Aug. 1 has become the day on the college hockey recruiting calendar. After NCAA Division 1 programs can reach out to high school sophomores on Jan. 1, they can offer those players beginning Aug. 1, when they enter their junior year.
The fireworks weren't quite as explosive this year.
Last year, 21 players committed to local schools on Aug. 1. This year: 13. The number of commits to local Division 1 programs from Aug. 2-3 decreased from seven last year to three.
Granted, Aug. 1 fell on a Friday this year, and then Aug. 2-3 was the weekend. Maybe a slew of commitments roll in early this week. But that shouldn't be counted on for several reasons.
Let's dive into some takeaways from the last few days.
1. Why the drop in commits?
No, there aren't fewer good prospects in this class of '08s and '09s who have just become eligible to commit. This class is full of them.
The general feeling I got from talking to advisors, families and college coaches was that the CHL ruling would give some recruits pause — and it seems like that's what happened. Division 1 programs spent the spring and summer bringing in current CHL players to fill out their rosters for this coming year. Heck, news broke on Saturday morning that Providence College, which we'll get to in a bit, got a commitment from Roger McQueen, the No. 10 pick in this year's NHL Draft, for this coming season.
And, of course, there are all the rising juniors in Canada headed down the CHL route who are now fair game for Division 1 colleges to recruit.
READ MORE: How many August commits make it to college hockey?
There is less roster certainty, and players seem to know that. Rather than commit now, I get the feeling that players want to wait and make colleges recruit them even more, and closer to their arrival time.
Outside of the CHL ruling implications, it also has to be factored in that quite often, we've had voices in stories or on the RinkWise podcast who preach for players to wait and not rush their decision. There are no doubt many advisors and coaches tell their players the same thing in private. Go on all the visits, talk to everyone and get a feel for each campus. Maybe players are listening.
2. Many high-end players are still uncommitted
On Aug. 1 last year, Casey Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.), who was the highest-end local prospect to watch for recruiting, picked Boston College. Will Bent (Dover, Mass.) committed to Providence College on the same day.
Along with them, then-Mount St. Charles defenseman Luke Schairer, who was headed to the U.S. National Team Development Program, committed to Boston University that day. Tynan Lawrence, a Muskegon Lumberjacks tender in the USHL and potential top-10 pick in next year's NHL Draft, also opted for BU. Boston College got commits from Rudolfs Berzkalns, a Muskegon tender, and Callum Croskery, a Chicago Steel tender. Blake Zielinski, who was picked first in the 2024 USHL Phase 1 Draft, committed to Providence College.
That was all on just day one.
This year was different. Belmont Hill forward David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.) and Dexter Southfield forward Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.) both committed to Harvard and Northeastern, respectively (more on that in a bit). Former Mount St. Charles forward Stephen Cover, who was tendered by the USHL's Madison Capitols, committed to Providence College. No doubt the biggest news of the day was James Scantlebury, who was tendered by the Chicago Steel, picked BU.
NTDP-bound goalie and former Mount St. Charles star Nate Chizik picked Notre Dame on Saturday.
So far, Scantlebury is BU's only commit, and BC hasn't committed anyone. The only other NTDP-bound player who committed was Cannon Thibodeau, who picked Notre Dame.
I can't stress this enough — it's only been three days. Things could get extremely busy this week. But I sense that even the high-end players are taking their time.
NTDP-bound forwards Carter Meyer (Winchester, Mass.), Finn Sears (Medford, Mass.), Sam Pandolfo (Winchester, Mass.) and Rocco Pelosi are still on the board. So is former Mount St. Charles forward and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders tender Braiden Scuderi. On defense, NTDP-bound defenseman Jake Boguniecki (Orange, Conn.) hasn't announced a commitment yet.
Don't be surprised if some of those names wait to announce later in August or early September.
3. The players who have committed seem to be more realistic with their commitments
This goes hand-in-hand with the CHL ruling developments, but I can't help but wonder if commitments would've looked different had that CHL ruling never happened.
READ MORE: How many recruits actually make it to play college hockey?Â
Three players stand out with this: Thayer defenseman Brian McFadden (Holbrook, Mass.) and Survilas (both Northeastern commits), and St. Mark's forward and Dartmouth commit Will Manchuso (Concord, Mass.).
Clearly, without question, they want to go to the schools they committed to — and Northeastern and Dartmouth made compelling, successful pitches.
Am I crazy to think that in prior years, however, Survilas would've been the type of player committing to BC or BU? Same with McFadden, a 6-foot-5, right-shot defenseman with heaps of untouched upside. Instead, both picked Northeastern, also a Beanpot school. But it feels as though BC and BU have eyes on bringing in high-end CHL talent, while opportunity may be more available at Northeastern.
