Projection: Bottom Four Shut Down

Tools: Closing Out Rushess, Simple Puck Moving

Development Opportunities: Passing Under Pressure, Foot Speed, Strength

I've liked what Ross has brought all year on the Jr. Canadiens blue line. He's a steady presence, keeps things simple, and is a reliable part of their defence group. Especially when paired with O'Rourke, Cooper was often the safety net that allowed Kade to play his rover style. He's strong and balanced on his feet, moves well laterally, and shows the eagerness to engage defensively, relying on his footwork to contest pucks in the middle of the ice and break up transitions. The mobility and defensive engagement are certainly the focal points, and add in more than capable puck-moving and you have the foundational tools to project as an OHL level defender.

There is a solid bet here for someone who can carve out a job down the line. Like many U16 defenders he'll need to continue adding strength to thrive against fiercer competition. If all goes right I can easily see Ross developing into a dependable and consistent defender on a team's blue line. He may not wow you with flash, but could be a solid disruptor who keeps play out of his end.

Like Lapierre, Cooper displayed the baseline mobility I look for in defenders, as he could maneuver in any direction required for the situation. Unlike Lapierre, I noticed Ross more for his eagerness to involve himself offensively. He seemed to want to activate off the point, rotate down the wall, and try to get in the mix in the offensive zone. He scored one through this desire to jump in, creeping into the slot to finish a loose puck.

I thought Ross did an excellent job suppressing transitions, getting in oncoming forecheckers’ space and shutting down their rushes. Cooper just seemed to always want to apply pressure, effectively disrupting plays in the neutral zone. With the puck, he acted as a calming puck mover, consistently hitting on his passes and overall just doing a lot to keep pucks out of his zone and get play into the offensive third. There was some solid mobility that enabled his ability to defend and retrieve pucks, making for an all-around positive first impression.