Hockey Prospects, NHL Draft, Hockey Scouting,OHL Draft

The Calgary Hitmen have been one of the hottest teams in all of the CHL over the past couple months and nobody has meant more to the team in that time than Jimmy Bubnick.

Bubnick has had a resurgence in his game reminding us as to why the Atlanta Thrashers drafted Bubnick in the 6th round back in 2009. As a '91 birth, Bubnick came into the season as an overager and was expected to have a strong campaign and be a key veteran for the Hitmen.

Over the course of the season, Bubnick has not only met those expectations, but exceeded them to the point that he has helped lead the team to a surprisingly successful season, he's also earned himself a real shot at playing pro hockey next year in the process. This is because the Thrashers opted not to offer Bubnick a contract, making him a free agent. Now that Bubnick's shown what he's capable of, he's earning a real hard look from NHL squads.

Bubnick has always been a threat to score with the puck on his stick. The biggest difference for him is the improved play without the puck this year. The combination of the hard work without the puck and the scoring ability with it have helped Bubnick to emerge as a leader for the Hitmen. The refinement in his game has been refreshing to see and his abilities along the wall, getting in shooting lanes to block shots, improved compete level, and added strength to hold off opponents have really gone a long ways to make this season so good for him.

The talented forward has a great frame and a pro-level shot.The size, strength, and skating combination that he comprises has always been intriguing and now that he's putting together the rest of his game, he just may get the chance to play pro hockey somewhere next season and possibly earn an invite to an NHL camp if he is able to sustain his high level of play for the duration of the season.