Henry Buttweiler, Logan Prud’homme headline 40 standouts at 2025 Whitby Silver Stick

WHITBY, Ontario – Considered one of the biggest tournaments on the Ontario minor hockey circuit, the annual Gloria Rints Whitby Silver Stick invitational provides an important opportunity for scouts and executives from junior and college hockey teams across the continent. 

With a field of 30 teams split up into six different pools, this year’s three-and-a-half day tournament was action-packed and featured excitingly close games. Top prospects for next year’s OHL and QMJHL drafts (as well as a few already-drafted WHL prospects) tried to better their stocks and impress scouts on one of the biggest stages of the season.

While Ontario-based teams dominated this year’s field in terms of numbers, it was the American teams who stole the show in the end. 

The formidable and stacked Detroit Little Caesars steamrolled through the round robin and were the talk of the entire tournament. However, their high-octane forwards ran out of steam in the playoff round, and they fell to the Upper Canada College Blues in the semifinals. 

Meanwhile, their fellow compatriots, the Detroit Honeybaked, paved a steady road to the championship game. While they needed a quadruple overtime victory in the semis over the Don Mills Flyers to advance, they went undefeated to win the entire tournament without one of their best players in Joey Cullen. They became the first American team to win the U16 division of the Whitby Silver Stick since 2019, where Honeybaked’s 2004-born group also emerged victorious.

With four Elite Prospects scouts on site last weekend to catch all of the action in Whitby and over a hundred scouting reports now published to various player pages, here’s a closer look at the 40 players who impressed, broken down by each Pool. While there were a dozen more who could have earned recognition, we tried our best to recognize as many deserving players as possible. 

Pool A

Teams: Vaughan Kings U16 AAA, Ottawa 67’s U16 AAA, Chicago Mission 15U AAA, Sarnia-Lambton Jr. Sting U16 AAA, Whitby Wildcats U16 AAA

Sebastien Fortin, D, Vaughan Kings U16 AAA (GTHL) 

On a deep Vaughan Kings team that exited in the quarter-finals after a septuple overtime loss, Sebastien Fortin stepped up to produce from the blueline, finishing with two goals and five points in five games. Bringing his intense physicality and rush activation game to shifts, he killed entries with hits while frequently joining the play and getting open in space. While he may not get as much attention on Vaughan’s blueline as teammate Adrian Sgro, Fortin was the Kings’ best defender this weekend. – Lauren Kelly

Kane Cloutier, C, Vaughan Kings U16 AAA (GTHL) 

Kane Cloutier is undoubtedly talented, and the Kings forward brought his best to Silver Stick. Consistently engaged and intensely willing to create, Cloutier pushed pace, created rush chances, and leveraged his elite toolkit to drive play. From feinting and deceiving with his body language and handling ability, he fooled defenders regularly as he carved his way through the offensive zone, and his pursuit of pucks to create second and third-chance scoring opportunities was equally as impressive. Cloutier proved that when it all comes together, he’s one of the highest-ceiling players in this draft class. – Lauren Kelly

Innis Robinson, RW, Ottawa Jr. 67’s U16 AAA (HEO)

The Ottawa Jr. 67’s had an interesting tournament running into two weaker teams in the Whitby Wildcats and Sarnia-Lambton Jr. Sting, while being able to test their game against the Chicago Mission and a super strong Kings squad. While finishing the group stage 2-2, Innis Robinson was their difference maker every shift. His compete never wavered, regardless of the score, and contested every inch of ice, even in games that didn’t hold playoff implications in the tournament. He entered the offensive zone routinely with a full head of steam, and loved to drive to the net. – Ben Jordan

Connor O’Gara, LW, Chicago Mission 15U AAA (USA) 

The Mission may not have advanced out of their group, but Connor O’Gara starred for them in the round robin. The dual-threat scorer led Chicago in scoring through four round-robin games, with five goals and nine points. Combining a willingness to engage physically and use inside lanes, it’s easy to see how O’Gara was able to rack up points, and he was one of the Mission’s best players. – Lauren Kelly

