Leading the entire tournament in scoring with 9 goals and 6 assists for 15 points across 6 games, Stephen Cover was an elite scoring piece for his team. He really putting together all of his offensive tools at the perfect time to be an impactful players seemingly every game for the Jr. Mounties. He was lethal on rush-offence, zipping up the ice with great acceleration and power, he handled the puck and made some nice moves at high speeds, giving him time and space to fire pucks on goal. When he wasn’t flying up the ice with the puck, he did a nice job on the cycle to protecting it and making some shifty maneuvers in tight to keep play alive as he rolled out of the corners. He was masterful at finding that soft ice and extra time to get alone to receive a pass, firing shots on net and beating the goaltender point-blank on numerous occasions. His transitional play was another strength of his, tied into his rush-offence, he made light work of neutral zone coverage and was effortlessly able to gain the line time-and-time again throughout the event. A great series of games on the whole for the recent Madison Capitols tender.

Stephen Cover did a nice job at drawing in pressure by handling the puck well, making quick adjustments in the face of pressure, and using some decent size and strength to absorb some contact, ultimately giving the view of passing lanes to connect on to teammates across the ice of the offensive zone. He slowed down the game quite often I found, gaining the line with some good speed, stopping up around the half-wall and allowing the play to develop, he didn’t rush any particular play and displayed a good ability to connect on lead-passes to teammates with speed as they dart to open ice. He was seemingly always in a place to make a play, whether it be from behind the net, off the wing, deep in the corner, or from between the faceoff dots. Both the usage of subtle one-touch passes along with slinging a pass around the ice were effective means of Cover setting up teammates for quality scoring chances. He wasn’t always the fastest player on the ice on any given shift, but he showed off some good power to his stride, along with some good edge work that allowed him to pop-and-weave out of tight areas if need be.

Cover was a player that really helped his team in crucial moments throughout the tournament. He excelled offensively, showcasing a powerful shot that frequently tested the goalie while also delivering precise no-look passes to the slot right on his teammates’ sticks. What impressed me most was his passing; his ability to draw a defenseman toward him before zipping a perfect pass across the ice to a teammate was outstanding. He often maneuvered behind the net, effectively opening up lanes and utilizing the net to his advantage. Cover was constantly in motion in the offensive zone, making it difficult for the opposing team to mark him. This movement also created more passing opportunities for his teammates, as he was always working to establish lanes. In his own end, Cover was equally impressive; his backchecking was exceptional, and his quick stick lifts combined with solid defensive positioning showcased his all-around game.

On any given game, Stephen Cover showed glimpses as to why one may consider himself as one of the top players on this Team White roster. The speed and puck skills he used through the middle, carrying the puck in transition, weaving through crowds and gaining the line with control made him a dominant play driver at his best. He can read the game at an extremely high level and has the hands necessary to match the pace, along with changes in direction that he executes to get away from pressure. He reads incoming obstacles very well, showed the ability to make strong lateral cuts around pressure, and if needed could pull a puck through a defender with great precision and finesse. Upping the ante regarding his physical ability, I saw him utilize the body more than in previous events to protect the puck, coupled with his strong inside edgework, he looked very comfortable making plays under pressure, along with carving out some space to the middle dropping the shoulder and stepping towards the middle line. His shot selection off the rush is what made him the greatest threat I found, piecing together some good passes as well, but the majority of his dangerous looks came via creating some space around a man and firing a hard snapshot on net, snapping the puck on net with a great release in stride. Some strong developments in Cover’s game were seen across this years’ Select 15s camp.

Stephen Cover was one of the most notable forwards at the USA Hockey Nationals within the 14U Division, playing with such great speed, and demonstrating a very refined skating ability in both posture, edgework, and power, it was hard to not notice his movements around the ice. He was one of the leading forces on the championship winning Mount St. Charles team at carrying the puck across both bluelines, navigating traffic, and prolonging offensive possession by zipping around the ice in the offensive zone, making quick cuts and pivots to avoid pressure and keep play alive. Pulling in plenty of attention, he was able to consistently pull defenders out of place, and funnel pucks to the middle of the ice to set up teammates in prime scoring areas. The raw puck skills and offensive touch make him a dangerous weapon on any given shift, often he’ll defer to safe, and strong team-play, but on occasion will execute some flashy moves 1-on-1 to create space for himself, take a puck to the slot, and fire a puck on net. The shooting toolkit makes him dangerous from many different areas on the ice, whether it be from range or in tight on the net.

