EXETER, N.H. — For a third consecutive summer, numerous top 2006-born players took to the ice at the Sixty Hockey Development Camp at The Rinks at Exeter.
While most of the players at the four-day camp hailed from New England and surrounding states, there were a couple of standout prospects from as far away as California and Arizona.
The camp, run by New England Hockey Group owner Paul Dovich and Northeastern associate head coach Jerry Keefe, always is a great take. College coaches, USA Hockey personnel and scouts provided coaching for the games, practices, video sessions and seminar. The camp was a great learning experience for the players while also providing exposure to college coaches, scouts and agents.
Below is a look at the top ’06s from this past weekend’s Sixty Hockey Development Camp in Exeter. A few players in this writeup are frequent fliers in this space, but I also tried to emphasize those who stood out and aren’t as familiar to those in the local hockey circle.
Forwards
Teddy Stiga
Junior Eagles, 4/5/06, left shot, 5-8/147
Stiga’s skating ability sets him apart. His first two steps and acceleration allow him to separate from defenders and create offense on the rush and in-zone sequences. There’s a long way to go, obviously, but as of now, he’s clearly distinguished himself as the top ’06 forward in New England.
Jackson Lackas
Arizona Bobcats, 12/26/06, left shot, 5-6/135
This was my first time watching Lackas. The late ’06 was electric in Thursday’s game. He skated well and had skill. He was one of the more impressive forwards I watched all weekend.
Ben Nakata
Boston Advantage, F, left shot, 5-8/140
I’ve always been a huge fan of Nakata. While others might have a more dynamic skill-set, his hockey sense is what I notice all the time. I thought he was better than usual this weekend, which is saying a lot. He made plays and was all over the puck for large stretches of the action.
Walker Bright
Mid Fairfield, 6/3/06, RW, right shot, 5-9/150
Bright is similar to Nakata in that he uses his brain to make plays. His skating is good and he sees the ice well. His play on Thursday certainly stood out.
Matthew Frost
Team Maryland, 9/11/06, left shot, 5-10/150
A dual citizen, Frost is a big-time power forward who can finish. He has a hard shot, protects pucks and drives the net with authority. He’s reportedly heading to Selects Academy South Kent, so those around New England will be seeing a lot more of him in the coming years.
Jared Rothman
NY Saints, 9/21/06, C, right shot, 5-10/140
Rothman is a goal scorer. He’s tall and likes to fire the puck from anywhere. He did that here and showed his knack for hanging around the right areas to find loose pucks and bang home rebounds or tip shots past the opposing goaltender. Rothman is making the move to the Long Island Gulls.
Evan Jones
NY Saints, 2/1/06, C, right shot, 5-5/130
Jones is a sneaky player, as he’s a little on the smaller side and doesn’t always get the recognition he deserves. His skating is very good. He has that quick twitch and has a good stick, which allows him to finish.
Troy Hayes
Minuteman Flames, 1/5/06, left shot, 6-0/155
Hayes is a player who I’ve liked for a couple of years. He has good size and skates well for a big man. He’s still very raw, but there’s a lot of upside and untapped potential.
Malcolm Baar
Team Maryland, 4/1/06, left shot, 5-9/140
Baar was a big lefty who drove the net, protected pucks and was involved in the play a lot, especially in Sunday’s game.
Aidan Westphalen
Boston Advantage, 1/1/06, right shot, 5-10/150
Westphalen is a power forward with good size. He’s hard to knock off pucks and can shoot it with zip. He’s a goal scorer who will get even better if he can continue improving his skating.
Nate Brissette
Middlesex Icemen, 1/1/06, left shot, 5-8/140
Brissette is one of the more underrated players in New England. Playing for the Middlesex Icemen, he doesn’t always get exposure to big events. His skating is a positive attribute. He’s quick and can make plays.
Cayne Leive
Seacoast, 6/18/06, LW, left shot, 6-0/170
Leive scored a goal on Sunday and showed potential as a power forward. He’ll have to be more consistent and work on a few areas of his game, but keep an eye on the big lefty from Maine.
Andrew Waugh
River Rats, 3/31/06, right shot, 5-7/140
Waugh’s skating and compete are valuable assets. He often is the first player in on the forecheck and consistently hunts pucks.
Defensemen
Owen Keefe
Junior Eagles, 3/26/06, left shot, 5-11/170
Keefe is just a steady, reliable two-way defenseman. He continues to come into his own as he matures physically. He’s multi-dimensional in terms of his skill-set. He skates well and always has his head up looking to make a play. He defends well, closing and taking away time and space.
Kiernan Poulin
Boston Advantage, 1/5/06, right shot, 5-4/110
Poulin was up to his usual tricks, using his elite feet and mobility to jump up into the rush while quickly pushing the pace in transition.
Tory Pitner
San Jose Jr. Sharks, 3/6/06, right shot, 6-0/165
I liked Pitner at this same camp last summer, but he’s taken his game up a notch. He skates well, has good size and can make plays with the puck on his stick. He also gaps well and defends with authority.
Brady Flynn
Junior Eagles, 4/12/06, left shot, 5-8/130
Flynn is on a loaded Junior Eagles team with a lot of good players, so he doesn’t always stand out. Watching him this weekend, especially Sunday, it was apparent that he shouldn’t fly under the radar much longer. His skating, puck-carrying and offensive ability are all worthy attributes. He made a couple of really nice rushes where he found the seam, penetrated the other team’s defense, and created offense.
Zachary Skowronek
Team Maryland, 5/1/06, left shot, 6-2/187
Skowronek is a good-sized defender who takes advantage of his physical stature to protect pucks, zip them up ice, or get hard shots on net.
Logan Fessenden
Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 3/30/06, left shot, 6-1/176
Fessenden is a big, rangy defender who can play with some jam. He’s physically mature and is able to defend with his length. He shoots it hard and has some upside.
Chris Reiniger
Team Maryland, 5/1/06, left shot, 5-7/135
Reiniger is on the smaller side, but he skates well and has good mobility. He made a couple of nice plays in transition, due to his vision. He’s joining at least one other Team Maryland teammate in heading to Selects Academy South Kent.
Mason Montagna
Syracuse Nationals, 5/19/06, left shot, 5-8/130
Montagna has good mobility and showed an ability to move pucks north and contribute offensively. He’ll have to refine his game, as most of the players this age do. He’s reportedly heading to Boston Hockey Academy.
Goaltenders
Zach Ericson
Seacoast, 7/15/06, catches left, 5-10/150
It’s tough to gauge goaltenders in an event like this, but Ericson was one who stood out the most. I circled him on Sunday during his team’s game. He was very good in the first half.
Hayden Thorson
NJ Colonials, 1/12/06, catches left, 5-11/175
Thorson has good size and takes away shooters’ angles well. He’s been one of the best goaltenders in this age group and camp for the past three summers.