Malone Cooney, C, Chicago Mission 15U AAA (USA) 

It’s impossible to write about O’Gara without giving Malone Cooney his laurels. Despite not finishing with as many points as his linemate, Cooney was tremendous for Chicago all tournament long, leveraging his impressive playmaking vision to create chances. With refined habits, including constant pre-scans and an innate ability to find teammates all over the ice, he shone as a dynamic creator. With enough physical skills to allow that skill to shine, Cooney proved that he can hold his own against strong competition as a smaller player. – Lauren Kelly

Mick Miniscalco, D, Chicago Mission 15U AAA (USA) 

Give Mick Miniscalco an inch, and he will take you a mile. The two-way defender was a dominant play-driver, creating scoring chance after scoring chance. Dictating the pace of play from the backend, Miniscalco created in transition and in the offensive zone with a heavy shot. He also flashed elite playmaking ability through manipulation and deception. If the offensive generation wasn’t enough, he was a staunch defender as well, despite a smaller frame. He got stops on the rush, was physical along the boards, and always pre-scanned to prepare and plan ahead. Perhaps a defenceman who flew under the radar before this weekend, but one that teams shouldn’t overlook. – Lauren Kelly 

Pool B 

Teams: Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA, Credit River Capitals U16 AAA, Pittsburgh Penguins 15U AAA, Mississauga Reps U16 AAA, Peterborough Petes U16 AAA

Brady Nash, C/LW, Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA (GTHL)

While teammate Gavin Murphy starred with a hat trick in the quarter-finals, Brady Nash was the Don Mills Flyers’ star of the round robin, leading them with seven points through four games. A tactically skilled player, Nash consistently drove play, generated chances (largely through smart defensive engagements), and showed off his dual-threat scoring ability. His detailed and nuanced approach to offensive creation showed a level of maturity and refinement that not many players possess, and he continues to perform like one of the top players in this class. – Lauren Kelly

Gavin Godick D, Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA (GTHL)

Gavin Godick is everything teams look for in a top-four, modern-day defenceman. He competes every shift, leverages his feet on retrievals, moves the puck accurately and crisply out of his zone, and is a significant contributor in the offensive zone. His length and skating ability allow for him to cover a ton of ice in the defensive zone, and his elite awareness led him to angle defenders out of the play after disrupting the puck. Offensively, he showed he can dissect what others are doing on the ice and process plays before they happen, which allows him to get into favourable spots and capitalize on open ice. – Ben Jordan

Landon Bellchamber, RW, Credit River Capitals U16 AAA (OMHA)

Pool B came down to the final game on Saturday afternoon when Credit River and Don Mills locked horns. The winner would take the pool and punch their ticket for the quarterfinals, while the loser headed home. In a game where Don Mills ended up dominating, it was Landon Bellchamber who caught my eye this weekend for the Capitals. Although not a towering force, coming in at 5-foot-11, Bellchamber played an inside-driven, power game that created lots of dangerous scoring chances. On the forecheck, he’s got the power strides and closing ability to halt exits, force turnovers, and make plays geared toward getting the puck to the net. – Ben Jordan

Nathan Slack, RW, Don Mills Flyers U16 AAA (GTHL)

With the Flyers going deep into the semifinals, their offensive spark often came from Nathan Slack. Slack showed his playmaking prowess more this weekend, a scary sight for opponents given his already established ability to shoot the puck. In a do-or-die game with the pool title on the line, Slack carried the puck into the offensive zone with confidence and pushed defenders back on their heels, which allowed him time to read the play. He used his shot when lanes were there, and also hit some teammates cross-ice to set up some Grade-A looks. – Ben Jordan

Pool C 

Teams: Upper Canada College U16 AAA, Buffalo Jr. Sabres 15U AAA, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA, Ottawa Valley Titans U16 AAA, Sudbury Wolves U16 AAA

Logan Prud’homme, C, Upper Canada College U16 AAA (ON-Prep)

