Hammar Voss - Junior Review

[BOOM 8,787]

 

Name : Hammar Voss

Nationality : South African

Position : Defense

Height : 6'8

Weight : 235lb

Age : 20

 

 

Voss was born and raised in South Africa, a nation not known for it's production of elite Ice Hockey talent, although former BOOM™ Agency representative and HOF'er Bizmarck Koenig also has ties to the African nation. It's a minor miracle that players such as Voss and many others from around the world, find themselves with an opportunity to play hockey at an elite level, specifically with the Victory Hockey league. 

Voss had outgrown all opportunities to progress his playing career in his home country, so when Koenig was visiting his parents for Christmas this past year, Voss took the opportunity to speak with him and gain a personal recommendation to try out for the VHLM International Program. Voss showed enough in his one tryout for the Miami Marauders to offer him a "rest of season" deal and he played in the final 11 games of the season, finishing with 4 points(2 G, 2 A) 20 Hits and 7 Shot Blocks. He will be entered into the S82 VHLM draft, where he hopes to be selected by a team that will help him develop into a productive offensive defenseman and hone his current mediocre skillset. 

 

PROS AND CONS

 

+  Voss is a pretty good skater for a man his size and he likes to hit. And hit big. He possesses a cannon of a shot, has great puck skills and is strong defender with natural hockey skills. Add that to his high hockey IQ and a huge shot, and Voss looks like a player who has an incredibly high ceiling at the VHL level once he arrives. Of course he will need decent coaching at both the VHLM and VHLE level, but most established VHL scouts think that he has the ability to succeed wherever he plays.

 

-  There are always some negative aspects when bringing international talent to the Victory Hockey League and Voss is no exception. There is no question that he has a high hockey IQ, but questions remain whether he has the mental strength to continue to develop to his potential, while playing against top tier North American and European talent, possibly on a poor team being outclassed night after night.

Voss is not the most accurate shooter either, despite having a heavy shot, the radar isn't always dialed in so to speak. He will need to work on that aspect of his game, in order to hear his name called early on draft night. If he can work on those flaws, many believe he may be drafted earlier then expected, but to hear his name called at all will be a relief to the young South African.

 

 

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