The Prospect Don joins Prospect Watch!!

Hello and welcome to Prospect Watch a Pod Cast that focuses solely on the 
discovery and promotion of some of the best young talent in the game today 
from all reaches of the world. 
I am your Host Ron "Steel" Mont and we have an exciting show lined up for you.
On this episode we are proud to welcome the Leading Edge when it comes to Prospects, we are proud to 
welcome The Prospect Don to the Show!!

Getting Familiar:
Now, we have a little section on this show where we get to learn some awesome attributes of our guest!
Anthony AKA The Prospect Don has been doing this quite a few years now and is NHL Credentialed. He is also a Editorial & Social Media Manager at Draft Prospects Hockey!

On this episode:
We are talking all things Hlinka Gretzky Cup 2025
Breakdown of the 4 finalist for the Gold
How stacked Team Canada is
Some upcoming prospects that we are looking to interview
The Prospect Don:
YouTube - www.youtube.com/@TheProspectDon
Follow on X - @TheProspectDon
TikTok - www.tiktok.com/@theprospectdon

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Warning, prospect Watch is not your average hockey podcast, and
that's okay with us. Our goal is to introduce you
to stars in the making from all over the world.
They may not be household names yet, but we assure
you they will be soon enough. Welcome to prospect Watch,

(00:37):
Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the prospect Watch. And oh
my gosh, folks, have we got a special guest sitting
in for you folks on the show this time? Whooh, okay,
it's not a prospect but it's the Prospect Done. Oh

(00:58):
my gosh, dude, how are you doing? And thank you
so much for hopping on.

Speaker 2 (01:04):
I'm doing good. Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Oh man, Oh my gosh. Let me tell you some folks.
If you guys know anything about prospects, then you guys
know prospect on. You gotta be following this guy. You
gotta be checking this guy out, and you gotta be
checking out all his great stuff because if you want
to know about prospects, then you got to go to
the prospect don So that's why we brought him on
the show. Oh my gosh, thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
I paid him all I paid him to say all that.
Thank you so much. That was awesome. What an introduction? Wow?

Speaker 3 (01:39):
Yeah he did pay me, Yeah right, Okay, anyway, so
but I wanted to bring the great prospect don on
because right now, guess what we're doing.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
We're talking about Helenka Gretzky Cup. And that's what's happening
right now. That's what they're playing right now. Okay, well
not so specifically right the second, but they're playing it
between the eleventh and the sixteenth of August. We've got
semifinal games already slated to go for Friday, right and

(02:17):
I wanted to talk to the main man pots and
Pans when it comes to Prospects about what his take
is on some of the games that we got to
watch and where we think some of the seeding is,
and especially the semifinals that are going to be coming
up here with the Helenka Gretzky Cup on Friday, starting,
I believe is at one o'clock is the first games?

(02:38):
The first two games?

Speaker 2 (02:39):
Is it? One? And then yeah one year time? I
believe still time?

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Yep, yep, okay, yeah, yeah, So let's just broach that first.
Let's just say that. Okay, So the semifinal games you
got two teams going in three and oh and for Canada,
let's let's top Canada first, because that's the obvious, right Canada. Seriously,

(03:07):
like you're like you had any doubt they were gonna
be three and all.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Not at all. They are stacked. I mean every time
I look at this roster, it's it's a must watch.
I love so many of these prospects. It's they're gonna
fill out a lot of the top ten. It's just
kind of every tournament there's a stacked team. Like Sweden
had a really good team, it was like the Avengers,
but Canada took them down during the World Juniors. And

(03:36):
then you go to the Haliko Gretzky Cup and you
have Canada where you could just have a monster team.
And I think USA also has a really good team.
But there are some teams that you know, were not
as good as USA and Canada, and you can see
that during the performance, like Germany they got absolutely dismantled
in some games. And I just love so many of

(03:59):
these players. For Canada, I think we're going to see
a lot of the top ten be picked this year
from this candidate squad.

Speaker 1 (04:08):
You know, it's funny that you mentioned that because it
seems like Canada just has that machine where they constantly
are able to just generate, you know, player after player
after player to play in this specific tournament. I mean,

(04:28):
they've won what the most gold medals out of all
the teams that have been playing in this you know
what I mean. So it's like, all.

