Prospect Info: [2024 - 166th] Ben Merrill (C) - Penticton Vees (BCHL) - Committed to Harvard U

[Harry Kakalovich]

can't say I understand the faith the management team has placed into the BCHL to develop prospects

Other than Newhook and Jost I can't remember any other recent picks that turned into NHLers

There's really only two North American development paths: NCAA or CHL. All these feeder leagues into the NCAA are just that. Definitely the NCAA is really good at developing NHL players, and so is the CHL. The NCAA route gives NHL teams more time to decide on prospects, which can be beneficial for late round guys like Ben Merrill.

 

[cphabs]

I'm not biting...

 

[Le Barron de HF]

Not the best start for Merrill. I wonder what his usage is like.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Not the best start for Merrill. I wonder what his usage is like.

Bottom 6 center but good lord, you gotta be able to put some points up in that league in your D+1.

 

[Harry Kakalovich]

Difficult start to his season production wise. Hopefully he puts it together over the course of the season and has a strong back half. Big adjustment from prep league to BCHL.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Difficult start to his season production wise. Hopefully he puts it together over the course of the season and has a strong back half. Big adjustment from prep league to BCHL.

Ain't gonna be anything to anyone if he can't score in his D+1 in the BCHL. Worrying non-prospect level start, and I liked the guy/pick.

 

[Intangir]

Ain't gonna be anything to anyone if he can't score in his D+1 in the BCHL. Worrying non-prospect level start, and I liked the guy/pick.

As soon as I watched Ben Merill skate after we'd picked him I knew the chances were overwhelmingly high this prospect wasn't gonna turn-out.

Merrill's skating woes, from what I saw, made a guy like Luca Del Bel Belluz in his draft year, whom I thought had perhaps THE worst skating mechanics/technique of all CHL prospects that I saw for the 2022 draft, look like Dylan Larkin in comparison.

And if you can't skate to that extent, well, there's frankly very little that you can actually do in today's Hockey.

You might be good at screening a goalie, or deflecting pucks in, or shooting, playing physical, and whatnot. But, unless you have tremendous hockey sense, if it takes you 20 thousand years to get from point A to point B, your teammates lose the puck before you manage to get anywhere interesting, opponents treat you like a training pylon, and you're 90% ineffectual out on the ice.

I still hope he improves, but yeah, Merill is an outside's shot outside's shot by this point. Let us wish for his continued success no matter what form it takes.

 

[Adam Michaels]

It never stops....Okay....so let's try this but let's make it more difficult....

Ben Merrill is terrible
Logan Sawyer is underperforming
Tyler Thorpe is just invisible

Note that there are players who are just off limits. And not worth my magic....Jack Smith...Luke Middlestadt.....Emmett Croteau...there's a freakin limit to any magic...

Never fails. Merrill with 2 goals today in a 3-1 win. Named 3rd Star.

 

[Tyson]

Never fails. Merrill with 2 goals today in a 3-1 win. Named 3rd Star.

We owe @Whitesnake

 

[Adam Michaels]

We owe @Whitesnake

The guy has a gift.

 

[Tyson]

The guy has a gift.

He needs to get the Dach line going

 

[Whitesnake]

He needs to get the Dach line going

As I said..the power has certain limits...lolll

 

[Tyson]

As I said..the power has certain limits...lolll

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

As I said..the power has certain limits...lolll

Hey, can you throw some shade my way and see if I win the lottery, or something?

 

[Whitesnake]

Hey, can you throw some shade my way and see if I win the lottery, or something?

You think I wouldn't have tried that on me already? loll

 

[Nevins]

And it looks like Ben Merrill has tied it at 2-2 in the second for Penticton.

What are your impressions (your assessment) of Ben Merrill?

 

[bopeep]

What are your impressions (your assessment) of Ben Merrill?

Big toolsy kid who has to work on his skating; he'll need time to develop if he ever makes it. I like that they took a chance on this kid late in the draft. He'll be playing here in Langley at the end of the month so I'll get a better look at how he's progressing.

 

[Nevins]

Big toolsy kid who has to work on his skating; he'll need time to develop if he ever makes it. I like that they took a chance on this kid late in the draft. He'll be playing here in Langley at the end of the month so I'll get a better look at how he's progressing.

Thanks

 

[Habs]

they gotta stop drafting out of the BCHL it's a shit league, it is so rare you uncover a gem.
Oh I know here come the 'BUT JAMIEZ BENNZ KAMEZ FREM DA BCHL BRAH!'

 

[WeThreeKings]

they gotta stop drafting out of the BCHL it's a shit league, it is so rare you uncover a gem.
Oh I know here come the 'BUT JAMIEZ BENNZ KAMEZ FREM DA BCHL BRAH!'

Merrill wasn't drafted out of the BCHL, just for clarity. He was playing prep.

 

[Habs]

Merrill wasn't drafted out of the BCHL, just for clarity. He was playing prep.

ah ok , I was just making a point in general. Penticton have a nicer arena than most WHL teams so they do get the cream of the crop, but it's awful hockey.

 

[montreal]

they gotta stop drafting out of the BCHL it's a shit league, it is so rare you uncover a gem.
Oh I know here come the 'BUT JAMIEZ BENNZ KAMEZ FREM DA BCHL BRAH!'

With the new NCAA rule change, the BCHL could be in serious trouble as the kids that want to go the NCAA but couldn't play in the CHL, now that they will be able to is likely going to be a big issue going forward.

 

[Habs]

With the new NCAA rule change, the BCHL could be in serious trouble as the kids that want to go the NCAA but couldn't play in the CHL, now that they will be able to is likely going to be a big issue going forward.

Yeah for sure, and they merged with alberta last year because the league was suffering. It will be a blow to small communities with BCHL teams, which is sad

 

[JianYang]

Yeah for sure, and they merged with alberta last year because the league was suffering. It will be a blow to small communities with BCHL teams, which is sad

I think for a tier 2 junior league, the bchl does pretty well.

But yeah, the prospects that are worth anything who roll through that league are usually transferring to US college at some point, so it will be interesting to see how the new policy from the ncaa affects these tier 2 leagues.

 

[Habs]

I think for a tier 2 junior league, the bchl does pretty well.

But yeah, the prospects that are worth anything who roll through that league are usually transferring to US college at some point, so it will be interesting to see how the new policy from the ncaa affects these tier 2 leagues.

yes for sure, and all these teams are mostly city owned , or in partnership with the local municipalities. They barely make rent now and raise money through house raffles and lotteries. I hope they make it work it's crucial for some of these small towns.