Ht/Wt: 6' 0"/210 lbs
Position: LW
Team: Quebec (QMJHL)

Adam Erne's Player Profile

Without making big waves, Erne has put yet another solid season this year in the QMJHL. He was a reliable force on offense for the Quebec Remparts as he improved his production from last year. Erne’s play fits in between a highly talented player and a power forward. He is a good skater with impressive explosion for a big player and he uses that to his advantage. He is not as dynamic as some highly skilled players in this draft, but he does a good job exploding on the wing and cutting to the net.

Erne possesses tremendous top speed and can make even the best defensemen look vulnerable. His feet are quick and they make him an agile skater, twisting and turning with ease on the boards. That fact, mixed with his size, gives him amazing tools to create space. In the neutral zone, he won’t hesitate to carry the puck for extended periods of time and does a good job of letting it go at the right moment. Indeed, his puck distribution is very good and Erne shows developed maturity and intelligence in his passing game, able to execute tremendous cross-ice feeds and quick short passes. His hands are definitely not elite but he handles the puck well whether at top speed or stationary. With a quick rolling movement of the wrists and can fire a rapid wrist shot. His shot is released in a hurry and gives no time for the goalie to control the rebound. It’s a powerful shot that he prefers to use in the lower part of the net. A natural goal scorer, Erne is strong on his stick when battling for a loose puck in front of the net. He showed great offensive hockey sense on multiple occasions, getting into a scoring position when teammates control the puck. Erne is dangerous around the net, his bread and butter all season long, crashing and feeding open teammates, trying the wrap around or simply jumping on rebounds.

One of the reasons why the words power forward are used when talking about Erne is because of his blend of grit and physical play. He can impose a nasty physical presence along the boards with his size and good motor skills. We have seen him absolutely destroy some of his opponents with punishing hits, whether they are in his own zone or on the forecheck, Erne can be a very intimidating player when he plays this way. He will initiate physical contact and rarely have we seen Erne get over powered when engaging in a body positioning battle in a race for a loose puck. He has created soft ice for his teammates in many of our viewings by using is big frame to play this way. Defensively, Erne has progressed well, using great anticipation to play his positional game and physical intensity to make sure the puck gets out. When there is a pass to be made he will do it, but rarely will he cause a turnover near his own blue line.

One of Adam’s few weaknesses is his consistency. He can get away with a non-physical approach to his game in the Q by using his speed, good hands around the net and finishing touch to have an impact on the game. We feel it’s a commitment he will have to make every night in professional hockey to be successful. On some nights this season, Erne was a beast, crashing the net, banging bodies and displaying a tremendous work ethic. On other nights, he played a softer game and that’s an area where he needs to be better. His finishing touch could be better, Erne could have had more than 40 goals this season with better opportunism around the net, he needs to stay aggressive and keep practicing the accuracy of his hard shot and maybe add more variety to his shooting game. Erne has been a favourite of ours in his last two seasons with the Québec Remparts. His mix of hockey sense, physical ability and good hockey tools makes him one of the top prospects in this draft class.
Submitted by: Hockey Prospect ... from their Black Book

Erne features the ideal power forward style that NHL teams love, as his high-end north/south game is coupled with good skill. His best attribute is his skating; he frequently bursts through the neutral zone, drawing penalties, creating chances, and downright embarrassing defensemen with his speed and acceleration. His willingness to drive to the net combined with his strength are deadly when combined with his speed. One scout described him as a "horse" in terms of his raw physical attributes. Erne's hands are pretty good, and he can control the puck well in full flight. Creativity and playmaking are not his specialty, but his finishing ranks as above average.
Submitted by: Corey Pronman of Hockey Prospectus. Click here for Pronman's draft rankings

If your team is looking for a hard-nosed forward at the draft, Adam Erne may fit the bill. He doesn’t have overwhelming size, but the stocky winger is physically mature and will be NHL ready sooner than later. Erne is a player who won’t shy away from the dirty areas on the ice and is always willing to initiate contact and play in traffic.

If your team is looking for a hard-nosed forward at the draft, Adam Erne may fit the bill. He doesn’t have overwhelming size, but the stocky winger is physically mature and will be NHL ready sooner thanlater. Erne is a player who won’t shy away from the dirty areas on the ice and is always willing to initiate contact and play in traffic.
Submitted by: The Scouting Report

Erne was one of a handful of players that was just a cut above the rest at Select 17s camp. He has very good offensive abilities and finesse to his game, but also likes to pound opponents with open-ice hits or along the boards. He has a very powerful skating stride so he can create tons of offensive opportunities. He also has a very powerful shot and can simply blow shots by goaltenders. He plays with grit, power, soft hands with vision and pure sniping ability. In one game just blew by the defense wide and purely rocketed a shot low to the far side of the wing. He then scored a second goal of the game by taking a pass in the slot and quickly releasing a deadly, accurate shot. High on NHL teams draft radar.
Submitted by: Russ Bitely from the USA Hockey Player Development Camp – Select 17s (‘95s) – Rochester, NY – June 24th-29th

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Adam Erne Videos

Adam Erne


Adam Erne profile

Adam Erne Highlights

Adam Erne's highlight reel goal in Game 7

Adam Erne hit on Olivier Archambault (Jan. 21, 2012)


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