Speaker 2 (04:35):
Right, I get it.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
Okay, Well, Canada is pretty good. Tynan Lawrence has been
playing amazing. Jack Hextall has been playing amazing. I mean,
now you're not. We finally did get to see Hexstall
get on the score sheet. But still a lot of
these guys are playing really really well for both Canada

(04:59):
and in the United States. I agree with you one
hundred percent. So now you think the United States team
is just a stacked.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
No, I think that there's a slight difference, Like you
have players like Varga, who I think is a little
underrated on a team like that. I think it's like
their version of a L. J. Mooney last year, because
it's just like a guy that has absurd amount of
skill and talent, but he hasn't really found his role,
but he could pop at any time. It's just like

(05:30):
X factors. I like, like you said, I really like
Jack Hextell. He's one of my favorite players that I've
watched for a very long time for USA, and it
took him a little while to get on the scoreesheet,
but he was doing everything on the ice, if it
was assists or anything. To go back to, I just
think Canada's depth is where it's at. You have guys
like Mathis Preston, Tier Lawrence who are just absolutely incredible.

(05:54):
A player that I've already got to talk to. Two
of them, dax Or Rudolph, who I really really like
is at Adam Valentini who's from the Chicago Steel who's
a very good player. Yeah, yeah, you know, it was
funny because I got to talk to him about, you know,
going playing in Chicago kind of in that environment and stuff,

(06:16):
and then the conversation went into what video games we
were playing, and like he's a big Rainbow Siege guy.
Oh no, he loves golf. He has a really good
guy handicap.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
I was just gonna say, he's a really good golfer.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
Yeah, yeah, he he He's a really funny guy. I
felt like he's going to be a high riser. I
don't know where he's listed right now. I think I
saw him like a couple outlets that he was like
thirty four, but I think he's top twenty just right
now in my rankings. Ethan Belchick is one of my
favorite players. I think that it's just his skill, his

(06:51):
upside arm yep. Yeah, I really like Ryan Lynn too.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:56):
I mean, just like the top fifteen players in the
class are on this squad. I feel like it's just
so many of these guys. You go and you look
at the roster and it's like wow, like how did
they pull that off? And then Keaton Verhoff is one
of those guys that is going to be the number
two pick in my opinion, in the class. He's just

(07:18):
that good. Yeah. USA doesn't really have anybody like that.
It's not a it's not about like that they don't
have that man power. But you got like Landed DuPont
on this Canada team and no one's even talking about
him that much. Like it's just like there's so many

(07:39):
players you go on and look at the roster and
it's like all Star, All Star, All Star, like potentially
in whatever league they're in next year, like if it's
the WHL, this ohl like playing college like Keaton is.
I just feel like, are we even are talking about
Edwards yet? It's just like there's so many players Colin Fitzgerald,

(08:02):
who I'm gonna be talking to in a couple of weeks. Nice,
So there there's like it's a loaded roster. I mean,
USA has some good players, but a lot of these
players would be not in their role that they would
be in if they were on Team Canada.

Speaker 1 (08:20):
That's a good point. That's a really good point.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
Yeah, Like DeLanda DuPont I think would be the best
player on a USA team right now. Verhoff would obviously be.
I think that he would probably be very high on
the leader board. He's going to be playing like twenty
five minutes a night on this team or whatever it is.
But you just don't have the depth I think.

Speaker 1 (08:42):
I agree, I agree, And that's what I think is
gonna and see And I think that's what has really
kind of handcuffed the United States throughout all of the
Helenka Gretzy Cup because it's not the United States development
team that is that they're they're fielding here for this tournament,

(09:02):
do you know what I mean? And that I think
is I think they might need to maybe, hey, you
might want to look at that reconsider that, I mean,
the fact that they're a competitive regardless of that fact,
regardless of the fact that you got a three and
oh Finland team and a three and oh Canada team,
you know what I mean. And we're gonna see the

(09:23):
Rubbers gonna meet the road here man, the United States
and Canada. That's that's gonna be. You know, that's everybody's
circling that on the calendar, you know what I'm saying.
And so I'm I'm actually a little bit more excited
about the Finns versus the Sweets because I think that's
gonna be a better game. Because I really don't think that,
like you said, I don't think United States, even with

(09:47):
the players they have, the hex Dolls, the Zelenski's, the
Shaeffer Gordon's, I just don't think it's gonna be enough
to stack up against the likes of the canad team.
I'm I'll be surprised if United States is able to
hang or if they're able to take him at least

(10:08):
to a shootout, you know what I mean. That's kind
of where I'm thinking though, But I do agree with you.
I think Canada is the more stacked team. Between the two, you.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
Have ten players on Canada that are projected to be
top thirty picks. You have zero for the USA team.
I mean, Chase Reed isn't playing, so he's probably he's
probably the best player on USA. So like you have
Hextall headlining this group, and it's just not the same

(10:44):
as if they brought their entire roster, which is like
Mikey Birchild is one of my guys, Like, definitely a
fun player to watch Casey.

