NHL Director of Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire

“AJ is a reliable penalty killer first, a role-player with the Plymouth Whalers, yet possesses an upside. He has a long reach with his stick, a quick active stick and he is a good face-off man. He has surprising speed as a long-legged skater with a long, loping stride. He hits top speed remarkably quickly.”

Plymouth Whalers head coach Greg Stefan

“As a coach, sometimes you forget that AJ’s only 17-years-old.  We expect a lot from him and that’s not always reasonable.  AJ’s definitely going to be a National Hockey League player one day. He’s got good size and probably has one of the best shots in the league, from a wrist shot or snap-shot perspective.  I think he shoots the puck as well as any pro does right now. His skating – straightaway – is solid.  He needs to work on his lateral movement and stops-and-starts – but that will come with experience, work and time.”