Hicketts is a quick and nimble skater who has good straight-line speed and is quite efficient laterally. He does a good job of sticking with players and maintaining gap control as he is very shifty. Relies a lot on his speed and efficiency to make up for his size dis- advantage, which is prevalent. Has good puck-movement skills and does a quality job of quickly and precisely moving the puck. More of a pass-first defenseman instead of a rushing type. Very patient with the puck on his stick, and does a good job of handling and protecting the biscuit. Has a good, quality shot that he uses when he has open lanes. Solid smarts and awareness of when to pinch in to make a play offensively and when he should back off. Very responsible defensively, and does a good job of holding the line or backing off and maintaining his positioning, never being caught trying to get greedy offensively. Gets pushed around considerably if there is sustained physical contact. Hicketts will thrive if he can knock opponents off the puck on initial contact and quickly steal it away. Doesn’t throw a lot of hits, but has a stocky build for a player of his limited height. Does a good job of maintaining coverage and using his stick to his advantage. He displays very good poise, confidence and communication with his teammates. (May 2014)