Speaker 1 (10:53):
Talk to him, talk to Mikey birchot Yeah, yeah, yeah,
awesome player. Yeah, yea yeah.

Speaker 2 (10:59):
I haven't actually got I'm to talk to a lot
of the MTDP guys. That's one area where I haven't
gotten an interview yet. Obviously I've talked to those guys
like the NTDP guys at the Combine and the draft,
but I haven't been able to get them in the offseason.
But I've always loved Burchow's game, and like I think

(11:20):
a year out he was probably being talked about his
top five in this class, probably in the top twenty still,
but it's the size. I think it's his translatability that
people kind of steer the negativity towards in his game.
But I think that he's incredibly talented. Every game that
I see him play, who just pops off the screen

(11:40):
for me. Here's one guy that like, I think that
he's going to be a high riser if he has
a good season and if he grows another inch or
two or three, he's definitely going to be in the
top ten contention.

Speaker 1 (11:50):
And he's still that young that he very well easily
could do that, you know, I mean, And that's one
of the things that we kind of talk about in
his interview, you know, And a lot of these guys, man,
they have the chip on their shoulder, you know, they
they they know they know right they they absolutely got
their head screwed on and know what they need to do,

(12:12):
you know what I'm saying. And here's another one too.
Then I want to throw another name at you too
here just kind of what your your take is on this.
And we're not seeing this player play in the Gretzki
Cup this year, but I would love to hear your
take on Rocco Pelosi.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
You know, I am not as like knowledgeable on him.
I honestly would like two just like be more. I
think like when I would like to talk about guys.
I like to have a lot more viewings.

Speaker 1 (12:50):
But yeah, no problem. I just thought I was just
I was just thinking of a name that maybe you
might have known or heard of or something like that.
But let me tell you something. Looking to him, what.

Speaker 2 (13:02):
Do you think about him?

Speaker 1 (13:03):
I I I personally think he's gonna be higher than DuPont.
I think he's gonna be potentially fighting, uh with McKenna
for a top spot. Oh well, yeah, I if he
has the same year that he did this past season,

(13:25):
he's a shattig alum. Okay, so he's he comes from good,
good pedigree. He knows how to play hockey. I mean
every time I see him, he just gets better and
better and better. Every game I've watched from him, every
everything that I've seen of him, he just gets better
and better and and putting up the amount of numbers
that he was able to put up this past season

(13:47):
was like, Okay, that's a little guney, But you know
they do that in juniors, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (13:53):
So do you think that he could go like be
the number one pick in this class?

Speaker 1 (13:59):
I don't know, man, I think he he could be
that sneaky one that if he has that really awesome year,
and depending on how McKenna plays, you know what I'm saying,
it's gonna be one of those things. You know, we've
seen it. We've seen if a player does really, really well,
then they get vaulted up. A player that doesn't do

(14:22):
quite so well doesn't get drafted quite so high. Yeah,
you know, I'm not saying that that Gavin isn't you know,
I'm not saying that he's not, you know, worthy of
being the potential number one overall. I just think Pelosi's
going to give him a run for his money.

Speaker 2 (14:40):
Interesting, that would be a huge upset in my opinion,
just based on I don't know, just that's interesting. Even Verhoff,
I feel like it might be locked in at that area.
I mean, six', four two hundred and fifteen, pounds you
have all that. Skill he looks like a fourth forward out.

(15:02):
There icenber. Too, yeah this top ten is absolutely absurd right.
Now obviously you have guys Like Logan henzler who was
in the top ten last, year And Ivan reabkin and
some guys kind of dip, Down but this is an
incredible top. Ten dex And rudolph would have probably might

(15:24):
have been the top right handed defenseman in last year's
class league. MAYBE i MEAN i was a Huge murcer,
fan But i'm just, saying like six' six, murka size
you can't really. Teach That but Dex and rudolph is. Absolutely,
incredible yeah you Have matthis preston who just had. A hattie.
Incredibly Skilled tynan lawrence one of my favorite players in this. Entire,

(15:45):
class like he's.

Speaker 1 (15:47):
Another one that we, Talked To, Tynan lawrence he's another
one that we. Talked to.

Speaker 2 (15:51):
That's awesome how many players in this class have you talked?

Speaker 1 (15:55):
To already not as many for. This, Class, valentini Lawrence.
Birch child THAT'S all i Can think i'll right off
the top of my head for for this coming class. So,
FAR yeah i.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
Mean it's, really, Early, Right okay.

