Prospect Ben Cottreau Player Profile

Player's Profile

Picture Courtesy of www.mercyhurst.edu

Name: Ben Cottreau
Position: C
Shoots: Left
Height: 5-11
Weight: 210 lbs
Birthdate: 1985-04-04
Eligible for Draft: 2003
Drafted:
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Acquired: Eligible for the 2005 NHL Entry Draft
Playing In: NCAA

Ben Cottreau

Profile Contributed By: DJ Powers

History

Ben Cottreau enjoyed a stellar season with Mercyhurst College that culminated in garnering the Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Year honor and a selection to the Atlantic Hockey All-Rookie Team. The Toronto native helped the Lakers capture their third Atlantic Hockey conference title in five years and nearly pulling off a stunning first round upset of top seeded Boston College in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament. Cottreau led Mercyhurst in scoring among rookies with 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 35 appearances this season. He also led the Lakers in power play goals (10) and shots (125). His 35 points ranked tied for sixth in the nation among rookies. He also ranked sixth among rookies in points per game (0.97).

Talent Analysis

Cottreau is a tremendously skilled power forward who brings a great deal of exuberance to his game. He is an excellent skater with very good speed and acceleration. He has shown a willingness to drive to the net hard and often. He sees the ice very well and is opportunistic with the ability to finish plays. One of Cottreau’s great attributes is his keen sense of knowing where to be on the ice to make the plays. He is a hard worker who is relentless in his battles for the puck. He possesses a very good, quick release. Cottreau has good body strength and can deliver some solid checks. While he has shown a willingness to take on defensive responsibilities, it is an area that he could be more involved in.

In a recent interview with Hockey’s Future, Mercyhurst College head coach Rick Gotkin shared some of his insights on Ben Cottreau: “Ben is a competitor. He has adjusted very, very well to the college game to this point. I think he needs to continue to work and improve in the defensive area of the game and to continue to make a good commitment to his off ice conditioning. Ben will take a hit to make the play. He’s certainly not afraid of taking a hit nor is shy about getting physical. We use Ben as a guy that we want to score goals for us but he’s also a pretty good playmaker. He is great student of the game who is very, very coachable and wants to get better every day. Ben really brings so many dimensions to our hockey team. He is a high-energy player and he brings that great energy to practice every day. It’s contagious and it rubs off on the other guys.”