At 6-foot-6 and three-quarters tall, Maveric Lamoureux can’t even claim to be the giant of his crop of National Hockey League draft hopefuls. This title goes rather to the unknown Jack Sparkes, an Ontarian who plays in Junior A with the St. Michael’s Buzzers.
Sparkes is a monster like you’ve rarely seen. Measurements taken at the prospect judging session (Combine) in Buffalo confirmed his height of 6-foot-8…and a quarter. Just 18, imagine. He almost stands on par with Zdeno Chara, the NHL’s greatest ice skater.
But Sparkes skates better than Chara, who has always been able to compensate for his restricted mobility with a great understanding of the game and impeccable positioning. You could even say that Sparkes is agile as a cat, which doesn’t make sense considering his stature.
“There is more than one recruiter who exclaimed in front of me: “He has the size of Chara, but he skates better than him!”, Says the general manager and head coach of the Buzzers, Rich Ricci.
But think again: in the public sphere, there is no enthusiasm around Sparkes. You won’t find him on any list, except for that of the NHL’s Central Scouting, which ranks him 127th in its North American ranking.
You really have to do your homework to understand Sparkes’ appeal and potential, given his modest stats in a league below the OHL. Because NHL teams are curious.
“We had 25 regular season home games. In 15 of those games, at least 20 NHL scouts were on hand. I spoke to about twenty teams and I know what they say about him, ”says Ricci, who is convinced that his player will be drafted in July, probably around the fifth or sixth round.
Pictures: Hockey TV and OJHL
The project
“It brings me back to the good old days with the green giant ads,” enthused NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr over the phone. He’s the biggest player I’ve seen in a while. It’s the classic case of the adage: bigger players take longer [à se développer].»
Sparkes is in an extremely embryonic stage of his development. There is not a bit of exaggeration in this assertion. It has only been three years since this ex-attacker was transferred to defense. He is still learning the basics of his position and the backlash from the pandemic has slowed the process.
This season, he has only just begun to put points on the board. He made eyes widen at the start of the year with eight points in his first 15 games, including four goals.
“He really stood out in the first half of the season,” explained Ricci, his head coach and general manager. He started to produce compared to other years and look like a defender with potential.
La Centrale ranked Sparkes 71st on its North American list at midseason. Ricci swears that at this point his player was in the conversation to be drafted in the second or third round.
“Then he injured his back during a game, mentions the hockey man. We were paralyzed for a month because of the pandemic and it was afterwards that he got injured. When he got the green light to return, he hadn’t been on the ice for nearly two months. He was constantly in catch-up mode in terms of physical conditioning. His second half of the season gave him more trouble, but he regained his ease in the playoffs.
During his viewings, the TVASports.ca observed a player who moved with an ease that betrayed his size and who did a bewildering job of demolition along the ramps. But also a defender sometimes overwhelmed by events, clumsy with the puck, whose decision-making was questionable.
“I would say to you in fact that he has good hands, he can handle the puck well, specifies Ricci. But since he was confused in the second half, I noticed, his decisions weren’t the best, he got rid of a lot of pucks. He was still recovering from his injury. He was showing up and the first 20 seconds were good, but then it turned sour as his body let him down.”
“I have to improve my decision-making and my reading of the game, recognizes Jack Sparkes. I am a student of the game. I watch a lot of hockey [pour y remédier].»
A matter of development
Rich Ricci knows all the data when it comes to Sparkes. He knows that his colt was still recovering from an injury in the second half of the season. He knows that he is still learning a new position and that he will need time to develop.
And because of those extenuating circumstances, he believes in his player. Of course, a teacher will always care about his students. It must be taken into consideration and put into perspective any overflowing optimism.
“In my opinion, if the team that drafts him works with him and takes the time to develop him, to manage him, in five years, I have no doubt that he could play in the NHL. The rest is up to him. He has all the necessary tools, but he needs to get familiar with the position. He must also develop his hockey IQ.
“I’m just getting started. I have a lot more to show”, assures the main interested party, who says he is inspired by the style of play of Colton Parayko.
Sparkes has signed his letter of intent with Michigan State University, but his entry into the NCAA will have to wait. He will report to the Buzzers again in Junior A next year.
“He has to raise his game and be dominant at our level,” said Buzzers GM Rich Ricci. He was good in the first half, but he hasn’t been dominant this year. Next year, he may have the opportunity to represent Canada at the World Junior A Challenge. He must have star status. He must be in charge of the power play and play 30 minutes per game at a high level before going to the NCAA.
That said, even when he makes it to the NCAA, there’s a side to Sparkes’ game that we won’t be able to see yet. In the collegiate circuit, a player involved in a fight automatically receives a game suspension.
“He’s a really good guy off the ice, very personable. He has manners. But there’s one thing I haven’t talked about yet: there’s a wicked side to him, says Ricci. It should come out when he’s at the pro level. There’s a side to him that people are going to experience for the first time. He is nasty.
“If there were more fights in the OJHL, he would destroy guys…”