James Rose Rookie Profile: "For someone to start playing late, he could be a prodigy.."

[mattyIceman 1,213]

JAMES ROSE

Defenseman
Height 6'1
Weight 215

Hailing from Laval, in Montreal suburbia, James Rose started playing hockey after taking interest in playing NHL 94 with his friends coming home from school.  "I started playing NHL 94 with my friends at each other places, and back in those days, the internet wasnt even a thing.  Man we binged played the crap out of that cartridge...".  That competitive desire got them out the basement and TV screen and onto playing street hockey.  "I think it was those pickup games among ourselves and the neighborhood teenagers that eventually showed up that got my senses tuned in, I would start outclassing them very shortly."

He learned to skate soon after and had a massive growth spurt at 13.  "When I turned 13, I was sometimes mistaken for a high school senior.  I officially joined competitive ice hockey in peewee A as a forward, and I kinda mastered skating very quickly, I even shocked myself."  The recruiting coaches loved his size and his learning capacity.  The next year in bantam hockey, they would slot him as a defenseman with double-letter team.

"I learned so much that season..." said Rose.  "It was high level for me, so I had to play catch up just to keep up.  I learned hitting, positional play, tactics, matchups, although its beginner level compared to the pros.  It was so hard, especially the first half of that season." He would get on pace with the rest of the team and by seasons end, he was on par.

The following season, he found his dominant touch. "Things flowed in my favor from then on.  I even had some scouts from the QMJHL interested in me by mid season."

He would get drafted in the 4th round by the Blainville Boisbriand Armada as a 16 year old.

"Now that first season was an experience" said Rose.  "I didn't have great numbers, they didnt do justice for the type of game I played, when I did actually play"

The second season saw him as a regular top 4, logging big minutes in key situations. "What I focused on most was my overall 2 way game, that season.  We even made the playoffs and had a decent run".  I was looking forward to getting drafted in the NHL as a 17 year old, but his name was never called.

Last season in the Q, he put up great numbers.  Unfortunately with the COVID19 pandemic, the season was cut short.  Scouts were looking at him in the 2nd or 3rd rounds, touted by some to be a steal.  "For someone to start playing late, he could be a prodigy.." some scouts speculated.

However, other opportunities came up elsewhere.  He looked to the VHL and got quickly contacted by Mexico City GM Motzaburger...

STATLINE
Team
BLB season 1- 23gp, 0-5-5pts, -3 rating, 14:37 avg icetime
BLB season 2- 63gp, 8-28-36pts, +22 rating, 19:51 avg icetime
BLB season 3- 51gp, 15-29-44pts, +18 rating, 23:06 avg icetime

 

[ShawnGlade 1,010]

excellent write-up, glad to have you in halifax!