Scouting Report
EVALUATED 24/11/2024
Joel Henderson
Director of Scouting
We are talking about a player who has the best shot release in the WHL since the likes of Brayden Yager and Connor Bedard. His time with Okanagan Hockey Academy has seen him partnered with the offensive Ruck twins while they’ve dominated teams together. He had 51 points in 23 games including 30 goals on the season so if you’re looking for premier goal scoring in North America, Mathis Preston loves it and he’s very good at it. His shot includes angle changes, toe drags, accuracy in his snap, and usually is combined with zone entry speed or curling off the halfwall until there are screens in front. His separation speed off the rush is truly high-end as well. His chemistry within an offensive system that uses a spread out spacing in order to recognise passing lanes and lean into the strength of his shot will hopefully fit into the Spokane system in 2024-25. While he builds on those enormous strengths, he can continue to work on being more consistently gritty, forechecking and finishing some secondary efforts, and not drifting too far out of the play along the boards. If you’re looking for future highlight-reel CHL goals, Mathis is your guy. He was able to score four goals in five WHL games last season as a taste tester.
Scouting Report
EVALUATED 29/03/2024
Donesh Mazloum
Regional Scout - Western Canada
It’s really easy to get excited about the pure unadulterated offensive potential of Preston as there is maybe no purer goal scorer in his age group and no player more dangerous one on one. He plays with maximum confidence and while at times he can overdo it and turn the puck over, he much more frequently creates magic out of nothing. He led the entire championship in scoring and points per game with seven goals and 13 points in four games and his highlight tape is chalk full of tasty dangles, pinpoint bullets, and between the leg passes. There is something endearing about how badly Preston wants the puck in the offensive zone and unlike many goal scoring wingers he isn’t satisfied playing off puck as a triggerman. He much prefers generating opportunities for himself and his high skill level and explosive stride perfectly complements that attack mindset. While Preston is certainly a shot first player, he doesn’t have his head buried nor does he get stuck in tunnel vision. When defenders fully sell out to block his shot or take him out of the play, he is more than comfortable finding his linemates and he had a couple of the flashier assists at the showcase. Preston also earns high marks for his willingness to get physical and dirty for opportunities. He is not a player who gets stuck on the perimeter as he will use his skill in tandem with sandpaper to drive the net. There are areas Preston needs to improve off puck, including a slightly higher level of patience but overall, he has the look of someone who is done with minor hockey and is ready to hit the junior ranks at full speed.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 12/11/2024
Will Scouch
Regional Scout - North America
Preston is good. Real good. This game only became more and more about The Mathis Preston Show. He brings so much to the table that you want more of all the time. Quickness on his feet, playmaking vision, high pace processing of play, and a deceptive skill level to create passing lanes all combine to make an extremely impressive combination of abilities. There were moments of great cross-ice vision in the offensive zone early on that very nearly put Canada White up early on. He was such an important cog in the machine throughout this tournament with sublime rushes at times and intensity when it was needed. He was even throwing the body here and there in this game to make a further impact on the game. Preston easily became one of the best players in this tournament bringing tons of good traits, and while it may have taken a bit of time to see him fully spread his wings, he hit his stride at the right times and became one of the most effective offensive players in the tournament.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 11/11/2024 Will Scouch
Regional Scout - North America
I just love this guy every time I see him and can’t help but daydream of where his game could go from here. Such a great natural feel for the game and after a bit of a tepid start, a beautiful one-touch pass put Canada on the scoreboard on a power play goal from Tynan Lawrence in the first period. He just kept gaining more and more steam, ending the game with a hat trick to go with his lovely primary assist on the power play. Shout out to Markus Ruck for a beautiful flip pass to spring Preston on the breakaway that he put away cleanly on his backhand as well. His edges and cuts allowed him to navigate the ice so creatively and keep opponents guessing that just a bit more quickness could unlock a tremendous amount of potential with Preston. There were some good defensive moments as well, tying up loose sticks and clogging passing lanes to generate turnovers. For good measure, Preston embarrassed a Swedish defender on a beautiful cut to the net, finding himself across the crease for his hat trick goal to seal the game for the Canadians. A few sloppy puck touches here and there broke some potentially dangerous possessions, but to still come out the other side of the game with four points and a hat trick is impressive regardless of how it gets done. A great overall performance that pushed Canada through to the final against… Canada…
