PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Mount Saint Charles won the 15 Only division at the Overspeed Hockey Paul D. Merritt Holiday Classic over the weekend.
Mount Saint Charles defeated Windy City Storm by a score of 5-2 to capture the championship banner. The team’s top forwards, Nicholas Whitehead, Conrad Fondrk and Dylan Krayer, took over the game in Sunday’s final at Schneider Arena on the campus of Providence College. Whitehead, who scored a hat trick and added an assist in the final, was named the tournament’s MVP.
It was fitting that Mount Saint Charles and Windy City Storm met in the final. The two teams were clearly the most talented in the field. North Jersey Avalanche and Philadelphia Flyers Elite met in the third-place game while South Kent and Colorado Rampage fought it out in the fifth-place contest.
The tournament was well run by longtime pro scout Toby O’Brien, who now runs skills sessions and other initiatives through his company, Overspeed Hockey.
Below are evaluations of 13 players who stood out at the Overspeed Hockey Paul D. Merritt Holiday Classic 15 Only Division, based on viewings over three days at Addelard Arena, Smithfield Municipal Rink, and Schneider Arena.
Forwards
Nicholas Whitehead
Mount, 2/11/07, C, left shot, 5-9/147
Whitehead’s skating and skill made him a threat throughout the tournament. As mentioned above, he scored a hat trick and added an assist in Sunday’s final. His edge work, agility, and stick allow him to make plays in small areas. He can cut to the middle and separate from opposing defenders. His second and third goals were snipes, showing off his shot. The first goal was a backhand after deking the goaltender. Whitehead is a lock to make the NTDP Evaluation Camp, at the very least.
Conrad Fondrk
Mount, 6/1/07, C, left shot, 5-10/170
Fondrk had a shorthanded goal in the final and picked up a goal and an assist in an earlier viewing of Mount on the weekend. He’s more of a power forward than Whitehead. He’s an explosive skater who bulls his way to the scoring areas. He can cycle pucks down low and come off the wall with drive. Fondrk is a lock to make the NTDP.
Dylan Krayer
Mount, 3/12/07, RW, right shot, 5-8/145
Krayer had a terrific weekend, playing the right wing on Whitehead’s line. He picked up a goal in Friday night’s game against Windy City and added another one in the final versus the same team. His goal in the final was a nice one-timer off a feed from Whitehead on zone entry. Krayer is one of the most underrated players in this region. The Concord, Mass., native has good hockey sense and competes in order to make an honest effort at both ends of the ice. A couple of his passes to Whitehead in the final were things of beauty.
Andrew O’Neill
Windy City, 2/7/07, C, right shot, 6-1/170
O’Neill didn’t get much in terms of production in the few games I watched over the weekend. However, his skating and size are intriguing aspects of his game. He might not have picked up an assist, but a middle lane drive helped set up his team’s lone goal in the final. He’ll translate as a bottom-six center at the very least. He’s got that quick twitch and can really move as a 200-foot forward.
Owen Chartier
Windy City, 1/26/07, C, right shot, 5-10/167
Chartier isn’t in the same class, skating-wise, as O’Neill. However, his compete level and ability to hunt pucks were noteworthy attributes. He’s got good habits. He stops at the net, he’s physical and one backcheck broke up a scoring play for the opposing team.
Sammy Smith
Windy City, 1/18/07, RW, right shot, 5-8/140
Smith wasn’t as well known to me coming into the weekend, but he’s skilled and quick. He picked up a nice assist on a rush play in the final.
Jackson Vaites
Philadelphia Flyers Elite, 7/10/07, C, right shot, 6-1/197
Vaites is a big center with good hands. He was the top prospect on the Philadelphia Flyers Elite. His skating is a work in progress, but he made quite a few plays coming off the wall in his team’s game Saturday afternoon. If he can improve his first two steps and skating in general, he could blossom into an even better power forward.
Cooper Plotts
South Kent, 9/25/07, RW, right shot, 5-10/165
Plotts has a late birthday, which is intriguing. He was good here, scoring two goals during the games I watched. He’s got a good shot. While he’s not been producing as much as a few of his teammates previously, he’s a player to keep an eye on to see if he’s a late bloomer.
Tyson Goguen
South Kent, 1/28/07, C, right shot, 5-7/150
Goguen didn’t produce offensively, at least in the games I saw here, compared to his usual output. His skating did impress, as it typically does. He can make plays on the rush and has the dynamic speed to beat defenders wide.
Brooks Armstrong
South Kent, 3/5/07, RW, right shot, 5-8/154
Armstrong caught my attention a few times over the games I watched here. He skates well and has a high compete level. He won a few races to loose pucks and was tenacious on the forecheck.
Defensemen
Carter Amico
Mount, 3/15/07, D/RW, right shot, 6-4/200
This was one of the better viewings of Amico to date. He played defense for the first two days, but skated on the right wing in Sunday’s final, due to some injuries to a couple of Mount forwards. He’s big, rangy and skates well for his size. He exudes athleticism and scored on a terrific end-to-end rush on Friday afternoon. With his length, he’s able to use his stick to get in passing and shooting lanes. Once he starts learning to use his size as he transitions to junior hockey, his game will explode. There’s a lot of upside here for the Westbrook, Maine, native.
Matthew Grimes
Mount, 5/19/07, D, left shot, 5-10/160
Grimes has high-end physical tools. His skating and stick are both elite for this age group. He can make some big-time plays to promote puck possession and has the ability to contribute offensively. The key for Grimes will be simplifying his game and not over-complicating puck touches.
Drew Allison
South Kent, 7/4/07, D, left shot, 6-1/166
Allison has good size, a hard shot, and some physical attributes that intrigue me when watching him play. He doesn’t have a ton of stick skill and isn’t overly flashy, but he plays the top on one of South Kent’s power play units. If he can become a steady, reliable defenseman while maintaining his shot, he could be a solid five or six at the Division 1 level.