A lot of Cover’s highlights in this game stemmed from his smooth yet powerful operating of the puck. He was able to set up a couple of really dangerous scoring chances for his teammates as a puck carrier whether that was using his fluid stick work to get by a defender and funnel pucks towards the net or driving wide on defenders, powering his way towards the blue paint and slipping pucks to the front. His skating ability along with his impressive awareness out on the ice made him noticeable away from the puck as well, showing strong forechecking tendencies and setting himself up in the right spots to capitalize on passing plays which ended up leading to Stephen scoring his team’s second goal of the game after receiving a crafty pass from Gualberto at the side of the net.

Capping off a very strong USA Hockey Nationals, Stephen Cover once again finds himself as a standout name for his Jr. Mounties. He scored the 4-1 goal for his team on the powerplay with a bullet of a shot. The puck spent very little time on his blade before he zipped it on net, beating the goaltender clean and shocking defenders with the speed of his release in the process. He used his speed throughout the game as he did all tournament to get into lanes, support teammates off-puck as he sifted into open ice to get open, making himself an option on rush chances and those alike. He created some chances of his own through his speed, backing off defenders with great pace, he forced opposition their heels and opened some direct shooting lanes to the net.

Cover was in and around it all game long, getting himself to the dirty areas of the ice amidst a two-goal performance. Both of his goals came on the powerplay where he won inside positioning on a defender to crash the net and bang home a rebound in tight. Throughout the rest of the game he made some smart plays in the neutral zone, such as quick one touch passes to facilitate zone entries and effective stick checks that broke up rush plays and initiated counterattacks.

The first star of the game, scoring 3 goals and 2 assists for an outlandish 5 points, Steven Cover’s fingerprints were all over this game and was largely responsible for his team’s dominant performance. He scored the opening goal on the penalty kill, playing with speed he beat his man to the net, with time alone in front he tucked a pass that came his way. Later in the period he used his speed once again to fight through a series of bodies, staying balanced and strong on his feet, getting on a loose puck and pulling away on a 2-on-1, whipping a pass cross-ice, resulting in a rebound that led to the 2-1 goal. Continuing the chronological events of the game, he scored the 3-2 goal as he crept into the slot, caught a pass and rifled a puck beyond the goaltender to give his team the lead back. The puck seemingly followed him around this game. His speed put him in position to make a play seemingly every shift, and his quickness through his hands, along with the quickness in his release and accuracy, he made the most of every opportunity that fell his way. He picked up a few more assists by using his speed off the rush, getting around defenders and sending passes through lanes to teammates across the ice. His third goal came via going to the net and finishing off a rebound in tight, giving the Jr. Mounties double-digit goals. The game was a perfect encapsulation of what Cover can do at his best. Utilizing excellent speed and scoring intangibles to finish chances with great accuracy, whilst also using these same scoring tools to make him an effective playmaker as he opened ice for others as defenders worked to cover his shot.

Stephen Cover made his present felt on the very first shift of the game. Finding some space through center ice, he jumped into a pass and with excellent speed and acceleration pulled away from the traffic and had a look all alone in tight with the goaltender that was denied. The initial 2-to-3 steps of his acceleration and stride were one of his best attributes seen in this game. He was the winner of a few races as a result but mostly found himself able to shake off pressure with these powerful first few strides. He scored the opening goal of the game to give the Jr. Mounties 1-0 lead as he was first on a rebound chance near the net. Later in the game while things were tightening up and it was clear this was going to be a hard-fought battle to the end, with some aggressive penalty killing Cover was able to jump on a puck in the neutral zone and on a partial 2-on-1 he cut into the middle of the ice and snapped a shot on goal leading to a rebound. His relentless rush offense and overall bundles of chances suggested Cover was not done, and he was not. Scoring the second Jr. Mounties goal of the game to get his team within 1, he displayed perfect accuracy with a heavy wrister that went post-and-in, giving his team some life late in the third. Leaving the day with 2 goals, Cover was up there as one of the top players for his team on Day 1.

