Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the daily column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. Each day I will bring you a new player profile or topical article in the lead-up to the 2014 NHL Draft. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow me on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! Last Word On Sports is your new headquarters for everything “NHL Draft”! For a Complete Listing of all our 2014 Draft Articles Click here.
John Quenneville comes from a hockey family. He’s the cousin of Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville, and the younger brother of Brandon Wheat Kings teammate, and Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick Peter Quenneville. His younger brother David, is also a draft pick of the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL. Add to that uncle (by marriage) Johnny Boychuk of the Boston Bruins and you can see that hockey runs deep in the Quenneville family.
Quenneville put up 25 goals and 58 points in 61 games for the Wheat Kings this season. He added 5 goals and 13 points in 9 playoff games, taking his game up a notch at the biggest time of the year. He also has plenty of international experience, with a silver medal at the 2013 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge as a member of Team Pacific, and a Bronze with Team Canada at this spring’s IIHF U18 World Championships.
John Quenneville
Center/Left Wing — shoots Left
Born Apr 16 1996 — Edmonton, ALTA
Height 6.01 — Weight 186 [185 cm/84 kg]
John Quenneville is developing into a solid two-way forward with the versatility to play both left wing and centre. He really improved this year in all three zones and has moved himself up draft boards all year long. Offensively, Quenneville is at his best controlling the puck down low on the cycle game and setting up teammates with good vision, and very high hockey IQ. He can drive the net when given the opportunity and has the soft hands to finish in close. Quenneville is strong on the puck and his long reach and good puck skills really help him to protect the puck down low. He’s not afraid to battle in the corners and in front of the net, and should only get better at this as he adds some bulk to what is currently a somewhat slender frame. Quenneville also has a strong and accurate shot, allowing him to score from further out.
Skating wise, there is some good and bad with Quenneville. He has decent top end speed, but could stand to improve his first step quickness and acceleration. His stride is long and powerful, he has the balance and the strength to fight through checks and win battles on the boards. Quenneville has decent agility and solid edgework as well.
Defensively, Quenneville is very strong and well developed. He offers great support to his defenceman both in back pressure on the rush, and in defending the cycle game down low. He is decent in the face-off circle for a 17-year-old and again should only get better with experience. He anticipates plays well and cuts down passing and shooting lanes. Willing to play physical in all three zones, and even willing to drop the gloves, he can be a really pest to the other team’s top players.
In terms of style John Quenneville is reminiscent of Anze Kopitar of the Los Angeles Kings. This isn’t a talent comparison, as Kopitar is one of the best two way players in the game, but just a style one. If he does reach his ceiling, I believe that Quenneville could be a second line centre with two way potential.
Here are some highlights of John Quenneville in action.
Come back tomorrow to check out my #42 prospect for the 2014 NHL Draft.
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @lastwordBkerr. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Hockey writing team. Visit our ”Write for Us“ page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
