– Donovan McCoy –
Quinte Red Devils (ETA) | Defence | 2020 OHL Draft Eligible
Belleville, Ontario | 6’0″, 175-pounds | 2004-born
The Quinte Red Devils not only stood as the top team in the ETA during the 2019-20 season, but as one of the most dominant clubs in all of Minor Midget hockey as well. Paced by a dynamic offensive attack, the Red Devils routinely outscored their opposition while putting forth stable and consistent defensive play within their own zone to boot — a reality which allowed Quinte to dismantle their opponents with relative ease on a nightly basis. And, although Dalyn Wakely received a great deal of attention throughout the Red Devils’ regular season campaign — and deservedly so — the play of Donovan McCoy on Quinte’s blue line was equally impactful.
In fact, McCoy’s efforts were so consistent and effective that he now stands as one of the top defence prospects eligible for the upcoming 2020 OHL Draft.
Strengths:
- Skating Strength and Mobility
- Composure, Vision, and Breakout Abilities
- Innate Two-Way Ability
- Shot Strength and Penetration
- On-Ice Versatility
The foundation of McCoy’s game is his ability to skate with strength, purpose, and mobility. Within his own zone, McCoy boasts the speed necessary to claim loose pucks from his opponents and regularly wins puck and board battles owing to his impressive lower body strength and raw determination. Once in possession of the puck, McCoy is as calm and composed as any defenceman eligible of the 2020 OHL Draft — he uses his vision to assess the position of players in his field of view before unleashing a crisp breakout pass or leading a rush up the ice owing to his ample acceleration and confidence on the ice.
1-3 OMHA Players to Watch – Donovan McCoy-Quinte Red Devils…A defenceman who shows he can be relied upon in many situations, allowing hime tobe a big presence for his team’s success. McCoy is a 2 way player who uses his feet to defend, and to jump in on the attack. … pic.twitter.com/GxanpYhUvN
— Quinte Red Devils (@QuinteRedDevil) September 26, 2019
This innate two-way ability allows McCoy to dismantle plays devised by his opposition before embarking upon lethal counter-attacks. Having distributed the puck to a teammate or carried it up the ice himself, McCoy doesn’t hesitate to play a significant role in the attacking zone. Although not afraid to drive the puck hard to the net when the situation allows, McCoy routinely stands as a dynamic threat on the opposing blue line. Owing to mobility, McCoy can walk the blue line with absolute ease and is never pressured into making mistakes. From his perch, McCoy can distribute the puck to a nearby teammate or shift his position in order to find an open shooting lane.
In short, McCoy stands as one of the top defencemen eligible for the 2020 OHL Draft as a result of his dynamic two-way play. Not only can he maintain excellent gap control and force turnovers in his own zone, but the youngster can fuel his team’s lethal offensive attack in the process.
Areas for Improvement:
- Defensive Zone Physicality
As mentioned above, McCoy stands as one of the very best defenceman eligible for the 2020 OHL Draft — a reality which means that his game contains more room to grow than it does to improve. However, if we were to nitpick, we’d say that McCoy would do well to assert himself and his impressive physicality on a more frequent basis in his defensive zone. Boasting great size, McCoy features the ability to knock opposing forwards off of the puck and would stand as an even more intimidating presence if he elected to do so on a more frequent basis.
Future Potential:
At the end of the day, McCoy features the skill set necessary to develop into a top-pairing defenceman at the OHL-level and beyond. As a terrific skater and intelligent young player who processes the game at an elite-level, McCoy’s ability to fuel his team’s play at both ends of the ice should result in his selection in the first round of the upcoming 2020 OHL Draft. While McCoy still features room to improve — like all players of his age — the native of Belleville, Ontario stands as a polished prospect who should have little issue adjusting the to major-junior level next season should he choose to do so.
Prospect Pipeline 