Blink, and you won’t miss Logan Prud’homme on the ice. How could you? The largest top talent in the class measured in at 6-foot-8 this weekend. Despite Upper Canada College falling in the championship game to Honeybaked, Prud’homme made his mark in the playoff round when he scored twice in the quarter-finals, including the game-winner in the seventh overtime. An aggressive, skilled player with above-average mobility and unmatched developmental runway, it’s no wonder that teams will be looking to select Prud’homme high at the draft. He did everything this weekend to cement himself as a top prospect in this class. – Lauren Kelly

Gavin Springer, C, Buffalo Jr. Sabres 15U AAA (USA)

Heading into the tournament, it wasn’t overly clear what to expect from the Jr. Sabres, but man, did they impress. An unanswered, four-goal third period for Buffalo against a high-end Toronto Jr. Canadiens team got the confidence going, and got this group going in the right direction for the weekend. Unfortunately, a 3-1 loss to Upper Canada College in group play sent them to a quarterfinal against the eventual champion Honeybaked, but the Jr. Sabres were able to put their stamp on this weekend in Whitby. 

Few Jr. Sabres were as big a piece to this success as Gavin Springer. He impacted the game in every zone and during every situation. After watching him play, it was no surprise to see why he was trusted in all of these spots. He was always on the right side of the puck, staying D-side on closeouts at the point, and drawing defenders to him in the offensive zone before dishing off. – Ben Jordan

Leo Parini, RW, Buffalo Jr. Sabres 15U AAA (USA)

From a goal-scoring standpoint, no one impacted the game on this Buffalo squad quite like Leo Parini. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 214-lbs, and seeing #72 on that Sabres jersey, could only help me think of Tage Thompson. With a shot-heavy, forecheck style of game, Parini showed flashes of him, too. 

In the Jr. Sabres first game of the tournament, Parini was right in the middle of his team’s third period come back, registering two goals in the period, he would go on to score an additional five goals in Buffalo’s remaining three round-robin games, and tallied the lone marker for his squad in their 6-1 quarter-final loss, going bar down from the hashmarks. – Ben Jordan

Alex Xu, D, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA (GTHL)

From an offensive standpoint, Xu might not fly off the page, but in a weekend where the Jr. Canadiens didn’t tally the goal totals we’ve become accustomed to, Alex Xu really stood out. When faced with pressure in his own end, he was as composed as anyone in this tournament, successfully getting the puck up the wall or to his supporting centreman. On the few odd-man rushes his team had this weekend, Xu was at the forefront, making strong first passes out of the zone, and moving his feet to create space to make those passes when it wasn’t readily available. – Ben Jordan

Max Fransen, D, Upper Canada College U16 AAA (ON-Prep)

After a loss to Don Mills in the finals of the Wendy Dufton Memorial tournament back in October, Upper Canada College found themselves back in the championship game of a big tournament yet again here at the Silver Stick in Whitby. They unfortunately came up short in the final yet again, but Max Fransen was a massive reason why they were one of the two teams standing at the end.

Fransen is a composed, smooth-skating defenceman able to make plays under pressure, escape forecheckers, and methodically move the puck up the ice. His ability to pull pucks off the dasher and turn a quick stick play into an almost sure-fire clean exit makes him one of the more intriguing 2010 defencemen in Ontario at this stage. – Ben Jordan

Cole Guizzetti, RW, Upper Canada College U16 AAA (ON-Prep)

Cole Guizzetti was a sparkplug for Upper Canada College this entire weekend, stepping up in big spots and scoring big-time goals. None were bigger than the goal he scored battling through layers of bodies to get his stick free to put a loose puck home in the semifinals to give UCC a 2-1 lead over Little Caesars. That marker would end up being the winner.

Despite Guizzetti’s profile and smaller stature, he pairs incredible balance with an appetite to engage opponents physically, which is super impressive. In the semifinal, he took a massive open ice hit, where he didn’t see the guy closing on him. He took the hit, and on one leg, he maintained his balance and used the power in his edge to accelerate out of the contact. – Ben Jordan

Jackson Zinkie, C, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA (GTHL)

In a weekend where some of the more prolific JRC forwards didn’t contribute the production that many expected, they had some second-layer offensive players step up. I can’t think of someone more exemplary here than Jackson Zinkie.

