Woodhouse
Registered User
Offensive wing who stands equal to any stickhandler in this draft class. Was called upon to be the main man on a club in need of more offensive threats. He plays on the power play, and is not a player who neglects his responsibilities in his own zone. He has continued to add leg strength and all-around muscle. After being traded, he had both knee and concussion injuries, but still finished with 40 points. This season, he had over 60 points before February. His size may work against him, but his not afraid of bigger competitors and will stand up for himself against them with his fists.
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“He’s in the same situation as (last year’s captain) Garret Ross the previous year,” Spirit coach Greg Gilbert said. “He was an undrafted older player, but he had assets and abilities that teams wanted. Chicago drafted him and is happy with his progress. Eric is in the same position. He’s a powerful young man. He’s put a lot of work into his conditioning and his understanding of the game. He brings that work ethic to the game every day. That’s a great habit to have in your game.”
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I saw Locke quite a bit this season while keeping tabs on his Saginaw teammate, 2012 third-rounder Justin Kea. An undersized speedy playmaker who will turn 20-years old this fall, Locke re-emerged on the scouting scene in 2012-13, producing nearly 100 points of offense while showing a clear dedication away from the puck. His combination of energy and offense earned him the Most Improved Player in the OHL's Western Conference coaches poll. His complete game is coming around at just the right time, making him (at the very least) a candidate to be a scorer at the AHL level with plenty of NHL sleeper potential.
McKeen's Hockey
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Locke is a smaller, but highly skilled centre. He skates well, always keeping his feet in motion. He makes sharp cuts and turns to lose checkers, possesses quick lateral agility as well. He’s not the biggest player so he can get knocked off the puck rather easily by larger defenders. He has very skilled hands as he can control the puck, make some impressive dekes and dangles to get around opponents. He also holds a very good shot that is both hard and accurate. He started using his strength and frame to compliment his skill this season which has had a very good effect on his game and production. He thinks the game well and seemingly always has a way out planned in his head. His work ethic really improved this season at both ends. Instinctively, he gets to the correct spots in the offensive zone to generate a scoring chance. Confidence played a large part in his offensive consistency this season in Saginaw. After jumping around the OHL for a few years, Locke finally landed in an environment and situation that was ideal for him. His game has matured well and he has been able to take on a leadership role on a young Spirit squad. May end up a better winger than centre at the next level.
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It's like the lightbulb finally went off or something. Previously, I'd always been hard on Locke as a player. I didn't even rank him inside my top 50 last year, despite the fact that he had previously been a fairly high profile player. I just felt like he hadn't really improved during his time in the OHL up to that point. He was still just trying to get by on being a speedy wing scorer, with little else to his game. This year, Locke was a completely different player. He was an obvious choice for most improved player in the West in the Coaches poll. He suddenly started using his speed to help him be a factor without the puck. And he added a mean streak and truculence to his game that wasn't previously there. Basically, Locke was no longer satisfied with being a complimentary player who let others do the hard work for him. He began taking over shifts by being all over the ice and getting involved in all facets of the game. He's always been a skilled player, but now the effort level and play in all three zones was improved to match it. If Locke would have played this way last year, he would have been a lock (no pun intended) for the first three rounds. This year, I think it remains to be seen where he goes, but I'd be VERY surprised if he doesn't go somewhere.
A/V Club
Draft-Day Interviews
2013.00.00 – Eric Locke speaks with the media after being selected 189th overall. <0:00>
Full Games (Log)
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YouTube Clips
Draft-Day Interviews
2013.00.00 – Eric Locke speaks with the media after being selected 189th overall. <0:00>
Full Games (Log)
n/a
YouTube Clips
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