Dalton Thrower

History

2009-10: A second round selection of Saskatoon in the 2008 WHL Bantam Draft, Dalton Thrower made his debut with the Blades. He played 55 games and had 7 assists and was plus-two with 61 penalty minutes on a Saskatoon team that finished with the league’s third best record. In eight playoff games he had 1 assist and was minus-one with 2 penalty minutes.

2010-11: Thrower skated in 68 of 72 games for Saskatoon in his second season as the Blades’ finished with the WHL’s best record. He also played for Canada Pacific in the 2011 U17 World Hockey Challenge. Thrower scored 6 goals with 14 assists and was plus-14 with 91 penalty minutes. The Blades were swept by upstart Kootenay in the second round of the playoffs. In ten playoff games Thrower scored 2 goals with 1 assist and was plus-four with 11 penalty minutes. He was scoreless with 6 penalty minutes in five games at the WHC.

2011-12: Thrower was the leading scorer amongst Blades defensemen in his third season with Saskatoon. In 66 games he scored 18 goals with 36 assists and was minus-four with 103 penalty minutes. The Blades won 40 or more games for the fourth straight season but were swept by Medicine Hat in the first round of the playoffs. Thrower had 1 assist and was minus-four with 4 penalty minutes in four playoff games. He was ranked 26th amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings prior to the 2012 NHL Draft.

2012-13: Thrower had a tumultuous final season with Saskatoon; playing on the Blades’ second pairing and often facing the top opposition forwards. He scored 6 goals and 21 assists in 54 games and was +18 with 89 penalty minutes. He drew the ire of WHL and CHL officials and Saskatoon Coach/GM Lorne Molleken; receiving a pair of suspensions, one during the Memorial Cup, and was kept out of the lineup by Molleken for disciplinary reasons early in the year. The Blades finished first in the East Division but were swept by Medicine Hat in the first round. Thrower was -4 with no points and 6 penalty minutes in four WHL playoff games. Saskatoon, the Memorial Cup hosts, handed champion Halifax its only loss before back-to-back losses to Portland and London. Thrower was suspended for a hit on Portland’s Taylor Leier (no penalty was called on the play) and missed the London game; finishing with an even plus/minus with no points and two penalty minutes in three games. The Vancouver Giants acquired the rights to Thrower from the Blades in a May, 2013 trade.

2013-14: Thrower returned to the WHL for an overage season — skating with the Vancouver Giants after being acquired from Saskatoon in an off-season trade.  A team captain, he played 42 games for Vancouver, battling through an ankle injury that kept him out of the WHL playoffs and required surgery following the season. Thrower scored 12 goals with 27 assists and was +9 with 70 penalty minutes. Eight of his 12 goals were scored on the Giants’ power play. Vancouver finished third in the B.C. Division and was swept by Portland in a first-round playoff series. Thrower signed a three-year entry-level contract with Montreal in May 2014. 

2014-15: Thrower made his pro debut with the ECHL’s Brampton Beast in a December 27th game at Quad City, missing the first half of the season while recovering from injury. He skated in 37 games for the Beast — receiving a five-game suspension in January for leaving the bench during an altercation against Elmira. Thrower scored 3 goals with 3 assists and was -19 with 107 penalty minutes, second only to left wing Stephon Thorne (123).  Brampton finished last in the Central Division in its first year in the league, missing the ECHL playoffs.

2015-16: Thrower skated in nine games with the AHL’s St. John’s IceCaps in his second pro season — shuttling between the AHL and the ECHL’s Brampton Beast. Playing center at times for the IceCaps due to injuries in the forward group, he had an even plus/minus with no points and 24 penalty minutes. Thrower played 29 ECHL games with the Beast, scoring 1 goal with 3 assists and finishing -10 with 60 penalty minutes.

Talent Analysis

Thrower is a physical, in-your-face defenceman that plays the game hard and gives it his all every shift. He does well for himself when battling in corners and behind the net, and does an efficient job at clearing the crease and helping his goaltender see the puck. His skill-level is quite limited to defensive-zone coverage, as he is not the fastest skater out there and he doesn't have much offensive awareness to open things up and put points on the board. His role, at a higher level of competition, is best served on the bottom-pairing, where he can focus on playing his aggressive style and dropping the gloves when needed.

Future

Thrower skated in nine AHL games with Montreal affiliate St. John's in 2015-16 in his second pro season. The 51st player taken in the 2012 NHL Draft, Thrower has struggled to make the jump from junior to pro hockey. He has been a physical presence at the minor pro level but no longer projects as the puck-moving offensive threat that he was in junior hockey.