When the history books are written on the 2025-26 New England boys prep hockey season, the biggest theme will be about the parity.
That goes for parity of teams and parity of individual talent.
No. 8 Avon Old Farms went on an improbable run to take down No. 2 St. Mark's for the Elite 8 title. In the Large School, No. 2 Cushing took down No. 4 Brunswick for the championship, and No. 1 Winchendon rolled to the Small School title over No. 2 Holderness.
For Player of the Year, it was the most contested race in my four years as editor. Multiple players had legitimate cases for it.
Here are our awards for the 2025-26 season.
Player of the Year: Charlie Puglisi, Winchendon
There’s no denying Puglisi’s dominance. After Winchendon’s brutal start, where its only two wins in the first 12 games came against Albany Academy, Puglisi found another gear. While he finished with a region-high 76 points, here’s what’s most impressive: In Winchendon’s 20-2-1 run to end the season, Puglisi had 62 points. Just absurd. His strong play also led to him moving up NHL Central Scouting's rankings throughout the season, finishing as a fourth-round candidate.
Defensemen of the Year: Myles Brosnan, Dexter
No debate here. Brosnan found a way to stand out and be the best player on the region’s most stacked, offensively dominant team. He led all defenders in the region with 51 points in 30 games. And his 1.70 points per game is the most by a prep defenseman since St. Mark’s Michael Fisher in 2021-22. Brosnan didn’t just make himself a draft pick this winter — he put himself in a good position to go higher than any prep player since 2022. NHL Central Scouting tagged him as a high fourth-round candidate for June's NHL Draft.
Goalie of the Year: Neilan Johnson, Hotchkiss
Among goalies with over 1,000 minutes played this winter, Johnson ranked second in goals-against average (1.79) and fourth in save percentage (.940). His high-end play scored him a commitment to Northeastern. But Johnson wins this award for his large part in getting Hotchkiss, a six-win team the year before, to the No. 5 seed in the Elite 8. He pitched a 25-save shutout in the Elite 8 quarterfinal to reach the semis.
Rookie of the Year: Carter Felt, Rivers
Someone named Carter thriving at Rivers? What year is this? Felt stepped onto the top line of a team that lost its top seven scorers from the year before and led the new version of Rivers with 20 goals and 34 points in 26 games. His feisty style fit in perfectly and helped Rivers reach the Small School playoffs.
READ MORE: 7 takeaways after 48 New Englanders were picked in the QMJHL Draft
Coach of the Year: Mike Doyle, Hotchkiss
Hotchkiss’ biggest name on the roster was Johnson. Doyle coached Hotchkiss, a team that was in the middle of the pack for offense (87 goals for), to the Elite 8 semifinals. He revived the Bearcats after they had only won six games the previous year. He also coached Hotchkiss to a Flood-Marr tournament win. For what it’s worth, St. Sebastian’s Sean McCann followed a nearly identical track as Doyle, but Hotchkiss narrowly beat the Arrows in the Elite 8 quarterfinals.
