FOXBORO, Mass. — Players from all over the continent converged on the Foxboro Sports Center over the weekend to take part in the annual New England Pro-Am Pre-Draft Showcase.
With plenty of talent on hand at the three-sheet facility, as well as several other rinks in the area, college coaches, NHL scouts and agents watched closely. Division 1 college programs from Hockey East, ECAC Hockey and Atlantic Hockey were represented in the rink. Close to a dozen NHL scouts also came to watch a few of the draft-eligible prospects playing in the three-day showcase.
I took in the action at Foxboro Sports Center to get a look at some familiar faces as well as some other players who aren’t as well-known. As is the case with most offseason showcases, there was a wide disparity between the top teams and players and the lesser ones. As a result, there was plenty of sloppy hockey and lopsided scores. However, the New England Pro-Am Pre-Draft Showcase was a good chance to check in on some prospects and highlight others for further viewings down the road.
While the event is certainly watered down, a couple of players skating around Foxboro last weekend will be selected in next month’s NHL draft — Dexter Southfield ’03 C Matt Copponi (Merrimack) and Omaha Lancers ’02 D Hunter McDonald (RPI). Other committed players who impressed were Omaha Lancers ’01 C Michael Posma (Boston College), Brooks Bandits ’02 D Zach Bookman (Merrimack), Junior Bruins ’04 D Jackson Dorrington (Northeastern), and Kent ’03 C Ryan Remick (Maine).
Summer hockey is in full swing across New England. Many of the standout players from this event were written up after last weekend’s Battle of Boston or the Next Gen Uncommitted Showcase. In an effort to not be repetitive, I am only writing up and evaluating players who weren’t highlighted after those two events. Furthermore, it was virtually impossible to see every team at the showcase. Only players I saw live at the event are written up below.
Please note that numerous rosters were incomplete, inaccurate or not submitted. It is a lot of work for tournament and team organizers to put on these events, but it’s a disservice to players paying to not have accurate rosters readily available for scouts and college coaches. I did my best to verify all things I saw, but some players might be missed due to the unwillingness of certain coaches to submit correct roster information. I always enjoy being in the rink, covering and scouting these events. I’m grateful that hockey is back in full gear, but it sure would be nice to have accurate program books at the sign-in table.
Broken down by birth year, here are the uncommitted players who stood out at this past weekend’s New England Pro-Am Pre-Draft Showcase:
2004s
Andrew Garzone
Deerfield/CC Whalers 16-U, 5/30/04, RW, right shot, 5-11/160
I’ve said this for a few months, but Garzone proved it again here this weekend. The Dover, Mass., native is one of the most improved players in his birth year. Garzone has good size and plays a strong north-south style as a power forward. He produced, but he also gives an honest effort every shift while winning battles by being heavy on pucks.
Grayson Badger
Dexter Southfield/CC Whalers 16-U, 5/9/04, RW, right shot, 6-0/170
Badger is one of the hardest-working forwards in New England. He flies around the ice, hunting pucks, forechecking with tenacity, and bringing a physical element. He has more skill than he’s sometimes given credit for. His skating and hockey sense are both areas of his game that could improve for him to fully maximize his potential. Still, he’s one of my favorite players in the birth year, and there’s a reason a lot of the big college programs in the region are pursuing him.
Owen West
Honeybaked 16-U, 6/1/04, D, left shot, 5-11/165
West is raw, having played for the little-known Tri-State Spartans until this season. He has an above-average stick and can contribute offensively. His skating is still developing, but I think he has significant upside. He even got a few games as a call-up with the NTDP U-17s and Omaha Lancers in 2020-21.
Joey Muldowney
Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16-U, 6/5/04, RW, right shot, 5-10/150
Muldowney, from Lake Shore, N.Y., has a lot of skill. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s definitely bulked up and gotten heavier on pucks over the past year. He skates well and makes plays. His stick skills were very evident throughout the weekend.
Mason Kesselring
Cushing/Northern Cyclones Prep 16U, 3/15/04, C/LW, left shot, 6-3/175
Kesselring is another one of the region’s most improved players over the past 12 months. He’s shown some flashes over the last few years, and there’s still room for growth in his game. However, this was my best viewing of Kesselring to date. He has good size and his skating looked more explosive. He has length and created offense.
Ben Muthersbaugh
Tilton, 2/15/04, LW, left shot, 6-2/181
Muthersbaugh has a very good stick. The Gilford, N.H., native has a hard shot, and his skill is above average. His size is intriguing, as he certainly could be a power forward at the college level. He skates a little hunched over, but that’s gotten better and it shows in his speed. His hockey sense is the area of his game that will need to continue getting better as he makes the jump to junior hockey. According to sources, Muthersbaugh will play for the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs in the NCDC next season.
