This past New England boys prep hockey season ended in a clash of the titans for the Elite 8 title. On one side was Dexter Southfield, with the deepest roster in the region. On the other was Cushing, who had been to the Elite 8 championship game the previous two seasons and lost both times.
Third time was the charm for Cushing.
Ultimately, the 2024-25 season will be remembered most for the high-end, young players in the league — ones whose names we will see on TV for quite a while.
Those names came up when we polled coaches.
We surveyed coaches across the NEPSAC to get their thoughts on everything in prep. From the best of this season, to looking ahead to next and to the QMJHL, we made sure to leave no stone unturned.
Many thanks to those who participated. All coaches were granted anonymity in their answers.
This story will focus on these topics from this season:
- Best player
- Best goalie
- Best newcomer
- Most surprising players
- Hardest teams to play against
Future stories will come out on the different topics we asked about. This is Part 1.
Who was the best player?
This one wasn't even close. A whopping 68 percent of coaches listed one name: Carter Meyer (Winchester, Mass.).
"He is built like Jack Eichel," one coach said. "All-around pro who can skate, shoot, think, make plays and compete. Will be a high, high NHL pick."
Meyer, at 15 years old, led the region in goals with 41, while ranking second in points with 70. As Rivers' No. 1 center, he led the Red Wings to the Elite 8 semifinal game.
"His IQ and feel for the game are elite," another coach said. "The numbers speak for themselves."
What was most impressive was that Meyer did this while being a target for other teams.
"Teams were always looking to shut him down," a coach said. "But his instincts helped him to be a threat even when he was covered."
It wasn't much of a surprise that Meyer used a fantastic freshman year to springboard himself onto next season's U.S. National Team Development Program.
"He impacted the game more than any player I've seen in 20 years of prep coaching," another coach added.
While no other player received more than one vote, there were certainly other prospects mentioned. Berkshire's Duncan Thompson, who put up 17 goals and 51 points in 33 games for a high-end Berkshire team, got some love.
"Old, strong and skilled," one coach said. "Always on the ice."
Kyle O'Leary was impossible to miss with Nobles this season, as the Yale commit tallied 24 goals and 59 points in 27 games this past winter. He got a vote.
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"He was a threat every time he was on the ice," a coach said. "He is strong and has an extremely high hockey IQ."
Other players receiving votes were St. George's defenseman Marco Senerchia, Deerfield forward Justin Tavares, Dexter Southfield defenseman Myles Brosnan and Cushing forward Max Dineen.
Who was the best goalie?
Answers were all over the place for this question. The ultimate winner, however, was St. Mark's goalie Justin BriseBois.
"He elevated his team to new heights with consistent play throughout the year," a coach said.
This is true. With BriseBois — whose father, Julien, is the GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning — sporting a 1.83 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage, the Lions finished as the No. 2 team in the Elite 8.
"He was consistent and kept his team in games," another coach said. "Made critical saves at critical moments. Appeared to be calm and could settle his team down."
Right behind BriseBois in votes was Cushing's Maksim Corovic, who guided the Penguins to the Elite 8 title. The first-year prep goalie boasted a 2.44 GAA and a .911 save percentage. He was at his best in the Elite 8 championship game, making 30 stops.
Deerfield's Elliot Lennon was a breakout star this winter, guiding the Big Green to the No. 1 seed in the Elite 8.
"He was square to pucks and always on his angles," a coach said. "So athletic for a 6-foot-3 kid."
Lennon's breakout season came after seeing a good amount of time as a sophomore. But he really took off during his team's 14-game winning streak beginning at the end of January.
"He was consistent and improved throughout the year," another coach added.
Getting the same number of votes was Westminster's Jack Fichthorn (Darien, Conn.). He led the Marlets to the Large School title game and was dominant throughout the season with a 2.53 GAA and a .928 save percentage.
"Consistent top competition," one coach said. "Lots of minutes and key in their playoff run."
Other goalies got votes, too. One was St. Sebastian's netminder Tommy Saulnier (Medfield, Mass.). As an '08, he notched a 2.94 GAA and a .910 save percentage in his first prep season.
"He was incredible all year on a very young, inexperienced team," a coach said. "Played with confidence and got stronger as the season went on."
Another was Chase Anderson (Marblehead, Mass.), who posted a 2.33 GAA and a .924 save percentage. His most impressive stretch of the season was the playoffs, when he only allowed one goal in three games to secure a Large School title.
"The calmest, consistent goalie we faced," a coach said. "Carried his team to a Large School championship."
Anthony Palmer (Lynnfield, Mass.) took hold of the starting job for Avon Old Farms this winter, posting a 2.20 GAA and a .926 save percentage as a junior. He got a vote.
"He is athletic and did a great job with rebound control," a coach said. "It was impossible to get second chances."
