I liked Nicholson's decision-making, processing, and positioning, all of which speak to a player who can effectively read and react to what's in front of him. Especially without the puck, he typically supported the puck carrier or was in the right spot to make a play on the puck. Whether it was being the perfect passing option, forechecking as the F1, or rotating to cover for a defender, he just always seemed to understand where he needed to be. In a similar theme, with the puck, Evan also processed what was in front of him and acted accordingly. He showed patience as a puck carrier, never rushing his decisions, and almost always found the simple path to a controlled play. These sequences weren't flashy maneuvers, but Nicholson played with a tactical lens to his puck handling, using smart touches to escape defenders in a practical manner. To cap it all off, if he had a scoring opportunity, he showed a lethal combination of hands in tight and high-end finishing touch to find the back of the net. This scoring ability paired well with his positioning, as Evan frequently put himself into open pockets of space to be available for passes and then converted on his opportunities. It was a solid showing of practical tools in Evan's game that all worked together to add value for Team ETA over the weekend.

The number of standouts on the Jr Canadiens was evidently plentiful, with Evan being another forward who caught my eye. Nicholson was another one on their squad who I always noted for his contributions off the rush. He constantly seemed to be able to enter the offensive zone and pick apart the defence with clever passes through traffic. He had some chances of his own, attacking the middle with impressive skill moves, but really, his passing set him apart and how he was consistently able to generate scoring chances by spotting open gaps in the defence and hitting teammates before those passing lanes closed.

There are a few things I could say here, but I was most impressed with Evan's play as a puck protector and how he leveraged his physical tools to attack the net. On the outside of the offensive zone and along the boards, Nicholson was effectively controlling the play, spinning off checks, and made it difficult for defenders to contain him. Once he spotted a gap, Evan was eager to get off the wall and attack holes for a quality shot on target. Similarly, off the rush, he was always looking to take the puck wide, use his body to shield the puck and cut in. He had some clever passing moments from these small area/cycle situations, again, getting pucks off the wall to the net, but it was mainly his eagerness to drive and penetrate that caught my eye.