Brock Jones
Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16-U, 11/14/04, C, right shot, 5-7/151
Jones has slick skill with the puck on his stick. He’s rugged and has a low center of gravity. His skating and hockey sense are both parts of his game that can get better. He produced here, and he’s definitely fun to watch with the puck on his stick.
Liam Chapman
Seacoast 16-U, 3/11/04, D, left shot, 6-1/194
Chapman is a big, strong, two-way defenseman. He can play with some jam in his own zone while jumping into the offense at the other end. From Weare, N.H., he skates well enough, shoots it hard, and can bring a physical element.
Billy Sancibrian
Seacoast 16-U, 6/10/04, LW, left shot, 6-1/185
Sancibrian was one of the more impressive players in the lower division at this tournament. He’s a big power forward who can drive the net and finish. The Barre, Vt., native is a goal scorer who shoots it hard and excels at playing a north-south game. If there’s one part of his game that needs work, it’s his skating.
Joseph Lomtevas
Northern Cyclones 16-U, 9/10/04, RW, right shot, 6-3/185
Lomtevas has good size and showed the ability to finish here. He’s a power forward who possesses an above-average skill-set. The Huntington, N.Y., native just completed his first season in New England with the Cyclones after playing previously for Long Island Royals and Long Island Gulls.
Charlie Robinson
Nichols, 2/19/04, D, right shot, 5-11/154
Robinson has good mobility and an above-average stick. He can contribute offensively, but his hockey sense and limiting turnovers are areas of his game that need improvement. The Buffalo, N.Y., native played youth hockey for the Buffalo Regals.
2003s
Ryan O’Connell
Mount Saint Charles 18-U, 10/23/03, C, left shot, 5-11/150
O’Connell took a nice step during his second season with Mount Saint Charles. Again this past weekend, he showed that he’s a solid player. He skates well and can finish. The Moorestown, N.J., native was around the puck a good amount.
Kellen Beauton
Pomfret/RI Hitmen 18-U, 1/29/03, G, catches left, 6-1/175
Beauton caught fire this weekend, standing tall to lift his team to the playoffs. The Colchester, Conn., native has good size and athleticism. I’ve questioned his consistency a little in the past, but he looked good in Foxboro.
Brendan Kimball
Trinity-Pawling, 8/24/03, D, left shot, 6-0/168
Kimball’s feet and skating are very good. From Jupiter, Fla., his mobility allows him to break pucks out and move pucks north. He projects as an offensive defenseman who could quarterback a power play. He still could become heavier, but he’s gotten better in that regard since I first saw him.
Justin Cataldo
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 18-U, 2/20/03, G, catches left, 5-11/170
I’ve seen Cataldo for a few years now, dating back to when he played his Bantam year at Pittsburgh Penguins Elite. After a two-year hiatus with Selects Academy, he was back there this winter with the organization’s 18-U team. As he did this weekend, he always makes a lot of saves and is on winning teams. I think he could make the jump to being a backup in the NAHL or NCDC next winter.
Sam Sibold
St. Paul’s, 10/18/03, C, left shot, 5-10/155
I hadn’t seen Sibold play in a while, but in my brief viewing this weekend, I was impressed. He looks to have taken his game up a notch after two seasons at St. Paul’s. The Cardigan alum and Essex Junction, Vt., native has some skill and skates well. At the very least, NESCAC programs should be watching him closely.
2002s
Sean Melso
Jersey Hitmen, 9/26/02, D, left shot, 6-0/174
I first noticed Melso during the 2019-20 season while skating for Virtua. He made the jump to the NCDC with Toby Harris’ Jersey Hitmen in 2020-21. He was sharp here while bringing an offensive element from the back end. His skating is above average, and I think he’s quietly blossoming into a Division 1-caliber blueliner.
Cam Lowe
Pomfret, 2/28/02, RW, right shot, 5-9/160
Lowe is a smaller forward, but he buzzes around the ice. He skates well and can create offense on the rush. I liked what I saw here from the Pomfret alum who will play for the NCDC’s South Shore Kings next season.
Miles McCue
Colorado Thunderbirds 18-U, 7/17/02, RW, right shot, 5-8/165
McCue looked bigger than he is listed on most roster sites. The Monument, Colo., native impressed me with how he protected pucks and drove the net before finishing a few times.
Bobby Barrasso
Connecticut Jr. Rangers, 3/1/02, LW, left shot, 6-4/195
Barrasso has long shown a potential to be a power forward with his size. The Taft alum has to improve his skating and round out his game, but he showed some signs here. He definitely played a more mature game than he has in the past. His year of junior hockey experience showed.
Zach Bell
St. George’s/RI Hitmen 18-U, 3/12/02, D, right shot, 6-0/170
I’ve seen Bell play previously, but this is the first time he caught my eye. From Wakefield, R.I., he moved pucks north and jumped into the offensive attack. He has good size and his skating was above average. He’s a player for Division 3 schools to keep an eye on as he plays junior hockey.