Capping off a good Select 15s Camp, Stephen Cover made the most of his speed and puck handling ability to traverse the ice, put defenders on their heels, and generate some scoring chances as a result. On numerous occasions he found time and space to make a quick cut into the middle of the ice, with a strong crossover or two, his lateral movement with speed was tough for defenders to contain and keep pace with. Firing a handful of pucks on the net throughout the game, a majority of his chances were self-generated through pure pace of play. He connected on some pretty passing plays throughout the game, making reads at high speeds, in addition to his ability to cut across the ice on any given rush chance, he attacked in layers, and was able to set up a trailing forward on several chances. It was nice to see Cover play like his usual self here in the final game of the camp, that high-tempo, rush-based offensive player who excelled in transition.

Arguably the top player for Team White in my eyes, Stephen Cover showed a bit of a different modality of play in this one, of course playing with the usual speed and pace, but due to circumstance seemed to be placed in more of a checking-go-get’em-role. By that I mean he was all over the ice on the forecheck, using that speed of his to close gaps, get in lanes, and force errors. He managed to retrieve plenty of pucks in the neutral or offensive zone off the stick of his opponents and generate a quick counterattack. He was consistently battling hard in physical altercations, showing a good degree of strength and compete, and coming out on top on a handful of these scrums with possession. I felt later in the game things began to open up a bit more for him, showing stronger puck carrying ability, having a little bit more ice to work with, and piecing together plays off the rush with quick passes and or shots at the net. Some of his better looks on the offensive side of things once again factored in some of that compete seen earlier, dropping a shoulder and making strong cuts out from the half-wall or below the goal-line, he made some impressive moves to the crease that are somewhat atypical of previous maneuvers I’d seem him pull off.

Scoring the opening goal with a strong one-timer, Stephen Cover strings together yet another strong game when it mattered most for Mount St. Charles. His goal came as a result of some nice puck movement, along with good rotation amongst himself and his teammates, eventually finding some ice atop the left circle, and hammering a puck through the goalie. He had another strong chance receiving a pass from Paulo Gualberto Jr. in tight to the goalie, that was stopped as he attempted to sneak the puck in the top-right corner. His speed and transition skill aided his team once again, some good straight-line speed and quick hands to adapt to troubles, his evasion and puck carrying ability at high speeds create time and space for himself off the rush. Later in the match he sent a nice pass to Braiden Scuderi around the crease, for another chance that nearly put the game away for Mount.

I thought Cover played a real solid and reliable game in what has already been such an impressive tournament for him. I liked how he handled the puck making smart and quick decisions that extended offensive zone possessions and kept the puck moving around the zone. He had one of the nicest plays of the game in the second period when he split two defensemen with a stretch pass to Scuderi streaking in behind which led to his team’s sixth goal of the game on the ensuing breakaway. He also had a great chance to score in the third period when he received a pass in front of the net on his backhand, made a move to his forehand that beat the goalie, but unfortunately the shot got tipped at the last second to keep it from going into the back of the net.

Speedy and apparent around the puck, Stephen Cover did a nice job at attacking puck carriers with speed, cornering them and pressuring them into making errant plays, and being quick to navigate the ice off a forced turnover. His ability to make quick counters through the neutral zone was impressive, taking off up ice and building speed in only a few quick strides, he was a nice transition piece for his team once again. He showed off some good shooting talent here-and-there, with a nice ability to curl the puck inwards to the middle-line of his body to change the angle quickly and snap a shot on net.

Cover was all over the ice for Mount St. Charles especially when it came to plays around the net. He was an effective player in all three zones throughout the game and was engaged in plays both with and without the puck. He was involved in the forecheck which resulted in the second Mount St. Charles goal where he pressured a defenseman, won the battle for the puck and sent a nice backhand feed through a defender onto his teammates blade in the slot. He showed his ability to finish in this game in a multitude of ways with his first goal coming off an end-to-end goal where he scooped up a loose puck in his own zone, showed his speed through the neutral zone then entered and cut towards the middle and rifled a shot pass the goalie’s blocker for an impressive solo effort. His second goal, he showed how patient he is with the puck as he scooped up yet another loose puck, this time in front of the net, and made a quick move to his backhand in tight on the netminder. Along with the rest of his linemates, he disrupted opponents break out using his speed and an active stick forcing a turnover that led to the third Mount St. Charles goal. There were not many shifts where I didn’t notice Cover’s speed and determination and it paid off nicely for him in this contest.