Clayton Park Rookie Profile [1/2]

[leafssteen 50]

Clayton Park 

Vienna, Austria  

18 years old  

5”10 

150 lb. 

 

   At the young age of 5 Clayton played goaltender for the first time. Growing up he was always the best goaltender in the competitive leagues. At the age of 16 his family realized they had to move him to North America if he would ever have the chance to make it pro. That year he was a USHL draftee and hoped a team would see the value in his goaltending IQ. His dream came true when the Chicago Steel drafted him early in the fourth round of the draft. This was a huge opportunity for him as Chicago’s starting goalie suffered a serious injury that required surgery. The coaches told Clayton If he proved himself this could be his chance to be their starting goaltender. In his first game with the steel he was absolutely incredible, stopping 29 of 30 shots & led his team to their first victory of the season. In the second game of the season he was even better stopping all 24 shots and helped improve Chicago's record to a perfect 2-0. Over the next few weeks he continued to shine & ultimately won the starting goalie position. Clayton would go onto to have an outstanding season finishing with the best goals against average in the league at 1.99. Also, he was a brick wall posting 6 shutouts on the season. Unfortunately for the Steel their great run ended in the first round of the playoffs as they lost 2-1 in game 7 to the Saints. The following season Clayton continued where he left off posting an outstanding 2.01 goals against average. Also, he stole the show a few more times & picked up 5 more shutouts. The Steel had an incredible playoff run led by an offensive powerhouse and strong goaltending. The Steel went on to win the championship with Clayton Park getting one last shutout in a 2-0 game seven win. After a successful career with the Steel, he was drafted by the Yukon Rush of the VHLM where he is currently the starter.  

 

Pros: 

 

Speed- Clayton is very fast and that is very important for goalie playing at this level of hockey. He has one of the fastest reaction times out of any goalies in the upcoming draft. This is very important skill for a goalie to have and it has helped him get where he is today. Also, his speed with the glove is absolutely amazing and he has been known to rob some of the best in the game.  

 

Rebound Control- Clayton's rebound control is like no other! This is one of the most important skills for a goalie to have as it provides the offense with less second chances. I believe this is one of things that most impresses me about his game and makes him stand out above the rest.  

 

Leadership- From the time that Clayton started playing hockey until now, he has always been a natural born leader. He believes it is important to not only be a leader but to show good sportsmanship as well. When the boys in the room are down in the dumps, he tries to bring them back up and get them focused on winning the game. Another way he is a good leader is by setting a good example off the ice. Clayton loves helping the homeless, underprivileged children and anyone who needs a helping hand! 

 

Cons: 

 

Skating- Although Clayton is very fast, his skating ability could use some work. This is a talent that is often over looked with goalies and something he would really like to improve on. After joining the Yukon Rush, the goalie coach has been running him through skating drills daily. I think if he keeps working on it, he will improve and become a better skater. Also I believe if he works on his skating it could boost his ranking in the upcoming VHL draft.  

 

Size- At 5”10 and 150 pounds Clayton has always been considered a smaller goaltender. However, he does not let his size hold him back. Clayton's role model is a former NHL goaltender by the name of Jhonas Enroth. Enroth is 5’10, 175 pounds and is a very successful goalie in the KHL. Clayton knows that if Enroth can do it then so can he! 

 

Experience- Clayton has 2 years junior experience but only a few games playing at an elite level. The start to his VHLM career has not been ideal but he is confident he will improve once he settles in. The VHLM is much faster & skilled hockey then Clayton is familiar with in the USHL. However, the Yukon Rush has incredible goalie coaches that will help him develop and prepare him for the VHL. 

[HenrikZoiderberg 469]

Review:

 

On 3/5/2019 at 11:39 AM, leafssteen said:

5”10 

150 lb.

smol boy.

 

On 3/5/2019 at 11:39 AM, leafssteen said:

At the young age of 5 Clayton played goaltender for the first time. Growing up he was always the best goaltender in the competitive leagues. At the age of 16 his family realized they had to move him to North America if he would ever have the chance to make it pro.

 

If he was the best goalie in competitive leagues why wasn't he picked up by a European development team? Maybe flesh out some reasoning here.

 

More general statement, the summary is all positive. Don't Mary Sue your player too hard.

 

On 3/5/2019 at 11:39 AM, leafssteen said:

This is a talent that is often over looked with goalies

 

More of a pet peve than a criticism, but IRL goalies are generally the best technical (small space, not speed) skaters on their teams.

 

On 3/5/2019 at 11:39 AM, leafssteen said:

Leadership-

 

This whole section is great, continue building your player as a person!

 

Great job, looking forward to playing against you in the VHLM!