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JNH · 04-13-2019, 01:03 PM

West's Scouting Service: Oliver Cleary

[Image: 637431788.0.jpg]

Oliver Cleary representing Canada at the 2017 U-18 tournament in Helsinki

Name: Oliver Cleary (@Buster)
Age: 18
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Height: 6'3''
Weight: 215 lbs
Handedness: Right
S46 Stats:
- Regular Season: N/A
- Playoffs:
9 GP, 0 P, -2, 5.48 AMG, 6 PIM, 4 Hits

Oliver Cleary is a pass first defenseman born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, playing in the Greater Toronto Hockey League before looking to make the jump to the SMJHL. Cleary signed with the Detroit Falcons after his season ended in Toronto, deciding to try to make an early move to the SMJHL in order to better prepare himself for the draft this season. The experience and training will definitely help as he has had a couple week head start on most of his counterparts as they prepare for this week's upcoming draft. The playoffs for the Falcons didn't go as well as they could have, as they were ousted in the second round in four straight by the Kelowna Knights who would go on to play against St. Louis in the Four Star Cup Final.

Cleary had a limited role in the playoffs, being limited to an average of just under 6 minutes in the 9 games that he dressed for as the coaches looked to get him acclimated to the league before thrusting him into the spotlight. There's a lot of pressure for someone who is projected to be a top pick in the draft this season and the Falcons were careful not to throw him head first into the fire. While he didn't notch any points, Oliver did his best to get on the scoresheet by picking up a couple hits, but may have tried too hard as he ended up in the box on three separate occasions. Is this stat line concerning? Not at all, Cleary was an underage player coming into the league and did well to fit in with a playoff team that was already in full swing. As he has had the off-season to adjust and continue to train with other SMJHL players, I would very surprised to see Cleary not have a significant impact next year. All signs point towards him being able to take the next step and lead the rookie class both on and off the ice.

Now we began this by designating Oliver as a pass first defenseman, which is correct in the sense that he is much more inclined to pass the puck rather than shoot it. That isn't to say that he's going to shy away from taking or making a hit at any point in order to make a play. Cleary is strong on his skates and at 6'3, 215 lbs. is always a threat to lay a devastating hit on an opponent as they try to gain entry to his zone. His long reach allows him to push forwards to the outside, squeeze them off along the boards and then steal the puck before sending it up ice with his above-average vision and passing abilities. He plays very similarly to Thomas Chabot, the rookie defenseman for the Ottawa Senators who has taken the league by storm and been able to play a strong two-way game.

One scout had this to say:

Tom Nasx: Wrote:Oliver Cleary is a big man on skates, but surprisingly mobile and has a great hockey brain working. He has the ability to make a strong first pass on the breakout, either up the boards to the winger or stretching it up the middle to advance the puck quicker. For the most part, he's able to make the right decisions with and without the puck. Cleary is rarely caught pinching and if so, he's able to get back and catch the trailer thanks to his skating abilities. His long reach prove incredibly difficult for players trying to gain the zone. One area of improvement would be his discipline as he can take the untimely penalty or two and if he's going to be logging a lot of minutes and playing a prominent role, we're going to want him to actually be on the ice and not in the box.

On statistics alone, Cleary is a strong option for any team picking in the first round of the Season 47 SMJHL Entry Draft. Defensemen are always a highly desired commodity and one of Cleary's skill and pedigree is likely to catch more than a few eyes while teams are preparing. When you factor in Oliver's SHL history, he goes from a highly talented rookie to a surefire star in the SMJHL. In a similar way that some NHL scouts decide that "strong bloodlines" are a factor when looking at 2nd generation players coming into the league, Cleary definitely has the bloodlines on his side. He's represented by Buster, who has been around the league since around Season 8 and represented a number of the players, with a fair amount of success mainly with Teemu Nurmi who was one of the top defenders of his time. The experience with the processes of the SHL, how to achieve SHL success and building a strong defenseman will provide invaluable for Cleary as he looks to become one of the league's top defenseman. He might not step in and be a game breaker from his first game in the league, but all the tools are there to ensure that one Cleary gets going this season, he will be a force to be reckoned with.

Projected Draft Ranking: 2nd to 5th Overall

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DeletedAtUserRequest · 04-14-2019, 05:47 PM

6'3 215.. nice size for the SMJHL.
good luck at the draft!

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*Buster* · 04-14-2019, 10:41 PM

SMH I’m not even going to be a first rounder

JNH · 04-15-2019, 12:54 PM

04-14-2019, 10:41 PMBuster Wrote: SMH I’m not even going to be a first rounder

I went with a broad range to cover my bases.

In hindsight, 2-15 would have been much more accurate.

*Buster* · 04-15-2019, 02:28 PM

04-15-2019, 12:54 PMJNH Wrote:
04-14-2019, 10:41 PMBuster Wrote: SMH I’m not even going to be a first rounder

I went with a broad range to cover my bases.

In hindsight, 2-15 would have been much more accurate.

Just change it to anywhere between first and unstaffed

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