ColeMrtz

VHLM Weekly Article by: Riley Johnston The most recent VHLM draft saw the beginnings of a new Halifax based franchise begin to take shape. Luckily for the expansion team the draft was incredibly deep, allowing them to pick up a lot of young talent. Today we dive into who will establish the franchise this upcoming season. 1st round, 3rd overall, 160 TPA Defenseman Tzuyu With their first pick Halifax looks to build a back end that can help fill out their front end too. Tzuyu is a talented puck moving defenseman, her short run in the VHLM last season doesn't give a whole lot to go on, but her playstyle looks promising to help generate offense out of the back for Halifax. 2nd round, 9th overall, 65 TPA Right Winger Nikita Flipachyev A sniper in the most definitive sense, Flipachyev looks to be the goalscorer in Halifax this coming season. With no previous VHLM experience the Russian Rookie may very well become the next scoring phenom out on the ice. 2nd round, 12th overall, 145 TPA Defenseman Shawn Glade Another veteran offensive defenseman, Glade has played an entire season in the VHLM before being drafted to Halifax. His numbers prove promising, ending the regular season +52 with 27 points. Glade also proved to be a key playoff players, averaging 1.1 PPG in the playoffs. 3rd round, 15th overall, 76 TPA Defenseman B.B. Nat Continuing to build a strong D core, Nat put up crazy numbers in the VHLM last season, scoring 71 points in 72 games. There are some concerns about Nat playing too aggressively, with his +- coming out to only +16, but paired with a defensive defenseman Nat will prove a powerful addition to the back end. 4th round, 21st overall, 40 TPA Goaltender Cole Mertz Mertz is the first of two goaltending prospects Halifax acquired during the draft. Mertz relies on speed over technique to make saves, making him a high risk/high reward player for the time being. Given time to develop though he may become a starting goaltender for Halifax in the coming seasons. 4th round, 23rd overall, 47 TPA Center Mike Lavallee Lavallee is a very well rounded rookie center, there's no real holes in his play other than him being inexperienced. If he continues to develop in the way he is now Lavallee will prove to be an excellent power forward for the team. 6th round, 32nd overall, 30 TPA Left Winger Aaron Butcher Halifax waited until late in the draft to start developing offense, and as a result we see a lot of prospects with potential, but not a whole lot to assess them on. Aaron Butcher is one of those players. We expect to see a lot of growth out of him but right now it's hard to determine the direction he will go. 6th round, 33rd overall, 36 TPA Center Hunter Kidd Kidd played a season with the Las Vegas Aces last year, and didn't prove much. He posted a 13 point season, ended with a -21, and ultimately showed little to no development. This will be a hit or miss pick for Halifax, as Kidd may not develop at all. Should he start to develop though, Halifax will have landed themselves a nice addition to their offense. 7th round, 39th overall, 0 TPA Center Nathan MacKinnon There's nothing to be said about MacKinnon, he may exhibit growth later but as of right now he hasn't even shown potential. 8th round, 47th overall, 32 TPA Goaltender Tyler Smith The second goaltending prospect out of the draft for Halifax, Smith is a well rounded goalie who similar to Lavallee, is only lacking in experience. Given time Smith will become an outstanding goaltender in all aspects, and is expected to grow into a potential starter for Halifax. 9th round, 51st overall, 30 TPA Defenseman Jeremy Myalls An interesting prospect, Myalls looks as though he will grow into a strong defensive defenseman within a few seasons. Should he develop quickly he could be the perfect pairing for B.B. Nat to counter his aggressive style of play. 10th round, 57th overall, 0 TPA Goaltender Potato Akin to MacKinnon, there's nothing to be said about Potato. (This article was written on the 10th so any TPA after that point will not be reflected)

