Ben Kevan and what we learned on Day 3 of the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup
Ben Kevan didn’t anticipate playing a starring role with Des Moines in the United States Hockey League last season.
In fact, he was getting set to settle back in California with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings 16U AAA program until forcing his way onto the roster and leading the team in scoring as a 16-year-old.
“Going into the season I wasn’t supposed to,” Kevan told FCHockey. “Coach (Matt) Curley, he told me he wants me to develop for another year at 16s at Kings.
“He saw how I performed at main camp and saw how I did in training camp and gelled with the guys and he was like ‘up to you but we really want you’ and something clicked in my mind that this is what I wanted to do if I want to make the next level. I had to iron out some things with school because I didn’t have an online school yet. I got that sorted out and was able to head out three games into the season.
“It was nice.”
The rest, they say, is history.
As in, Kevan put together a near historical campaign.
Only four 16-year-olds in USHL history outscored Kevan’s output in 2023-24, including Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, who had 86 points (46 goals, 40 assists) with Chicago.
The others include Taylor Cammarata (69 points, 2011-12), Stanislav Galiyev (64 points, 2008-09), and Andrei Svechnikov (58 points, 2016-17).
Not bad company.
“I hold myself to a high standard and I know what I can do,” said Kevan, who has three points (one goal, two assists) in three games at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. “I knew if I had the right resources, which I did, I could succeed. I probably had a few more points than I should’ve, but everything happens for a reason and I think me going there was the right move for me and my career.”
Last season will set the tone for this one.
The 2025 draft-eligible forward knows what’s next, and he
“Just take it as another season, of course. Draft is coming up, but you have to stay focused on what’s ahead. I know it’s a big thing, could be the greatest time of my life if I can get drafted, but you’ve got to take it day by day and not look ahead too far. You have to live in the moment and be the best player you can be every day.”
Teammates ‘C’ great things in Schaefer
It’s not just scouts, media, and fans quickly appreciating the game Matthew Schaefer is able to ice. Count teammates among those ready to praise the 16-year-old, who is one of the youngest players eligible for the 2025 draft.
“He has a really complete game,” defense partner Alex Huang said. “He’s good at both ends of the ice. He’s always creating chances offensively and he’s tough on the defensive end. He’s really sharp. He communicates with his teammates. He’s a good leader. He’s overall the complete package.”
That package is enough for Canada to put the ‘C’ on the Erie blueliner, despite being just short of a dozen days shy of being eligible for the 2026 draft.
Its an honor not lost on Schaefer.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “You always look up when you’re a kid and you want to wear it for your country and it’s just an honor,” Schaefer said. “To wear the leaf and the ‘C’ is pretty cool. It’s pretty cool. If we could put ‘C’s on everyone’s jersey in the room we would because we have all leaders in the room. It’s just something that goes on your jersey but everyone on our team’s a leader.”
Perhaps.
But only one gets the nod.
And Schaefer hasn’t disappointed.
He’s been everything to Canada’s defense, and has shined to the tune of five points (two goals, three assists) in a three-game point streak at the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup — turning heads with highlight reel plays along the way and coupling it with a steady, calm presence on the back-end.
His goalie can attest to both sides.
“Just everything,” Canada stopper Jack Ivankovic said. “He makes it easy for me. I’ve got the opportunity to play with him at Team Ontario and Canada Winter Games and U17s, so I kind of have built a brotherhood with him. His defense ability is pretty special and he makes it very easy for me.”
Top performances
Alexander Donovan of Team USA had a little bit of trouble cracking the scoresheet in the first two games of the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He responded in a big way Wednesday. Donovan had five points (one goal, four assists) in a lopsided 12-3 affair against Germany. The win launched the Americans into semifinal action.
Donovan wasn’t the only Team USA standout. Nicolas Sykora found the back of the net twice and added a single in the romp. Sykora, the son of longtime NHLer Adam Sykora, has upped his totals to four points (two goals, two assists) in three games.
Quotable
“He’s good at everything. He’s good at passing. He’s good at defending. Good at shooting. Just a good player to play with. Everything… just carrying the puck.” — Jakob Ihs Wozniak on teammate and Sweden defenseman Sascha Boumedienne
Scouting report
Matthew Lansing is a two-way forward who has very little weakness in his game, but the question for me will be whether or not he can develop a standout trait. He’s very reliable in all three zones and has the ability to flash skill, albeit a bit inconsistently for my liking. Defensively, Lansing presents a good stick when trying to negate passing lanes on the kill. He shows just enough micro-movements to discourage defensemen up top from trying seam passes. His anticipatory skills are really strong, whether it’s about breaking up a pass or play immediately or positioning himself to do so in a few seconds. He looks to finish his checks all over the ice, but at the same time isn’t a significantly heavy hitter. Lansing moves around the ice well and gets up and down the sheet quickly, but doesn’t have full-on separation speed to burn defenders. Still, over short areas, he can create space for himself from a standstill with the frequency and power in his legs. Offensively, Lansing keeps his stick on the ice and presents it well as a target for an outlet from his teammates, and is really strong in protecting the puck along the boards and down low. His release isn’t the quickest, but he gets his wrister off with plenty of velocity. He did put some nifty mitts on display on rare occasions but, again, I would love to see more consistency in his offensive-zone creativity and play-driving. Another issue, though not as problematic, is it felt as though Lansing was a little liberal in his shift length. The positive side of this is he didn’t seem to wear down over the course of a shift or a game, so his fitness and endurance appears to be a quality trait. Overall, there’s a strong two-way element to Lansings game — and he was used on both sides of special teams — but I was hoping for more to get excited about. He should be on the radar in the middle rounds of the 2025 draft at this point, and I could see an argument for as early as the third round for the college-bound forward. — FCHockey scout Aaron Vickers