Heading into season three of his management tenure, Regina Elk General Manager Justin Wingit @lespoils came into the S64 SMJHL Draft with something to prove. He drafted 6 players, and those picks paid immediate dividends for the most recent SMJHL expansion team.

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It’s rare to see a Nigerian hockey player, much less one with the swagger and competitiveness of Olubori. Drafting him 4th overall, Regina has benefited greatly from his addition. Starting the season lower in the lineup, by late season the rookie had forced his way onto the top line with veteran scorers Yannick Svoboda and Jaeger Jones. He finished the season third on the team in scoring with an impressive 21-28-49 line in just under 18 minutes per game.

The main thing you take away from watching Olubori’s game is how physically imposing he is. His powerful core and legs let him power through defenders and push toward the net. He has elite size and strength on his 6-4 frame. Could thrive as a net front presence, though we haven’t seen a lot of that yet. While some young players struggle to handle heavier workloads, it seems like Olubori is aways chomping at the bit for another shift. I noted his conditioning is very good (as did many scouts during the SMJHL draft process).

Offensively, Olubori has an incredibly powerful wrist shot—he showed the ability to get shots through defenders, even if he’s still figuring out how to find his spots. There were more than a few shots straight into the goalie’s pads early in the season that could have been easy goals.  Beyond that, his offensive game is still a work in progress. He’s never going to be mistaken for an elite passer but has enough skill to fit in with better offensive players as shown late in the year. Prior to this year, he primarily played on the right wing, but adapted surprisingly well to playing his off wing where he could make the most of his wrist shot.

His puckhandling improved over the course of the season, though he can still cough up the puck more than you'd like. As he keeps getting more coaching, his processing of the game at both ends will catch up with his physical gifts. On the subject of instincts, Olubori runs a mean streak, and took some bad penalties this season. Scouts who are high on him think he’ll settle down as he establishes himself, while his detractors think a hot head could limit his upside.

This player's floor is fairly high as a depth energy forward--he excels bringing a physical game and pressuring opposing forwards. His 145 hits led the Elk and was 5th leaguewide. You can see from the tape he is learning how to use his physical game to consistently separate opponents from the puck and disrupt the opposing attack. On the upside, he'll never be a star scorer, but has enough offensive game to be a complementary piece on an SHL scoring line. I see him landing as the best player on a team’s third line or the third best player on a top two scoring line.

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This big, Finnish winger (6-3, 225 pounds) slid a little bit going into the draft. Regina was able to trade back and still take the player affectionately known as DAD at 23rd overall. Going into the draft, Donskoi was seen as a Swiss-army giraffe—a big body that did everything fine but nothing particularly outstanding. Experienced coaching and a professional weight room and nutrition plan have immediately paid dividends, as he put together an impressive season for the Elk. Through 66 games, Donskoi finished ninth on the team with 14-19-33, and immediately earned his coaches’ trust, averaging 1:06 TOI shorthanded per game.

Donskoi is not a player who shies away from the physical game—he finished second on the Elk with 140 hits behind fellow rookie M’Baku Olubori, which also landed him in the top 10 leaguewide (7th). While Olubori is one to go for the booming hit in the corners or at center ice, Donskoi tended to make smaller, effective plays to disrupt the opposition. He did have a few humorous slow-mo hits this season that sent an opposing player into the bench area unexpectedly. Olubori and Donskoi played very little together this past season; if that changes next season, opposing teams better watch out.

Donskoi is one of those unique young players that’s a blank canvas. He’s got a big frame and all the physical tools to become a prototypical power forward. He plays a physical--but not punishing--game. So far, he’s not shown much snarl, to the point of almost passivity at times. That extends to the offensive end as well—he has a decent shot, but seemed reluctant to use it as a rookie in the J. He will need to shoot more if he’s going to carve out a bigger role in the J or the next level. I think he will be an SHL player, and will likely be a 2nd round pick in the coming SHL Draft. I think he needs to show a lot more offensive development to guarantee his spot in the SHL, but even if he doesn’t, I think he can find a role as a penalty-killing glue guy. The ability is there, he just needs to build his confidence.