After starting the tournament with a third-period collapse against the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and a tie against, at least on paper, a much weaker Ottawa Valley opponent, JRC was in need of two points against UCC. They ended up getting the win, and Zinkie was smack dab in the middle of everything. When the ice shrinks, Zinkie’s game simply elevates. He can shut down the transition game and box up the neutral zone, and pairs the hunger to attack the net front with the finishing ability in tight. – Ben Jordan

Rico Champagne, RW, Toronto Jr. Canadiens U16 AAA (GTHL)

In multiple games this weekend, I came away thinking Rico Champagne was JRC’s most dynamic forward. He paired a desire to move pucks from the wall to the middle with a desperation to get to the middle and the netfront off the puck. It resulted in many great scoring chances. In JRC’s third round robin game, Champagne netted two goals to help lead his squad to one of their two wins at the tournament. – Ben Jordan

Pool D

Teams: Detroit Little Caesars 15U AAA, Toronto Marlboros U16 AAA, Huron-Perth Lakers U16 AAA, Bishop Kearney Selects 15U AAA, Southern Tier Admirals U16 AAA

Aiden Kelly, C, Detroit Little Caesars 15U AAA (USA)

All told, Aiden Kelly was the most impactful forward on this Little Caesars team in Whitby this weekend. He led the team in scoring and was creating extremely dangerous scoring chances on what felt like pretty much every shift. Kelly did a great job surveying the ice and problem-solving to find the next play, which proved to be impactful given his ability to make plays, as well as finish. 

In Little Caesars’ first game of the tournament against the Southern Tier Admirals, he scored two beauties going short-side high, in the top corner. As the game went along, Southern Tier defenders stopped sagging into their zone every time and pressed up, hoping to get in his shot lane. As soon as Kelly noticed the defender press up, he was able to stop up and either find a streaking teammate backdoor, or stop-and-start and carry the puck past the defender and re-survey down low. – Ben Jordan 

Ryker Kesler, C, Detroit Little Caesars 15U AAA (USA)

Although he may not wow with individual skill every shift, Ryker Kesler will impress with his sound puck touches, and hunger to get the puck into high-danger scoring areas. Kesler never cheated the game, despite some scores that swayed heavily in favour of his side, and completely dominated the goal-line and below play.

I had notes from pretty well all of the Little Caesars games about Kesler spinning off checks down low, with the end goal of making a pass to the top of the crease. If that wasn’t available to him, he took care of the puck, maintained possession, got the puck back to the point, and went to the crease himself to cause havoc. Kesler finished second on his team with ten points across six games. – Ben Jordan

Griffin Carver, D, Detroit Little Caesars 15U AAA (USA)

Griffin Carver wears the “C” for this Little Caesars team, which comes as no surprise when you watch him play. He is an all-situations, elite right-shot defenceman who competes every shift. He saw the other teams' top offensive units in pretty well every game they played, and was effective playing a tight gap and relying on quick instincts with his stick, and the ability to adjust his positioning with his edges. I rarely saw him use backwards cross-overs while attackers were coming downhill; rather, he used C-cuts to generate speed and close. As a result, he pretty much never got beat east-west, and when attackers tried to chip it past him, he was able to use physicality to take them out of the play. – Ben Jordan 

Ben Slavick, LW, Detroit Little Caesars 15U AAA (USA)

I may not be confident in saying that Ben Slavick was consistently the most dynamic Little Caesars forward this weekend, but he sure had a collection of the most dynamic moments. In what was thought to be their toughest group-stage game against the Toronto Marlboros, they would go on to win 7-1, and Slavick scored what I think was the goal of the tournament. He won ice at the hashmarks in the offensive zone, received a rocket of a pass from the perimeter, and in one motion, caught the pass, performed a toe drag around the Marlies defender and slotted a wrister high-glove under the bar. – Ben Jordan

