While several top ‘03s from New England have already committed, there remain quite a few intriguing uncommitted players in this age group.
Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Princeton have committed ‘03s from New England. Interestingly, Providence has committed five ‘03s, but all are from outside of the region.
The ‘03 age group is an interesting one as there are numerous players committed, but there now are players who can’t commit until August 1, 2020, due to new NCAA recruiting legislation barring commitments until that date before a prospects’ junior season.
Here are top 30 uncommitted ‘03s in New England:
1. Culin Wilson
Dexter Southfield/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 3/12/03, C/LW, Left Shot, 5-11/180
Wilson is a smart, 200-foot forward who can play either wing or center. He’s heavy on pucks and makes a lot of his plays after winning battles along the wall and down low. He sees the ice well and is a good passer, but he also can shoot it hard. His versatility and ability to play hard in both ends will serve him well into the future. The Hingham, Mass., native needs to consistently play hard and improve his feet some, but there’s plenty of upside.
2. Jake Bongo
Selects Academy 16-U, 2/4/03, RW, Right Shot, 5-7.25/132
Bongo is one of the more improved players in this age group. The Ridgefield, Conn., native is a good skater who gets to spots quickly. He’s strong on puck pursuit and he buzzes all over the ice. He’s always moving his feet and makes plays. He’s had strong viewings at several showcases and camps over the past six months. His size is an area of concern, but he shows the tenacity to overcome that.
3. Brendan Fitzgerald
Governor’s/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 3/6/03, D, Left Shot, 5-11/147
Fitzgerald is somewhat unfairly compared to his older brother, Casey, a defenseman who played at the NTDP and BC before entering pro hockey in the Buffalo Sabres organization. Brendan is a different type of player, but he also has some similar attributes. An impressive thing about the younger Fitzgerald is his ability to defend on the rush and play with jam. He has a good stick and gaps well. The North Reading, Mass., native has been hampered by injuries, but his skating and footwork has gotten better. He’s prone to the occasional turnover or questionable puck decisions, but he can make plays with his skill set.
4. Will Elias
St. Sebastian’s/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 1/28/03, D, Right Shot, 5-11/164
Elias might not have as high of a ceiling as some others, but he projects to be a very reliable defenseman at the college level. He has a good stick and skates well. Elias can defend with good gaps and his body positioning is typically strong. The Weston, Mass., native has an above average shot from the point and makes a smart first touch most of the time.
5. Matt Copponi
Dexter/River Rats 16-U, 6/4/03, C, Right Shot, 5-9/140
Copponi has a very high motor and is a skilled player. He’s always hunting pucks and his hands allow him to score some highlight reel goals. He can play in all situations and does a good job on the penalty kill. He’s one of those glue types of players that should make Dexter even better this winter as he moves to prep from Mansfield High School.
6. Aidan Lyons
Nobles/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 2/26/03, D, Left Shot, 5-9/163
Lyons has a ton of skill and can move pucks north and quarterback a power play. His footwork and puck skills stand out right away in almost every viewing. The Brookline, Mass., native can skate the puck out of trouble or pass it up ice. While he can make good passes to show off his vision, he needs to reel it in at times and improve his overall hockey sense and play in the defensive end. His skill set is without a doubt good enough to play Division I.
7. Nolan Joyce
St. Sebastian’s/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 9/25/03, D, Right Shot, 5-11/153
Joyce has gotten a lot better over the past year as he’s put on some size and gotten a little more explosive. He can skate, shoot it, and make some good passes out of his own zone. His defensive positioning and puck decisions need more consistency, but his development is certainly trending in the right direction.
8. Declan Loughnane
Thayer/Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, 11/22/03, D, right shot, 6-0/190
Loughnane will make the move from high school hockey to prep hockey this winter. He’s a good-sized right-shot defenseman with offensive instincts. He has a good shot and can move pucks up ice. The Milton, Mass., native has length and can defend with some jam at times. There’s certainly upside in Loughnane’s game.
9. Michael Cataldo
St. Sebastian’s/Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, 5/4/03, RW, right shot, 5-11/165
Cataldo is a good-sized winger who is heavy on pucks and has a hard shot. He’ll be in his first year of varsity at St. Sebastian’s this winter.
10. Shane Lachance
Tabor/River Rats 16-U, 8/30/03, LW, Left Shot, 6-2/180
Lachance is moving from Andover High School to Tabor. A big winger with good lineage, he’s raw and shows flashes of tremendous upside. He has reach and skill for a big guy. It might take him a little longer, but he will likely be one of the locals watched carefully next winter ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft.
