Nathan Chorlton is a Minnesota prospect that has shown major development and continues to rapidly advance his game. During my latest viewing of Chorlton, my first since the State Tournament, I immediately noticed that his first three steps have taken a drastic step forward, making him an even more likable 2008 prospect and raises his stock moving forward.
The added speed, paired with agility makes the Hastings native a dangerous threat on the ice. There are few in his age group that possess the tools that Nathan has at his disposal and with this extra acceleration added to his arsenal, he’s about to have a major breakout.
During the High-Performance Camp in St. Cloud, he demonstrated his playmaking and his ability to control the puck, often playing a bit of keep away from the opposition. He gained separation with quick turns and sudden change of directions while being crafty with his hands and stick to make defenders confused and overwhelmed. The Cretin-Derham Hall forward would use the extra time to evaluate the play and then send crisp passes to teammates for scoring opportunities.
While Chorlton is not a tall player, he possesses good strength and hockey smarts as he’s extremely difficult to track and even more difficult to hit. Nate uses his size to his advantage and has given high school level defenders a lot of matchup issues. Last season for Cretin, Chorlton had 16 points in 31 games while being one of the youngest players (6/18/2008) playing varsity hockey in the entire state of Minnesota. Expect his points to drastically increase this year.
It’s not all just scoring for Cholton as he is a great defensive forward, that applies maximum pressure to the puck carrier, creating a generous number of turnovers and broken plays each game. The turnovers are created thanks to the forementioned pressure and timely stick work to interfere with the player’s space, taking away lanes and ice.
There is a lot to like about Nate Chorlton and a prospect to bookmark to watch this season.
He is exciting, keeps the goal in his teams zone, team player and never quits amazing you with a twist of direction or surprising pass that is breath taking.
He is passionate about the game and keeps a winning attitude at all times.
Love this athlete
Great article.