MARLBORO, Mass. — For many, Labor Day weekend is the last gasp of summer. The last trip to the beach or the vacation home. The last time to wear white shorts. The last time away before school is fully back into gear.
That wasn't the case for hockey parents.
The Eastern Alliance Kickoff was held mainly at New England Sports Center this past weekend (along with some other rinks in the area). Hockey coaches, scouts, parents and kids spent their Labor Day weekend in scenic Marlboro, Mass.
I did too, primarily watching the 15O level, as the Minuteman Flames emerged as champions for the level.
The 2010-born players will be watched over this season for the USHL and CHL drafts, as well as by college coaches for those in their sophomore year of high school.
Plus, many of these players will begin making an impact come the prep season.
These are the 15O teams I watched:
- Boston Hockey Academy
- New York Dynamo
- North Jersey Avalanche
- Connecticut Jr. Rangers
- Yale Jr. Bulldogs
- Atlantic Coast Academy
- Minuteman Flames
- New Jersey Colonials
- Woodbridge Wolfpack
- Neponset Valley River Rats
- East Coast Militia
Here are 20 standout forwards from my time watching various 15O games. A separate story will be done on defenders.
Let's dive in.
Michael Chenel
New York Dynamo 15O, 2010, F, right shot, 5-11/145
Home state: New YorkÂ
Chenel showed himself as a terrific skater. On Friday night against Boston Hockey Academy, Chenel read the play well, went to the net and got a pass that he put in the back of the net. He was able to consistently drive play and use his size to protect pucks.
Kellan Fenstad
Yale Jr. Bulldogs 15O, 7/8/2010, F, left shot
Hometown: Wallingford, Conn.Â
Fenstad looked the part. He's a smooth skater who has strong patience with pucks. Against Atlantic Coast Academy on Saturday, he had a sequence where he rushed the puck himself, got the offensive zone entry, took it around the zone himself and waited for the right passing lane to open up. He forced turnovers, too.
Brandon Gillard
Atlantic Coast Academy 15O, 1/29/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/150
Hometown: Deer Lake, NewfoundlandÂ
Gillard showed high-end upside against the Yale Jr. Bulldogs on Saturday. He was able to consistently drive play from the wing with short bursts of speed and great hands. His poise with the puck was impressive, as he held onto pucks in the offensive zone to help the cycle game. He had a shoot-first mentality, which helped generate rebounds.
READ MORE:Â Would the QMJHL expanding to New England hurt prep hockey?
Connor Jewell
New Jersey Colonials 15O, 3/29/2010, F, right shot, 5-7/145
Hometown: Florham Park, N.J.Â
The Colonials were overmatched when I saw them against the Flames, but Jewell was the only player who consistently got scoring chances. He forced turnovers at the top of the zone and even earned a breakaway late in the second half. His skating and puck-handling abilities made him someone who stood out.
Milan Kutsevich
North Jersey Avalanche 15O, 2/2/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/180
Hometown: Grodno, BelarusÂ
Kutsevich consistently drove play for the Avalanche. On Friday against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Kutsevich started the play, followed it and eventually scored. He displayed poise with the puck and an ability to get to space. I also liked the edge he played with. He showcased dogged compete against Jr. Rangers forwards in the defensive zone, supporting his defensemen low in the zone.
Olivier Lafrenière
Connecticut Jr. Rangers, 3/23/2010, F, left shot, 5-6/159
Hometown: Drummondville, QuebecÂ
Lafrenière scored on an absolute snipe on Friday against the North Jersey Avalanche. He came down his strong side and put it in the smallest spot above the goalie's right shoulder. He scored later in the half when (RANGERS 66) made a phenomenal pass to him.
Porter Matchett
Woodbridge Wolfpack 15O, 12/31/2010, F, left shot, 6-3/190
Hometown: New York, N.Y.Â
Typically, players of this size at this age scare me a bit because as they get older, players catch up to them. But Matchett is already 6-foot-3 and knows how to use his size to his advantage, and that should translate to higher levels. He had no issue navigating to high-danger areas and handling pucks in tight with defenders on him.
READ MORE: 11 uncommitted standout 18U forwards from River Rats Jamboree
Émrik Ménard
Connecticut Jr. Rangers, 2010, F, right shot
Home country: CanadaÂ
Just from having watched Ménard once this weekend, the high-end upside was obvious. His strides were quick, which helped him generate speed. He had nice hands, which helped him drive play and make defenders respect him. Against the North Jersey Avalanche on Friday, he knocked in a rebound in the second half. But his best play came on a 2-on-1 when he showed a shot the whole way and waited for the perfect time to subtly slide a pass across for (RANGERS 9) to score on.
CJ O'Connor
New York Dynamo 15O, 2010, F, right shot, 5-4/130
Home state: New YorkÂ
Sure, O'Connor is 5-foot-4 — but that didn't stop him from winning puck battles and navigating out of pressure and into open ice. He was able to stick-handle through defenders and get out of corners with pucks consistently. His mix of good skating and high compete made him so fun to watch.
