Player Name: Mason Richardson Previous Club: Oshawa Generals (OHL) Position: Defense Handedness: Left Height: 6.04 Weight: 215 lbs Age: 18 Citizenship: American Born in Riverside, California, Mason Richardson grew up in a hockey household and if the family wasn't home they were all watching Mason at the roller hockey rink. In fact Mason came from a family who has a rich professional hockey tradition that he hopes to carry on through the Victory Hockey League. Mason was born in Riverside but his family made the move to Lloydminster, Saskatchewan when he was 16 years old. When Mason was growing up in the small Californian town the ice hockey teams were such a rare group that the boys usually played roller hockey. Special leagues for the sport go all the way up to the professional level and that’s where Richardson was scouted. Mason alongside his California friend and current Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonathan Blum, were both noticed by U.S. scouts. Unfortunately, Mason was not allowed to move from the area after being scouted as his parents needed help with a family emergency. Luckily though the family was given help by a family friend and Mason was allowed to carry his hockey career to the next level. Mason was scouted by teams in the WHL and the OHL for both the leagues respected bantam/midget drafts and priority selections. Kameron got the call from the Oshawa Generals a short time after being noticed down south. Richardson would pack his bags and go to unchartered territory for him in the Canadian city. Mason was lucky enough to grow up with some guidance from someone playing at a high level. Mason’s cousin is Joe Pavelski who plays for the San Jose Sharks in the National Hockey League. Joe has continuously helped guide Mason through drills during their summer months and allow Mason to increase his strength and endurance. Various other National Hockey League stars such as Brad Stuart, Jason Zucker and Cal Clutterbuck have also helped Mason during the off-season months. Mason feels that because of this he has gained an edge when it comes to building the right stature for a professional player and someone that can do damage in the NHL or the VHL. Pavelski has taught Mason the fine points of the game such as how to dig the puck loose in the corner and getting your hands dirty in front of your own net minder. Joe prides himself on not allowing Mason to escape the facets of the game that come in handy through crunch time. Richardson was taught a lot of mental aspects that come in handy in late game situations. It somewhat makes sense as Joe Pavelski has always been known as a playoff performer. Mason learned the ways through Joe and others that nothing can ever be taken for granted whether it is in the game of hockey or out in the hallway. Mason and his cousin Joe Pavelski in California Mason got a lot of attention in Riverside that at 12 years old a roller hockey team based in the town called the Riverside Cougars asked him to join their squad in the CRHL (California Recreational Hockey League). Mason spent four seasons with the squad and became a bit of a legend in the small town because of his story. During his tenure in the Cougars system he posted the second most assists all-time by a Riverside player. Mason's story was heating up and more scouts were starting to notice his performances. When he started as a 12 year old to when he left as a 16 year old Mason saw over 14 different Canadian Junior Hockey scouts take a look at him in the small Californian town. The only issue going forward was if he could survive on skates and throw contact into his game. After fours years where he ended up with 189 points in a career 104 games with the Courgars he was selected by the Oshawa Generals in the OHL priority selection. Before leaving Riverside he was honored by the team when they placed his name on a special banner alongside many other Cougar greats. After bringing home the league championship once in his time with the Riverside based team he was going up to the big junior league to pursue his dream. Mason mother and father were happy to have a son who wanted to succeed at something that cousin Joe had had so much success with. In his first year with the Generals, Mason would see action in 34 games as a young rookie. D.J. Smith was the coach in Oshawa when Mason got there; so luckily he had one of the best up and coming coaches teaching him every facet. In those 34 games Mason showed to his team and to Oshawa management that he could play with the rest of the teenagers. His 10 assists in the first 20 games was impressive for a guy that was told at the start of the season to focus solely on positioning and stick checking. In addition to those 10 assists Mason also added his first two goals as an OHL rookie. He would have to wait until his last game of the season to record his first ever fight in the OHL. The Generals won that game 2-0 late in the third and Richardson contributed on one of the goals with an assist. It was the start of something special and something fans could look forward too on the Generals squad. Season 1 (Reg. Season): 34 GP, 2 Goals, 11 Assists, 13 Points, +3 and 40 Hits After Oshawa failed to make the OHL playoffs in his first season the Generals lost players to OHL graduation and the NHL entry draft. Thus opening the door for the young Riverside native to take control of a regular second line role down the right side. Mason would go into the season as the number four defenseman and wouldn't look back. The California kid led his team to the second spot in the OHL overall standings and slid them into a first round playoff matchup against the Erie Otters. The series will always go down as the one Mason would like to forget. In the General second game in Erie, Mason was checked from behind in the second period and would break his right arm. However, the Generals would not