Speaker 1 (16:19):
BUT like, I was i had Talked to schaeffer back
In like may of his private prior previously to his,
draft year you KNOW what. I MEAN so i, was like,
all right, but hey whenever you can get, him right
you Know what. I'm saying but ladies, and gentlemen we
had the distinct honor and privilege of Having the prospect

(16:42):
on on the on on the, show Here And i'm,
i'm overjoyed elated and and flabbergascid at the fact that
he accepted to come on the. Show here so thank
you so. Very much can you tell the folks where
we can find you and when we can get all your,
great stuff?

Speaker 2 (16:59):
My? Man, please yeah Of course i'm on YouTube x
and TikTok At The prospect dawn as well as coming
out with some new content. AND interviews i have interviews
With like Dax and rudolph, coming UP or i already,
have One but i'm gonna be, Publishing That. Adam valentini
I've Our Stenberg landa DuPont is, coming up like probably

(17:25):
closer to, training camp like, you said whenever you could.
Get them, But Right, COLIN fitzgerald i got to interview
a lot of these guys really late last year in,
the CLASS so i think starting off earlier is better
for the CONTENT because i had to upload like Thirty
different prospect videos with the highlights all together at like

(17:47):
a very short period, of time so they're gonna come
out a lot quicker. This year i'm still in my
initial scouting phases of a lot of these, guys, like
yeah obviously a lot, can change but there's not a
lot of like hockey right now that you can watch With,
the jlinka but a lot of these guys aren't. On there,
and also like you have to take some Of the

(18:08):
holika stats with a grain of salt because when you're
playing these Teams like germany and they just don't have the,
star power And then canada beats up, on THEM or
usa beats up, on them or, You know Finland, or
sweden they have, Good games like it's kind of hard
to balance. Who's WHO so i kind of like like
to look at. The upside so it's like kind of

(18:30):
watching highlights when you're playing a team, like that because
it's like it's a it's kind of like an all.
Star game so so you're trying to see what kind
of upside these. Players HAVE but i don't really like
to look too much into that because then it'll go
into my like seven year old brain where, it's like oh,
my god he he Almost, Courted michigan like he's going,

(18:50):
Top five like you have to separate all. The HIGHLIGHTS
so i always think, like that but this is going
to be an. Incredible class oh, MY gosh, I, agree
yeah compared it twenty, Twenty, FIVE like i don't even
KNOW who i would have, like Higher ver Verhoff. OR
schaeffer i. REALLY don't i honestly THINK that i would

(19:13):
probably pick the six to four right handed defenseman at
this point because during their draft year or their draft minus,
One years verhoff had much. Better stats But Also matthew
schaeffer is just an, incredible person so it's nothing. Against
him it's just like that's kind of how deep this
class is as well AS like i Have our stenberg

(19:33):
probably would have been to Higher Than anton, frondel maybe
so it's maybe not because of the center. THE versatility
i know teams draft differently, than That but I've our
stenberg's talent is just, Absolutely incredible like on a, Talent,
standpoint uh it's this is an. Incredible year we already

(19:55):
Know like vigo is gaining. Some inches he went from
five nine to five ten and is the, last listing
so if he continues, to grow he's going to be
a top. TEN pick i think growing a five to
ten was huge just because like that was kind of an. Arts,
height yeah five nine to five ten is an incredible
jump in the isle.

Speaker 1 (20:14):
Of, scout see you're not the only one that has that,
same outlook because when you get to that five, foot
ten even though it's only one, more inch it says five,
to ten that's. Double digits and when you put, skates
on now you're pert near six foot with, skates on
right at, five ten that's six foot with, skates right,

(20:38):
you know top of.

Speaker 2 (20:39):
Your mask it's. So, different, yeah yeah it really does make.
A difference so it, Is Interesting, like birchild if he was,
FIVE ten, i hope like if he's five eleven or,
six foot like he's not. Six ft if he's five eleven,
five ten he's still gonna have to out. Some issues

(21:01):
but the, thing is it's like not five to nine
like your you have your chances of making it to
the league. Increase heavily so it's just. Always interesting we
obviously Saw the pallist draft last year where Players Like,
luko REDIJEVITCH who i was a, fan of didn't get drafted.

(21:21):
At all there WAS zero i think six under six
foot defenseman drafted for a very, long time if not the,
ENTIRE draft i, don't know.

Speaker 1 (21:31):
Third, SECOND round i think late second round, or, no,
no no maybe later THAN that. I, THINK.

Speaker 2 (21:37):
Yeah i DON'T even i don't even remember who was
the five to.

