Hawks well represented at WJC

Upon returning from a scouting trip to Saskatchewan, Hawks GM Todd Semonick was singing the praises his teams prospects who participated in the tournament. The Hawks were very well represented by 4 talented young men, Jordan Eberle, Jordan Schroeder, Stefan Della Rovere and Martin Jones. "We are very excited about the future of this team, part of which was showcased last week. We feel that each of these players had excellent showings, and Jordan Eberle is beginning to look like a very special player" said the GM. Here is a recap on the 4 Hawks players who participated:

Stefan Della Rovere, Barrie Colts(OHL),  Forward,  Canada

Acquired: 3rd round, 09 Entry draft

Della Rovere was among the 6 Canadian returnees from last years gold-medal winning team. He came into this tournament playing very well in Barrie notching 12 goals and 25 points in 28 games to compliment a +12 rating and 58 penalty minutes. He was expected to be a leader, and he delivered. He was a physical force throughout the tournament, and constantly made life miserable for opponents. More impressively he did so while maintaining discipline. This year he also chipped in offensively with 3 goals and 6 points in 6 games. He projects to be an abrasive checking line winger at the next level.

Martin Jones, Calgary Hitmen(WHL), Goaltender, Canada

Acquired: 3rd round, 09 Entry draft

Jones was an unknown undrafted prospect coming into last season. After posting a 45-5 record, 2.08 GAA and 7 shutouts he was an unknown no longer. Jones was the backup to Jake Allen for most of the tournament, however he performed admirably when he was called upon, particulary after Allen fell apart in the gold medal game. Jones made several key saves in relief, allowing Canada to pull back into the game and force overtime. For the tournament Jones compiled a 2.30 GAA, and solid .912 save percentage. He is an intriguing prospect going forward, and possesses a very high ceiling.

Jordan Schroeder, University of Minnesota(NCAA), Forward, USA

Acquired: 1st round, 09 Entry draft

Schroeder came into the tournament as a 2-time returning player, and as such expectations were huge. It is fair to say Schroeder did not meet them offensively, despite putting up 8 points in 7 games. He did however show a complete game not before seen from him. He was a fixture on the PK for the gold medal winning Americans, and often found himself matched against the top lines of opponents. It an encouraging sign going forward that despite struggling to live up to offensive expectations, Schroeder found a way to be a meaningful contributor. He still remains a top offensive prospect with first line potential.

Jordan Eberle, Regina Pats(WHL), Forward, Canada

Acquired: Trade, 09 offseason (Jordan Eberle, Chris Stewart, Kevin Shattenkirk for Andrej Meszaros, Ville Leino, Keith Yandle)

Hard to pick a place to start for this young man. He came into the tournament already a legend for his tying goal in last years semi final. Suffice to say that legend grew some this time around. A very late NHL cut Eberle had terrorized junior hockey since returning notching 60 points in 28 games for the Regina Pats. He was an offensive force last year, and the same was expected at this years tourney. He did not dissapoint, finishing first in the tournament in goals with 8 in 6 games, and second in points with 13. The numbers however do not do justice to the performance he put on. Rewind to the gold medal game, team Canada trailing 5-3 with under 4 minutes to play. Mr. Clutch puts Canada on his back and tallies 2 goals to force overtime, becoming Canada's all time leading scorer at the tournament (passing the likes of John Tavares, Eric Lindros, and Hawk Jeff Carter). Eberle will go down as one of the greatest performers to dawn the jersey at the WJC, and has that IT that should make him a very special pro player.

It should also be noted that the Hawks have 2 other junior age prospects who did not appear in this years tournament due to playing in the NHL. Victor Hedman and James Wright were both eligible to play, but had already made the jump to the big league.