Bo Christini, RW, Bishop Kearney Selects 15U AAA (USA)

Given the smaller frame, at 5-foot-5 and 134lbs, I was curious to follow Bo Christini this weekend and see what his habits were like with regard to his compete, and strength on the puck. Against a strong Toronto Marlboros squad, Christini was elite at escaping pressure and pivoting off guys. When defenders gapped up on him, he read the play brilliantly, and used soft, quick cuts to beat the gapped up defenders and, as a result, actually created more space and better advantages to the net. In the defensive zone, Christini used short punch strides to separate from forecheckers and play at elite speeds on the rush. – Ben Jordan

Jack Hair, D, Detroit Little Caesars 15U AAA (USA)

On what was a completely loaded Little Caesars backend, Jack Hair was the defender who really stood out for me. He may not have racked up the point totals as others, but was a positive difference maker every shift, and was a momentum changer when he was on the ice. What really stood out was his ability to manipulate the feet of oncoming forecheckers. He used jab cuts and shoulder fakes to confuse attackers of his next direction, which opened up exit lanes and allowed Hair to generate speed heading north. – Ben Jordan

Braden Reilly, RW, Toronto Marlboros U16 AAA (GTHL)

All told, the Toronto Marlboros had a great weekend. They fell flat against a potent Little Caesars squad, but finished the weekend 3-1, beating very respectable squads in the Bishop Kearney Selects and Huron-Perth Lakers. In the centre of everything for the Marlies was winger Braden Reilly. In our viewings of Reilly this weekend, he was a force in transition, driving defenders back, and either beating them wide or using them as a screen. His shot was lethal all weekend, scoring three goals in his first three games, all on quick little wristers that beat goalies low-glove and low-blocker. – Ben Jordan

Jaden Licastro, D, Toronto Marlboros U16 AAA (GTHL)

The high-end version of Jaden Licastro came to play this weekend. When he’s at his best, he pushes the pace on the rush and drags his teammates into the fight every shift. That is exactly what was on display this weekend in Whitby. Calm under pressure on retrievals, and explosive carrying the puck out of his own zone make for an advantage creating, all situations defenceman that just competes. Even late in a game where the Marlies were down big to Little Caesars, Licastro didn’t cheat his game and took care of the puck in his own zone. – Ben Jordan

Pool E 

Teams: London Jr. Knights U16 AAA, The Hill Academy U16 AAA, Chicago Reapers 15U AAA, Markham Majors U16 AAA, Central Ontario Wolves U16 AAA

Drew Bate, C, London Jr. Knights U16 AAA (ALLIANCE)

All Drew Bate does is continue to deliver for the London Jr. Knights. Leading the round robin in scoring with 11 points in 4 games, including a four-goal game and a separate four-assist game, he was the tournament’s ultimate dual-threat creator. He’s not just a shooter from distance either; the undersized forward goes to the dirty areas of the ice to hunt for pucks and proved to be a lethal down-low finisher. Factor in his elite playmaking ability and intelligent off-puck game, and Bate continues to prove that he shouldn’t be overlooked as a top prospect in this class. – Lauren Kelly

Finley Merrill, C, The Hill Academy U16 AAA (ON-Prep)

What a weekend from Finley Merrill, who tied for the round robin lead in goals with an impressive seven markers in four games. His dynamism was a constant in his hat trick outing against the Markham Majors, generating scoring chances off the rush and on the cycle. The inside-driven centre fearlessly attacked defenders and blossomed as a legitimate play-driver. A creative, pacey player whose breakout tournament sets the stage for what will likely be a strong second half of his draft season. – Lauren Kelly 

Joseph Fenwick, LW, Markham Majors U16 AAA (GTHL) 

