Claimed:Phil Hamilton Rookie Profile [Final 8/8]

[Phil 5,133]

Dear VHL GMs,

 

It has been a long time since I last wrote to you. 9 seasons ago I presented you with Phil Villeneuve. However, VHL General Managers, you had better perk up your ears. This is Phil Knight here, reporting to you from my residence in Toronto, Ontario. As you all know, I am a long-time VHL player agent and the players have a put under my wing have been Phil Gerrard, Phil Rafter, and Phil Villeneuve. The first two made it into the VHL Hall of Fame but unfortunately Villeneuve had not panned out the way I thought he would. However, I am coming to you with a prospect that you all should definitely take notice of, he is like Villeneuve, except on Speed.

 

Name: Phil Hamilton

Height: 6'5"

Weight: 225lbs

Hometown: Gerrard's Cross, England.

Position: Defenseman

 

I have been watching this kid since he was 14. Why bother when he was so young? To be honest, that is because I was at that point searching for a replacement for Villeneuve, who had left the practice rink at that time. I came across Hamilton in the London Hockey League, the same league that I found Phil Rafter.

 

This kid is unbelievable. Not only is he a big presence on the ice, but his leadership is top notch. When you have a 14 and 15 year-old rallying his troops and effectively changing the mood and dynamic of the team, you know you've found someone special.

 

But there's also the very important question of whether he can play the game. He was a marvel to watch. With his long reach he could easily dispossess a forward, or intercept a pass. His long strides allow him to burst out of the defensive zone and into the attacking zone in just a matter of seconds. His vision is superb and he can thread the puck through the eye of a snail if he needed to.

 

But I am getting ahead of myself.  As much of a joy it was to watch him play hockey, with Villeneuve returning to the ice after a 4-year hiatus, I focussed my attentions on him. Every week I'd check in to see how Hamilton was doing over in London but because he was so young, my biggest concern was what would happen to him when the other players caught up in size with him? Most of his advantages would be negated.

 

Luckily for me, I was quite easily able to keep a low-profile because the international scouting in England is very few and far between. So I watched from afar and saw him not only get better and smarter with age, but get more dominant in the league. From the trade deadline last season, I have been watching him very, very closely and I'm telling you all - you need to take a serious look at this one.

 

I have marked down three essential strengths and three areas of improvement that he has demonstrated. The improvement section may become more obvious when he gets claimed by a VHLm team and the level of competition goes up once again.

 

Essential Strengths:

 

Strength - It sounds odd, saying that his essential strength is his strength, but I truely believe that ultimately, this is what is going to make him into a superstar. He has the strength to knock anyone off the puck and is so strong on the puck, that it is virtually impossible to get the puck from him. In this way, he take care of the puck, breaking up dangerous plays and causing minimal turnovers.

 

Vision - It is odd for a defenseman to have such great vision. You expect it more from a winger. Hamilton's ability to see a play in front of the attacking net when he has the puck behind his own goal line is somewhat bewitching to behold. He always knows the right passing option and will also position himself in space, despite his large and assuming frame. His head is always up and he is constantly analyzing and adjusting his strategy and plays - a very sought after trait for such a youngster.

 

Mobility - One may be thinking that such a big guy would have a hard time getting around the ice, but the pace, acceleration, agility demonstrated by Hamilton over the past 4 seasons is nothing short of amazing. He can turn on a dime, beat anyone in a foot-race, and because of his long, powerful legs, he can accelerate faster as well. It is actually this attribute that I found most impressive. He's got the mobility of a small forward but the size of a large defender - it is confusing to watch and it makes him such an original hockey player.

 

 

Areas of Improvement:

 

Shooting - not that he needs to shoot much, given his amazing passing ability but his accuracy leaves a little to be desired. There are time on the powerplay he knows he's got a good open shot but he'll wire it wide. This is something he'll want to develop a little more if he truly wants to attain legendary status in the hockey world.

 

Leadership - He has amazing leadership skills - almost to a fault. Let me explain. I said above that he has the ability to change the entire team's mood. Unfortunately, sometimes he's so busy trying to motivate and rally his troops he's forgetting what the coaches are saying, or even worse out-coaching them. He'll start running over plays with his forwards and quite often the coach has to step in and say enough's enough. I think it's just a matter of him being caught up in the moment but on the flip side he has always had great rapport with his coaches so it shouldn't be too much of an issue here.

 

Discipline - Hockey is an engrossing sport. When you are playing out on the ice, you are totally immersed in it. Sometimes Hamilton forgets his size and will use a little too much strength when checking. As a consequence, expect him to spend a lot of time in the penalty box. This is probably his biggest concern, considering he'll be any team's best penalty killer. We'll see how much of a difference playing in the VHLm is to London.

 

 

So that's a wrap folks. As I said at the beginning of this letter: take heed - Hamilton's a special catch. You have over a season to assess him in this environment but he'll be claimed by a VHLm team this week so start looking at what picks you have in the S45 Entry Draft and put one aside for him. I don't make these claims lightly.

 

You have been warned.

 

Sincerely,

 

~Phil Knight

 

[DollarAndADream 3,357]

Overview: 2/2 - The Era of Hamilton has arrived. Watch out, VHL. Great read!

 

Pros & Cons: 3/3 - Solid stuff! It's hard to stay disciplined with such a large frame.

 

Grammar: 2/2 -

 

"the players have a put under my wing" - the players I have put under my wing

 

Presentation: 1/1 - Good!

 

Overall: 8/8

[Kendrick 4,741]

Claimed