The leading defensive scorer for the Jr Bulldogs, Michael Tauskela was most recently spotted with the U18 squad during their playoff run. Tauskela is a very reliable player in his own zone, and is great at lifting sticks and being able to break up plays. Tauskela is an amazing battler in front of the net, and is amazing at forcing the opposition to pass the puck, instead of waiting for them to do so. This is Tauskela’s biggest standout feature, as he is constantly working to make his opponents struggle with their passes, and is great at forcing mistakes. Tauskela is a fairly quiet and routine regimented player usually, but he does like to talk with his teammates in the room, and when he really needs to on the ice. Tauskela’s mentality is built off of a high work ethic, where he displays this both in games and in practices. Tauskela displays elements from the games of both Morgan Reilly and Aaron Ekblad, due to Reilly’s calmness and ability to make plays, and Ekblad’s more well rounded defensive tendencies. Despite not being amongst the top players available, Tauskela is very excited at the prospect of getting drafted and playing at the next level, and to him it doesn't matter where he goes as long as he is playing with his friends, working hard, and having fun. During the off season, Tauskela is planning to work on his decision making and his communication, which will allow him to think faster. Tauskela also plans to work on his shot and speed, as well as bulking up.