A goal-scoring machine through the round robin, Joseph Fenwick tied teammate Ronan Quinn for the team lead after four games. But his finishing talent was further backed by intelligent, calculated playmaking vision, setting up his teammates for more chances than his one assist on his statline. With the ability to play through checks and create space, Fenwick pushed pace, was involved at both ends of the ice, and was consistently one of the Majors’ best forwards. – Lauren Kelly

Kyler Lauder, C, Central Ontario Wolves U16 AAA (OMHA) 

It was a tough weekend for the Central Ontario Wolves, who finished at the bottom of Pool E, but Kyler Lauder’s effort never wavered. Impressive bursts of speed made him a lethal attacker off the rush. He generated several breakaway chances as a result of smart off-puck engagements, forcing turnovers at his own blueline and leaving defenders in his dust. He is one of the most advanced transition players in this age group, utilizing not just solo rushes wide down the wall, but building plays through give-and-gos, middle lane drives, and pace changes. A talented scoring centre, Lauder was the Wolves’ offensive driver, finishing with seven points in four games. – Lauren Kelly

Finley Butler, RW, London Jr. Knights U16 AAA (ALLIANCE)

Bate may draw most of the attention on the Jr. Knights, but Finley Butler is an impressive player in his own right. At 6-foot-5, he was dominant along the walls, leveraging his frame to win battles before making plays to the middle of the ice, and showing skilled handling flashes as he challenged defenders 1-on-1. He was also a disruptor off-puck, using his long reach to create turnovers, which he immediately attempted to turn into high-danger offence. It’s rare to see forwards with his combination of size and elite skating ability, and Butler leveraged both to be an impact player on his shifts. – Lauren Kelly

Tanner Adams, C, The Hill Academy U16 AAA (ON-Prep) 

Everything is there for Tanner Adams to be an elite prospect. Whether it’s the size, skating ability, puck skills, or refined details, he could step into the OHL tomorrow and be an impact player. With flashes of manipulation to bolster his inside-driven mentality, he’s dangerous and crafty with the puck on his stick. Even more impressive is his off-puck game, where he extended plays, engaged with threats, and made smart defensive reads. While The Hill wasn’t able to advance to the playoff round and he didn’t have the offensive production that one might expect to earn recognition on this list, Adams established himself as one of his team’s strongest two-way players. – Lauren Kelly

Konstantinos Housseas, D, Markham Majors U16 AAA (GTHL)

Anchoring the Majors blueline, Konstantinos Housseas is an imposing presence. The big defender possesses range, physicality, and flashes offensive vision. An intelligent puck mover with a cannon of a shot, he regularly threatened from the point. But it was his ability to get defensive stops that really shone from shift to shift. Able to calmly absorb contact and maintain his gap with faster skaters, Housseas killed rushes regularly and finished players off along the boards. With his safe style and ability to mitigate risk effectively, Housseas was quietly one of the more reliable defenders of the tournament. – Lauren Kelly

Pool F

Teams: Detroit Honeybaked 15U, Mississauga Senators U16 AAA, St. Louis AAA Blues 15U, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 15U AAA, Barrie Colts U16 AAA

Henry Buttweiler, LW, Detroit Honeybaked 15U AAA (USA)

Already drafted into the WHL last season, 12th overall in the US Prospects Draft by the Regina Pats, Henry Buttweiler was instrumental in Honeybaked’s championship run. Finishing as the tournament’s second leading scorer with 13 points in seven games and named player of the tournament, the Minnesotan scored no bigger goal than his quadruple-overtime breakaway winner to send Honeybaked to the final. 

A confident, inside-driven forward, Buttweiler’s fearless mentality commands attention on his shifts. Well-developed contact skills allow him to dominate and make plays between checks, and he blends intense physicality well with his high-end puck skills. Whether he chooses to go the major junior route or remains in the U.S. for his development, Buttweiler cemented his status as a top player in this 2010 age group. – Lauren Kelly

Dylan Delgado, RW, Detroit Honeybaked 15U AAA (USA)

