BOSTON — On Monday and Tuesday, some of the best 2008-born players from around the world battled at Harvard's Crimson Combine.
Both days were filled with practices, seminars and Q&As designed to help players navigate their next few years.
Two games were played at the end of each day, which is the action that I watched. Players born in 2010 were doing a separate Crimson Combine. Later this week on Thursday and Friday, the '09s and the '11s will arrive on campus for their Crimson Combine experiences.
A separate story will be done on defensemen and goaltenders. Here are 10 standout forwards from the two games.
David Bosco (Team 4, White 71)
Belmont Hill, 2/8/2008, F, right shot, 5-10/154
Hometown: Winchester, Mass.
Bosco showed well at the Crimson Combine. He did a good job of sifting around opposing defenders and earning high-danger ice with the puck. On Monday, he had a nice dangle of a defender in the offensive zone and made a great pass to his left to Nolan Duskocy (Ellington, Conn.) for a one-timer. The next step for Bosco will be rounding out his 200-foot game at Belmont Hill this winter.
Liam Donnelly (Team 3, Red 71)
Hartford Jr. Wolfpack, 5/29/2008, F, left shot, 5-8/184
Hometown: Ringwood, N.J.
Donnelly has a wicked shot. That was on display in both games, but it really stood out Monday. He scored two goals and could've had more. The first was a goal off a faceoff when he poked the puck through the goalie's legs. The second one came seconds later when he fired a missile over the goalie's blocker. He had the hardest shot at the camp. Match that with his size and ability to not be knocked off the puck and Donnelly is an intriguing prospect to watch with the North Jersey Avalanche 15O club this fall and winter.
Evan Ferraro (Team 1, Red 19)
Windy City Storm 14U, 9/30/2008, F, right shot, 5-8/161
Hometown: Sound Beach, N.Y.
Ferraro stood out to me a lot on Tuesday. He has good speed and because he's smaller, he's got good shiftiness and nice hands. He used that when he carried the puck out of his own end and sifted through the neutral zone. He was around the puck a lot and used his speed to get behind the defense.
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T.J. Hale (Team 1, Red 14)
Shattuck St. Mary's 14U, 1/28/2008, F, right shot, 5-7/137
Hometown: West Fargo, N.D.
Hale opened the camp's games by trying a between-the-legs move within the opening minutes of Monday's game. Later in the game, he tried to do The Michigan. Hale showed off a lot of flash but was also able to use that skill to earn high-danger areas and get scoring chances.
JP Hurlbert (Team 4, White 88)
Dallas Stars Elite 14U, 4/11/2008, F, right shot, 5-10/161
Hometown: Allen, Texas
Hands down the best player at the combine. In Monday's game, Hurlbert could've had multiple goals. He consistently toasted defenders trying to defend him 1-on-1 off the rush. He could've put together a highlight reel off Monday's game alone. He always seemed to find his way to the slot with the puck on his stick and even though this was a showcase, he often dished it to teammates for one-timers. It's not his speed that earned him these chances either — it was his skill and high hockey IQ. He scored the game-winning goal in the shootout on Monday.
Hurlbert also took care of business in the defensive zone. There was a sequence in Monday's game when he helped out below the dots and negated a scoring chance for the opposition, getting under a forward and stealing the puck.
https://twitter.com/EvanMarinofsky/status/1686804517059260440?s=20
In Tuesday's game, Hurlbert potted two goals and added an assist. Ho hum. That's just another day at the office when you realize he scored 112 goals and added 83 assists for a combined 195 points in 75 games for the Dallas Stars Elite 14U team this past season.
I'm fascinated to see what he does in the next 12 months.
Jacob Jett (Team 1, Red 71)
North Jersey Avalanche 14U, 1/1/2008, F, left shot, 5-9/150
Hometown: Summit, N.J.
Jett's offensive abilities were on display over the two days. He kicked off Monday's game by dangling through the defense and backhanding a shot off the crossbar. On Tuesday, he scored by earning a breakaway. While his initial shot was denied, he didn't skate past the net and instead stayed with it, batting the puck in on the second chance.
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Kase Kamzik (Team 2, White 12)
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 14U, 4/15/2008, F, left shot
Hometown: Johnstown, Pa.
Kamzik used his size to his advantage in both games this week. He consistently kept his head up with the puck and used his size to protect it when exiting his own zone and eventually gaining the offensive zone for his team. I counted two goals and one assist for him on Monday. His first goal came from throwing a puck towards the front of the net from the corner that bounced off the goalie and in, while his second was being at the right place at the right time and banging in a rebound. His assist came when he got a nice shot off on net and Liam Boyle scored on the rebound.
Payne Riffey (Tean 2, White 97)
Shattuck St. Mary's 14U, 5/14/2008, F, left shot, 5-10/168
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Riffey played like a strong power forward at the Crimson Combine. He protected the puck well and that was enhanced from his abilities as a good skater. In Monday's game, he had the puck in a corner of the offensive zone and weaved around defenders toward the slot. That's where he made a crisp pass to Andrew Mohesky for a goal. On Tuesday, Riffey scored with a nice shot off the rush.
JT Rothstein (Team 2, White 88)
Mid Fairfield 14U, 1/19/2008, F, left shot, 5-7/141
Hometown: Suffern, N.Y.
Rothstein impressed and was one of the best forwards in both games. On Monday, he scored a goal and added an assist with both coming off the rush. However, it was the goal he scored on Tuesday that stood out the most. Rothstein had the puck along the wall while breaking out of his own zone. With an opponent about to hit him, he didn't panic. He saw an open teammate across the ice and delivered a crisp pass right on the tape under pressure. Rather than saunter up the ice, Rothstein hustled to get back in the play and seconds later, he was in front of the opposing net scoring a goal. His IQ, speed and skill make him an intriguing prospect to watch this winter at Taft.
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Joseph Salandra (Team 3, Red 88)
Mid Fairfield 14U, 2/15/2008, F, right shot
Hometown: Pleasantville, N.Y.
Salandra's offensive instincts were on display both days. He always showed a nose for the high-danger areas and a willingness to do whatever it took to get there. But his big play was in Tuesday's game when he out-competed defenseman Devran Brown for a 50/50 puck off the rush. The two went at it as Salandra got closer to the opposing net. At the top of the circle, Salandra boxed Brown out and gained possession, eventually scoring on a beautiful backhand to forehand move.
