Number : 4
Position: Defense
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 214lbs
Age:17
Hometown: Edmonton, Alberta
Last year's team: Medicine Hat
NHL Status: Eligible 2002
Family:
Favorite Movie:
Favorite Food:
Favorite TV Show:
Hobbies: Working out
Favorite NHL Player:
Best Hockey Memory:
Favorite Past Times: Working out, hanging with the guys
School: Hat High
Future Aspirations: NHL Hockey, good education
The most talked-about defensive prospect to come along in recent memory does very little talking of his own, except with his play.
Jay Bouwmeester file
Height/Weight: 6-4, 204
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Birthdate: Sept. 27, 1983
Team: Medicine Hat
Scouting report: What to write about the man who has everything? Hmmm... well, start off by mentioning the phenomenal skating ability in a man so large: straight ahead speed and power, lateral agility, and terrific foot quickness. Move on to his wonderful hockey sense and vision. Then throw in his passing skills, howitzer shot, and power play acumen. All that wrapped in a 6-4, 204-pound frame just shouldn't be legal.
Report Card
Size/Strength: A
Skating: A+
Shot/Scoring ability: A
Puckhandling: A
Hockey Sense: A+
Competitiveness: A-
Leadership: B+
Composure/Poise: A
Defense: B
Jay Bouwmeester brings a mix of size, agility, speed, vision, and hockey sense that makes scouts drool. Bouwmeester is 6-4 and has his weight down to 204 pounds. "Jay worked hard over the summer and dropped 10 pounds. He is even faster now if you can believe that," says Medicine Hat General Manager Rick Carriere.
It is hard to believe that Bouwmeester would be able to improve on his already outstanding skating — the one tool above all others that makes him the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall in next June's NHL Entry Draft.
His skating is the first thing that jumps out at anyone who sees him play; not only because of his speed and smooth stride but also his agility and exceptional lateral movement. "He is a great skater. He has such a powerful stride and great mobility. His agility is outstanding, especially for a player his size," said coach Bob Loucks.
Bouwmeester uses his skating ability not only to make offensive forays, but also to recover and get back into defensive position after venturing up ice. "Jay has the ability to not only pick the correct time to join the rush, but also to lead the rush," says Loucks.
He also displays excellent hockey sense and on-ice vision and plays a game mature beyond his years. He has the ability to make a tape-to-tape pass at full speed through traffic, and is smart enough to know when to attempt this type of pass and when to just make the safe play. He's an excellent power play quarterback who can find open teammates and has a hard, accurate shot. "He sees the ice so well that he always knows where his teammates are,"says Carriere. "He's a great transition guy, he can turn the puck up ice in an instant."
One aspect of Bouwmeester's game that could use some improvement is his physical play, something Bouwmeester is aware of. "I could work on my defensive game, but that is natural, you can always improve your game," he said.
With his size he is certainly capable of playing a more robust style in his own zone than he has up to this point, though by no means does he shy away from contact. Red Line believes Bouwmeester is a solid player in his own end, and that any complaints about that aspect of his game are due to the inevitable tendency in the scouting community to dissect and look for imperfections. Actually, the scary thing is that he's such a dynamic and complete player at such a young age.
This Christmas, at the age of 18, Bouwmeester will already be representing Canada for the third time at the World Junior Championships. It was unheard of for a defenseman so young to play for Team Canada until Bouwmeester came along, but his role has grown with each game of the tournament the past two years. "It is a great experience for a young guy like me," says Bouwmeester. "It really helps to see how all these great players work."
For some, the pressure of being such a highly touted prospect can act as a distraction, but for all the buildup and accolades, Bouwmeester remains just a shy, soft-spoken young man who sets a good example for teammates both on and off the ice. "He's a shy kid with adults, but he is outgoing with his teammates and is very well liked in the dressing room," says Loucks. "Even with all the press around him he just wants to be part of the team... You would never know that he was a star player. He leads by example both on and off the ice rather than being a rah-rah guy in the dressing room."
