Rotterdam, Netherlands:: VHL hopeful defenseman, Micah Adrienne has suffered a torn ACL while playing for his Junior Hockey team in the Netherlands. He was very much hoping to join the league next season, but that may be taking a step back with this really huge injury that will be requiring surgery. We did catch up with Micah who had this to say:
Micah, a 6'8" defender will be looking forward to his time in the VHL. Teams are starting to watch this guy. He has a unique skill set, I mean, it's not like every defenseman looks exactly the same in some fake sim engine, now does it? Let's look at exactly what this guy has.
What to expect:
Big frame: At 6'8", he is going to be someone that is going to be a huge presence during any teams back line. This is someone that will have a very long reach as well, so getting around him is going to be pretty tough. You will have to use your speed, which this guy has as well. It's going to be very interesting to see how teams are going to plan on beating him.
Defense first: This is someone who is not going to light up the scoresheet. I mean, it's not someone you will probably want on the PowerPlay right away, maybe the Penalty Kill, but he's not going to be a Quarterback for any PowerPlay. He focuses on his defensive ability first and foremost.
Development: There is no doubt that this guy will develop quickly. He is someone that learns very fast, so adding speed, puck handling, passing, and other skills are things that will definitely come quick to him. He will already have defense, so adding the other aspects should come pretty quick.
Be patient: You need to be patient with this guy. He is very raw right now with him learning quite a bit from his brother and how he plays. He watches a lot of the VHL and is more than excited to be entering the league sooner than later.
That really bodes the question. Who needs a big defender? Are these in need in the VHL? Well, we are certainly going to find out soon enough. Well, hopefully he gets back to normal from injury. No one wants to see him stop playing especially with the amount of talent that this guy has. With