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Other goalies receiving votes were St. Paul's Blake Truchon (South Burlington, Vt.), Hotchkiss' Connor Towle (Fairfield, Conn.) and Middlesex's Caio Bernardini.
Who was the best newcomer?
Joe Salandra entered his first prep season with considerable expectations. He had just committed to Harvard, but still, prep can be an adjustment.
It wasn't much of an adjustment for him.
Salandra led the region in points with 72 points, including 38 goals. He was dominant, leading Brunswick to the Elite 8. It wasn't much of a surprise that he was the most-voted-for player here.
"He was an Energizer bunny for Brunswick," one coach said. "He was able to skate through anyone and make plays. Prep was a video game for him."
Right behind Salandra in votes were St. Mark's forward Caiden Pellegrino (Uxbridge, Mass.) and Dexter Southfield forward Rian Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.). One note on Chudzinski: While he wasn't technically a newcomer to prep, he was a newcomer to Dexter Southfield...so I'll allow it.
Pellegrino entered prep with hype after tearing it up for Providence Hockey Club's 14U team the season before. He tallied 41 points and proved to be a first-line pivot in prep.
"He was able to elevate his game," a coach said. "He didn't have any issues keeping up with the faster pace of play."
"He will be a great prep player moving forward," another coach said.
Chudzinski had 26 goals and 52 points as Dexter Southfield's best player. But when his impact was felt most was the postseason, when he brought his best with five goals and an assist in three games.
"He's very skilled," a coach said. "Impressive player."
Belmont Hill defenseman Evan Jones garnered votes. The Dartmouth commit had 12 goals and 42 points in 32 games after arriving at Belmont Hill from Arlington (Mass.) High School.
"He played a hard schedule and had a great year," one coach said. "He's basically a fourth forward on the ice but is also very good defensively."
Others receiving votes were Brunswick defenseman Cam Minella (Darien, Conn.), Tabor forward Ethan Travis (Narragansett, R.I.) and Corovic.
Who was the most surprising player?
This question is a bit ambiguous. Some coaches answered players like Rivers forwards Finn Sears (Medford, Mass.), Sam Pandolfo (Winchester, Mass.) and Meyer, as well as Salandra and Jones. Others answered high-end players like Cushing defenseman Ryland Randle and Kimball Union forward CJ Watroba (West Springfield, Mass.). In total, 18 players got votes.
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An interesting, true "surprise" high-end player answered was Nobles forward Billy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.), who went from posting 28 points as a sophomore to 61 as a junior. That helped him earn a commitment to Brown.
"I always knew he was good, but he took a big step this year," a coach said. "He was confident and determined. Really impressive."
Anderson turned heads at the Flood-Marr Tournament, as well as in the postseason, when he guided the Big Blue to a Large School title. He only gave up one goal in three games.
"I knew he was good," a coach said. "But I didn't expect him to play that well this season."
Avon Old Farms brought in forward Indiana Grossbard (Wilton, Conn.) from Loomis Chaffee. He had 36 points in 22 games for Loomis Chaffee the prior season, but jumped up for 42 (and 26 goals) this past winter.
"He's a pure goal scorer," another coach said.
Holderness defenseman Jeremy Poirier (Salem, N.H.) became one of the top defenders in prep. The '06 went from 20 points as a junior to 40 as a senior.
"A do-it-all defenseman," a coach said. "Very good on the power play."
A fun one was St. Sebastian's senior forward Brendan Keaveney (Westwood, Mass.). He was the only senior on a much younger, less talented team. He still notched 28 points in 27 games.
"He was a strong leader for an extremely young team," a coach said. "He seemed to give his all on the ice every single shift. He had an excellent season."
Winchendon defenseman Brady Murnane got some love. The junior '08 had six goals and 16 points in 30 games.
"I was impressed with him," a coach said. "A big kid who moves well and had an impact on both games we played against them."
Other players who got votes were Governor's defenseman Ian Crowley (Holyoke, Mass.), Pingree forward Joe Gaffney (Wakefield, Mass.), North Yarmouth Academy forward Adrian Mendoza, Cushing forward Joe Covelluzzi (Wakefield, Mass.) and Travis.
Who was the hardest team to play against?
It was a pretty wide-open season in terms of good teams, and the votes reflected that. Still, Cushing and Dexter Southfield, the two Elite 8 finalists, were tied for the most votes.
"Cushing and Dexter are so explosive offensively," a coach said.
Usual suspects like Brunswick, Holderness and Kimball Union were voted for. Deerfield, who finished as the No. 1 team in the Elite 8, was voted for heavily too.
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"They were fast, athletic, deep, played hard and moved the puck really hard," a coach said.
Phillips Andover surprised teams throughout the season. The Big Blue won the Flood-Marr Tournament and later won the Large School Tournament.
"Their top line was very good," another coach said. "They would make you pay on the smallest mistake."
Other teams receiving votes were St. Mark's, Groton, Tilton, Kents Hill and Governor's Academy.