"I just try and ignore all the talk," is Bouwmeester's simple explanation. "I have to go out and play my game. All I can do is try and help my team win, so I don't worry about the hype."
That positive attitude and excellent understanding of the game also have a positive impact on his teammates. "He has such an astute hockey mind and love for the game that he is able to give his teammates good feedback on what is happening during a game,"explains Carriere.
The hype surrounding Bouwmeester has been intense and for good reason: He has the potential to be the type of cornerstone defenseman that championship teams are built around.
But when asked who he compares his game to, Bouwmeester — in keeping with his personality — had little to say on the matter other than, "Oh, I donąt know. I just try to play to my strengths."
Given his list of strengths, that should mean he'll be playing for a long time.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bouwmeester was the 1st overall pick in the 1998 WHL Bantam Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers, selected ahead of many high profile 2001 NHL draftees, including Dan Blackburn, Matthew Spiller, Greg Watson, Duncan Milroy, Doug Lynch, and Nathan Paetsch. His 1998-99 season proved to be a successful one at the midget AAA level, as he made the Alberta Midget Hockey League's all-star team as a 15-year-old, and was named the event's second star. He also won gold with Team Alberta at the 1999 Canada Winter Games, and saw action in eight games for the Tigers, stepping up and posting three points in eight games.
In his first junior season in 1999-00 as a 16-year-old, Bouwmeester was selected to play to Team Canada at the 2000 World Junior Hockey Championships, and at age 16 was the youngest defenseman ever to be named to the team. He helped the squad bring home a bronze medal with limited ice time, and was a +2 with two penalty minutes and four shots on goal. He went on to finish the year with great numbers on a poor Tiger team, showing great overall progress.
In 2000-01, Bouwmeester was again named to the Canadian squad at the WJHC, and again helped the team capture bronze. This year he saw his ice time increase, as he posted two assists, six penalty minutes, and an impressive 13 shots on goal. His sophomore WHL season was also a success, as he was selected to be a member of the WHL's Eastern Conference all-star team. He also averaged nearly a point per game, despite playing on one of the league's poorest teams.
The most talked-about defensive prospect to come along in recent memory does very little talking of his own, except with his play.
Jay Bouwmeester file
Height/Weight: 6-4, 204
Position: Defenseman
Shoots: Left
Birthdate: Sept. 27, 1983
Team: Medicine Hat
Scouting report: What to write about the man who has everything? Hmmm... well, start off by mentioning the phenomenal skating ability in a man so large: straight ahead speed and power, lateral agility, and terrific foot quickness. Move on to his wonderful hockey sense and vision. Then throw in his passing skills, howitzer shot, and power play acumen. All that wrapped in a 6-4, 204-pound frame just shouldn't be legal.
Report Card
Size/Strength: A
Skating: A+
Shot/Scoring ability: A
Puckhandling: A
Hockey Sense: A+
Competitiveness: A-
Leadership: B+
Composure/Poise: A
Defense: B
Jay Bouwmeester brings a mix of size, agility, speed, vision, and hockey sense that makes scouts drool. Bouwmeester is 6-4 and has his weight down to 204 pounds. "Jay worked hard over the summer and dropped 10 pounds. He is even faster now if you can believe that," says Medicine Hat General Manager Rick Carriere.
It is hard to believe that Bouwmeester would be able to improve on his already outstanding skating — the one tool above all others that makes him the odds-on favorite to go No. 1 overall in next June's NHL Entry Draft.
His skating is the first thing that jumps out at anyone who sees him play; not only because of his speed and smooth stride but also his agility and exceptional lateral movement. "He is a great skater. He has such a powerful stride and great mobility. His agility is outstanding, especially for a player his size," said coach Bob Loucks.
Bouwmeester uses his skating ability not only to make offensive forays, but also to recover and get back into defensive position after venturing up ice. "Jay has the ability to not only pick the correct time to join the rush, but also to lead the rush," says Loucks.
