[FONT=PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif]steve mason 6-3 186lbs
pos goaltender
catches right
current team: london knights
draft: 3rd round cbj in 2006
born 5/88
central scouting report from his nhl draft
Central Scouting Report: Is a good skater with good balance and athleticism ... moves laterally in the butterfly position with good body control covering the lower portion of the net ... has very quick feet and pads ... shows quickness in both reaction and recovery ... uses the paddle down technique effectively on wraparound attempts or in scramble situations ... he has excellent rebound control and a very good catching glove ... good at stopping the puck behind the net on shoot ins and setting it up properly for his defense ... can also shoot the puck effectively to his forwards around the boards or up the ice... plays in a well balanced wide butterfly stance and square to the shooter... plays his best when challenging the shooters at the top of the crease, but at times loses that aggressiveness and hangs back too far in his crease ... gets his pads down and out quickly, shutting off the lower portion of the net ... strong in his crease and good at covering up loose pucks .
.. shows a very good attitude and works hard at his game ... maintains a level demeanor and doesn?t get rattled ... at one point in the season he did not play for 45 straight games, he still showed a good attitude and continued to work hard in practice
steve is a big long lanky fluid kid. who competes all the time. a very smart kid who is known as a student of the game. i can go on and on but central scouting is the best in the business. that being said developments between this year and last year. steve has taken over as the starting goalie for the london knights. who play in a "run and gun" up and down system that creates lots of scoring on both ends. (essentially they are going to try and outscore you) steve played in the prospect camp and camped for a bit in columbus. he will credit a lot of his development in the past year on seeing what it takes to play at the next level. he credits the younger guys for helping him transition and keeping a positive point of view. while hes commented the "vets" allowed him learn what it takes at the next level (footer and feds)
steve has also been able to take advantage playing in london (probably the best or of the best clubs in the chl) this has allowed him to work with a full time goaltender coach (a luxury few jr teams even have any access to) steve also plays the puck very well as a stickhandler (im not claiming hes marty b) but for his age very good.
steve has been noted for his size and mental toughness.
projection: likely would have been one of the two candian wjc goalies had he not suffered through december with concussion like symptoms. hard to tell with a kid who is in the 12th grade, but of the three young goaltenders (popperle 22, lacosta20)developing in the systme i would say that steve mason has the hghest likely hood of being a factor for the big club. i would say impact at the nhl level is atleast 3 years of. goalies tend to hit their stride in their mid twenties. i would say he is a kid to keep an eye on for the second ten years of the franchise.
[/FONT][FONT=PrimaSans BT,Verdana,sans-serif]year/league/team/games/min/ga/gaa/so/save percentage
05-06/ohl/london knights/12/497/22/2.00/0/estimated .930
06-07/ohl/london knights/55/3302/180/3.27/1/.019[/FONT]
his save percentage in 05 06was about .930 that was a near year end number.
edit 3/20: steve has set the record for ohl wins for a goaltender in a season, 45 and counting.
http://bluejackets.com/news/features/arts/3696.0.html
*Steve Mason
^Blue Jackets 2nd pick, 69th overall, 2006 Entry Draft.
Ontario Hockey League Playoffs
Mason lead the London Knights to a 4-0 sweep of Owen Sound in the "Series A" of the Western Conference in the first round of the OHL playoffs. In 245 minutes of play, Mason made 193 saves, allowed 12 goals and collected all four wins. In game one, he was named No. 3 star and in a 2-1 overtime victory in game two, he was the No. 1 star of the game. London advances to play Sault Ste. Marie in "Series F" of the Western Conference in the second round of the playoffs, with the series beginning Apr. 5.
4/13 steve was named ohl goalie of the year
4/14 good read on masons playoffs
CHL Junior Hockey News - No stone hands for Mason - sportsnet.ca
worth the read but i like this quote about tavares (the next big deal in hockey)
"I know there was one game in particular in Oshawa," Knights goaltender coach Dave Rook recalled, "John Tavares had a cross-crease pass with a wide open net and Mason came across and caught it. Tavares sat on his knees with his head in the air and I know he has frustrated a few players throughout the season."
mason inks 3 year pro deal
http://bluejackets.com/news/press/arts/3739.0.html
june 20th mason named to super series roster (canada vs russia)
TSN : CANADIAN?HOCKEY - Canada's Sports Leader
TSN : CANADIAN?HOCKEY - Canada's Sports Leader
mason will start the first game of the super series
Mason is big and athletic and fills the net at six foot three and 186 pounds. He led the Ontario Hockey League with a league-record 45 wins last season, but what stands out about him was the 11 assists he had in the regular season and the playoffs.
He's not shy about handling the puck.
''I used to be a player for five years before I started to switch over to a goalie and I always enjoyed it,'' Mason said. ''Even after practices nowadays, I go out after the guys and skate around with my stick and puck.
''My coaches joke around and say they're going to put me on the power play. I got a pretty good shot. I just like to have fun and it helps out with my game too.''
He came to the Canadian team with the lowest profile of the three invited.
rving was backup to Carey Price on Canada's gold-medal team at this year's world junior hockey championship.
Both Bernier and Mason were invited to try out for the team, but Mason was not really able to due a concussion he suffered just prior to selection camp.
He managed to get in the last exhibition game of camp, but that wasn't enough time to play himself onto the team.
Mason's ability to pass the puck may lighten the load on Canada's defenceman Monday.
''It would definitely help out the defenceman even through they are all great defencemen,'' Mason said. ''It would help with the breakouts and setting up plays. I don't know what ice conditions are going to be like, but it would help out I think.''
Mason was told he was the starter prior to that breakaway drill and performed outstanding in it.
''I wanted to be the go-to guy and I worked hard all week in practices and I thought I looked good out there,'' he said.