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With Detroit’s 3rd round pick, 31st overall, acquired from Carolina in a draft day trade, Regina selected the British center, Ronnie Pickering. He adds to the trend of forwards with big frames (6-2, 225) Regina drafted. It’s clear they want to be big and hard to play against. Unlike some of the higher picks, Pickering came into the draft as a playmaking center in the vein of another client of agent @Matty7478, Matthew Forrester—Forrester was a very effective four-year player in Newfoundland before having a short career with Tampa Bay. Pickering hopes to emulate the best of previous players and bring a big more longevity.

Pickering is very good at getting passes right on the tape to his teammates. He also has an accurate shot and creativity with the puck on his stick that allows him to create some highlight reel plays on occasion. Unfortunately, those plays were few and far between as a rookie.

While he is not a particularly physical player, Pickering does bring a lot of strength and skill to protect the puck. He also has shown some past effectiveness as a net front presence on the powerplay, though we didn’t get to see him used as such in S64.

Pickering teamed up with fellow rookies Don Gritty and Dalibor Dvoraky to create one of the worst lines in the SMJHL this season. The Pickering line was a black hole for possession—they consistently got destroyed when they were on the ice to the tune of a sub 35% CF%. It’s little wonder their play time shrunk as other rookies asserted themselves elsewhere in the lineup. It’s even scarier to see that Pickering had puck luck on his side (103 PDO) during this terrifying season. The jury is out on what caused such a bad start to his pro career.

With this first season behind him, Pickering showed growth in a wide range of areas in his game. He still struggles defensively and will need to put serious time in if he’s going to handle the day-to-day needs of playing center at the next level. Regina will give him every opportunity to step into a larger role as a sophomore, especially with the team’s top two centers (Gordie Goodenough and Jaeger Jones) having exhausted their eligibility after this season. I don’t think hope is lost for Pickering to continue developing his game, but another season like S64 would be cause for serious concern.

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Many were initially very excited about the young Mr. Gritty’s energy; he seemed very enthusiastic to be an Elk after being selected with the 49th overall pick. Unfortunately, that didn’t amount to much development for the Mississauga native. Off ice challenges derailed his season before it really started, and he never truly caught up. Yet another big, physical forward with scorer’s instincts, Gritty struggled to find consistent ice time. Playing only 5:18 per game, Gritty did score three goals and 9 total points for the Elk. Unfortunately, it seems other players surpassed him in the lineup. Those within the Elk organization have some hope that he’s not done developing and can eke out a decent J career, but few SHL scouts likely are giving him a serious look. His best hope for an SHL career would be a big sophomore season leading to some looks as a draft+1 player in S66.

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With the second of three 4th round picks, Regina selected the silky smooth Don Juan. The Calgary-born winger exceeded expectations by finishing second in rookie scoring on the team with a solid 15-20-35 stat line in 16:08. He joined fellow rookie David-Arturri Donskoi on the second PK unit, and was effective on the defensive end (97 blocks, 83 hits, and 18 TkAs). He wasn’t known for his defensive acumen going into the season but proved he could develop a solid two-way game. Don Juan has always been known as a bit of a goal scorer, finishing fifth on the team with 15 goals. Unlike many prolific bantam goal scorers, however, he projects as an equally effective set up man. On a checking line with fellow rookies Olli O’Koivu and Kezia MacKenzie late in the season, Juan helped them find quality scoring chances with his ice vision and silky passes. His creativity with the puck is above average for someone his age, and he sees plays develop that few of his peers can.

The biggest knock on Juan is his average skating and inconsistent defensive game prior to this season. He has an awkward stride that makes it difficult to switch up tempo and he can occasionally get caught out of position. The early results are encouraging, but time will tell if he commits to good habits defensively.

As an SHL prospect, scouts must be salivating at his offensive skills. He also has good size for an SHL winger at 6-2, 205 pounds. This is probably the player that can have the biggest jump in the rankings going into his second SMJHL season, especially if he gets powerplay time. I think he has the makings of a very good scoring line winger at the next level.

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This Hawaiian-born winger looked to be a steal for the Elk in the 4th round (52nd overall). In the scouting combine, he was one of the best puck handlers, demolishing the field in the handling drills while showing very solid skating ability. Many scouts thought he could have been in the mix 15 picks earlier. Early comparisons to Jimmy Wagner’s early career as an absolute speedster didn’t seem far-fetched.

