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THOMAS McCOLLUM
Thomas McCollum
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Vitals: 6'2'' / 205 lbs.
Birthdate: December 7, 1989
Hometown: Sanborn, New York
Acquired: Detroit's first choice (30th overall) in the 2008 draft
CSS Ranking: 1st North American Goaltender (2008)
Contract: 2013 (if reassigned to OHL in 2009-10)
RWC Says: No. 1 goaltender

STORIES

AWARDS
  • 2006-07 OHL All-Star Classic (Team West)
  • 2006-07 OHL All-Rookie Team
  • 2006-07 OHL Third-Team All-Star
  • 2007-08 OHL goaltender of the month (December)
  • 2007-08 CHL Top Prospects Game (Team Fuhr/Anderson)

HISTORY
2006-07:
  • Burst onto OHL scene with strong rookie campaign in Guelph (26 wins, 2.39 GAA, .918 Sv%).
  • Set Guelph Storm franchise record with five shutouts.
  • Play slipped in February and March and struggled in post-season (0-4 record).
  • Allowed four goals in a loss in his only start for the U.S. at the world under-18 championship in May.
2007-08:
  • Got off to slow start in OHL sophomore year in Guelph, posting bloated numbers early.
  • Improved toward end of season to post solid numbers (25 wins, 2.64 GAA, .918 Sv%).
  • Saved best for 10-game post-season run (5-5, 1.91 GAA, .937 Sv%).
2008-09:
  • Signed three-year entry-level contract with Red Wings in October.

SCOUT COMMENTS
"No. 1 attribute is his net position — it's second to none, there are rarely any holes and he has a great butterfly. When he is challenging and at the top of his game he is very tough to beat. He has good net coverage and he is very competitive; capable of making the big saves for his team. He handles the puck well and his play has gotten better over the course of the year by leaps and bounds. He is definitely one of those franchise type of goalies in the future. You can see that his team is very confident in front of him and he can see through screens very well. In saying all of this, I rarely see him out of position." — Central Scouting goaltender scout Al Jensen (June 2008).

STRENGTHS
Known for his outstanding glove and sharp reflexes ... Positionally-sound ... Above-average size ... Leaves little to shoot at ... Butterfly style ... Competitive ... Tracks pucks well through traffic.

WEAKNESSES
Inconsistent ... Struggles when forced to make athletic, acrobatic stops ... Puck-handling needs work.

PROJECTION
McCollum is a Jimmy Howard-calibre prospect who, along with Daniel Larsson, gives the Red Wings a three-horse race for their goalie of the future. Because of his late birthdate, the Red Wings have the option of pulling him out of junior in 2009-10 and putting him in the AHL. In the meantime, he'll spend 2008-09 in Guelph, and has a chance to assert himself as a blue-chipper.

STATISTICS
  REGULAR SEASON PLAYOFFS
SEASON TEAM LEAGUE GP W-L-T SO GAA SPCT GP W-L SO GAA SPCT
2006-07 Guelph OHL 55 26-18-10 5 2.39 .918 4 0-4 0 4.37 .890
  United States W-U18 1 0-1-0 0 4.05 .875 -- -- -- -- --
2007-08 Guelph OHL 45 25-17-6 4 2.50 .914 10 5-5 1 1.91 .936

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The next wave

RWC's top 10 prospects (end-of-season)
01 D Jonathan Ericsson » Grand Rapids (AHL)
02 F Darren Helm » Grand Rapids (AHL)
03 G Jimmy Howard » Grand Rapids (AHL)
04 D Jakub Kindl » Grand Rapids (AHL)
05 F Justin Abdelkader » Michigan St. (NCAA)
06 D Brendan Smith » Wisconsin (NCAA)
07 F Jan Mursak » Belleville (OHL)
08 F Cory Emmerton » Brampton (OHL)
09 F Dick Axelsson » Djurgardens (SWE)
10 D Kyle Quincey » Grand Rapids (AHL)
» COMPLETE RANKING »