Adam Erne

History

2010-11: Adam Erne joined the USHL’s Indiana Ice after committing to playing college hockey at Boston University in 2013-14 in July. In 45 games with the Ice he scored 10 goals with 8 assists and was minus-18 with 49 penalty minutes. Indiana finished third in the Eastern Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Erne was plus-one with 1 assist in three playoff games. He was selected by Halifax in the second round (22nd overall) of the 2011 QMJHL Entry Draft.

2011-12: Obtained by the Quebec Remparts in a July trade with Halifax, Erne decided to forego college hockey and instead skated in the QMJHL. In his first season with the Remparts he scored 28 goals with 27 assists in 64 games and was plus-six with 32 penalty minutes. The Remparts finished third in the East Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Erne scored 2 goals with 4 assists and was plus-five with 10 penalty minutes in 11 playoff games.

2012-13: Ernie was the leading scorer for Quebec in his second season after representing the USA at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka U18 Tournament in August. In 68 games with the Remparts he scored 28 goals with 44 assists and was plus-11 with 67 penalty minutes. Quebec finished third in the East Division and reached the second round in the playoffs. Erne scored 5 goals with 5 assists and was plus-one with 19 penalty minutes in 11 playoff games. At the Ivan Hlinka Tournament he scored two goals and was named Player of the Game in the Americans’ only win – a 5-3 victory over Slovakia. Erne was ranked 26th amongst North American skaters in the Central Scouting final rankings and was selected by Tampa Bay in the second round (33rd overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft.

2013-14: Erne signed a three-year entry level-contract with Tampa Bay in April 2014 — making his pro debut with AHL affiliate Syracuse following his third QMJHL season with Quebec — and played for the USA in the 2014 World Junior Championship. He scored 1 goal with 3 assists and was -1 with 2 penalty minutes in eight games for the Crunch. Syracuse finished fifth in the East Division, missing the AHL playoffs. Erne was the Remparts’ second-leading scorer behind then-Rangers’ prospect Anthony Duclair despite a lingering wrist injury that required off-season surgery. He scored 21 goals with 41 assists and was -3 with 65 penalty minutes in 48 regular season games. Quebec finished third in the East Division, falling to Rouyn-Noranda in a first-round playoff series. Erne scored 1 goal and was -1 with 2 penalty minutes in his only playoff game. He had 1 assist and was -1 in five games at the WJC for the USA, which finished fifth after losing, 5-3, to Russia in a quarterfinal game.

2014-15: Erne returned to Quebec for his fourth season with the Remparts. leading the team in goals (41) and penalty minutes (102) while skating in 60 of 68 regular season games. He had 45 assists and was +21 and his 86 points were four behind 2015 NHL Draft-eligible rookie Dmytro Timashov, who led Quebec with 90 points. Quebec finished second in the East Division behind Rimouski and faced the Oceanic in the QMJHL finals after sweeping Moncton in a semifinal series. Ernie trailed only Jets’ prospect Nikolaj Ehlers of Halifax in playoff points heading into the finals. He led all scorers with 17 goals and had 8 assists through his first 18 playoff games.

Talent Analysis

Erne is a fleet-footed power forward who blows by, or more often, right through defenders as he drives to the net. Though he plays a hard-nosed game, he has soft hands and a blistering shot that he's able to fire off quickly. Blending offensive skill and physical prowess, he plays a responsible game in his own end and is willing to compete in all there zones.

Future

Erne was a dominant forward and opportunistic goal scorer for Quebec in 2014-15 and appears close to being able to make the jump from juniors to pro hockey. Though eligible to return to the Remparts next season, he will likely begin his pro career following training camp in the fall. Erne's multi-faceted style suggests he can fill many roles at the pro level, depending on his consistency as he continues to develop. With a deep group of forwards in Tampa Bay the Lightning may be tempted to allow him to skate for Syracuse at the AHL level to adjust to the pro game. His skill level and physical tools suggest he will be NHL-ready sooner rather than later.