Steven Hodges
| Birthday: 1994-05-05 | Position: C |
| Eligible for draft: 2012 | Shoots: Left |
| Drafted: 2012 | Height: 5-11 |
| Acquired: 3rd round (84th overall), 2012 | Weight: 178 lbs. |
Probability of Success
- D
History
2009-10: A first round pick of the Chilliwack Bruins in the 2009 WHL Bantam Draft (9th overall), Steven Hodges appeared in five WHL games with Chilliwack while skating for the Fraser Valley Bruins midget major team in British Columbia. Hodges had 2 assists and was plus-three in his brief time with Chilliwack. He was the second-leading scorer for Fraser Valley; scoring 17 goals with 17 assists in 37 games. Fraser Valley finished seventh in the twelve-team league.
2010-11: Hodges skated in 58 games for Chilliwack in his first full WHL season and played for Canada Pacific in the 2011 U17 World Hockey Challenge. He scored 5 goals with 6 assists and was minus-2 with 44 penalty minutes during the regular season for the Bruins. Chilliwack finished third in the BC Division – falling to Spokane in a first round playoff series. Hodges appeared in three of the five playoff games and was scoreless and plus-one. In five games at the WHC, he scored 1 goal with 3 assists as Canada Pacific won a bronze medal.
2011-12: Hodges was one of four players to play in all 72 games for the re-located and re-named Victoria Royals in his second WHL season. The team struggled in its first season after leaving Chilliwack, winning 24 games. Hodges scored 21 goals with 25 assists and was minus-29 with 62 penalty minutes. The Royals were swept by Kamloops in the first round of the playoffs. In four playoff games Hodges had 4 assists and was minus-two with four penalty minutes. He was ranked 85th amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting’s final rankings prior to the 2012 NHL Draft.
2012-13: Hodges was third on the Victoria Royals with 28 goals and had 23 assists in 60 games in his third WHL season. He missed time early in the season with an upper body injury but rebounded to have a strong season, finishing -3 with 67 penalty minutes. The Royals were much-improved, reaching the WHL playoffs after finishing third in the B.C. Division. Hodges had 2 goals and 4 assists and was -1 with 2 penalty minutes in the six game series with Kamloops.
2013-14: Hodges did not skate in his first game with the WHL’s Victoria Royals until November due to an early season leg injury. He finished the year amongst the leading scorers for the Royals in his fourth season with the team despite missing 20 games, tallying 21 goals with 26 assists, and was +20 with 65 penalty minutes in 52 regular season games. The Royals finished second in the B.C. Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Hodges scored 4 goals with 6 assists and was +2 with 9 penalty minutes in nine playoff games. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Panthers in June 2014.
2014-15: After a stellar final season in the WHL, Hodges bounced between the AHL and ECHL, playing in 23 games for the San Antonio Rampage and 28 for the Cincinnati Cyclones. He scored just once for the Rampage, but was a little more successful for the Cyclones, collecting 15 points.
2015-16: Hodges made his season debut with the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs in February after missing most of the year while recovering from off-season surgery. He scored 2 goals with 1 assist and was +3 with 2 penalty minutes in eight games with the Monarchs and was recalled by Florida AHL affiliate Portland. In six games with the Pirates he was -1 with no points nor penalties.
Talent Analysis
Hodges is an excellent skater who has shown a nose for the net and has some grit to his game. He has a high hockey IQ and makes solid reads at both ends of the ice. Hodges added size and strength during his junior career after being selected by the Panthers in 2012 and should keep getting stronger to be effective at higher levels of hockey.
Future
Hodges missed most of the 2015-16 season while recovering from off-season surgery. He made his season debut with the ECHL's Manchester Monarchs in February and played six games with the AHL's Portland Pirates. Entering the third year of his original entry-level contract, he will attend training camp looking to secure a full-time role with the Pirates in 2016-17. A former third round pick, Hodges has shown flashes of his potential in the ECHL. Whether he can translate that into an NHL career is uncertain.
