Strengths: Changing attack angles, Scoring touch
Development Opportunities: Size and strength

Athens was the offensive catalyst for Rink Hockey Academy Winnipeg this season and often has the task of creating high danger scoring chances out of nothing. The program as a whole was not as strong as it has been in the past but Athens showed that his agility, powerful cuts, and his ability to use crossovers and inside edges to never let defenders know which way he was attacking gave him shooting angles and attacking angles off the rush. The worry is that he may not have a ton of growth left in him physically so others might be more impactful if they grow and surpass him. Either way, he was a monster creatively for a program who sorely needed it and his shot IQ can put pucks in the back of the net at the WHL level regardless of his size.

He’s a 2010 birthday so he isn’t eligible for this draft but I still wanted to make some notes on his play during the games I saw. He’s so agile and explosive in the way he can quickly turn his angles and use those quick shifts to his advantage to burst into an off-puck lane or find separation along the boards. I love how active and engaged he is and I saw him rewarded with some side of the net goals because of it. If he can continue to find that separation and agility into next season as he matures, he’s certainly going to be a player to take note of. He brings energy every shift.

He’s a 2010 birthday so he isn’t eligible for this draft but I still wanted to make some notes on his play during the games I saw. He’s so agile and explosive in the way he can quickly turn his angles and use those quick shifts to his advantage to burst into an off-puck lane or find separation along the boards. I love how active and engaged he is and I saw him rewarded with some side of the net goals because of it. If he can continue to find that separation and agility into next season as he matures, he’s certainly going to be a player to take note of. He brings energy every shift.