Game Reports
EVALUATED 09/11/2024
Noah Poirier
Regional Scout - Eastern Canada
Mathis has that ability to be a gamebreaker and he put it on full display in the third period, scoring 2 highlight reel goals to preserve the win. He fooled defenders on zone entries using tactical changes of speed to stop and accelerate on a dime. He and the Ruck brothers used a series of one touch passes in the OZ to open up space for each other. On a couple occasions, he worked in 1 on 1 using quick puck touches through the defenders stick and feet before driving the goal. Another thing I noticed in this game was Preston’s ability to handle tough passes and barely break stride. On his first goal, he took a tough east-west pass in stride behind him, pulled it back to his stick, drove the goal and lifted the puck upstairs. His second goal was another pretty one, going inside out on a 1 on 1 before using that patented shot to beat the goalie.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 07/11/2024 Noah Poirier
Regional Scout - Western Canada
The blend of shot and speed that Mathis Preston possesses is something that doesn’t come around too often. Preston was another playdriver in this game who didn’t find his way on the scoresheet despite an excellent showing. Reunited on a line with the Rucks for this game, the chemistry was on display instantly with Preston at the forefront. He used his explosive speed to barrel down the wall while the Rucks wreaked havoc and opened up room for Mathis to get to the middle and get his outrageous shot off. The thing though with Preston is that he didn’t have to get to the middle to get a dangerous shot through. He could curl from the corner or behind the net and still be able to create a prime scoring chance. He’s a scoring threat from anywhere in the offensive zone. The shot selection sometimes was still iffy, but when you’re that much of a danger from all angles, it’s hard to be mad at it.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 07/11/2024
Austin Robson
Regional Scout - Eastern Canada
While I’m used to Preston being a highly skilled shoot-first type of player, I thought in this game his playmaking was the crux of his offensive creation. He was able to stand out on his very first shift when he caught a burst of speed through the neutral zone with the puck, dodge a check as he gained the offensive zone and follow it up with a slick backhand feed from below the circle to the high slot for a scoring chance. He made a series of great feeds in transition, both from the defensive and neutral zone, that hit teammates in stride and allowed them to attack the zone with speed and even created a couple of odd man rushes as a consequence. He was able to prolong his puck touches in the offensive zone by leveraging his edgework to make hard cuts and pivots to gain separation from defenders and work his way into space as he scanned the ice. I would’ve liked to see him attack the middle more as a puck-carrier, as he definitely has the offensive toolkit to do so, but overall it was a positive performance from Preston in this game.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 01/02/2024
Jordan Malette
Regional Scout - Ontario
Preston had a very similar game to my first viewing of Canada: he dominated with the puck on his stick and led the Canadians in the scoring chance department. There were about a handful of sequences where Preston picked up a puck in his defensive zone, turned, and exploded up ice, blazing by everyone in the neutral zone, going end-to-end and finishing the sequence with a quality shot on net. His ability to accelerate was one thing, but his puck skills at those top speeds made it even more noteworthy. Mathis handled the puck so well while in motion, enabling him to dodge any defender who tried to close him down and was a key element behind his on-puck dominance and scoring chance creation. Preston converted the game-tying goal late in the third, with a well-timed route to the back post and finishing a beautiful pass from Ryan Lin.
Game Reports
EVALUATED 01/02/2024 Austin Robson
Regional Scout - Eastern Canada
Preston can be a frustrating player at times, even if his offensive tools separate himself from the rest of the Canadian roster. Throughout the first two periods I thought he was relatively quiet, not really engaging himself in play or just trying to force plays offensively that weren’t there. In the third period he really came alive and was Canada’s most dangerous forward, tying the game twice with his lethal shooting ability. His first goal saw him pick up a loose puck in the offensive zone, spin and fire a perfect shot into the top right corner. His second goal came off a cross-ice pass from Tynan Lawrence that he was able to rapidly get off his stick before Wendt could get across. He almost completed the third period hat trick when he wired a shot off the rush that beat the goaltender but hit the post and bounced out. When Preston is on his game, he can be one of the most dangerous and efficient players in the 2008 class.
Player Card
- All Data is derived via 5v5 per 60 minutes rate displayed in percentile format.
- Data Courtesy of In Slat.
SIGNED:
Spokane Chiefs
17/05/2023
LEAGUE PREDICTION
-
CHL
Confirmed
100%
TEAM PREDICTION
-
Spokane Chiefs
Confirmed
100%
TIMELINE
- 2023
17/05/2023
Spokane Chiefs sign Mathis Preston
- 2023
11/05/2023
Spokane Chiefs select Mathis Preston in the WHL Bantam Draft