The 18U USA Hockey Nationals have wrapped up with Shattuck St. Mary's repeating as champion.
New England came oh-so-close to having a team win, as the Yale Jr. Bulldogs fell to Shattuck, 2-1, in the championship game.
This region had five teams battle for a national championship. Mount St. Charles and the Boston Jr. Eagles both went 1-2-0, not making it past the three guaranteed games. The Avon Regals and Central Mass. Penguins made it to the playoffs but lost in their first games.
The Jr. Bulldogs, however, were the No. 2 team in the tournament and pushed to the championship. It's an impressive accomplishment that the Jr. Bulldogs, a split-season team, almost beat Shattuck St. Mary's, one of the most well-known full-season teams in the country, in the championship.
This tournament, which took place in Las Vegas, came after the prep and high school seasons wrapped up, giving uncommitted 18U prospects a final chance in the 2023-24 season to showcase themselves to college coaches.
Here are 10 uncommitted players who stood out.
Charles Blanchard
Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 1/18/2005, F, right shot, 6-0/185Â
Back in the fall, every time I watched the Jr. Bulldogs, Blanchard would find the back of the net (sometimes multiple times). He picked up right where he left off, leading the Jr. Bulldogs in goals (five) and points (eight) in Vegas. His most impressive performance came on the first day against the Anaheim Jr. Ducks. The Avon Old Farms product potted a hat trick in the second period. All three goals had one thing in common: the front of the net, which is where Blanchard seems to always be the most effective.
Sam Caulfield
Boston Jr. Eagles, 8/29/2006, G, catches left, 6-2/185Â
Caulfield's time in Vegas got off to a rocky start, as he allowed two quick goals to Sioux Falls Power. But the Milton Academy product settled in and finished with 30 saves, leading the Jr. Eagles to a 4-3 win. He followed that up with a 33-save performance in a 3-0 loss to the Avon Regals, as the Regals completely stifled the Eagles. Caulfield finished the tournament with a .913 save percentage. He will play for the Blackfalds Bulldogs in the BCHL next season.
Jaden Cholette
Mount St. Charles, 1/30/2006, G, catches right, 6-3/181Â
While it wasn't the best showing for Mount St. Charles, Cholette was a positive. The big goalie made 42 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Yale Jr. Bulldogs in the second game. His size helped him cut down angles and when pucks were redirected, there was a good chance he'd get a piece of it. He followed up the tough loss with a 24-save win against the Anaheim Jr. Ducks. His 1.98 goals-against average and .943 save percentage both ranked fifth among all goalies in Vegas. In NHL Central Scouting's Midterm Rankings, Cholette ranked No. 25 among North American goalies.
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Aidan Connors
Boston Jr. Eagles, 8/9/2005, D, left shot, 6-0/161Â
It wasn't the greatest showing for the Jr. Eagles, as they were shut out in two of their three games. But Connors still showed well. He used his speed and awareness to earn a breakaway in overtime against Sioux Falls Power, making a nice move to his backhand to score the winner. Just like during his prep season with St. Sebastian's, he showed himself to be an all-situations defenseman, blocking shots at one end while facilitating the puck at the other.
Connor Davis
Avon Regals, 11/9/2006, F, right shot, 6-1/174Â
Since the start of the prep season, I've been more impressed with Davis' game every time I've watched him. At nationals, his compete was what stood out the most again. That was on display on Avon's lone goal in a 1-0 win over Sioux Falls Power. As the third man high, Davis read where opposing defenseman Augustus Elbert was going, cutting him off and knocking the puck loose. That led to Regals forward Oliver Morris finding Nicolas Petrut for a goal on a 2-on-0. Davis finished the tournament with two goals including a beauty against BK Selects. The Salisbury product hustled for a loose puck, chipped it past a defender and scored.
Ronnie Hill
Mount St. Charles, 10/3/2006, F, right shot, 5-8/150Â
Hill has been someone I've liked all season. That continued into nationals. In Mount's three games, Hill posted two goals and five points. He started off hot, opening the scoring against the Central Mass. Penguins in the first game. Hill, as the third forward high on the forecheck, read the breakout pass and stole the puck from the Penguins wing. Then, he took it to the net and with two defenders on him, ripped a quick snap shot for a goal. Those are the kinds of plays Hill has become known for making.
Mitchell McCusker
Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 8/29/2005, G, catches right, 6-2/185Â
Both McCusker and fellow netminder Kyle Ozgun had strong tournaments. But McCusker came up in big moments for the Jr. Bulldogs. In the first round of the tournament playoffs, he had to make 42 saves to take down the New Jersey Rockets, 4-2. He got the nod in the championship against Shattuck St. Mary's and while the Jr. Bulldogs still lost, 2-1, it definitely wasn't because of McCusker. The Frederick Gunn product made 31 saves. One of them was a stunner early in the second period. Shattuck forward Ryker Lee had a wide-open net, but McCusker stuck his stick out and got all of it, preventing an easy goal. He also made multiple clutch saves down the stretch to keep his team in it.
Nicolas Petrut
Avon Regals, 12/14/2006, F, right shot, 5-9/150Â
Petrut tallied four goals in the tournament, including a hat trick against the Jr. Coyotes in the playoffs. All three of his goals against the Jr. Coyotes came from the net front. On his second goal, he grabbed the puck high in the zone, cut to the middle and fired a nice, low wrist shot into the back of the net. On his third, he snagged the puck in the corner and took it straight to the net, picking the perfect time to sift it by Coyotes goalie Benjamin Vatis.
AJ Sacco
Central Mass. Penguins, 11/28/2005, F, left shot, 5-8/155Â
Get a load of this: With less than three minutes left in the third period against the Jr. Ducks, the Penguins were down 2-0. That's when Sacco got the puck and fired a shot on net. The puck deflected off Brendan Agnew and in, cutting the Jr. Ducks' lead. With 40 seconds left, the Jr. Ducks fired a puck into the empty net, giving them a 3-1 lead. But Sacco didn't quit. Off the ensuing face-off, Sacco hustled for the loose puck, gained the offensive zone and dropped it for Owen Tatro (Colchester, Vt.) who fed Luke Goukler for a goal, bringing the Penguins to within one. The heroics continued, as with 3.6 seconds left in the game, Sacco dug a loose puck out that eventually got to Tanner Hunt for the tying goal. Sacco finished the tournament with one goal and five points.
CHAMPS: 7 standouts from Mount St. Charles' 14U national title win over Shattuck St. Mary's
Tyler Spokane
Avon Regals, 2/9/2005, G, catches left, 5-11/165Â
The saying goes, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." But I'd imagine Spokane is hoping what he did in Vegas doesn't just stay in Vegas. The Millbrook product led the Regals to a 1-0 shutout over Sioux Falls Power, making 35 saves. In his next start, he made 22 saves to shutout the Jr. Eagles, 3-0. In the Regals' one postseason game, he entered in relief for goalie Aiden Hopewell against the Jr. Coyotes. Spokane finished with a dazzling 0.40 goals-against average and a .985 save percentage.
