Noah Dobson is already a big name in a small town. But the six-foot-three defenceman from Summerside, P.E.I., is soon going to a much bigger place in the National Hockey League.
Ranked fifth on NHL Central Scouting’s list of North American skaters, Dobson isn’t as offensive as the defenceman ranked just ahead of him (Evan Bouchard of the London Knights) or as fast and dynamic as the one ranked right behind him (Quinn Hughes of the University of Michigan). But in terms of an all-around game, Dobson might be the best defenceman in the draft after generational top pick Rasmus Dahlin.
In a span of just over nine months, Dobson helped Canada’s under-18 team win the Ivan Hlinka tournament in the Czech Republic, then won the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and, in May, the Memorial Cup. He was also named P.E.I.’s junior athlete of the year.
So, how was your hockey season?
“It’s been an exciting year,” Dobson told the Canadian Press. “I think years like this only happen once in a lifetime. (I’ve) just been trying to enjoy the experience and have fun with it and take it all in.”
Dobson registered 17 goals and 69 points in 67 games this season for Acadie-Bathurst – he had 26 points in 63 games the year before – then added 13 points in 20 QMJHL playoff games. At the Memorial Cup in Regina, he amassed seven points in four games and was named to the all-tournament team. He was pointless in the Titan’s 3-0 win against the Regina Pats in the final, but led everyone with seven shots.
He is a smooth-skating and efficient defenceman who defends with smart positioning, moves the puck well in transition and possesses a big shot. At 180 pounds, he still has plenty of time to grow into his six-foot-three frame.
Team: Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Position: D
Shoots: Right
Age: 18
From: Summerside, PEI
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 179 pounds
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
NHL Central Scouting: “A very effective two-way defenceman with good puck distribution and a strong shot from the point on the power play. He is a point-producer with size who defends well and utilizes strong positioning and a good stick in the defensive zone.”
Sportsnet analyst Sam Cosentino: “Speaks to me of a top-10 pick in the NHL draft all day long. Good size, skates extremely well, I think sky’s the limit for this guy.”
Acadie-Bathurst general manager Sylvain Couturier: “For a franchise to have a Noah Dobson…it’s not every year that you have that type of player in your lineup. Noah Dobson will be not only a top prospect for the NHL but one day will be a top player in the NHL. I’m pretty sure of it.”
WHAT DOBSON SAYS ABOUT HIMSELF
“I think as a defenceman, you definitely want to take pride in your defensive game. If you can’t get the puck out of your end or stop the other guys, you’re not going to be able to play offence. I think my first year in the ‘Q’, I really wanted to develop my defensive game. From there, I was able to become more offensive and get in the rush more. But first and foremost for me is taking care of my end first and making sure you’re getting the puck up to your forwards and shutting down the other team’s top players.”
EUROPEAN ADVENTURE
The same year Toronto Maple Leaf Auston Matthews prepared for the NHL Draft by moving to Zurich to play in the Swiss League, Dobson left home at age 15 for his own European adventure – a spot in Red Bull Salzburg’s new hockey academy.
Dobson and minor-hockey buddy Jeremy McKenna were recruited by former Montreal Canadien Brian Savage, who had been hired by Red Bull to help run its junior program, and spent the 2015-16 season playing in Austria.
They returned the next season to play in the Quebec League, Dobson in his parents’ hometown of Bathurst, N.B., where the Titan had made him the sixth pick of the Quebec League bantam draft, and McKenna in Moncton.
“It was a great experience for us,” Dobson told Sportsnet’s Hometown Hockey. “We got to see a different part of the world we may never get a chance to go back to, and play the game we love at the same time. I was really happy with my decision to go there.”
Dobson said his season in Europe helped him improve and mature as a player, and made easier the transition to playing for Acadie-Bathurst at age 16.
NO. 53 IN HIS HEART
Dobson wears No. 53 in honour of his grandfather, who died from multiple sclerosis when he was 53.
“I never really had a set (jersey) number before and my dad and I talked about it and we thought it would be a great way to play for him and obviously for my grandmother,” Dobson told The Province newspaper in Vancouver. “It makes my grandmother proud to see me representing him on the ice, and it’s pretty special.”
In Bathurst, Dobson lives in his parents’ former home. Jenny and Andrew Dobson grew up and met in the town before moving to Prince Edward Island.
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