8/13/23 MHA Showcase – He’s a bit small for the age group but I wouldn’t say it holds him back much at the moment. Bates’ footwork is pretty good. Like a running back hitting the hole, he sticks his foot in the ice and gets going north in a hurry. Bates forced a blue-line turnover, dished the puck and then quickly attacked the net and made himself a scoring option. Displays good all-around awareness with and without the puck.