Garland is a small, but extremely fast and agile forward. His explosive acceleration helps him beat opponents to pucks and to the net. Due to his low center of gravity and strong legs, he has unbelievable balance on his skates, making him very hard to hit or put down. He is creative with the puck and sees the play develop in front of him very quickly, seeing passing lanes and making quick decisions. He is a pass-first player — too much sometimes as he lets opportunities to shoot go. When he does shoot he has a very impressive release and a dangerous backhand. Very hard and precise wrist shot as well. He competes hard all the time, works hard along the boards. Forechecks hard and fast; Moncton plays a 1-2-2 forecheck and he is always the first one down the zone putting pressure on. He plays with a lot of energy. Doesn’t seem afraid to throw a hit now and then, even though some players have major pounds on him. But he also plays in a way that he doesn’t need to hit. He is fast and intelligent defensively; his good hockey sense allows him to predict opponents’ play and makes him able to cut passes easily. He is not afraid to try some creative plays because he has confidence that he’s going to succeed. (May 2015)