1. I've said it before and I'll say it again, being able to be one of the founding players on Halifax is exhilarating. We set the standard for the franchise in the future and I hope to set the bar high. 2. I hope to finish the season with the starting position in net, that's going to take a lot of work, and a lot of commitment, but I'm ready to do whatever it takes. 3. It introduces players to the league, and I find that getting the chance to gain experience before being thrust into the VHL makes for a better experience throughout the leagues. 4. It puts the pressure on to preform, no doubt, but it also gives a vote of confidence in yourself. You know your GM has your back and believes in your ability to preform at a high level. I feel like I'm on track to meet those expectations. 5. I'm not even thinking about it yet, right now I'm focusing on getting myself where I need to be for this current season. Recent draft class reports certainly give me a lot of hope though, to be highlighted as one of the players to watch it makes you wonder about just how far your career will go. 1. I made sure I knew who I was up against going into the draft, I was more than happy with where I went and I think as the season goes on I'll prove I was worth the pick. A lot of guys have the upper hand on me at the moment but I don't plan on slowing down anytime soon. 2. Making big saves and getting having a good time, sure eyes are on you to set a precedent for the franchise but you also don't have high expectations being an expansion team. Nothing will be more entertaining than proving everyone wrong. 3. A unique playstyle, most goalies in the league seem to follow a textbook style where they keep themselves well rounded while not being exceptional in any one front. I don't have the size to be decent across the board, so I'm training speed and agility. What I lack in raw ability I make up for with perception and speed. I feel like variety is what recent goaltending is lacking. 4. Exceptional amounts, I intend to keep growing at my current rate or faster, and that means by the end of the season I should be well into the 100's for TPA. 5. Honestly, Tyler Smith. We were both drafted to play the same position and that can go one of two ways, it can make you enemies or friends, and we became very good friends. We push eachother to be better and hopefully we'll face eachother in the VHL one day. Hell, maybe we'll be teammates again, but I doubt the two of us could stay Starter/Backup forever.

Review: Very clean looking card, maybe in the future try to map the jersey better for the blue part as it kind of blends in. Otherwise the style is really cool and I hope to see more of it in the future.

Aw Shawn you flatter me

Cole Mertz Goaltender || Detroit, MI 70 in (178 cm) || 185 lbs (84 kg) Right-Handed || Stand-Up Goaltender Overview Mertz is one of the top goaltending prospects in the S62 VHLM draft, and has proven himself throughout his minors play. Coming into the VHLM draft class out of the QMJHL playing with the St. John Sea Dogs, he has shown his ability to make outstanding saves and back his team to a very successful season. One of a dying breed of stand-up goaltenders his unique style of play lends itself plenty of attention. Mertz still needs to work on some key aspects of his game in order to make VHL potential, but is expected to develop well in the VHLM. “With some time he’ll undoubtedly leave his mark on the league, incredible talent coming out of the minors this season.” -Johnston Career Highlights -Won worlds with US Developmental U17 team in the 2015-16 season. -Shootout win to clinch the division in 2016-17 with St. John. -Clocked a league high 37 PIM among goalies his 16-17 season with St. John. -Was the winningest goalie in the league his 2017-18 season with St. John. Stats US U17 15-16 || GP 41 || SV% .878 || GAA 2.91 || SO 1 St. John 16-17 || GP 46 || SV% .883 || GAA 2.89 || SO 0 St. John 17-18 || GP 50 || SV% .892 || GAA 2.67 || SO 3 Pros -Mertz has been on an upwards trend going into the S62 draft, knowing the VHLM’s jump in skill the numbers aren’t expected to hold but it is expected that he continues to improve at a constant rate throughout his stint in the league. -Mertz has a strong crease presence and has great sense on the high shots, locking off anything going top shelf. -Mertz has been able to stop a ridiculous amount of cross crease attempts due to his higher agility and reaction time, making him a valuable backstop for teams with weaker netfront defense.. -His pads are notoriously crispy too. Cons -Mertz has a weak five hole and has been known to let in a majority of shots from down low, making him susceptible to being screened and point shots. -Mertz gets beat frequently on the breakaway, making it one of the crucial aspects of his game that needs improvement. -Mertz gained a reputation for losing his temper in the minors, attempting to initiate fights on multiple accounts and getting caught trying to get away with the occasional trip or slash to those too close to his crease. -He changes his pads too often. Post-Draft Expectations Mertz was drafted in the 4th round (21st overall) to the Halifax 21st in the S62 VHLM Dispersal Draft. He is expected fill the starting goaltender role before the end of the season, although he is in contest with Tyler Smith for the position. To start out the season we expect to see rotating backup between the two young goaltenders. Eventually one will outshine the other we can expect to see a tough contest for the starting position. Mertz is the faster of the two goalies, however Smith has him beat in size and is better rounded out.

