Photo by Steven Ellis
Canada is holding its national under-17 camp right now, with almost all the best kids from across the country coming together to practise and play games against each other.
Ultimately, this cohort will compete for spots on Canada’s two teams at the World Under-17 Challenge, which will be held in Sarnia in early November.
Now, the reason I say “almost all the best kids” is that a couple were notably absent – Caleb Malhotra and Zach Nyman. Both are Ontario products heading to the BCHL this season, and because the BCHL is no longer affiliated with Hockey Canada, they were not at camp.
Politics aside, the games I watched were incredibly competitive, and the talent pool is deep. Here are some of the players that stood out to me – and keep in mind, this was just a slice of the camp (just in case your favorite didn’t make my list). Player positions are based on where they played during the games I saw.
Ethan Belchetz, LW, Windsor (OHL): The top pick in the 2024 OHL draft is hilariously big – a 16-year-old who already measures in at 6-foot-4 and 233 pounds. Belchetz will legitimately be one of the biggest players no matter where he goes (even the NHL), and he’s also a pretty good skater. He’s got great hands and a nice edge to his game, too, making him quite the problem for opponents.
Jaxon Jacobson, LW, Brandon (WHL): Jacobson had a couple of brilliant primary assists in the game I saw him play and was just generally around the puck all the time. Along with his excellent vision, he can also track down a puck in order to generate offense.
Keaton Verhoeff, D, Victoria (WHL): There was a lot of skill at the camp, but also a lot of truculence. Verhoeff is a big, mean defenseman (6-foot-3, 200 pounds already) who imposed his will often and even chipped in with a goal when he crashed the net with his teammates.
Landon DuPont, D, Everett (WHL): The youngest player in camp, DuPont is also the latest to earn exceptional status to join the CHL early. And he certainly proved why. The kid did not look out of place, with great skating and puckhandling skills. He’s hard to knock down, and even when he gets in trouble, he’s got a fast processor that allows him to find solutions quickly.
Jet Kwajah, D, Owen Sound (OHL): I wasn’t familiar with Kwajah’s game (cue Shaq meme), but he instantly became a favorite with his play on the back end. An offensive defenseman with a deceptive and quick shot, he had a number of great scoring opportunities (he hit at least one post) and loves to get involved.
Maddox Dagenais, C, Quebec (QMJHL): The top pick in the 2024 ‘Q’ draft, Dagenais has a 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame and plays with a lot of confidence. He’s got a great shot, but can also be a playmaker, as evidenced by his vision on a power-play goal he set up.
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Braidy Wassilyn, C, Niagara (OHL): Wassilyn played on a super-fun line with OHL Peterborough’s Colin Fitzgerald and WHL Edmonton’s Joe Iginla and they dominated the offensive zone for many of their shifts. Wassilyn is fast, with a wicked shot and NHL size. He also showed great compete level and for a kid who was criticized for being a one-way player last year, he certainly looked well-rounded to me now.
Jayden Plouffe, LW, Chicoutimi (QMJHL): Plouffe found his way onto the scoresheet with a big-time snipe, plus an assist in the game I saw. He’s hard to play against and is a pretty solid two-way player already, with the ability to transition the puck from one zone to another.
Ryan Howard, LW, Quebec (QMJHL): Remember when I mentioned truculence? Howard is another perfect example. A menace in the best possible sense, I wonder if he could be a Tom Wilson type of pro, using his size and snarl to bully opponents while also using his power game with the puck to create offense.
Giorgos Pantelas, D, Brandon (WHL): Another kid who already has NHL size at 6-foot-2, 184 pounds, Pantelas can move the puck, and he can defend. He looks like the type of effective two-way blueliner that NHL teams crave in the playoffs.
Brady Smith, LW, Oshawa (OHL): Hard to argue with results – Smith had two goals and a tally in the shootout when I saw him. He’s got quick hands and knows where to find the soft areas in order to score.
Noah Florent, RW, Gatineau (QMJHL): So Florent is very small – listed at 5-foot-7, 130 pounds – but he was very impressive against his peers. He scored a goal in traffic early, then zipped past two defensemen before deking out the goalie for his second tally of the afternoon. His speed and skill certainly make up for his lack of bulk.
Antoine Proulx, G, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL): It’s not an easy age for goalies, but I liked Proulx and his opponent, Jason Schaubel (OHL Kitchener). Proulx had to make a lot of stops early on Wassilyn’s line and showed that he can see through traffic pretty well. Schaubel had some great lateral movement.
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News Summary:
- The Top Standouts at Canada's Under-17 Summer Camp
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