Auston Matthews and Connor Bedard are revolutionizing the National Hockey League (NHL) with their deceptive way of shooting the puck. We will see more and more boys emulate them and find new techniques to change their shooting angles and traumatize the goalkeepers.
Next on this line? Cole Eiserman, from the US Development Program, a real “scoring machine”, in good Quebecois. Going back to last season, Eiserman scored 96 goals in his last 85 games in the jersey of the young American elite.
Stats like that are insane, but what really sets Eiserman apart is his extremely heavy shot, unlike anything his coach Nick Fohr has seen before. And know that Fohr has worked in the US development program for almost 15 years.
“He scored more goals from shots that hit the goalkeeper than anyone else,” explains Fohr, head coach of the U18s this season. I've never seen anything like it. His shot is so heavy that even if it hits the goalkeeper, it turns into a goal.
“Look, I saw Matthews and Cole Caufield reflecting on my years here. But when it comes to the best shot I've ever had the pleasure of seeing, Eiserman is a contender. He is in this condition.
Most of the time, goalkeepers who fall victim to Eiserman's shot don't even understand what just happened.
“I’ve seen a lot of goalkeepers react after a goal,” says Fohr. It happened the other day. In the second period, a goalkeeper is taken out of the game. He runs past our bench right after Cole's goal. Cole had just shot between his pads, but his shot hit the goalkeeper's stick and still found the back of the net.
“It's crazy! The goalie looked at his stick in complete disbelief. They saw a big black spot on the tip of his stick, where the puck had hit him. The shot had enough speed to get through. The poor boy wondered: “How did this puck get in?!” He looked at his stick, completely disillusioned.
How can this peculiarity of Eiserman's shot be explained? Sometimes we can trace a significant event in the player's youth. Connor Bedard, for example, broke the wrist of his right hand in 2017. During his recovery, the child prodigy tirelessly fired shots using only his left arm. So he developed a lightning-fast wrist throw.
When he was young, Mike Bossy hit steel pucks to strengthen his wrists. The late, legendary forward had the best goals per game average in NHL history.
So what's the secret to Cole Eiserman's shot? Unfortunately, the mystery remains unsolved for the time being.
“I wish I had the perfect answer, but honestly I don’t,” Fohr admits. Matthews, it was mostly his way of letting go [en anglais, “release”].”
“For Caufield it was a question of precision. You know his talent. It can accommodate the washer in the thinnest opening. Eiserman isn't just about accuracy. He has a quick trigger like Matthews and is accurate, but his shot also has an element of power that allows the puck to go through the goalie's equipment. It’s truly a joy to witness this every day.”
If Eiserman felt some disappointment when he was shunned by the American selection for the World Junior Championships, he now has free reign to break the program's scoring record (72 in a season), held by Caufield.
All eyes are on Canadian sensation Macklin Celebrini, who is top of the class according to the current consensus, but the team that finishes second in 2024 will receive a very nice consolation prize.