I spotted Parker's combination of pace and small-area skills very early in my assessment of the Alliance East side. Smith was constantly zooming up and down the ice, beating defenders to the outside with his quickness. He easily won lanes to the net by gaining a step on defenders and exploding toward the net. In more confined spaces, along the wall or in the corner, Smith had the handling and lateral maneuverability required to problem-solve his way out of any situation and escape pressure. To add to his physical tools, I thought Parker managed the puck quite well, rarely conceded possession, and almost always made the right decision to ensure his team maintained control. He executed several smart but simple passes that made me label Smith as someone who prioritizes possession and typically avoids uncontrolled plays, which always bodes well in my assessment. The pace, hands, and clever puck management is a trio of traits I'm always looking for, so I'll be curious to keep an eye out for Parker to see how he puts it all together over the season.

Parker was another player that I thought elevated himself above the pack on this Waterloo squad, making much of their offence tick. He was his pesky self, applying pressure on the forecheck and just playing that up-tempo, non-stop energy game I've noticed with every view of the Wolves this season. Smith was one of the primary options on the Wolves' powerplay, always having that desire to penetrate from the wing of the umbrella and fire shots on target, scoring one powerplay tally of a quick catch and release.

I didn't see a ton from Smith in this game, but I just noted him as being incredibly pesky, applying pressure, and winning pucks deep in the offensive zone. Parker was constantly moving his feet and getting into defenders' space, being a nuisance on the forecheck and forcing turnovers. I'm still piecing together a report from the Marlboros Holiday Classic, and that will feature a bit more of a glowing assessment of Smith as I thought he was fantastic in the Waterloo game I watched.