He’s got good size and decent skates, but what stood out most was his instincts in the offensive zone. Gagnon finds the soft areas and keeps his momentum going towards the net, making him a constant scoring threat. 

He’s played every minute of Eskymo hockey for the last two seasons as the only goalie on the roster. Hayes has good size, listed at 6-foot, and very athletic in net. Fall hockey with the 16U Wisconsin Windigo in the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) has him ready for a strong junior year.

A big, powerful forward who can snap shots off in mid-stride. I like the way he stays on top of the play too, rarely out of position. Winterstein produces in bunches too, with 19 career multi-point games in two seasons.

So steady and calm under pressure on the back end for the Highlanders. Pietila has been playing top-pair minutes for two seasons already, and I wouldn’t expect that to change any time soon. What an asset to have his experience and skill set. 

Good puck skills and a hockey IQ that’s off the charts. Peters is an extension of the coach, with a strong understanding of the game and systems in place. Led the Trojans in scoring with 27 points, and both Peters and TCC should be even better this winter.

Cariera led all Eaglets defensemen last season with three goals and 11 points, but the best assets of his game don’t necessarily translate to points on the board. He’s a shifty puck mover who’s quick on puck retrievals and willing to engage with opposing forecheckers.

Last winter, I saw a good-sized sophomore who was pretty strong and displayed great effort throughout the rink, for a sub-.500 team. Smith validated those claims by being a top performer in the Michigan Developmental Hockey League (MDHL) this fall, with 17 points in 12 games. I can’t wait to see what he does next,…

A 50-point player for the Eskymos as a sophomore, picking up at least one point in all but four games last season. Johnson can be explosive with the puck and dangerous offensively. I’m excited to see where he, and the Eskymos, can go this winter. 

Extremely disciplined and very well coached. Stroble is pretty good at adapting to the play as it unfolds and reading off of others on the ice. I like his compete level, and he’s easy to trust in just about every situation the game has to offer. 

He faced 30 or more shots in 9 of his 13 starts last season. Young saw a lot of work as a sophomore, and followed that up by being the Michigan Developmental Hockey League’s (MDHL) 16U tournament team goalie.