With some coaching, Regina thought his limitations on defense could be overcome and improved upon, so he could make the most of his ice vision, skating, and puckhandling skills. After some early results that took him from awful to below average, it seemed like he stopped improving suddenly. Coaches noticed and his ice time dropped precipitously.

While other rookies thrived playing an aggressive game, Dvoraky struggled against bigger and more physical players all season. He wasn’t able to show the full range of his skating and puckhandling skills in actual games, falling into a fourth line role for the Elk. He got beat to pucks in the corners, produced costly turnovers, and failed to make the most of his offensive skills. In 7:04 TOI per game, Dalibor recorded 4-7-11 with 30 shots, a -6 rating, and 31 blocked shots.

While it’s not too late for Dvoraky to grow and learn how to capitalize on his offensive skills, his window toward SHL greatness is quickly closing. He’s likely not worth a draft pick without some signs of life.

After the unfortunate career-ending injury to former Elk Ashley Stubbs, Wingit went back to a trusted agency and signed Oleksander Olli O’Koivu as a free agent. This center hit the ice and immediately impressed. He fits the mold of big forwards with a high compete level that Wingit seems to gravitate to. In 66 games with the Elk, OOOK recorded 7-23-30 with 98 shots and a -4 rating in 15:53 TOI. He didn't see much in the way of special teams time, being relied on to handle even strength minutes on the third line.

This season, O’Koivu’s playmaking and 200-foot game was on display. Among Elk forwards, he had one of the better G-T ratios (0.714) and finished second among Elk rookies with 23 assists. He looks every inch of a responsible top six center in the SHL and is likely the frontrunner to take over the top line center role next season in Regina.

He doesn’t blow you away with his skating—there will always be other players who are faster than O’Koivu. Still, he is a steady, smart player that can handle the center position. It’s difficult to knock him off the puck and he reads plays on both ends of the ice well. He also puts himself in position to make plays all over the ice and has an active, disruptive stick. I don’t think he’ll be a player to carry the offense or make a lot of superstar plays in the SHL, but elite teams are built from the center out. He will make the small, smart plays that help the team win, and he has enough skill to play alongside offensive dynamos. If his agent doesn’t hold him out of the SHL Combine, he could be a 1st round pick off his high floor alone.

A late season addition for the Elk, MacKenzie stepped into a role on the third line immediately. In 24 games, they recorded 2-9-11 and 28 shots in 14:07 per game. They also added 22 PIMs, showing a bit of an edge.

MacKenzie came into the season as a bit of a north-south speedster who is willing to grind along the boards. The comparisons to an early career Jason Chimera almost make themselves. In just a few weeks, you could see the coaching on both ends of the ice really expand this player’s game. Their passes looked crisper, their reads of the play improved, and by the playoffs it seemed the game slowed down for them.

MacKenzie has great size for a power winger at 6-5, 200 pounds, and they like to throw the body as evidenced by the 46 hits in 24 games. It’s easy to imagine MacKenzie as a third line banger in the SHL, though they’ll have to put on more muscle to keep up. This player showed glimpses of a larger offensive game this season. They can get a wrister off through traffic in the slot, though their slapshot doesn’t have the same accuracy. MacKenzie excelled when the play broke down and they could jump on rebounds. For someone this tall, it’s surprising to see them shy away from the front of the net.

While MacKenzie processes the game very well and has prototypical size and strength for the center position, their passing is just okay and they struggle to keep up with shiftier forwards through neutral zone. I can see them making the switch if needed, but team and player might be better served by expanding their strengths as a gritty forechecking winger.


The big American forward was drafted late but never signed a contract or amounted to much. He was cut early in training camp and went back to hawking watches in Virginia Beach.

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It’s early, but this draft class looks very strong for the Elk. Justin Wingit’s building a culture of big, physical forwards that bring pressure through a strong forechecking style. While there are no sure-fire superstars in this group, I can see at least 3-4 players have long, productive SHL careers.

@hhh81 @LarryTheMVP @Cyclo @Wally @blakec1414 @dongritty @Matty7478 @Lemorse7

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