Christopher Pinko
North Jersey Avalanche 15O, 2/27/2010, F, right shot, 5-6/165
Home state: New YorkÂ
Pinko's great skating helped him stand out against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Friday. He was able to gain the offensive blue line and create sustained offense. His skating and puck protection allowed him to hold onto pucks longer than most, which allowed new passing lanes and routes to the net to open.
TJ Petropoulos
East Coast Militia 15O, 7/16/2010, F, right shot, 5-6/145
Hometown: Bridgewater, Mass.Â
Petropoulos showed himself to be a slick, skilled winger against the Neponset Valley River Rats on Sunday. Early in the second half, he sifted a great pass through to a teammate for a goal. Petropoulos' small-area passes were impressive, and he was a force at keeping sustained offense going. There's an east-west component to his game that I like. He will be at Milton Academy this winter.
Jack Queally
Neponset Valley River Rats 15O, 7/27/2010, F, left shot, 6-0/180
Hometown: Milton, Mass.Â
Queally scored the River Rats' second goal on Sunday on a nice one-timer from the side of the net. Queally is known as an all-around center whose scoring touch needs to improve. Well, it sure did this weekend with the St. Sebastian's product scoring eight goals over the seven games en route to making the championship game.
Landon Roe
Minuteman Flames 15O, 1/17/2010, F, right shot, 5-10/170
Hometown: New Canaan, Conn.Â
Roe was potent in the offensive zone against the New Jersey Colonials on Saturday. On one sequence, he stick-handled around a defender in the corner and found Owen Lundin (Bolton, Mass.) in front for a goal. In the second half, Roe showed off a quick, hard release when he snapped one by the goalie and off the crossbar. His hands and small-area plays were impressive. He's at Belmont Hill this winter.
Dylan Rothstein
Yale Jr. Bulldogs 15O, 7/6/2010, F, right shot, 5-7/145
Hometown: New City, N.Y.Â
Rothstein is the kind of all-around center you eventually build a roster around. He was good on draws and supported his defensemen in his own zone. Rothstein drove play and showed high-end poise with the puck. He read opposing breakouts well to intercept passes, and showcased great vision of his own when setting up teammates. He's back at Taft this winter.
CJ Sawyer
Minuteman Flames 15O, 6/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Pelham, N.H.Â
Sawyer showed smart offensive instincts when he had the puck on his stick. Against the New Jersey Colonials on Saturday, he had a strong rush where he navigated away from pressure, used deception and hit a teammate on the other side of the net for a scoring chance.
READ MORE: 12 uncommitted standout 18U defenders from River Rats Jamboree
Drew Short
Neponset Valley River Rats 15O, 3/14/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/160
Hometown: Lunenburg, Mass.Â
Short potted two goals against the Militia on Sunday. His first came on a breakaway off a nice pass from Colin Walsh (more on him in a bit). The second also came from Walsh, as Short got open in front and fired it home. Short has good finesse in his game and has nice skill. He will be back at Winchendon this winter.
Ruben Terry
Atlantic Coast Academy 15O, 1/27/2010, F, left shot, 5-7/155
Hometown: Chelmsford, EnglandÂ
On Gillard's goal against the Yale Jr. Bulldogs, Terry forced the turnover in his own zone and zoomed the other way, creating the 2-on-1 for Gillard to score. Terry consistently drove play and facilitated offense in the opposing zone. In his own end, he hustled hard to get down low and support his defensemen and create turnovers.
Maveric Thisdelle
Woodbridge Wolfpack 15O, 3/8/2010, F, right shot, 6-0/163
Hometown: Gatineau, QuebecÂ
Thisdelle was a pain for Atlantic Coast Academy to contain in the offensive zone. He was physical and forechecked hard. He had good hands in tight and was setting up teammates throughout the game. Thisdelle scored a nice goal in the second half when he let a laser of a one-timer go from the slot.
Cooper Volski
New York Dynamo 15O, 2010, F, left shot, 5-9/150
Hometown: Arlington, Vt.Â
Volski was impossible to miss against Boston Hockey Academy on Friday night. He showed high-end compete on the penalty kill, getting up ice quickly to forecheck defenders looking to break the puck out. While his skating isn't his best asset, he was able to drive play and skated pucks with confidence. He always seemed to find ways to get to high-danger areas with and without the puck.
READ MORE: 14 uncommitted 16U standouts from River Rats Jamboree
Colin Walsh
Neponset Valley River Rats 15O, 8/18/2010, F, left shot, 6-1/175
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.Â
I counted two goals and two assists by Walsh on Sunday against the Militia. Here's the thing with Walsh: He's not the fastest skater — but that's fine. Walsh plays at his own pace and slows the game down as good as anyone his age. He let the game come to him and always ended up in the right spot to receive a pass or intercept an opposing breakout. His routes are intelligent. He's slated to be back at Framingham High School this winter.
