Rinkside Roundup: Beckett Sennecke dazzles his way to World Juniors camp invitation

From the OHL to the NHL, goalscorers kept picking up steam this past week.

Beckett Sennecke potted a goal-of-the-season contender when he dissected the London Knights’ defence and forced his way onto Team Canada’s selection camp roster for the upcoming World Junior Championships. Malcolm Spence also scored a multitude of goals in the OHL this week.

Meanwhile, in the NHL, Shane Wright is in the midst of his hottest goalscoring run to date with the Seattle Kraken, whereas Owen Beck and Luca Del Bel Belluz clinched the pole position in scoring for their respective AHL teams.

Beckett Sennecke, RW, Oshawa Generals (Anaheim Ducks)

Season Stats: 21G, 23A, 44PTS

Last Week Stats: 2G, 6A, 8PTS

It has been a stunning run of form for Beckett Sennecke, logging 14 points in his past four appearances. The 2024 third-overall pick is becoming increasingly dominant with each passing game, not unlike his development in the second half of last season. When Sennecke gets rolling, he becomes nearly uncontainable.

The OHL Player of the Week notched a spot on national highlight reels by taking on Sam Dickinson head-on off the rush, flashing mesmerizing skill, and completing the play by rifling the puck glove-side while off-balance.

OHL defences have struggled mightily to contain Sennecke this season, largely due to his versatility and intelligence. He’s tenacious along the boards, throws his weight around, and has gotten much better at establishing inside position and getting underneath opponents’ sticks. In gritty tight-quarters situations, he keeps his feet moving and continues to explore his playmaking skill. When he has space and time to operate, the pace, creativity, and handling take over, challenging defencemen and attacking downhill through the middle lane. 

Sennecke’s skyrocketing production and dynamic on-puck abilities forced Hockey Canada’s hand in offering him an invitation to the World Junior selection camp, after having surprisingly been left off of it initially. His combination of game-breaking skill, tenacity, and boundless creativity represents a profile few other candidates for Team Canada possess. 

If Beckett Sennecke ends up cracking the roster, count on a couple more highlight reel features come the holiday season.

Shane Wright, C, Seattle Kraken

Season Stats: 7G, 4A, 11PTS

Last Week Stats: 3G, 1A, 4PTS

Coming into this season, Shane Wright had yet to cement himself as an NHLer in Seattle. While his minutes remain somewhat limited, the Canadian pivot is finding his groove on the Kraken’s third line between Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand.

A key element of the strong play accompanying the influx of scoring? Pace. 

Since his slow offensive start to the season, Wright has become far more urgent on both sides of the puck. He’s always read plays very quickly and – until recently – preferred standing back from the fray to observe and opportunistically pick his spots. This wasn’t the case last week. Wright lived in the fray, offering proactive support on the forecheck, keeping his feet in perpetual motion, and defaulting to outworking – rather than just out-thinking – his opposition.

He’s becoming an effective cycle creator from down low and his linemates rely on him finding his way to the net-front. His game-opening goal against the Anaheim Ducks portrayed these elements that make an urgent and pacy Wright a danger to NHL defences.

Wright has not only found a place in Seattle’s lineup, he’s reshaped his game in the process. 

Owen Beck, C, Laval Rocket (Montréal Canadiens)

Season Stats: 7G, 13A, 20PTS

Last Week Stats: 4G, 1A, 5PTS

Sticking in the AHL, another young pivot leads his team in points. Owen Beck’s transition to professional hockey has been smooth as butter. He gained the trust and confidence of Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent with his high-end awareness, effort level, and commitment to defensive play. However, it’s Beck’s pacy offensive punch that catapulted him into the team’s top-six. He hasn’t looked back since.

A two-goal, three-point display against the Toronto Marlies – including a last-minute winner – highlighted his strong week. Most of Beck’s scoring chances are created by his own anticipation and separation speed. He’s always a danger to jump a passing lane and take off the other way and few players have the burners to catch up with him. His in-motion wrist shot is a finely tuned tool and his weapon of choice in the AHL.

A key contributor to the Saginaw Spirit’s Memorial Cup victory in the Spring, Beck’s two-way impact, incessant pace, and opportunistic offensive creation were honed in the junior ranks. It is this maturity that has provided a strong foundation for the exploration of his creativity and puck skills within Laval’s structure. 

Beck is in the process of wriggling his way up the depth chart, surpassing more experienced players, and he shows no signs of slowing down. While this season should see him stick in the AHL, he may well compete for a Habs roster spot come next Fall.

Luca Del Bel Belluz, C, Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)

Season Stats: 15G, 11A, 26PTS

Last Week Stats: 4G, 2A, 6PTS

In just his second season since turning professional, Luca Del Bel Belluz sits second in AHL scoring and third in goals. The intelligent pivot has made consistent use of his high-end release these past weeks, notching nine goals in his past ten games. 

The Woodbridge, ON native is largely scoring from within a couple feet of the crease and has grown into a fine net-front presence for Cleveland. He’s strong on his feet, retains inside positioning effectively, and has showcased a goalscorer’s touch in getting to – and converting on – loose and contested pucks at the net-front ahead of his opponents. 

Del Bel Belluz has compensated very well for his clunky stride mechanics at the professional pace. His brain and hands work in unison at high speeds, facilitating his finding of pockets of space and execution in tight. What he lacks in dynamic speed, he more than makes up for with consistently intelligent reads, stellar physical tools and habits, and a versatile arsenal of releases he requires little time or space to fire off.

While Del Bel Belluz’s production is near the AHL summit, his defensive habits and transition support play could present hurdles at the NHL level. Another year in Cleveland and he may well be ready for a depth scoring role with the Blue Jackets.

Malcolm Spence, LW, Erie Otters (2025 Draft)

Season Stats: 15G, 19A, 34PTS

Last Week Stats: 4G, 1A, 5PTS

While Matthew Schaefer gathers the headlines and collects highlight reel sequences, teammate Malcolm Spence has been the motor keeping Erie running this season. Reliable in every sense of the word, Spence has provided the Otters with physical, middle-driven play with excellent positional awareness. He plays very well in between checks, times his routes like a more senior player, and ruthlessly attacks downhill with a head of steam. 

As he often does, most of his goals this week came from the goalmouth, where he regularly finds himself in the right place at the right time. While he’s far from the flashiest player in the 2025 Draft class, he’s among its most effective.

Elite Prospects OHL scout Lauren Kelly has tracked Spence’s progression for over a year and still finds herself impressed with the polished details in his game: “He plays such an effective game in all three zones, he's constantly circling and looking to expose puck carriers and weaknesses in coverage. His details are such a standout and what set him apart from so many others in this draft class. He plays with such high pace and energy and makes an impact on every shift.”

The story of the season has been one of subtle excellence for Malcolm Spence, but he’s far from being done writing it.