Survilas will likely be a top-six fixture for Northeastern. If McFadden continues to develop at this rate, he should be a top guy on its blue line. Playing time matters.
The same can be said for Manchuso. The 6-foot, 185-pound center seems to just now be hitting his stride with even more untapped potential. By picking Dartmouth, he's almost guaranteeing (though there's lots of work left to be done) that he will be a go-to guy when he arrives on campus.
Even Bosco. Harvard is always a draw for high-end talent in early August, but there's a world in which that type of player would've picked BC in prior years. Playing time and having a roster spot matter.
4. Northeastern picked up an intriguing trio of locals
It's hard not to give the Huskies an 'A' for their performance on Day 1.
Survilas, who has long been a top '08 from New England, feels like a steal. That's a big get. So is McFadden, who, if he continues to develop, should be an NHL Draft pick next June. Teams can't get enough big, right-shot defensemen, and McFadden was pretty under-the-radar until this spring.
Northeastern also got a commitment from Dexter Southfield forward Owen McHale (Charlestown, Mass.), who is a high-floor, potentially high-ceiling kind of player.
The floor: a bottom-six agitator who forechecks with the intent of putting opposing defensemen through the glass. The ceiling: this is lofty, but a Matthew Tkachuk-like player. If the production (six points in six games) and performance continue from USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp...I'm just saying.
5. Providence College was busy, too
The Friars have increasingly become a force early in recruiting, and that was the case again. St. Mark's forward Caiden Pellegrino (Uxbridge, Mass.) was the first local to commit on Friday, picking Providence, which wasn't much of a surprise. Pellegrino grew up playing for Providence Hockey Club, which Friars bench boss Nate Leaman helped coach. Pellegrino is a fantastic, playmaking center.
Ironically enough, Cover would be the perfect right wing for Pellegrino, given that Mount St. Charles is a great finisher. Cover, who played in Rhode Island for the past two seasons, was a strong get by Providence's coaching staff.
READ MORE:Â How will the CHL ruling impact Aug. 1 recruiting?Â
On Sunday, Arlington (Mass.) High defenseman Kurt Beck committed to the Friars. Every player in this story has upside, but I feel that Beck, who stands at 6-foot-2, is still developing into a do-it-all, two-way defender. My colleague Mark Divver compared him to former Northeastern defenseman Hunter McDonald, and I agree with that.
The Friars got national attention on Saturday when they got a commitment from McQueen. At 6-foot-6 and 198 pounds, McQueen has the upside of being a potential franchise center in the NHL. The Anaheim Ducks draft pick posted 20 points in 17 games for the WHL's Brandon Wheat Kings last season, missing most of the year due to a fracture in his lower back.
That isn't just a big get for Providence — that's a huge win for Hockey East.
6. Dartmouth continued to dip into the prep pool
Last August, the Big Green got commitments from Belmont Hill standouts Evan Jones (Arlington, Mass.) and Jake Tavares (Belmont, Mass.). Avon Old Farms forward Indiana Grossbard (Wilton, Conn.) committed the next day. Come February, Brunswick forward Mason St. Louis (Old Greenwich, Conn.) opted to join the group.
This Aug. 1, Phillips Andover forward Alex Theodore and Manchuso both committed to Dartmouth.
Manchuso has top-player potential at Dartmouth. I wouldn't be shocked if he's an NHL Draft pick next year. Theodore had 31 points in 27 players last year. At 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Theodore is still raw.
Dartmouth has also done well in committing players from Andover. On Aug. 1, 2023, Grayden Robertson-Palmer committed to Dartmouth. This past June, Robertson-Palmer was picked by the Detroit Red Wings in the seventh round.
7. A cool part of the job
This job has a lot of really fun parts to it. But one of the most unique is seeing players I've covered for two and sometimes even three years take that first step to making their dreams come true in committing to a Division 1 program.
Sure, there's a lot of work left to be done. They must get through the next few years, which will undoubtedly present pieces of adversity they won't expect or be ready for. That's life in general, I guess.
LIVE UPDATES: Track every early August recruitÂ
But committing is a big deal. It's a good time to admire the path. All the late nights and early mornings. The Saturday morning, afternoon and night games at Foxboro Sports Center, New England Sports Village and New England Sports Center, to then wake up and do it all again on Sunday. It all paid off.
It's an honor to watch players grow and evolve, which is why whenever a local commits to a Division 1 or Division 3 program, I feel a sense of pride. It's hard not to.
