I thought Pereira was one of the primary play drivers on this talented Jr Canadiens squad. Jax was always doing all the little things to get pucks out of his zone and into the offensive third. Being in the right spots to support the play, winning back pucks in his defensive zone, and then making the correct decision to spot an outlet to win a zone exit. This theme of spotting the right play extended all over the ice, whether in the neutral zone to navigate a check or to spot a passing lane within the offensive zone; Jax just seemingly always processed his options correctly and reacted accordingly. He may not have been near the top in team scoring, but I thought he was one of their most impactful pieces, playing a detail-oriented puck possession style that I always value.

The top-rated Ontario-born skater in this article, Jax Pereira slips in at number five. One of the more impressive goal-scoring threats at the event, Pereira created plenty of chances with flashy moves, speed, and pace. He utilized strong cutbacks inside the offensive zone to shake off checks, sending hard passes through-and-to the slot with speed as he accelerated out of his steep turns. A lot of the time he was able to connect on these and put a teammate in a position to succeed before opponents could converge on him, but occasionally his high-speed pace and nature caused him to toss a puck into a crowd where it would go to die. I felt a lot of his 1-on-1 moments with the puck warranted the same result; on some plays he managed to dangle his way through a crowd with great puck skills, taking advantage of susceptible defenders with speed and skill – while on other plays would get boxed out and forced wide, turning over the puck. I’m comfortable with having Pereira at number five on these rankings simply because a player of his skill level needs to make these mistakes to grow – and it’s not like he wasn’t extremely effective in the process despite a few bobbles. His scoring touch to finish off plays with elite, he managed to slip into open ice time-and-time again, breaking away with some great acceleration and wiring a shot in stride to beat goalies clean.

Another Draft Day North America skater, along with GTHL player from the Toronto Jr. Canadiens, Jax Pereira’s opportunistic usage of his high-end skill and ability to create something out of nothing in seemingly any given moment made him a standout. He has great puck control regardless of the situation, makes plays with his head up, and has the skating and strength to overpower defenders, along with showing some great physical resiliency as he battles his way into ice. He was incredibly dangerous off the rush coming down the wing, great deception and puck skills allowed him to freeze defenders, combined with a great outside step he could then easily get around the stagnant defenseman, giving him a brief odd-man rush wherein he could connect on cross-ice looks. All created thanks to some great deception, puck skills, and athleticism. Overall, a very strong puck handler who when he was at his best, had a level of impact that was very tough to handle.

I mainly noted Jax for his small area game and how he controlled play within the offensive zone. He combined swift puck skills and quick, clever decision making to dodge and evade pressure time and time again. These tools made him difficult to contain along the wall, and Jax often weaseled his way out of a check and sparked a scoring chance for Team ETA. So often, he'd make a quick move to maneuver around or spin off a defender, then scan for a passing option in the dangerous option and thread pucks to his open teammates. Jax connected on these sequences all weekend long, creating chance after chance and helping ETA find the back of the net so many times. To add to this all, there was some peskiness to his game, applying a relentless forecheck, forcing turnovers, and then again, swiftly moving pucks for premium chances. The Draft Day Showcase was a good showing for many JRC skaters, and Pereira certainly was a part of that group, as his combination of puck management and playmaking was great to watch.

I thought Pereira added a solid puck-managing and playmaking element to this Jr Canadiens squad. When he had the puck, he was always making the right decision, smartly managing the puck, and looking to play with control. Especially within the offensive zone, Jax always took that extra second to scan for options, look for passing lanes, and thread pucks to teammates in premier scoring chances. There were some flashes of handling, relying on slick moves to create space and open up options for him, but I was mainly impressed with his patience and his play as a smart puck manager.

As always, Jax made the smart decisions to link things together and advance plays up ice. He always supported the play in his defensive zone, won possession, and then did the right thing to exit his zone and transition with control. He typically controlled the puck on his line, ensuring they got up ice with control and sparked offensive zone possession.

For me, it took the second half of the game to think “ Oh ok, here we go”. Don’t get me wrong, I have notes about sharp cutbacks, backhand saucer attempts to the D, slip passes into the interior, but I didn’t see them necessarily lead to the most positive results overall despite the skill flashes. I do love the way he builds power through the neutral zone when he puts a few strides together. He can absolutely fly with power when he’s using the length of his strides fully. When he’s turning without the puck in defensive posture too it can be like he’s hunting how to explode and intercept passes. When he’s cutting back to the middle, the length of his stick gives him a bit extra space to make those lateral passes too. I can see the potential and the skill pretty easily.

The next biggest star for LA White was Jax Pereira of the Toronto Jr. Canadiens. Pereira caught my eye a few months ago at the Nashville Kings of Spring event, so it was nice to see him continue to impress here. His soft puck touches and slippery moves through traffic enabled him to get by opposition in 1-on-1 situations, whether it be in transition or off the cycle. He isn’t afraid to make these moves, varying success of course comes with these type of plays, but due his talent, speed, and understanding as to where to place the puck when going through a defender, Pereira was relatively successful when doing so. Another skill of his I really liked was his one-touch plays through crowded areas. Instead of just getting a stick on a puck and chopping it away from pressure, he positioned his blade and body to deflect pucks to open teammates with just a quick tap, prolonging possession for his team. It’s a simple play that didn’t amount to all too much in this one, but an intelligent one nonetheless that helps any team keep the offensive pressure alive. On the defensive side of things, he played a strong positional game, mirroring the puck carrier well, he intercepted a few centering passes and was able to quickly get the puck out of his defensive end.