1. I think it's an amazing opportunity, you get to set the precedent for the team. I'm excited to see what this squad can do and just how far we end up going this season. 2. I'd like to stay in the league as long as I can, I've already met a lot of great people through here and it's not every day you find a passionate hockey community. 3. A very crease dominant goalie, someone who can play aggressive and not get punished. I'm going to be building a lot of agility and rebound control during my time here. 4. The VHLM allows new players to hop right into the league, no problem. It's exciting because you're playing with a bunch of guys in the same boat as you. The VHL is restricted to established players, which isn't bad, it's league structure, but it makes the VHLM a lot more exciting as you're watching the younger talent start to emerge. 5. More than happy, 4th round, 21st overall. There's nothing to complain about. I also get to crack jokes about going to the 21st with the 21st now so I can assure you that joke is never dying out for as long as I'm in the league. 6. Like I said earlier we get to set the precedent for this team. Whatever happens this season we were a part of the original team. Some of the guys here will leave Halifax as VHLM legends, maybe not league wide but definitely locally. 7. More like all eyes are on to see if we can preform. There's a handful of guys on the team who have kind of stagnated in ability and our challenge is to get better than them and prove ourselves. 8. I'm still kind of new to the league but if I had to take a guess I'd go with Oslo, I don''t have a whole lot of knowledge on who has what players but I think historically Oslo has done well. 9. It's cool to be integrated with the community like that, to take a touch of local spirit with us, but for anyone outside the city it's going to be a little confusing. 10. Work my way up to that starting position in net and back my team to a winning season.

To Halifax 21st with the 21st overall pick goaltender Cole Mertz, answering any and all questions.

VHLM Weekly Article by: Riley Johnston With the VHL Entry Draft and VHLM Expansion draft done and over with, our sights turn to the VHLM Entry Draft, where we expect to see a large pool of talent help bolster the established franchises and found the new team in Halifax. The VHLM is the gateway to the VHL, and for many young players this draft will affirm childhood dreams and determine the next several years of their lives. With their careers on the line, we wanted to know what the players expected in the draft, and in doing so got an interview with 18 year old Detroit native goaltender Cole Mertz. Johnston: How long have you been waiting for this day? Mertz: About 18 years, haha, and I say that jokingly but I've been skating for just about my whole life, since I could walk. Granted I didn't really begin to consider playing pro until I was a little older, but the game has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. Having the chance to turn that dream from so many years ago into a reality is kind of crazy to think about. Johnston: With the draft just 4 days away, what position do you expect to go? Mertz: Quite honestly if I went with the last overall pick I'd be happy, but you've also got to know who you're going up against. Most of the goalies in this draft haven't been putting in a whole lot of training, and I'm not saying I'm a whole lot better, but I think if I keep making some improvements here and there before the draft I'll beat out a lot of the other tendys. I'm going to have to try and find every opportunity to better myself but I believe I'll be able to pull it off. Johnston: How do you feel about the new expansion team? Mertz: Expansion teams are always good, more competition, more picks in the draft, and you have to love the location. Having a team in a hockey city like Halifax is definitely going to benefit the league, It will bring a lot more attention to the game and hopefully draw in more talent as well. You'll never hear a complaint about the league getting bigger from a guy who's trying to get into it. Johnston: If you could pick which team to go to, where would you go? Mertz: I've been in touch with some people and I'm hoping I end up with them, but it's anyone's game. There’s a lot of teams in the league I’d be happy going to, there’s talent everywhere, but right now I’ve kind of got my heart set on one team. I don't think I'm supposed to disclose who I've been in talks with, so I'll let you know if it worked out after the draft. Johnston: It's been a pleasure Cole, good luck on draft day. Mertz: Thanks Riley, hopefully I'll be able to give you a follow up if I make the league.

Player Information Username: ColeMrtz21 Player Name: Cole Mertz Recruited By: Age: 18 Position: G Height: 70 in. Weight: 185 lbs. Birthplace: Detroit, MI Player Page