Is it the busiest time of year in the men's college hockey recruiting calendar? Far from it. The American Hockey Coaches Association Convention was earlier this month, and outside of the New England District and Massachusetts District festivals, there hasn't been much to scout locally.
But there are still commitments to track.
A local NHL Draft pick switched his commitment, while two impactful players in New England prep this past winter made their decisions. An '08 at Seacoast Performance Academy also has a college next to his name.
Plus, there are a slew of new CHL players committed to local schools.
Let's dive in.
Ben Merrill switches from Harvard to Boston University
When Merrill became eligible to commit to a Division 1 college, he did so, choosing Harvard in early August 2023. On Saturday, he announced his switch to Boston University via Instagram.
Merrill, a 6-foot-4, 194-pound forward who can play center and right wing, was picked in the sixth round (166th overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in last year's NHL Draft.
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He spent this past winter with the BCHL's Penticton Vees, scoring 15 goals and totaling 23 points in 50 games. The '05 raised his stock quite a bit in the prior two seasons, as he became a standout for St. Sebastian's. He tallied 11 goals and 24 points in 27 games for the Arrows in 2022-23 as a breakout player, and became a top player for Seb's in 2023-24, scoring 18 times and finishing with 37 points.
The Hingham, Mass., native is all about upside. He's big, but has outstanding hands and is a good skater. If he can put it all together, he could be a nice snag for BU.
Steven Luciano commits to Boston University
On May 1, Luciano picked Boston University. The 6-foot, 175-pound goalie was a standout at Salisbury this past season, totaling a 2.32 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, taking on many of Salisbury's most difficult games.
He was the backup at Salisbury as a junior and was with Mid Fairfield's 15O team the season before. As a 14U, he was at Mount St. Charles.
The '07 from New Canaan, Conn., was drafted in the ninth round (137th overall) by the Omaha Lancers in the 2024 USHL Phase 1 Draft. He played one game for the Lancers before the prep season began.
Luciano is a steady goalie who can be relied upon to be responsible and keep his teams in games. At BU, he will get to work with coach Brian Daccord, one of the top goalie minds in hockey.
Eric Lund set to follow in his brother's footsteps
From 2022-25, Cam Lund (Bridgewater, Mass.) was a star for Northeastern. The second-round pick by the San Jose Sharks in 2022 posted 93 points in 107 NCAA games. He left for the NHL once the college season ended.
Northeastern hopes it has found the next great Lund.
Last week, Eric Lund announced his commitment to Northeastern. The right-shot forward just wrapped up his senior year at Cushing where he tallied 14 goals and 24 points in 31 games. His two biggest points of the season came in the Elite 8 championship game when he assisted on goals by Tommy Bleyl and Alex Gomes (Ludlow, Mass.).
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Lund, a Bridgewater, Mass., native, had five goals and nine points in 32 games in 2023-24. He stands at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds.
Jackson Smail opts to stay in Vermont
Smail is a native of Milton, Vt. So, it only made sense that he committed to the Catamounts on May 3.
The 5-foot-10, 165-pound forward has been a top player at Seacoast Performance Academy for the past three seasons. Most recently, he scored 19 goals and tallied 42 points in 48 games at the 16U level. He had 50 points in 67 games at the 15O level and 62 points in 74 games when he was a 14U.
Smail has a high compete, good hockey sense and a quick release on his shots.
More CHL commitments
One trend that everyone is watching for is the number of current CHL players committing to Division 1 schools. That will create a trickle-down effect for Division 1, Division 3 and junior hockey, as well as preps and academies.
Just in the last month, more have committed to local Division 1 programs.
Maine got commitments from Vancouver Giants (WHL) forward Jaden Lipinski and Rimouski Océanic defenseman Luke Coughlin. The Black Bears now have five players committed from the CHL and one from USports.
UMass Lowell was busy over the last month, committing three players. One of them, Dalyn Wakely, was a forward for the OHL's Barrie Colts this season, bringing the RiverHawks to seven CHL players committed to them.
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Providence College picked up two recruits from the CHL in Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL) defenseman Quinn Mantei and Barrie Colts forward Beau Jelsma. Merrimack, UNH, Vermont, Quinnipiac and Holy Cross also all had one CHL commitment over the last month.
For those keeping score, 32 CHL players are committed to Hockey East schools, while the ECAC has 19 and the Atlantic has 12. And that's just so far.
