Scouting Report
EVALUATED 22/01/2024
Donesh Mazloum
Regional Scout - Western Canada
Pavao’s energy and intensity level is infectious, and he is a true momentum creator on the ice. He has so many tools in his offensive arsenal as he marries his “punch you in the mouth” mentality with a high skill threshold. If you take your eye off the ball for a moment, he will exploit the hesitation and drive the puck to the netfront. It’s hard to keep him from getting to the high danger areas when he puts his head down. Opposition teams seemed wise to Pavao’s game and really tried to limit his time with aggressive spacing but here again Pavao showcased his multifaceted skillset by happily taking that increased attention before finding linemates in the left behind empty space. He finished with six assists in five games and remained a strong play driver even as opposition defences game planned against his scoring prowess.
Scouting Report
EVALUATED 14/06/2023
Joel Henderson
Director of Scouting
Pavao is a tenacious forward who, through relentless effort and top-end pace, is a pest on the forecheck and a nightmare for opposing defenders attempting to exit their zone. The pace is a sizeable asset in Cruz's toolkit, allowing him to dictate the flow of the game and push the opposition on their heels. Building off Pavao's pace, he has many of the much-desired offensive qualities. Shooting abilities, finishing touch, and game-breaking hands, Cruz has it all in his bag of tricks. Most notably, he is exceptional at finding open pockets of space and timing his routes to put himself in the perfect position to catch and release a dangerous pass, beating goaltenders often through these sequences. Cruz is just a natural goal scorer, playmaking threat, one of the most efficient scorers in the CSSHL, and more than earned himself a top spot in our Top 10 Canadians.
Scouting Report
EVALUATED 20/04/2023 Joel Henderson
Director of Scouting
He’s been a steady riser in my rankings for quite some time as he’s been one of the best 5on5 scorers in the entire CSSHL U15 Prep division. His added strength and speed in his footwork have made him win more puck races, protect better on the outside, and allowed his shot release to have more velocity. The quickness in his reaction timing means that he can jump on loose pucks in his feet and have a faster readiness to shoot and pot goals off rebounds. I think the natural balance he deploys in lateral slip passes on odd man rushes or quick snap shots keeps the goaltender on their toes in the best of ways. Cruz is also one of the best players in the draft at changing the release point of his shot too. I’m also a big fan of how often he opens up his shooting posture without the puck and how unbothered he is when players are on his back or against his shoulder. He has a comfortability in those moments to retain his poise under pressure. If you draft Cruz, you get a natural goal scorer and playmaking threat at 5on5 and the PP and one of the most efficient scorers in the CSSHL this season.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 12/11/2024Will Scouch
Regional Scout - North America
Pavao started the game very strongly, just as he did in the last game I saw of him. Smart puck movement, timing passes extremely well, spotting clean options and executing his ideas well. He showed a strong ability to generate breakouts with real crisp passing but his influence on the game seemed to wane, especially after the major penalty kill that preceded Canada White taking control of the game. He was still among the more impressive and intelligent Canada Red players, making good reads and moving the puck effectively bringing a positive impact on both sides of the puck.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 11/11/2024
Noah Poirier
Regional Scout - Eastern Canada
Another great outing from Cruz in this tournament. He was an absolute hound in the offensive zone, creating chances and turnovers off of relentless puck pursuits. When not on the puck, he always had his motor going, trying to get to those pockets of open ice. He scored the 5-1 goal with some great work, starting the play with a shot on net before his nice second chance effort was sent back to the blue line. Pavao was able to stay with the puck and get the rebound of his defenceman’s shot to go upstairs. He read the play very well and always seemed to get to the areas that he needed to be.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 09/11/2024
Will Scouch
Regional Scout - North America
Pavao came away with two assists in this game and looked like one of the more commanding players out on the ice from start to finish. He played with pace on both sides of the puck, using quickness to chase down puck carriers and intelligent stick checking to cause turnovers, and worked give and goes well, making him a key puck transporter that seemed a step ahead of the competition. He was working off defenders in front of him well, reading pressure and adapting to positioning well with dynamic skating and skill that kept him a step ahead of the Americans on many of his shifts. He worked hard off the puck to fight through pressure and support his linemates who were quite effective themselves.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 26/10/2023 Donesh Mazloum
Regional Scout - Western Canada
Pavao had another great game where he served as one of the main characters who always seemed noticeable and dangerous. His line with Boychuk and Duguay were dominant with possession and really turned momentum back in Alberta’s favour. I wish they tracked individual shots on net as I’d wager Pavao hit double digits and that’s not including the post he hit late in the game nor the shootout goal he scored to keep Alberta alive. He had so many chances in this game yet only finished with one goal and if there was a nitpick to an otherwise exceptional performance it would be his lack of finish on a couple opportunities.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 24/10/2023 Donesh Mazloum
Regional Scout - Western Canada
Pavao is an easy player to get excited about as he plays with such a throwback “punch you in the mouth” mindset. He is a bulldog in board battles and fights with a ferocity and anger that intimidates even bigger and stronger opponents. While I think that it’s his compete level that separates him from his peers, he is also a very smart and skilled attacker. His line with Boychuk and Duguay read and react off each other so well with soft touch passes into space and clever inside out movement. They are lethal on the cycle despite the fact that 5’10 Pavao is the biggest of the bunch. That quick decision making combined with his “F you” attitude will carry him far and I can see him being a fan favourite with any team he’s on.
Player Card
- All Data is derived via 5v5 per 60 minutes rate displayed in percentile format.
- Data Courtesy of In Slat.
SIGNED:
Tri-City Americans
24/05/2023
TEAM PREDICTION
TIMELINE
- 2023
24/05/2023
Tri-City Americans sign Cruz Pavao
- 2023
10/05/2023
Tri-City Americans select Cruz Pavao in the WHL Bantam Draft