He ended up logging some heavy minutes last season for Eastman U15 as they competed at the highest league levels. I often saw him partnered with Crosby Mateychuk and his size, physicality, and defensive demeanor stood out as a compliment to his partner. I certainly did see him wind up on retrievals and rush the puck at times too. If he can improve his balance and lean on that physicality on the backend, he could be one of the better defensive prospects out of Manitoba.

I wrote about him recently from video filmed last season and one of the things I hoped to see was improved balance and edgework. Right away you can see he has improved that since last spring and it helps execute plays due to his physicality and urgency. He showed in this game that he wasn’t afraid of applying pressure on the outside, being a physical presence, and showing that some players are afraid to try and penetrate the middle when he’s there. He showed heavy dump in attempts, ability to block centering passes in his own zone, and strong cycling. He doesn’t have the longest stride but he does make up for that by his hustle and determination.