Brunswick has made the Elite 8 in each of the last three seasons, an incredible accomplishment for a day school.
The Bruins boasted talent throughout the roster last season and the one before that and the one before that. Head coach Mike Kennedy never seems to have trouble replacing talent.
Never has that been more true than entering this winter.
They will have a new go-to forward, top defenseman and starting goalie. Needing all three of those things would cripple most teams, but Brunswick's ability to regenerate and promote from within is one of the strongest in New England.
"We think we have a lot of good hockey players here," Kennedy said. "We're not looking to take any steps backwards."
Is that feasible?
Lost to the CHL
Joe Salandra led the region in points last season with 72. The Harvard commit was one of the three most dominant players throughout the winter. A junior '08, it was hard to imagine him coming back for his senior year — and that's exactly what happened. He left for the OHL's Barrie Colts, where he has a goal and eight points through 14 games.
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"You're never gonna replace a Joe Salandra on the ice, off the ice, in the locker room," Kennedy said. "He dominated at times, so I think he was certainly ready for the next step.
"It'll be impossible to replace him with one person. The fact that we do have a lot of guys gives us a shot to do it by committee and replace all those numbers. The other stuff, his leadership and the attitude, was just second to none. He set the example."
On defense, Cam Minella (Darien, Conn.) was one of the best puck-movers in the region. The '09 freshman was tied for fourth in points (37) among defensemen in the region and was at the U.S. National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp and fared well despite not making the team.
He was drafted in the second round in both the USHL Draft (Sioux Falls Stampede) and the QMJHL Draft (Halifax Mooseheads). He chose Halifax and has five points in his first 13 games.
"I held out hope that he would be back for maybe one more year," Kennedy said of Minella. "I think he still had, as we discussed with him, more to do at this level."
Kennedy and the staff were given more of a heads-up with goalie Dylan Lee-Stack, who alerted them in January that he would be leaving for the OHL. The '07 has an 8.39 goals-against average and an .818 save percentage in two appearances with the OHL's Peterborough Petes.
The scoring
Mason St. Louis (Old Greenwich, Conn.) projects as the team's No. 1 center and go-to scorer, and for good reason. The Dartmouth commit broke out last winter with 20 goals and 53 points, along with steady, two-way play.
"He will obviously lead the way," Kennedy said.
St. Louis is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer and current Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis. Mason St. Louis opted not to play split-season for Mid Fairfield this fall, instead just training at Brunswick on and off the ice throughout the fall.
"We actually have a handful of guys not doing split-season hockey," Kennedy said.
Two other returners from last season's top six are Ben Lombardi (Greenwich, Conn.), a senior power forward, and Keegan Kazan (Wilton, Conn.), who notched 34 points in 34 games. Lombardi, also an '08, had 10 goals and 25 points. Both will be looked at to take another step as point producers and have been playing for Mid Fairfield 18U this fall.
"They know what it takes," Kennedy said.
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Senior forward Owen Gibbons will be looked at to make an impact, too. The Fairfield, Conn., native took a big jump in points from three as a sophomore to 22 as a junior last winter. Ben Taylor (Greenwich, Conn.) is another one. The two-way centerman dealt with injuries last season and had four goals and nine points in 27 games.
"Those are five known commodities that we have," Kennedy said. "And then it's going to be a battle for the last top six spot and even seven through 12. I think we have 16 guys that can make a case based on what I've seen."
Two other names to watch are James Jackson and Colton Cleaves. Both have been impactful '09s with Mid Fairfield's 16U squad this fall.
"I think the cupboard's pretty full up front," Kennedy said.
On defense
The same is true on defense. While Minella is gone, Brunswick retained Princeton commit Hampus Vandenberg (Riverside, Conn.). The senior is coming off a junior year with 21 points in 35 games. With Minella gone, he will likely get more offensive reps and power play time.
Senior Jack McCullough (Westport, Conn.) will also see an increase in responsibilities. He had 12 points last season and is playing for Mid Fairfield's 18U squad.
Other defensemen who will be relied upon are seniors Aidan Doughtery (Greenwich, Conn.), Declan Minella (Darien, Conn.) and Luke Hall (Greenwich, Conn.). Harry Holland, an '08 who had 11 points last season, is off to Deerfield.
The Bruins also brought in Alex Zinman, an '08 defenseman from the North Jersey Avalanche.
The D core will play in front of two new goalies: '08s Evan Akerman and Zai Ferraro (New Canaan, Conn.). Akerman, at 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds, arrives at Brunswick from Northfield Mount Hermon. Ferraro, also 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, was with Mount St. Charles' 16U team last season.
"It's a bit of a new situation," Kennedy said. "We've never had two fighting in the same class for starts. But I think it'll be good for the competitive aspect and nature of it. I don't know how it's going to work. Maybe they will alternate, maybe one will get hot and maybe then the other one will get hot.
"It's another good problem to have."
Expectations
The Elite 8 has become the standard at Brunswick. That's in large part due to success against a gauntlet of a schedule.
That schedule hasn't changed much for this season. The only big difference is that the Bruins will face Stanstead College, a high-end program in Quebec. That will be on Jan. 18 at Brunswick.
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As for expectations, those haven't changed either.
"They're pretty high," Kennedy said. "A big senior class with a lot of experience and then a pretty full cupboard of other guys, whether they're new or they're looking to take a step from last year in their roles. I think we're all excited about it. I know the group is confident that we're not going to take a step backwards as a team.
"We're hoping to be right back in the mix. We're going to be ready to rock and roll."