let their previous seasons failure get in the way as they would eliminate the Otters in seven games without Richardson. Oshawa's series clinching goal came off the stick of Vancouver Canucks draft pick Cole Cassels. The Generals would have to go on and face the Plymouth Whalers in the next round. The Whalers were a higher skilled team and were bolstered by their number one centre Rickard Rakell. Rickard as well as the rest of the Whalers were too much for the Generalss to handle and they won the series in five games. Season 2 (Reg. Season): 50 GP, 5 Goals, 24 Assists, 29 Points, +15 and 75 Hits Season 2 (Playoffs): 2 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, +2 and 4 Hits Mason is currently in camp with the Oshawa Generals awaiting the start of the young OHL season. His selection by the Saskatoon Wild in the S39 VHLM Dispersal has helped him progress and make big strides into becoming a professional player in the VHL. Richardson's injury resume isn't very long but some scouts will question whether his arm strength is really there. Scouts love his dedication and ability to get his hands dirty without getting caught out of position. His size and smarts can create mismatches for forwards down low and he prides himself on protecting his crease. After his two seasons in Oshawa, Mason looked poised to crack the Saskatoon roster and so far has been a mainstay there. Some have said he needs more work and that it would be better for him to get that in Oshawa where he still has eligibility left, but the decision will fall on the Saskatoon management team. Mason has a great mind for the game and sees the ice like none other on the Generals roster. One issue that was brought up was his lack of strength, as at times he seems to shy away from hitting and laying the body. That simply issue can be credited to the fact in roller hockey their is no body contact and he must remain shy from opposing players. OHL Statistics: 84 Games Played, 7 Goals, 35 Assists, 42 Points, +18 and 115 Hits During his OHL career he was noticed by the National team from the United states but because of the depth in the program he had to wait out a bit to catch on. With the ability to be coached by former Rockford IceHogs Mark Osiecki, it gave him a whole new insight on how to play the game. Osiecki showed him how to get away his shot quicker and with more velocity. They would constantly go over film of Osiecki's favourite coachable player Erik Johnson. Richardson would go on to compete for the United states in two international competitions (the U18 World Championships as well as the U20 World Championships). U-18 World Championships: 5 GP, 1 Goal, 2 Assists, -2 and 7 Hits U-20 World Championships: 6 GP, 1 Goal, 3 Assists, +3 and 12 Hits Mason in his time with the U-20 United States squad Knowledge – Scouts have said that Mason really knows how to work the corners and force the puck loose off a forward's stick. The intelligence when it comes to deflections and direction of the puck off the boards is a hard thing to teach and he has a good grasp of it. His ability to read a play also comes in handy as he can spring a forward on a breakaway. Puck Handling – Mason has the ability as a defenseman to maneuver the puck in whatever way he wants. It's a skill that a player of his stature would normally have trouble with. At 6'4" his size would normally give him a disadvantage. Joe and Mason have worked on the ability to shield the puck away at certain spots on the ice. Quick Release – With Osiecki by his side he learned a new style of holding his stick and getting the shot off. On the powerplay he is used perfectly by setting up just above the faceoff circle. Richardson has a quick release that makes the puck hit the tape of the stick and off within a split second. This ability allows more chances to get the oppositions goaltender out of position. Speed – At times it appears Mason tries to take off but is slow in the acceleration process and it doesn't allow him to create room. With the puck at his stick he is strong but he needs to get open to be able to even have that chance. Bag skates and acceleration drills are recommended for this youngster to get his game complete. Penalty Kill – Mason is sort of a wasted talent on the penalty kill as his shot blocking ability is nothing to be desired about. Sacrificing his body is a rarity and when he does he doesn't plug up the proper shooting lanes. With his timid physical play it pairs for a very negative aspect in his game, one in which coaches will have to improve on with him. Attitude – Richardson's attitude when the negative areas of the game hit him is very poor. Mason needs to refocus his attitude and not get too down when things are tough. Often times when his team goes down a couple goals he seems to get down on himself and his squad. If he wants to be the ultimate professional he will need to turn the page rather quickly. Mason Richardson has the tools to become a top pairing defenseman but he needs to push himself more and adapt to the physical game. If Richardson expects to make the big dance he needs to put on some muscle and work more with his strength and conditioning coaches. It will be interesting to find out if his arm injury further decreases his value in the draft. His attitude and strength are two issues that professional coaches will need to work with him on. However, if Mason can put all the pieces together we see him turning into a very formidable player who could potentially be a cornerstone for any franchise. NHL Comparison: Shea Weber
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Blades of Steel: Episode 21 Link "Oh there you are Peter!" I covered questions from the Mailbag and go over the One-Hit Wonders #YouSaidYoudNeverGrowUpPeter Blades of Steel Game Link Note: 55+ Minutes Intro Song: Two Princes - The Spin Doctors Closing Song: Short Skirt, Long Jacket - Cake