off a bullet of a wrist shot with lethal accuracy. It was great to see him fire the puck some more throughout the event, really showing off the strides he’s taken in developing a stronger scoring touch, both from range along with in tight closer to the goalie, cleaning up those second chances. It’s not just the tools that made Meyer so effective, but the hockey IQ and decision making, executing great reads and not overcomplicating things, when the puck was on his stick he was in full control of the game.

Carter Meyer stood out as a forward with tremendous puck patience, high-end vision, and hockey IQ, making him a reliable presence in all three zones. His ability to slow the game down when in possession allowed for him to draw defenders in and create space for his teammates, often setting up high-quality scoring chances with precise passes. He effectively used his large frame and puck-handling skills, peeling off defenders and making composed plays rather than forcing the puck. If he can increase his skating explosiveness, especially out of turns, he'll become even more difficult to defend as he can then use his puck protection skills to turn a slowed down play into a quick drive to the net or towards open ice. Defensively, he is responsible and uses his body well in battles, though adding more physicality to his game could further elevate his presence. With continued development, Meyer has the potential to dominate.

One of the forwards who really stood out on this Team Kelly Green offense was Carter Meyer, who finished second on the team in points with two goals and four assists. Meyer’s play was very strong and could easily have resulted in more points had it not been for some excellent saves from opposing netminders. I was impressed with his strength on the puck and ability to make plays under pressure, and once he let the puck go from his stick he immediately sought out a return feed as he loved being on the puck. He showed some slick hands in tight and was able to navigate his way through a sea of defensive sticks fairly easily, and was strong on his stick when they attempted to dispossess him. His vision and passing ability were impressive, he did extremely well to change passing lanes by adjusting his hips and stick positioning and he created many new avenues of attack through that. He always found himself in space after eluding the defense and was able to be targeted by his teammates so that he could get high quality scoring opportunities in and around the slot. His shot really impressed me, he generated lots of power on it and he did so with great accuracy and a quick release making it incredibly hard to stop. He earned himself a variety of breakaway opportunities as well through his timely zone exits from the defensive zone and his teammates were able to spring him loose.

A dynamic offensive force for one of the higher scoring teams of the tournament, Carter Meyer put together a solid performance at this event using his exceptional puck control and vision, incredibly accurate shot and impressive puck retrieval skills to be a difference maker all throughout. He controls the puck so efficiently in the offensive zone, particularly along the boards where it seems that no amount of pressure could ever make him panic with the puck on his stick. He moves so effortlessly through opponents with quick puck touches all while keeping an eye out for open teammates and as the defenders eyes are drawn to him, he has the ability to connect on slip passes through small gaps in the defense and the same goes with his shot, being able to place it with pinpoint accuracy on the rush, as a one-timer option, or even in tight. He continues to be a great forechecker as well using his stick to pressure defenseman and force them to make a play with the puck, trying to anticipate passes out of the zone and showing a great deal of determination to win back pucks after turnovers, hustling back and catching opponents off guard with a quick stick lift.

The 200-foot dominance put on display by Carter Meyer made him an easy choice to be one of the top players at this years’ USA Hockey Nationals. Playing through the middle, he exhibited traits of a true centerman, winning faceoffs, supporting teammates off-puck, driving play with great puck skills, along with committing to the defensive side of things. His greatest asset is his hockey IQ, on top of elite puck skills and power, he carried the bulk of play for his Boston Jr. Eagles. He worked well under pressure and in tight to opponents, shooting off passes in step through the neutral zone, along with from high in the offensive zone upon entering. His speed allowed him to get around checkers off-puck in transition, enabling him to catch passes on give-and-go plays, form brief odd-man advantages, and often find his way within the faceoff dots for dangerous scoring chances. The shooting arsenal he possesses is amongst the best in the class, capable of shooting from all types of angles relative to his body, his deception and protection of the puck prior to zipping a shot on net is elite and adds to why he is such a dangerous goal scoring threat. His playmaking talent and ability to seek out lanes and send pucks cross-ice even further round out his offensive game, making him one of the top dual-threat weapons the class has to offer

Meyer played a large part in the comeback with 3 points in the second period but also was a leader of the Kelly Green offence throughout the whole game. He won the puck in a big scrum along the boards to tie the game at 1-1 early in the game and did a good job at attacking the middle of the ice in a multitude of ways such as powering his way through, delaying and drifting into the middle or powering his way through while fending off defenders by getting inside leverage. He scored 2 goals in the second period with the first goal coming off a snipe over the shoulder on a partial breakaway after splitting the defence and the second being the eventual game winner, cashing in on a rebound at the top of the crease showing a nice finishing ability around the net with a lightning quick release. His contributions didn’t stop there, he assisted on the game-tying goal as well after slipping a pass to Schneider at the right dot from behind the net for a one-timer laser and all throughout, showed good playmaking instincts from the perimeter using his strong puck control to prolong possessions in the offensive zone and buy himself the extra time to allow passing lanes to open up.

Both of his assists came in the first half of this game, but personally I thought his second half was much better. His playmaking ability jumped out immediately, he saw the ice so well and was able to find space with ease to make plays as he showed some high end vision. He changed angles well to open up passing lanes more and was able to connect on passes time and time again to stretch out the defense. He was on the end of a number of good scoring opportunities but was unable to convert any of them, hitting the post or being met with a big save from the goalie. His shot was very good and he tried it from all over the ice, ringing one off the pipe from a sharp angle off the rush. He played with pace and helped set the tempo, and he was quick to chase pucks down into the corner and engage in battles where his physicality took me by surprise. His decision making was intelligent and fast, and his quick hands kept him in possession to provide him more time to make his decisions when he needed to.