As one of the bigger contributors from an offensive standpoint this weekend, Dylan Delgado brings a multifaceted attack, rooted in his ability to use deft touches before making his real move to shift defenders just enough to open his desired lane of attack. Delgado had a few solo rushes this weekend where he was able to manoeuvre multiple defenders and get in alone for a grade-A scoring chance. Such a play led to the tally that put Honeybaked up 2-0 in the all-important, win-or-go-home quarter-final against the Jr. Sabres. – Ben Jordan

Arjun Nanubhai, C, Mississauga Senators U16 AAA (GTHL)

Against the best team in the entire tournament, Arjun Nanubhai gave Little Caesars defenders fits for nearly the entire quarter-final game. A dangerous dual-threat creator, he used his impressive speed and shot to overwhelm and threaten off the rush, but was equally as dynamic and masterful a passer. While some of his Mississauga Senators teammates racked up more points, Nanubhai separated himself to earn recognition on this list, particularly with how he was able to elevate his game in big moments and hold his own against tough opponents. – Lauren Kelly

Max Lappan, D, Detroit Honeybaked 15U AAA (USA)

An all-situations defender for Honeybaked, Max Lappan was a huge reason for their championship run. His ten points in seven games led all blueliners in tournament scoring. He’s an excellent game manager, but unafraid to take risks and create plays. A frequent activator and rush joiner, he was mostly a shooting threat from the point, but also understood how to get open in space. Defensively, he was an effective play killer, cutting down space and destroying the cycle. With no glaring weaknesses to his game and a key contributor to his team’s success, Lappan emerged as one of the best defenders in the entire tournament. – Lauren Kelly

Ivan Belikov, D, Detroit Honeybaked 15U AAA (USA)

Ivan Belikov might not stand out on a scoresheet or find his way onto a top point scorers list, but he sure stands out with his ability to manoeuvre the ice surface, given his 6-foot-4 frame. He was one of the better puck movers in this tournament, and definitely on his Honeybaked squad, and while watching him, I always felt like the pace of the game was in his hands.

When Honeybaked was up big in games, Belikov was aggressive, closing gaps and shutting down plays in the neutral zone. He was also hungry to activate and carry the puck low in the offensive zone. In game one of the tournament, he ended up finding the score sheet when he slid down Broadway uncontested and pounded a loose puck home. – Ben Jordan 

Lucas Matheson, D, Barrie Colts U16 AAA (OMHA)

After what was a tough weekend for Barrie, finishing with an 0-4 record after group play, it was clear there was one big takeaway: Lucas Matheson is one of the high-end defencemen in this 2010 birth year. He manipulates forecheckers' feet with the best of them, opening lanes out of the zone for himself to pick up speed and push the pace of the Jr. Colts' rush attack. In the offensive zone, he used his edges to quickly pivot out of pressure while locating the next best play. – Ben Jordan 

Easton Dozark, D, Detroit Honeybaked 15U AAA (USA)

Having already been drafted in the WHL’s US Prospects Draft at No. 13 overall by the Swift Current Broncos, Easton Dozark wasn't on OHL scouts' radars, but his play this weekend would have garnered the attention of anyone who watched him.

Dozark plays with some snarl, in all situations, and was a massive offensive contributor for the eventual champion Honeybaked. He timed his activations well in the offensive zone, using his mobility to get past pressure and beat guys down the walls, and proved to be a threat with his one-timer up top. On his way to a tournament championship, Dozark recorded 11 points over the seven-game event. – Ben Jordan

Honourable Mentions: Colin Kennedy (DLC), Jack Trupiano (DLC), Bobby Spang (BK), Kash Kwajah (JRC), Landon Roulston (VK), Ronan Quinn (MAJ), Austin Hall (HB), Max Mitchell (HB), Jace Luchanko (LDN), Quinn Roberts (LDN), Ryan Beaulieu (LDN), Kade O’Rourke (JRC), Jakub Kuklinski (MISS), Matthew Zilinski (MISS), Robbie Knight (MISS), Owen Loftus (DMF), Levi Inch (SAR), Gavin Murphy (DMF), Adrian Sgro (VK), Ryder Nobes (MAJ)