Dovar Tinling commits to RPI
Former UVM player is very talented with the potential to really pop
Over a month ago, RPI picked up a commitment from ‘03 forward Dovar Tinling. Tinling is currently playing for the Penticton Vees in the BCHL and has 17 goals, 30 assists and 47 points in 43 games. Last year, Tinling left UVM in the middle of the season and went to play with the Des Moines Buccaneers where he had 12 goals, 13 assists and 25 points in 39 games. Before attending UVM, Tinling had 51 points in 50 games for the Hawkesbury Hawks in the CCHL as a 16 year old. The Score has an excellent profile on Tinling where they discuss the decision to go to UVM early and give a good look at his hockey journey up until that point. It’s well worth your time to read.
Tinling was considered a very talented NHL draft prospect just a couple years ago, ranked #80 by NHL Central Scouting, #133 by Neutral Zone and #201 by FCHockey. Neutral Zone had him rated as a 4.5 star player as a recruit. He was the youngest player in college hockey his freshman year at UVM when he was 17, which caused him to struggle. He only had 3 points in 26 games there across two seasons before leaving.
It’s easy to see why Tinling was so highly touted by reading his scouting reports and watching him play. FCHockey speaks highly of his skating and passing. Smaht Scouting really liked his game, saying many positive things including this about his skating: “Tinling is a fluid, efficient skater with a good burst of speed. He recovers well through his stride and his edgework allows him to be elusive. He regularly looked at least a step quicker, if not more, than others on the ice, even when Vermont played higher-end competition like Boston University. His skating enhances his playmaking with his ability to get into the soft areas of the ice and find lanes through the defense.” Both them and The Hockey Writers liked his skating, playmaking and hockey sense. Tinling clearly has a lot of good qualities to his game.
Watching Tinling myself, the skating and skill jumped out immediately for me. His skating is smooth, elusive and quick. It’s really difficult for defenders to get a body on him due to his agility. His acceleration and quickness allows him to transport the puck through the neutral zone easily. He is fast as well, but the funny thing is that he very rarely needs to get to top speed because his quickness and agility allow him to separate without going full speed. For his skill, Tinling has very quick hands that keep up with his feet. He is deceptive with the puck because he has the skill to dangle defenders, and he has the skating and speed to get them off balance. His shot is pretty good, and he is good at finishing his chances. Overall, he makes the game look easy with the way he plays.
A lot of what you see in the scouting reports and on the video is backed up by the stats. Tinling averages 0.76 passes to the slot per game, which shows off his high level playmaking. He also shows good hockey IQ and two-way play at center. He wins faceoffs at a whopping 63% rate and has good defensive metrics. Last year with the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL, he won 55% of his faceoffs, averaged 0.54 passes to the slot per game and a whopping 2.7 stickhandling entries per game. In both leagues, he scored goals above his expected rate to show his finishing ability. He has succeeded in both leagues, which are the two best junior leagues that maintain college eligibility.
Tinling will come to RPI this fall and will make an immediate impact at either center or wing. He can play both and shouldn’t have an issue playing either position. I expect him to start out in the middle 6, but with his talent, I think he will be in the top 6 by the end of the season and contributing a lot. Tinling is an exciting player; it’s not often RPI gets a player of his talent-level, even if his development didn’t go as planned at UVM. I can’t wait to see him wearing the Cherry and White this fall! Congratulations to Dovar and his family!