Niagara IceDogs Prospects Report

1. Cal Davis (RW) – Thorold Blackhawks (GOJHL) – March.21.1999 – 6’0, 170 – Peterborough, Ontario
29 GP – 10 G – 7 A – 17 PTS – 25 PIM

A highly intelligent, offensive minded winger, Cal Davis possesses high end upside. A deceptively strong skater, Davis shows impressive straight line speed, strong edges and an ability to change pace/direction fluidly. A player who plays with excellent pace, Davis shows a confidence in possession, along with an ability to create offense for both himself and teammates. With excellent on ice awareness and anticipation skills, Davis has a knack for finding soft spots in defensive zone coverage’s. A player that boasts separation speed, Davis has an ability to create space for himself to work offensively. Showing excellent vision and high end playmaking skills, Davis shows strong accuracy on his passes along with a deceptively good shot and a nose for the net. While not overly physical, Davis does shows an excellent compete level and work ethic. A player who very rarely takes a shift off, Davis gets to the gritty areas of the ice and shows a shifty an elusiveness to his game in possession.

2015 – 2nd Round – 35th Overall

2. Jonathon Schaefer (D) – Caledonia Corvairs (GOJHL) – April.4.1998 – 5’9, 170 – Stony Creek, Ontario
28 GP – 2 G – 13 A – 15 PTS – 50 PIM

Schaefer is a highly mobile, offensive minded winger with impressive vision and high end puck skills. Boasting a fluid stride and intriguing straight line speed, Schaefer shows an effectiveness as a puck carrying defensemen. Schaefer shows and ability to gain the offensive zone with relative ease and create offensive from the back end, injecting himself into the offensive attack at the appropriate times. Blessed with high end puck skills, Schaefer also shows deceptively strong puck protection skills, shielding the puck with effectiveness as he uses his foot speed and mobility to create clean zone exits. While Schaefer is an effective puck carrying defensemen he does show impressive vision and passing skills, making clean and accurate outlet passes. Schaefer shows poise and confidence in possession, along with strong decision making skills that allow him to thrive as an offensive minded defensemen. While Schaefer is somewhat undersized as a defensemen, he does show some aggressiveness to his game, as he engages physically and shows an intriguing compete level.

2014 – 6th Round – 114th Overall

3. Jack Wieringa (D) – Stratford Cullitons (GOJHL) – March.27.1998 – 6’3, 190 – Woodstock, Ontario
21 GP – 2 G – 3 A – 5 PTS – 29 PIM

A towering, physical, defensive defensemen with strong four-way mobility, Jack Wieringa possesses intriguing upside. Highly intelligent, showing sound on ice awareness and impressive anticipation skills, Wieringa is a physically imposing defender, who engages physically and is tough to play against in his own zone. While Wieringa does play with aggression, he does so under control, showing excellent poise, rarely taking penalties due to over aggressiveness. In possession Wieringa also shows a level of poise and patience, keeping his game simple while making strong decisions with the puck. While Wieringa is a defense first defender, he does show some deceptively good offensive traits. A defender who transitions up ice well and looks to jump into the rush at the appropriate times, Wieringa boasts a powerful point shot and improving puck skills.

2014 – 4th Round – 66th Overall

4. Josh Dame (C) – North York Rangers (OJHL) – March.5.1998 – 5’9, 170 – Toronto, Ontario
36 GP – 7 G – 10 A – 17 PTS – 22 PIM

Joshua Dame is a highly intelligent, but undersized two-way forward with intriguing playmaking abilities. Arguably at his best in possession, Dame plays with excellent pace as he generates impressive speed and shows intriguing puck skills. In the offensive zone, Dame shows high end vision and playmaking skills, along with strong puck control and deceptively good puck protection skills for a player of his size. Combining his puck skills with his natural skating abilities and speed, Dame can be tough to contain in the offensive zone. Away from the puck Dame shows an ability to find soft spots in defensive zone coverage’s, allowing to generate quick strike opportunities. Dame displays an excellent work ethic and willingness to compete, getting to the high traffic areas, not letting his size deter his effectiveness. However Dame does need to add strength if he wants to have an effectiveness at the next level as he can get bullied off the puck by strong more physically imposing opponents.

2014 – 13th Round – 246th Overall

5. Colton Incze (G) – Toronto Marlboros Midget “AAA” (GTHL) – January.31.1999 – 6’1, 205 – Oakville, Ontario
Statistics Unavailable

Colton Incze is a poised, technically sound, butterfly style goaltender, who brings a calming presence and level of consistency between the pipes. Incze displays impressive athleticism along with quick reflexes and strong lateral movements. A goaltender who displays an excellent compete level, Incze has a knack for coming up with big desperation saves due to his elite mobility and athletic nature. Incze moves side to side extremely well, as he remains under control while showing intriguing lower body strength. Incze also plays his angles extremely well and likes to challenge shooters, which can make him tough to beat clean. Continually improving his rebound control, Incze not only boasts an intriguing skill set, but ideal physical attributes for an elite level netminder. Expect the Oakville, Ontario native to be the favorite to back up Stephen Dhillon next season.