Speaker 1 (21:41):
Eleven defense there was two rounds in a row where
there wasn't a single player that wasn't under six foot that. Was,
drafted yeah full rounds in, A.

Speaker 2 (21:51):
Row like, all, RIGHT yeah i Mean the blackhawks drafted
everyone under six foot before and then everybody Saw the
panthers just do what they did and they, were, like
well we Shout out shane, molloy here but you need
guys that have really good liked games because a game is,

(22:12):
their skill and you probably only have the puck five to,
ten percent maybe five percent of the game of, your
shifts so you're gonna need that other ninety five percent
or ninety percent on your, b game and that's just
gonna Be Like brady. Martin esque that's why he went
higher than a lot. Of people That's why Dan or
ye did because even though they have the, offensive skill

(22:32):
you're gonna need to play that playoff hockey all. The
time it's just a change in. The times even THOUGH
the nhl is going to, more skilled smaller players like higher,
skills faster that kind of does go into play here
when we talk about scouting BECAUSE the, A game, b
GAME and c game is very interesting in the, scout's

(22:53):
minds especially, For teams so you kind of have to
think like a. Scout here So when i'm trying to
do with, THESE evaluations i don't like to put a
lot into. THIS season i like to see how they're
playing here and if they. Get better you always want
to see the progression of what you're going to see
in the beginning of the year and the end of.
The year you have to watch the TAPE like i
have like a RITUAL where i like to watch a

(23:14):
guy on, in staff like his full progression of, the
YEAR and i FEEL like i can see a little
bit better like voslov nestraselv. AS one i was calling
him a like a top twenty picks Similarly With sebastian
High From, elite prospects as well as Someone named maxwell
Who's On, Hawk's twitter like we were on this guy

(23:37):
very very early and he was projected to go like.
Forty five he ended up going twenty five because his
six to, six frame really, good size, good skater had
a lot, of skill but he was not putting up
numbers IN the ushl the year before he had zero
points in. Eight games then this year he was one
of the best players on, their team led them to,
a championship, not led but helped them lead them to
a Championship With tynan Lawrence And ivan reapkin and do

(24:00):
you see him go? Number one so They're Like vaslav
neshra still isn't even on the radar right now for
scouting if we were in of. Last year so there's
always gonna be guys that kind of just. Pounce up
it's like if you look AT, the Nba Like nikola
Jokovic Or. Nikola, jokic sorry he was drafted like in

(24:24):
Between a taco, bell commercial like nobody even knew who.
He was it was ak who is?

Speaker 1 (24:29):
THE?

Speaker 2 (24:29):
Bulls gm who's? That WAS like i think he got
lucky because he hasn't really done anything. Since then but
the thing was about him is like the joker also
knew that he wasn't good at that, point either yet
he was like drafted forty second or whatever. It was
it was kind. Of high so you have guys in.
All sports i'm a fan of, All DRAFTS like i

(24:50):
could have done this in PROBABLY, the nfl but it's
a lot tighter CIRCLES because i WAS in, nfl Draft,
LIKE savant i freaking LOVED the nfl draft if, there's
PROSPECTS like i ride sometimes When the bears Didn't Take
jalen carter because he was obviously. The pick but it's
all about like, different LEAGUES and i feel like every

(25:12):
league in draft you need to. See it kind, of
similarly it's like what do these guys? Do well like
what are their roles going? To be also IN, the
nhl because if they only do well in a top,
six role that limits their their projectability if they don't
make it into the. Top six like if you're playing For,
the panthers there's only like one maybe there's like like

(25:36):
a fifteen percent chance you're gonna play in their. Top
six if it's like, RIGHT now i know it's thirty five,
years out but these teams, are stacked Like. The sharks
you can't even get into their top six if you're.
A prospect it's just. So stacked so It is. Zoey's
interesting but.

Speaker 1 (25:52):
But yeah i'll tell. You what this is why we
had this man on because you hear all, this, information
right you hear all this writable amount. Of knowledge so
thank you very much for.

Speaker 2 (26:02):
Hopping on thank you so much for.

Speaker 1 (26:04):
Having, me, YEAH man i would love to be able
to do this again, with, you, SURE yeah i would
love to be able to do that again and talk
about some more prospects and talk about and all kinds
of great hockey things. As well and you never know
what's going to, happen here you Know what, I'm saying
so please all his contact information and all his follow

(26:24):
up information will be in a description here on, the
show so you guys can check that all out and
be sure to follow the prospect on on all of
his socials and everything. As well be sure to check.
That out be sure to check me out on x
as Well At steel flyers. Fifty two we will catch
you all on the next Episode Of. Prospect watch