Raymond Bernard, G: Rookie Profile [2/2]

[Mr_Hatter 1,603]

Raymond Bernard, G
6’ 2”, 190 lbs, age 20
Hometown: Walnut Grove, CA, USA
Ottawa Lynx

Standing at 6 feet and 2 inches, with a weight of 190 lbs, and at 20 years of age, Bernard is the prototypical VHLM drafted goalie. Boosted by his reaction time and locker room presence, but limited by his lack of high level experience and poor skating ability, Bernard has a long road ahead of him before he can expect to make it in the VHL, but he has the drive to do just that. 

 

Pros

 

Reaction Time: The biggest talking point for Bernard’s game is his ability to make the quik save. From handling last second tips to dealing with blistering slap-shots, Bernard is able to put himself in front of the puck on short notice. While Bernard has a lack of hockey experience, as discussed later, he has an innate ability to react with speed that transcends hockey skill.

 

Locker Room Presence: On and off the ice, Bernard is a teammate. He is always a positive presence and will seek to support his fellow Lynx players in any way he can. When you are on the ice, you want someone you can trust behind you in the crease, and Bernard is that person. 

 

Ability to Improve: Although Bernard came into the draft relatively unknown, in the offseason so far he has been very active, and has already improved measurably. Expect this to continue. Bernard is a hard-worker, and has shown that given time and support, he is able to put in the work necessary to improve, which is a vital quality for a VHLM draftee. 

 

Cons

 

Skating Ability: Bernard’s skating ability, or lack thereof, is his largest downside. While he is of course at the base level of competency required of a professional goalie, don’t expect him to be quickly out of his net to grab the loose puck. He relies primarily on staying in front of the play and making the reaction save, so attempts to weave past him or quickly switch the angle of a shot via a cross-ice pass have a better chance of succeeding. 

 

Experience: Compared to most new VHLM draftees, Bernard has a distinct lack of top level competitive experience. He only played AAA youth hockey briefly, before heading to the University of Denver to play for their NCAA collegiate hockey program. Of course, while at the University, Bernard gained valuable hockey experience. However, due to the simple lack of top level playing time when compared to other talent in the VHLM, Bernard remains a relatively untested and unknown quantity. 

 

Passing: Granted, a VHLM goalie is not expected to rack up assists, but nonetheless they are expected to be able to handle the puck. This is another of Bernard’s weak areas. He has a tendency to make mistakes when controlling the puck with his stick, and to make bad or dangerous passes. Whether this tendency is a mental issue or just a lack of skill with his stick, it is surely an area of concern that the Ottawa coaching staff will be taking a look at to try and correct before the beginning of the season. 

Conclusion

To summarize, Bernard is a hard-working, talented young goalie with a great attitude that has the potential to do well in the VHL. However, before he gets ahead of himself he will have to buckle up and make some key improvements in his weak areas before he finds himself a liability on the ice. 
 

Edited July 10, 2019 by Mr_Hatter

[Big Mac 310]

Review: This actually was a pretty good article. I don’t mind there being no pictures. For this RP you cut right to the chase and explained thoroughly. The conclusion seems pretty realistic, and that’s also a good thing. While some you didn’t dive in too far, it was still like how. I can feel like I’m watching this player, or wait are you sure that’s not an NHL player.

[HenrikZoiderberg 469]

Review:

 

Needs a picture.

 

Formatting, style, summary, conclusion, and word count are all solid. Well done there.

 

You've built a good character here, worked a bit of his backstory into the statistical elements of the player. 

 

My only criticism is this:

On 7/9/2019 at 7:50 PM, Mr_Hatter said:

Bernard is the prototypical VHLM drafted goalie.

 

Kind of doesn't agree with the rest of the story you've told.

 

Otherwise solid profile. It'll have my sign-off once a picture is added.