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Ryan Ellis 2009 NHL Draft Profile

NHL Prospect's Scoring Places Him among OHL League Leaders

Dec 23, 2008 Scott Michalak

Freelton, Ontario native Ryan Ellis is attacking the scoring charts at an amazing pace, and is aiming to surge up the prospect rankings as the 2009 NHL draft approaches.

NHL scouts are standing up to get a better view of the diminutive Ryan Ellis of the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires. Listed at only 5’10”, 173 lbs, Ellis utilizes the textbook told speed and toughness necessary to succeed at his size. But there is much more to his design than just textbook elements.

His hockey machinery is fine tuned; within, smarts and heart work continuously in tandem with his featured speed and skill. His passes are crisp and clean, and he will not be over-powered along the boards despite his stature. The 17 year old does need to get stronger in his upper body, but maintains a well-rounded game overall.

This youngster has emerged as a prodigy worthy of the iconic spitfire emblem on his jersey. For all his lack of size, his tenacity in flight against his enemies has earned him the reputation as one of the most feared scorers in the talented OHL, just as the smallish but speedy Spitfire fighter plane helped Britain win the skies during WWII.

Indeed, Ellis has strafed opponents unassailingly from the blueline: in 21 games he had 37 points, more than any other player in the OHL – including offensive phenom du jour John Tavares.

A powerplay quarterback, he anticipates the play very well, and has a heavy, bombing shot – all of which helped to land him a spot on Team Canada’s roster for the 2008 IIHL championships.

Team Canada Coach Pat Quinn and Head Scout Al Murray were so impressed with his play during camp tryouts that they made the unusual decision to keep an extra defenseman in order to add him to the roster. That meant Canada would have one less forward, but Ellis has the ability to provide more than enough points as a power play specialist to make up for it.

Largely due to his physical size, Ellis is not currently ranked among the top 15 prospects by International Scouting Services. But, it is the finely-tuned assembly of his game that could make him the late 1st round steal on draft day.

Darrell Woodley, Chief Scout of the OHL’s Barrie Colts, remarked “Some people question his size, but there’s no way he can’t play in the NHL.”

This Spitfire is swooping towards the draft, and NHL pundits shouldn’t be too surprised if he makes a speedy landing among the top ten choices.

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