MARLBORO, Mass. — It wouldn't be a weekend in the fall without a hockey showcase.
The Eastern Hockey Federation hosted one this past weekend at the New England Sports Center across the 18U, 16U and 15O age groups.
I watched the 18Us this weekend. It’s an interesting time for them. While some are committed, many aren’t and are looking to play their best in front of college coaches. Some haven’t even hit their stride yet and are late-bloomers.
All of these players listed below are projected to be impactful come the winter. Just how impactful will they be?
Let's dive into nine uncommitted 18U defensemen and goalies from this past weekend. A separate story was done on 12 uncommitted 18U forwards on Monday.
Grayson Cohen
Boston Jr. Eagles, 10/18/2006, D, right shot, 5-10/185
Hometown: Weston, Mass.Â
Cohen showcased a whole lot of confidence with the puck on Saturday. When he had possession in his own zone, he was patient and skated until passing lanes opened for an outlet pass. A great example of this came when he protected the puck deep in his own zone and got it to Darren Iversen (Framingham, Mass.), who rushed it for a goal. Cohen was the same at the offensive blue line, showing patience and an ability to get shots through. He will be huge for Belmont Hill this winter — and should be someone Division 1 programs covet.
Jack Couture
Top Gun, 8/5/2007, D, left shot, 6-1/181
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colo.Â
Couture really caught my eye on Saturday. He has intriguing size for a defenseman and was able to effectively lead the breakout. He eluded forechecking pressure well by using his good skating to get to open ice. He knew when to jump into the rush and help out down low on offense. Late in Saturday's game against the Boston Bulldogs, he jumped behind his goalie on a net-front scramble and saved a goal. He comes to Governor's Academy via the Colorado Thunderbirds 16U team.
Darren Iversen
Boston Jr. Eagles, 9/28/2007, D, left shot, 5-9/165
Hometown: Framingham, Mass.Â
Iversen scored a beauty on Saturday, rushing the puck himself, cutting to the middle and firing a shot through Little Bruins goalie Thatcher Bernstein's (Brookline, Mass.) legs. Iversen was a confident puck mover, too, making smart outlet passes out of his own zone. He also had a shot tipped by Tavares for a goal. He had a great sequence against the Little Bruins when he broke up a 2-on-1, grabbed the puck and kickstarted the rush the other way. He will be important for Rivers this season.
NORTHEAST PACK: 13 standouts from the 14Us | 13 standouts from the 15Os
Jack Kelleher
GBL Bruins, 9/18/2007, D, left shot, 5-9/159
Hometown: Natick, Mass.Â
What stood out most with Kelleher was his patience and poise with the puck on breakouts. He didn't panic when faced with lots of forechecking pressure from the Minuteman Flames. He made intelligent passing plays in his zone and when leaving his zone.
Aiden MacIsaac
Boston Jr. Eagles, 1/11/2007, D, left shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Andover, Mass.Â
MacIsaac is one of the top shutdown '07 defensemen in Massachusetts, so it's a bit surprising he's still uncommitted. The Lawrence Academy defender defended the front of his own net well on Saturday, using his good stick and smart positioning to thwart chances. His highlight on Saturday was when he potentially saved a goal by blocking a one-timer that looked labeled for the back of the net. He also defended the rush well with good gaps.
Nathan Patch
Boston Bulldogs, 2007, D, right shot
Hometown: Hanover, Mass.Â
On Saturday, Patch scored on a one-timer from the point. Later in the game, he showed himself to be defensively responsible. He showcased a good stick, taking away passing lanes and limiting opportunities for opposing forwards. He also defended the rush well.
James Potter
GBL Bruins, 2/28/2007, G, left shot, 6-0/154
Hometown: Arlington, Mass.Â
Despite the loss, Potter made some huge stops on Sunday. He robbed Flames forward Drew Carr early in the first half on a 2-on-1. Shortly thereafter, he stopped Flames forward Evan Waden on a point-blank chance. Potter consistently tracked pucks and didn't allow rebounds. Potter is used to facing a lot of shots, given he was with BB&N last season.
John Quinn
Boston Bulldogs, G, catches leftÂ
Quinn was the biggest reason why the Bulldogs earned a 4-1 win over Top Gun on Saturday. He stoned Top Gun forward Kye Smyrnios on a breakaway in the first half. He robbed Top Gun forward Colby Jewell multiple times in the second half. Both were breakaways. He also tracked pucks well and didn't let out many rebounds.
UP FRONT: 12 uncommitted 18U standouts from Eastern Hockey Federation Showcase
Moussa Seydi
Minuteman Flames, 5/14/2007, D, left shot, 6-2/175
Hometown: Beaconsfield, QuebecÂ
Seydi is intriguing. He has the size taken care of on defense. But he's also a solid skater and moves the puck really well. Whether it's on the breakout or on the power play, Seydi has great hands for a bigger guy. He just never seemed to panic.