Another Boston Jr. Eagle who had a phenomenal set of games and sees their Nationals trip come to an end early; Carter Meyer. Each and every time watching Meyer you develop an appreciation for his two-way commitment and defensive details. The positioning, angles relative to the puck carrier, anticipation and stick checking ability are all very strong elements to his game that ultimately help him force turnovers and create counters. He had a few plays landing great stick lifts in the neutral zone along with on the forecheck, was able to spin away and escape from his opponent in tight, and often sought a lane through the middle to set up a teammate before anyone could adapt to the change in possession. As a whole, this may have been one of the best games I’ve seen from Meyer in regard to being a dogged competitor on the puck. He continued to flash his offensive toolset as well, as mentioned earlier he set up teammates in prime scoring areas from the perimeter. He sees the game very well, seemingly always has 2-3 options at his disposal thanks to his creativity and passing ability. He slows down and speeds up the game so well, making him dictate the pace of play more often than not when the puck is on his stick. He had some nice looks utilizing his curl-and-drag shot, shooting around bodies and from congested areas of the ice to threaten the goalie.

The partner in crime to Finn Sears, the dominant victory on the scoresheet of the Boston Jr. Eagles would not have been possible without Carter Meyer supporting his linemates, and team as a whole with a complete 200-foot game. He’s such an intelligent centerman, a true centerman I would suggest, and for such a young age does a great job at covering lanes, backtracking in transition, playing a good mix of high-low defense and blending conservative and aggressive styles, he did an excellent job taking away options for the BK Selects in this one. Offensively, he set up roughly half-a-dozen Grade-A quality scoring chances with quick plays in tight, slipping pucks through seams and crowds with great confidence and accuracy. He drove the bus on the Jr. Eagles powerplay, quarterbacking things from high in the offensive zone, he showed some good 4-way mobility, poise, and patience when pressured in vulnerable situations. His puck movements were quick when they needed to be, but also took the time to slow things down, pull in checkers, and then shoot passes off elsewhere. His shot selection was well-timed, keeping shots low and deflectable through screens. The point scoring dominance wasn’t quite the same as Finn Sears’, with 1 goal and 2 assists; Meyer took a large bulk of responsibility as mentioned prior playing that elite defensive game from the middle of the ice. He continues to build on his positive momentum coming out of the Massachusetts State Championships.

Last viewing of Carter Meyer I felt he leaned more into his 200-foot game, he continued to be defensively responsible in this one as you’d expect, but the puck possession game, and offensive awareness in this one really highlighted the skill he has and what he can accomplish in the offensive zone. First off, the power to his stride, the control and balance to it all, on top of his agility and ability to quickly adapt to the play, makes him a dominant transition force as he exits his own zone, traverses the neutral zone, and gains the line, attacking open ice, weaving his way through bodies, and getting to the middle of the ice where he wants to be to further distribute the puck. He can maneuver his way through crowds and bodies very well, with an adaptable brain and soft hands under pressure, he never seems to break a sweat as he slips pucks under sticks, boxes out opponents, and escapes pressure. Thanks to his on-puck dominance, he draws in so much attention, pulls defenders out of position, and has wicked creativity and vision to attempt passes through tricky lanes to set up teammates for Grade-A scoring chances. He had some great looks of his own in this one too, primarily during the first half of the game I saw him get some nice looks firing pucks on net through bodies or with speed off the rush. Part of his success comes from his willingness to bring the puck to dirty areas of the ice, along with compete off-puck in these said areas, winning battles quickly and seemingly effortlessly, and having the skill to make quick plays in small areas.

This game was just another opportunity for Meyer to showcase his ability to control play with the puck on his stick. He did such a great job at protecting the puck in tight spaces, keeping his body in between the defender and the puck, and forcing opponents to one side before quickly spinning off in the other direction. His strong skating allowed him to brush off Kings players while maneuvering in the offensive zone and he was difficult to knock off stride when he got moving. He was noticeable without the puck as well by occupying the middle of the ice well and successfully intercepting passes, along with a few instances where he pick-pocketed defenders trying to exit their own zone. In the third period, we got another taste of just dynamic his all-around offensive game can be as he extended the Jr. Eagles lead to 3-1 by stripping a defender of the puck in front and spinning towards the net before rifling a shot over the shoulder of the Kings netminder. He followed that up 3 minutes later with a rush into the zone where he sent a flashy behind-the-back feed on the tape of Sam Pandolfo in the slot and capped off his tournament in style.

I was someone familiar with Carter Meyer heading into this game, and he was a name I looked forward to seeing again, and he impressed me just as much as he had months previous. The puck skills and hockey sense at both ends of the ice as he occupies the middle of the ice allows him to seemingly always be at the right-place at the right-time to receive passes, intercept passes, cover lanes, and build speed. His powerful stride, ability to change directions in a pinch, and overall ability to stick to the flow of play, make heads up decisions relative to his teammates and opponents as he moved the puck up the ice in transition. His commitment to back checking and covering the slot in his defensive end was also admirable, getting physical to win battles and ice, landing stick lifts to reclaim the puck, and overall highlighting his defensive abilities. His toolkit was also impressive on the offensive side of things. He can change the release point of his shot by pulling the stick closer to his body or extending it outside around sticks. His shot is heavy, and quite accurate as well, I’d say his vision and passing ability is stronger than his goal scoring ability simply because of his hockey sense and ability to mesh plays together, but he is no slouch in regards to finishing things off.