Jordan Tourigny

October 2022 – Tourigny had a solid showing at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, wearing an “A” for Team Canada and earning two assists in five games. His defensive game, especially for a 5-11 blue-liner, was impressive, as he often tracked back and made smart reads to adjust to complex defensive scenarios. He has since added six points through 10 games for the Shawinigan Cataractes in the QMJHL and has continued showing those great defensive tendencies.

Tourigny’s strongest asset is his problem-solving ability in all situations, but especially with the puck; he often blends head fakes with shoulder checks and pivots to make him extremely difficult to read along the boards. He will often double or even triple-fake his way out of a forechecker’s reach, making them believe he’s headed one way then momentarily presenting his body in the opposite direction before pivoting back the other way. Tourigny’s problem-solving at high speeds is also very evident on offensive rushes, especially as a power-play puck carrier. He rids himself of wave after wave of pressure effortlessly before making a smart lateral pass on the zone entry for an easy set-up.

Tourigny’s main setbacks are physiological; first, his 164-pound frame currently limits him when pinned or challenged physically. Second, his skating is difficult to evaluate, as the output is far greater than the input. He has fluid footwork and gets around the ice pretty well, but his knee bend and ankle flexion are sub-par. He bends at the hip rather than at the knees, causing him to be a bit stiff and turning his low frame and center of gravity from a strength he could leverage to a weakness he must overcome.

All in all, Tourigny is a very smart and creative puck-moving, possession-driven defenseman with solid puck skills across the board, from his shot to his stickhandling. He has great defensive habits as well, but his slight frame and skating stride limit his effectiveness in some areas. He has top-four potential with the right work on improving his posture and core strength. Hadi Kalakeche