He also displays excellent hockey sense and on-ice vision and plays a game mature beyond his years. He has the ability to make a tape-to-tape pass at full speed through traffic, and is smart enough to know when to attempt this type of pass and when to just make the safe play. He's an excellent power play quarterback who can find open teammates and has a hard, accurate shot. "He sees the ice so well that he always knows where his teammates are,"says Carriere. "He's a great transition guy, he can turn the puck up ice in an instant."
One aspect of Bouwmeester's game that could use some improvement is his physical play, something Bouwmeester is aware of. "I could work on my defensive game, but that is natural, you can always improve your game," he said.
With his size he is certainly capable of playing a more robust style in his own zone than he has up to this point, though by no means does he shy away from contact. Red Line believes Bouwmeester is a solid player in his own end, and that any complaints about that aspect of his game are due to the inevitable tendency in the scouting community to dissect and look for imperfections. Actually, the scary thing is that he's such a dynamic and complete player at such a young age.
This Christmas, at the age of 18, Bouwmeester will already be representing Canada for the third time at the World Junior Championships. It was unheard of for a defenseman so young to play for Team Canada until Bouwmeester came along, but his role has grown with each game of the tournament the past two years. "It is a great experience for a young guy like me," says Bouwmeester. "It really helps to see how all these great players work."
For some, the pressure of being such a highly touted prospect can act as a distraction, but for all the buildup and accolades, Bouwmeester remains just a shy, soft-spoken young man who sets a good example for teammates both on and off the ice. "He's a shy kid with adults, but he is outgoing with his teammates and is very well liked in the dressing room," says Loucks. "Even with all the press around him he just wants to be part of the team... You would never know that he was a star player. He leads by example both on and off the ice rather than being a rah-rah guy in the dressing room."
"I just try and ignore all the talk," is Bouwmeester's simple explanation. "I have to go out and play my game. All I can do is try and help my team win, so I don't worry about the hype."
That positive attitude and excellent understanding of the game also have a positive impact on his teammates. "He has such an astute hockey mind and love for the game that he is able to give his teammates good feedback on what is happening during a game,"explains Carriere.
The hype surrounding Bouwmeester has been intense and for good reason: He has the potential to be the type of cornerstone defenseman that championship teams are built around.
But when asked who he compares his game to, Bouwmeester — in keeping with his personality — had little to say on the matter other than, "Oh, I donąt know. I just try to play to my strengths."
Given his list of strengths, that should mean he'll be playing for a long time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bouwmeester was the 1st overall pick in the 1998 WHL Bantam Draft by the Medicine Hat Tigers, selected ahead of many high profile 2001 NHL draftees, including Dan Blackburn, Matthew Spiller, Greg Watson, Duncan Milroy, Doug Lynch, and Nathan Paetsch. His 1998-99 season proved to be a successful one at the midget AAA level, as he made the Alberta Midget Hockey League's all-star team as a 15-year-old, and was named the event's second star. He also won gold with Team Alberta at the 1999 Canada Winter Games, and saw action in eight games for the Tigers, stepping up and posting three points in eight games.
In his first junior season in 1999-00 as a 16-year-old, Bouwmeester was selected to play to Team Canada at the 2000 World Junior Hockey Championships, and at age 16 was the youngest defenseman ever to be named to the team. He helped the squad bring home a bronze medal with limited ice time, and was a +2 with two penalty minutes and four shots on goal. He went on to finish the year with great numbers on a poor Tiger team, showing great overall progress.
In 2000-01, Bouwmeester was again named to the Canadian squad at the WJHC, and again helped the team capture bronze. This year he saw his ice time increase, as he posted two assists, six penalty minutes, and an impressive 13 shots on goal. His sophomore WHL season was also a success, as he was selected to be a member of the WHL's Eastern Conference all-star team. He also averaged nearly a point per game, despite playing on one of the league's poorest teams.