Voortman was excellent protecting the puck and controlling play down low. He worked along the wall using his frame to shield pucks, making slot passes from low to set up chances for his teammates. Jace was constantly competing, winning pucks on the forecheck and bringing a second effort on the backcheck. He found the back of the net when he received a stretch pass, protected the puck well from the defender, and fired home a shot. The theme of puck protection, cycle game, and constant effort was the story of this performance.

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.