With the 2025 NHL Draft roughly nine months away, NHL Central Scouting came out with its preliminary players to watch list.
The list provides a guide for NHL scouts to track players all over the world. Scouts will spend the lead-up to June travelling and watching these players, circling players they do like and crossing out those they don’t.
Eleven New Englanders made the preliminary list, with a lot more making it who have connections to the region. That number is down from last year when 20 locals opened on the list.
NHL Central Scouting ranks every player with an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ or ‘W’ rating. Here’s what it means.
A rating: First-round candidate
B rating: Second- or third-round candidate
C rating: Fourth- or fifth-round candidate
W rating: Sixth- or seventh-round candidate
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With the 2025 NHL Draft roughly nine months away, NHL Central Scouting came out with its preliminary players to watch list.
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The list provides a guide for NHL scouts to track players all over the world. Scouts will spend the lead-up to June travelling and watching these players, circling players they do like and crossing out those they don't.
Eleven New Englanders made the preliminary list, with a lot more making it who have connections to the region. That number is down from last year when 20 locals opened on the list.
NHL Central Scouting ranks every player with an 'A', 'B', 'C' or 'W' rating. Here's what it means.
A rating: First-round candidate
B rating: Second- or third-round candidate
C rating: Fourth- or fifth-round candidate
W rating: Sixth- or seventh-round candidate
While there were no New England natives given an 'A' rating, former Mount St. Charles star and current Boston College forward James Hagens got an 'A'. Hagens is a favorite to go No. 1 in June.
Carter Amico led the region in the 'B' range. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound defenseman is playing with the U.S. National Team Development Program's U18 team and should easily be the local drafted the highest. NHL teams will most certainly covet his shutdown abilities.
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Only three locals got a 'C' rating: Everett Baldwin, Alex Donovan and Teddy Mutryn. Baldwin plays for the Boston Little Bruins in the fall and will be a star for St. George's in the winter. Donovan and Mutryn, however, will be playing outside the region. Donovan is a headliner for Shattuck St. Mary's 18U team, while Mutryn is with the USHL's Chicago Steel.
Baldwin was the highest-ranking current prep player. Still, seven other prep players made the list as well. Kent defenseman Nathan Di Chiara, Westminster goalie Jack Fichthorn, Cushing defenseman Tyler Russo and Kimball Union forward C.J. Watroba make up the locals.
Salisbury forward Connor Davis, Phillips Andover forward Grayden Robertson-Palmer and Holderness forward Viktor Samal all grew up outside the region but made the list.
Other locals who got a 'W' were former Brunswick defenseman Cooper Cleaves, former Thayer standout Gavin Cornforth and former St. Mark's forward Richard Gallant.
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Here is the full breakdown:
New Englanders on the list
B: Carter Amico | Westbrook, Maine | Boston University commit
C: Everett Baldwin | Providence, R.I. | Providence College commit
C: Alex Donovan | Darien, Conn. | Denver commit
C: Teddy Mutryn | Norwell, Mass. | Boston College commit
W: Cooper Cleaves | Riverside, Conn. | Dartmouth commit
W: Gavin Cornforth | Boston, Mass. | Boston College commit
W: Nathan Di Chiara | Fairfield, Conn. | Uncommitted
W: Jack Fichthorn | Darien, Conn. | Uncommitted
W: Richard Gallant | Concord, Mass. | Harvard commit
W: Tyler Russo | South Hamilton, Mass. | Minnesota State commit
W: C.J. Watroba | West Springfield, Mass. | Merrimack commit
New England connections
A: James Hagens | Boston College | Mount St. Charles
A: William Moore | Boston College commit
A: Charlie Trethewey | Boston University commit
B: Sascha Boumedienne | Boston University
B: Conrad Fondrk | Boston University commit | Mount St. Charles
RinkWise podcast: St. George's boys coach Allie Skelley
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