Ht/Wt: 6' 2"/203 lbs
Position: D
Team: Ottawa (OHL)

Cody Ceci's Player Profile

A big defensemen with dynamic, fast skating and huge offensive upside, Ceci can win races to the puck and can stop breakaways. The player, considered a 200-ft defenseman, can go deep into the opponents’ ice and still return to his position. Thanks to agility, he is capable of quarterbacking power plays --where his slap shot shines. He is also good at executing the first pass to start the breakout, essential to the start of a good offensive rush, and at winning one-on-one battles in his own zone. Ceci is very calm, composed and consistent with the puck. If this eighteen-year-old wants to be more of a defensive asset on his team, he should start getting in front of opponents’ shots more often to reduce the goalie’s amount of work. He could also improve his mobility along the oppositions’ blueline to get open. Another year in the OHL is all he needs to become a well-rounded NHL defenseman.

Comparable: Dan Boyle
Submitted by: Justin Shemie

Strengths – While Cody Ceci is great in many aspects of the game, in my opinion his biggest asset is his hockey IQ. He consistently makes good, smart plays with the puck. Regardless of how much time or space he has, he rarely makes a bad play with it. He pinches often to help out offensively, but almost never gets caught out of position, which is rare for someone who jumps into the play as much as he does. He’s very mobile for his size and his skating ability is one of his better attributes, but it’s not his best. One scout I talked to said “while mobile (especially for his size), he won’t wow you with his skating”. Ceci is not only more than capable of quarter backing a powerplay, but he is very good when used in a shutdown role as well. He can go up against opposing teams players and not only shut them down, but generate offense himself. He’s no Scott Niedermayer, but he’s pretty darn good.

Weaknesses – Talking to several different scouts, the majority seem to think that Ceci’s biggest weakness is not being physical enough considering his physical stature. One scout I talked to about the potential top-10 pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft said that “he’s never really aggressive enough with his size”. While he is by no means soft, he definitely can make himself tougher to play against for his opponents. A scout told me “(As you’ve seen, he) finishes checks, but doesn’t own a mean streak”. If and when Ceci ever develops a mean streak, he’ll be that much tougher to play against.

Career Projection – First pairing (#2) defenseman – While Ceci has very good offensive tools; great hockey IQ and size, I don’t think he will ever become a true number one defenseman on a good hockey team. If he starts playing with more edge and improves his game from a physical stand point that could change, but right now he projects to be a solid two-way number two defenseman who can quarter back a powerplay.
Submitted by: Todd Cordell of TheHockeyGuys

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Cody Ceci Videos

NHL 2012 Entry Draft Profile: Cody Ceci

Ford Draft Central: NHL Draft Combine - Cody Ceci Cody Ceci goal vs Brampton (2012-03-18)



Cody Ceci goal vs Brampton (2009-12-20)



Cody Ceci post game interview - March 6th 2011






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