With the 2021-22 New England prep school hockey season now in the rearview mirror, there were plenty of notable individual performances to look back on and recognize.
While there wasn’t a superstar that separated himself from the field this winter, there were a number of players who put up good numbers, helped their respective teams win, and have shown enough to earn attention from college recruiters and NHL scouts.
The New England Hockey Journal’s 2021-22 Prep School Hockey Awards are based on performance this season and not on future potential or draft stock. I tried to give credit for production, but also looked at who passed the eye test. There were deserving players left off or passed up when it came to doling out the individual awards and all-star teams, but there are only so many spots.
Player of the Year
Dylan Hryckowian
Salisbury, 5/19/04, RW, right shot, 5-9/154
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Hryckowian led the Crimson Knights in scoring with 16 goals and 27 assists for 43 points in 28 games played. The Montreal, Quebec, native is skilled, skates well and exemplifies a smart offensive hockey player. Committed to Northeastern, he’s expected to spend the 2022-23 season in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders before heading to Northeastern.
He narrowly beat out Brendan Gorman of St. Sebastian’s. From Arlington, Mass., Gorman was great in all my viewings of the Arrows. The Princeton commit averaged nearly two points per game for one of the top teams in prep hockey.
Runners-up: Brendan Gorman, `03 C, St. Sebastian’s and Michael Fisher, `04 D, St. Mark’s
Coach of the Year
Brian Phinney
Belmont Hill
Phinney advanced to the championship game of the NEPSAC Elite 8 Tournament in his first year behind the bench at Belmont Hill. He has a once proud program headed in the right direction again after a few down seasons. Phinney, along with his entire coaching staff, had his team buying in and playing a detailed game, which made them very good defensively.
The other two coaches up for consideration were five-time prep champion Andrew Will of Salisbury, Phinney’s former boss, and Alan Thompson of Holderness. The Bulls had a remarkable year, making the Elite 8 for the first time in school history.
Runners-up: Andrew Will, Salisbury and Alan Thompson, Holderness
Co-Freshman of the Year
Teddy Stiga
Belmont Hill, 4/5/06, C, left shot, 5-9/141
Richard Gallant
St. Mark’s, 4/6/07, LW, left shot 5-7/140
This one needs little explanation as both of these players made a mark on prep hockey as rookies going up against players four to five years younger at times. In 23 games, Stiga had seven goals and 14 assists. The Sudbury, Mass., native continued getting better as the season went along.
Gallant exceeded Stiga in pure numbers, playing on the first line all season for Carl Corazzini’s team at St. Mark’s. The Concord, Mass., native scored 16 goals and 27 assists in 24 games. What impressed me most about Gallant was his willingness to play in high traffic areas and engage physically.
Defenseman of the Year
Michael Fisher
St. Mark’s, 5/2/04, D, right shot, 6-3/194
NCAA commit: Princeton
Fisher had 13 goals and 37 assists for 50 points while logging a ton of minutes for the Lions. A big righty from Westboro, Mass., he’ll likely be a second or third round draft pick in the 2022 NHL draft. His skating, especially at his size, sticks out right away. He was a major reason for the success St. Mark’s had this season.
Runner-up: Chris Romaine, `04 D, Milton
Best Defensive Defenseman
Jordin Palmer
Avon Old Farms, 1/6/04, D, left shot, 6-0/173
Palmer, from Auburn, N.H., is a great skater who was on the first pairing for Avon Old Farms all winter. While his offensive numbers improved greatly, he continued to play hard, be a shutdown defender, and provide a physical presence. He edged Belmont Hill’s Will Killoran in my book. Killoran, from Charlestown, Mass., is a tough defenseman who is hard to beat one-on-one.
