Voortman’s powerful skating caught my eye early in my viewings of his squad, as he could propel himself effortlessly around the ice with a few strong, explosive strides. His skating helped him dictate play in transition, carrying pucks up ice and into the offensive third without any threat of being closed down. With the puck, I thought Jace was smart in his decision, using delays after entries, making smart passes to linemates, and just being a smart puck manager whenever he had his moments. He added a goal and an assist across the two games I watched, but his explosive skating and his decision-making were the two areas I noted most.

There were just a few moments where I noticed Voortman, but I still wanted to mention him. He is a bigger forward, and I thought he moved well in his frame. Whether he was in open ice or in small spaces, he could maneuver seamlessly in any direction required while handling the puck. In conjunction with the skating, I thought he used his frame and body positioning well to protect the puck and extend plays in the offensive zone. It didn’t amount to much in terms of chances, but I just came away with a few notes that spoke to some promising physical tools, which is always something worth mentioning in the early days of getting to know a class.