Doetzel is a big, strong stay-at-home defender. He has good feet that he uses to stay with the puck carrier or his check. He transitions well, pivots fluidly and has a very impressive backwards crossover and stride. His feet allow him to stay in position. He has decent hands and plays the puck with poise while the fore-check bears down on him. He makes solid short range passes and uses the glass and boards to chip pucks out of danger. Physically, he uses every ounce of size to deliver hits, play aggressive in corners and keep the crease clear. He makes the smart, unforced play taking what is there and never forcing things. Smart positional play, an active stick and solid defensive instincts make him hard to beat. He’s not ever going to be a big point producer at any level and may be one who goes whole seasons without scoring a goal but that is not where his value lies, he projects as a hard to play against third pairing defensive specialist. (May 2013)