| STORIES |
- Saturday, June 25, 2011: First glance: 2011 draft
- Sunday, June 26, 2011: ‘Sky’s the limit’ for hard-shooting Sproul
- Tuesday, November 15, 2011: Hudon’s career at crossroads
- Tuesday, December 13, 2011: Sproul’s gains a D-light
- Tuesday, January 17, 2012: Backman’s two-way play leaves big impression
- Tuesday, April 3, 2012: Blueline depth gets shot in the arm
|
| AWARDS |
- 2011-12 CHL Canada-Russia Subway Super Series (Team OHL)
|
| HISTORY |
2010-11
- Started season at Ontario junior A level to reserve NCAA eligibility.
- Abandoned NCAA plan and reported to the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds in late September.
- Sluggish start to season, taking 17 games to record his first point.
- From 17th game on, produced impressive numbers (45-14-19-33).
- Enjoyed one scorching-hot stretch from Jan. 14 to March 6 (23-11-13-24).
- Struggled in the plus-minus department, posting a minus-15, second worst on team.
- Finished fifth in scoring among all blueliners in scoring and No. 1 among rookie blueliners.
- Taken by Red Wings in second round (55th overall) of 2011 NHL draft.
|
2011-12
- Returned to OHL and finished third in Sault Ste. Marie scoring (61-23-31-54).
- Scored 21 of his goals over the course of final 21 games, a 32-goal clip pro-rated.
- Saved best for stretch run, scoring 13 goals in final 20 games (20-13-11-24), a 44-goal clip pro-rated.
- Led all OHL defensemen in goals scored (23) and was third in points (54).
- Improved defensive play, swinging plus-minus from a rookie minus-15 to a team-best plus-16.
- Suffered a fractured jaw in late December but missed much less time than expected.
- Played one game for Team OHL in CHL Subway Super Series and recorded an assist.
- Signed three-year entry-level contract with Red Wings in March.
|
| SCOUT COMMENTS |
| “He’s got the big booming shot from the point — he’s still weak as a noodle — but we see some good signs. There’s more there than just (the booming shot) — that’s obviously a big plus, when you can shoot it like that, but he sees the ice well, too. The sky’s the limit, once he fills out.” — Red Wings director of scouting Joe McDonnell (June 2011) … “He’s played so well and yet he has so much more room to grow. He’s put in a lot of work and since the middle of October on, he’s been outstanding for us.” — Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds GM Kyle Dubas (December 2011, Sault Star).
|
| STRENGTHS |
| Boasts a cannon of a point shot … Can lead the breakout and is at his best offensively … Shows excellent vision and smarts … A dangerous weapon on the power play … Has shown dramatic improvement in an extremely short period of time, a trend that bodes well if it continues … Works hard to improve, identifying defensive play as a weakness and making effort to improve it. |
| WEAKNESSES |
| Defensive play has improved, but still needs to show it won’t hold him back in the pros … Even though he’s tall, he’s skinny and doesn’t make a physical impact … Needs to add significant strength … Criticized by scouts for his lack of foot-speed and his mobility could improve. |
| PROJECTION |
| Combine a 6-foot-3 defenseman with a booming slap shot and you have a prospect worth keeping an eye on. Sproul took another big step forward in 2011-12, leading all OHL defenseman in goal-scoring, and could be poised to turn heads in his final OHL season 2012-13. The Red Wings have already signed him and hope he matures into a Sheldon Souray type in the NHL. |
Player statistics powered by www.eliteprospects.com
| Season |
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
|
Playoffs |
GP |
G |
A |
TP |
PIM |
| 2008-2009 |
Vaughan Kings Minor Midget AAA |
Midget |
31 |
2 |
7 |
9 |
14 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009-2010 |
Bramalea Blues |
OJAHL |
7 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Vaughan Vipers |
OJAHL |
8 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| |
Playoffs |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2010-2011 |
Vaughan Vipers |
OJHL |
3 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
OHL |
61 |
14 |
19 |
33 |
36 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011-2012 |
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds |
OHL |
61 |
23 |
31 |
54 |
53 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Grand Rapids Griffins |
AHL |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
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Player statistics © www.eliteprospects.com