Runner-up: Will Killoran, `03 D, Belmont Hill
Best Defensive Forward
Ben Poitras
Salisbury, 7/18/05, RW, right shot, 5-11/170
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Runner-up: Trey Deere, `04 C, Salisbury
There were a few other players I considered for this award, but Poitras excels at playing a 200-foot game. The `05 from Toronto, Ontario, didn’t show any signs of being a young player in prep when watching him in all three zones. He can score, but he also plays a smart, cerebral game. He’ll only get better next winter playing for Will and learning the intricacies of the game.
Co-Most Improved Player
Hank Cleaves
Brunswick, 12/25/03, LW, left shot, 6-4/180
NCAA commit: Dartmouth
Matthew Biotti
Belmont Hill, 8/27/04, D, right shot, 6-4/181
NCAA commit: Harvard
Cleaves took a major step in the fall with Mid Fairfield and entered the winter with a chance at earning his commit to Dartmouth. Growing more and becoming more explosive helped, but he also showed a goal scoring touch he hadn’t previously. From Greenwich, Conn., he’s expected to play in the BCHL next season before heading to the Big Green.
Biotti always showed some signs of someday having potential, but he put it together for the first time this winter. The Cambridge, Mass., native earned power play time and had a far greater impact on the game than he had in prior seasons.
First Team All-Prep
Brendan Gorman
St. Sebastian’s, 2/17/03, C, right shot, 5-11/155
NCAA commit: Princeton
Dylan Hryckowian
Salisbury, 5/19/04, RW, right shot, 5-9/154
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Jaiden Moriello
Kimball Union, 5/4/03, C/RW, right shot, 6-2/190
NCAA commit: UMass Lowell
Michael Fisher
St. Mark’s, 5/2/04, D, right shot, 6-3/194
NCAA commit: Princeton
Chris Romaine
Milton, 2/21/04, D, right shot, 6-0/185
NCAA commit: Providence
Sam Scopa
Belmont Hill, 1/10/05, G, catches left, 5-11/173
Second Team All-Prep
James Fisher
Belmont Hill, 4/28/04, RW, right shot, 6-2/170
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Ben MacDonald
Nobles, 2/22/04, C, left shot, 6-1/175
NCAA commit: Harvard
Jacob Kraft
Kent, 4/26/03, C, left shot, 5-8/165
Sean Keohane
Dexter Southfield, 11/4/04, D, left shot, 6-4/165
NCAA commit: Harvard
Duncan Ramsay
Kimball Union, 2/8/04, D, left shot, 6-5/210
NCAA commit: Vermont
Kellen Beauton
Pomfret, 1/29/03, G, catches left, 6-0/172
NCAA commit: Connecticut College
Third Team All-Prep
Michael Callow
St. Sebastian’s, 1/15/04, RW, right shot, 6-4/190
NCAA commit: Harvard
Ryan Walsh
Salisbury, 8/25/03, C, right shot, 6-0/170
Matt DiMarsico
Avon Old Farms, 1/7/04, LW, left shot, 6-0/175
NCAA commit: Penn State
C.J. Foley
Thayer, 2/11/04, D, right shot, 5-10/175
NCAA commit: Holy Cross
Nolan Joyce
St. Sebastian’s, 9/25/03, D, right shot, 6-1/185
NCAA commit: Boston College
Jake Inzirillo
Brooks, 2/2/03, G, catches left, 6-0/175
Prep School Hockey All-Freshman Team
Teddy Stiga
Belmont Hill, 4/5/06, C, left shot, 5-9/141
Richard Gallant
St. Mark’s, 4/6/07, LW, left shot 5-7/140
Gavin Cornforth
Thayer, 12/15/06, RW, right shot, 5-8/141
Teddy Mutryn
St. Sebastian’s, 2/16/07, RW, right shot, 6-0/180
Jacob Ingstrup
Kent, 11/9/06, D, left shot, 5-11/185
Joe Mense
Nobles, 7/21/06, D, right shot, 6-1/190
Thatcher Bernstein
Nobles, 7/17/06, G, catches left, 6-3/200