2015 – 5th Round – 92nd Overall

6. Ryan Smith (C) – Trenton Golden Hawks (OJHL) – June.4.1999 – 5’11, 196 – Stone Mills, Ontario
32 GP – 1 G – 5 A – 6 PTS – 33 PIM

Smith is a gritty, two-way forward with impressive speed and deceptively good offensive traits. A tall and lanky centre, Smith shows an explosive first stride and intriguing straight line speed, along with strong lateral movement and impressive edge work. In possession Smith does lack high end offensive creativity, however he does show good puck skills along with deceptively good vision and playmaking skills. A player who protects the puck extremely well, Smith is tough to contain off the rush, as he combines his speed, puck skills and puck protection skills to drive the net with authority. Also effective off the cycle, Smith works the half boards and corners extremely well, using his size and deceptively quick hands to fish pucks out of tight spaces and his size to win puck battles. A player with impressive on ice awareness, Smith anticipates the play extremely well and shows a high level hockey IQ. Smith possesses an excellent work ethic and compete level as he never takes a shift off. Putting forth an excellent effort on the back check and in his own zone, Smith is an adequate defensive zone presence, routinely clogging the shooting and passing lanes, while also plying his trade on the penalty kill with effectiveness. A player who takes direct routes to pucks and shows a tenaciousness on the forecheck, Smith is also extremely efficient in the face off dot, where he wins the vast majority of his draws.

2015 – 5th Round – 100th Overall

7. Liam Ham (D) – Aurora Tigers (OJHL) – March.2.1999 – 5’10, 185 – Newmarket, Ontario
43 GP – 3 G – 13 A – 16 PTS – 44 PIM

Liam Ham is a confident, mobile, two-way defender with impressive hockey sense and strong puck skills. Ham is arguably at his best in possession as he shows an ability to dictate the pace of play along with an ability to create offense from the back end. A defender who shows excellent poise and patience in possession, not only is Ham a calming presence on the blue, he’s a strong decision maker as well. Ham shows an ability to be an effective puck carrying defensemen as his possesses excellent foot speed and fluid mobility along with intriguing puck skills that make him shifty and elusive in possession and allow him to gain entry to the offensive zone with relative ease. With that being said, Ham also moves the puck extremely well, showing impressive vision along with a smooth and accurate outlet pass. Ham transitions up ice well and injects himself into the offensive attack at the appropriate times, also making smart and calculated pinches when the opportunity presents itself. Defensively speaking Ham controls the attack well, holding the blue line effectively while also taking away the middle of the ice, forcing the opposition to low percentage areas. A strong positional defender, Ham will engage physically but shows a strength as a stick on puck defender.

2015 – 6th Round – 112th Overall

8. Max Khull (RW) – Blind River Beavers (NOJHL) – October.6.1999 – 6’1, 170 – Echo Bay, Ontario
44 GP – 14 G – 19 A – 33 PTS – 36 PIM

An offensively gifted, hulking winger, Max Khull possesses intriguing upside. While Khull does have areas of his game he could improve, like his consistency level and his skating, the hulking winger does possess intriguing physical attributes along with excellent puck skills, strong puck protection abilities and a nose for the net. Displaying soft hands, Max Khull also boasts deceptively good vision and playmaking skills while still managing to play a heavy game. While his skating isn’t elite he still gets around the ice without little deterrent and has been an offensive leader with the NOJHL’s Blind River Beavers as the clubs youngest player. Receiving a boatload of ice time has allowed Khull to develop at a more rapid pace then expected. Khull shows flashes of brilliance, can play a heavy or skilled game and shows an ability to make a large impact on the outcome of games. However he needs to improve his consistency level if he hopes to make an immediate impact at the next level in the next season or two.

2015 – 6th Round – 118th Overall

9. Cameron Bisson (RW) – Kemptville 73’s (CCHL) – January.18.1999 – 6’3, 172 – Stittsville, Ontario
28 GP – 2 G – 0 A – 2 PTS – 42 PIM

Bisson is a complementary winger, who brings a ton of grit and sandpaper while still maintaining an impressive scoring touch and offensive abilities. The towering winger loves to engage physically, finishing all of his checks almost to a fault, as he has a tendency to go out of his way to take the body. Tenacious on the forecheck, Bisson skates well for a big bodied forward and uses strong anticipation skills to put him in position to excel offensively. A player who excels along the boards and in front of the net, where he can use his size to his advantage, Bisson is also a load to handle off the rush, and shows a willingness to drive the net and put his body in harms way. As Bisson adds strength to his somewhat lanky frame he will only become increasingly more difficult to defend.

2015 – 3rd Round – 51st Overall

10. Mitchell Crevatin (D) – Leamington Flyers (GOJHL) – March.25.1999 – 5’11, 185 – Belle River, Ontario
31 GP – 4 G – 9 A – 13 PTS – 43 PIM

Crevatin is a physical, do it all defender with an excellent compete level and quiet confidence to his game. While Crevatin isn’t overly flashy, he’s largely impactful, contributing at both ends of the rink. Offensively speaking Crevatin shows a confidence in possession, moves the puck and see’s the ice deceptively well. Boasting a powerful point shot, Crevatin displays an excellent one-timer and effectively creates shooting lanes. While his overall puck skills are still a work in progress, Crevatin plays within his skill set at the offensive end of the rink, which increases his effectiveness. Boasting a powerful stride and impressive straight line speed, Crevatin gets around the ice well, although his mobility could improve. Boasting an excellent compete level, Crevatin is an effective defender, engaging physically, while also closing gaps quickly and effectively and showing strong contain. Displaying an active an effective stick, Crevatin also clogs the shooting and passing lanes with effectiveness. Showing the potential to round into an intriguing two-way defender, look for Crevatin to push for a roster spot in Niagara next season.

2015 – 8th Round – 152nd Overall

NCAA Commitments
Joshua Norris (C) – U.S. National Under 17 Team (USDP) – Committed to the University of Michigan for the 2018-2019 Season
Trent Frederic (C) – U.S. National Under 18 Team (USDP) – Committed to the University of Wisconsin for the 2016-2017 Season
Johnathan Kovacevic (D) – Hawkesbury Hawks (CCHL) – Committed to Merrimack College for the 2017-2018 Season

Written By: Mike Mackley (@Macker61)
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Scouting Reports By – Mike Mackley