skip navigation
Program

Raiders Make Strong Push in Rankings

By Hudl, 12/22/21, 10:00AM EST

Share

U16 and U18 AAA Top 5 Rankings presented by Hudl

The Ontario Minor Hockey Association has released the fourth edition of the U16 and U18 AAA Top 5 Rankings presented by Hudl for the 2021-2022 regular season. These rankings will be released on a bi-weekly schedule.

With the OMHA U16 AAA Showcase in the books and the unofficial halfway mark of the season here, let's see where teams stand at the holiday break.

U16 AAA Rankings

The Red Devils, North Stars and Waxers hold strong as the top three teams while the Ajax-Pickering Raiders make their first appearance of the season leaping into fourth place.

Players to Watch

Parker Forlin (Niagara North Stars): Has a great sense of where his teammates are and where the soft areas are that he can exploit. Forlin is a confident puck carrier, allowing him to keep his head up and read exactly what is given. He can see plays developing and trusts his hands and skill to buy time if needed. He is very good at getting inside the dots so he can use his shot or to put himself in a good position to get a pass or a loose puck. With these instincts, he will be a handful to contain inside the offensive zone and will produce some solid offensive numbers for his team.

Nate Brentnell (Richmond Hill Coyotes): What first catches your eye is his 200-foot game. He tracks hard from behind and often disrupts rushes and negates odd man rushes. He puts himself in good positions in the defensive zone and stays low to help his defenders out and limit the time his team spends in the defensive zone. Because Brentnell does the little things well, he benefits from playing in the offensive zone a lot. Here is where the effort pays off as he is equally smart at knowing how to get pucks and himself to the net. He scores a lot of goals through a blend of skill and effort.

U18 AAA Rankings

The Jr. Gryphons find themselves back in the Top 5 after going 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. The Raiders and Generals hold onto the top two spots and are two of the strongest teams in this group.

Players to Watch

Derek Hartley (Grey-Bruce Highlanders): A big goalie who naturally fills the net. His calm, collected demeanour and great lateral movement takes away most opponents scoring opportunities. Hartley's concentration and strong anticipations skills, along with excellent puck handling skills allow him to corral loose pucks and initiate the break out with his teammates.

Jalen Bianchet (Ajax-Pickering Raiders): An undrafted 2005 left-winger who is a high energy naturally gifted player with high puck skills that make him a constant offence of threat. He is an elusive skater with many speeds and a tremendous compete level that helps make all of his teammates around him better players.


Like this article?

Share with your friends on Facebook and join the largest network of hockey parents.

you may also like

Podcast
Championships
Parents
Players
Admin
Players
Championships
Coaches