11. Brendan Gorman
St. Sebastian’s/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 2/17/03, C/RW, right shot, 5-10/140
Gorman is a versatile forward who has shown the ability to play both center and wing. He’s grown some and improved quite a bit over the past couple of months. He’s hard and heavy, but also has some skill. He does a good job hunting pucks and making plays below the dots.
12. Conner Chalmers
Kimball Union/Top Gun 16-U, 8/30/03, D, right shot, 5-9/164
Chalmers has tremendous feet, but is still a work in progress when it comes to his hockey sense. If the Arlington, Mass., native can improve that area of his game, a player with his skating ability will be in high demand among college coaches.
13. Patrick Morrissey
Dexter/River Rats 16-U, 1/7/03, D, right shot, 5-11/160
Morrissey sees the ice very well and makes a strong first pass. The Canton, Mass., native is able to facilitate the transition as well as quarterback a power play due to his excellent vision. His footwork and strength will need to continue improving to help his play in the defensive zone.
14. Conor Sullivan
Rivers/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 10/3/03, G, Catches Left, 6-3/164
Sullivan got a nod to attend USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp last March. He has good size and is fundamentally strong. The Westborough, Mass., native does a good job taking away shooters’ angles and has been solid in a few viewings this fall.
15. Brandon Spaulding
Pope Francis/Springfield Rifles 16-U, 8/8/03, C, left shot, 5-11/160
Spaulding is a little under the radar playing in western Mass., but he’s a nice player. He has decent size and skates well. He’s versatile and can probably play a couple of different roles as a middle six forward.
16. Greyson Pane
Westminster/Junior Bulldogs 16-U, 8/2/03, G, Catches Left, 6-3/171
The Topsfield, Mass., native has a ton of upside as a big butterfly goaltender. He’s athletic and covers a lot of the net. A good skater, Pane needs to challenge shooters more and do a better job tracking pucks. Nonetheless, Pane looks to be one of the better prospects among goaltenders in this region.
17. Vincent Gould
Dexter/EC Wizards 16-U, 2/11/03, RW, right shot, 6-2/190
Gould has some upside as a power forward with a hard shot. The Wellesley, Mass., native is a big winger who can rip pucks on net. He’s able to win battles below the dots, but his skating needs improvement.
18. Alex Mickanin
Selects Academy 16-U, 8/11/03, G, catches left, 6-0/185
Mickanin, from Hopkinton, Mass., is a solid goaltender with above average size. He’s someone to keep an eye on over the coming years.
19. Cooper Flinton
St. Paul’s/Northern Cyclones Prep 16-U, 8/16/03, LW, left shot, 6-1.25/205
Flinton is a big winger who can shoot it hard. He’s a little under the radar and there are parts of his game that need rounding out, but there is also a lot to like. The Auburn, N.H., native has the pedigree and potential to blossom into a Division I talent.
20. Ziv Deener-Chodirker
Rivers/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 1/4/03, C, right shot, 5-10/160
Chodirker has been really good in most viewings of the Jr. Eagles this fall. He works hard, sacrifices his body, and has found the score sheet some as well. He’ll block shots and he’ll show tenacity on the forecheck. The Newton, Mass., native has made great strides in his game over the past year.
21. Jackson Coutu
St. Mark’s/Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, 1/9/03, C, right shot, 5-11/175
Coutu is an athletic forward who has been good in several viewings this fall. He’s been one of Carl Corazzini’s top players at St. Mark’s the past couple of years. Also a strong lacrosse player, the Upton, Mass., native has some upside as a skilled forward.
22. Charlie Andriole
Loomis Chaffee/Yale Jr. Bulldogs 16-U, 4/19/03, D, left shot, 5-8/153
Andriole, from Branford, Conn., is a mobile defenseman who skates well and can jump into the rush. His overall game needs some reforming, but there’s potential as an offensive defenseman.
23. Anthony Cafarelli
Lawrence/River Rats 16-U, 4/16/03, C, right shot, 5-8/165
Cafarelli is a smart and skilled forward who can produce offensively. The Middleton, Mass., native was buried a little on the depth chart last winter for a talented Cushing team, but he’s a player to keep an eye on moving forward.
24. John Burdett
Brunswick/Mid Fairfield 16-U, 2/11/03, D, right shot, 6-2/160
Burdett is a tall, lanky defender with some upside. He has shown some signs of being a player who could develop into a player worthy of recruiting.
25. Zachary Glass
Thayer/Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, 2/14/03, RW, right shot, 5-11/165
Glass sometimes falls under the radar due to the abundance of talented young players on Thayer’s roster, but he really impressed at the Mid Fairfield Showcase. He’s a good skater, hunts pucks, and has some offensive skill.
26. Harrison Giuliano
Bishop Hendricken/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 7/2/03, LW, left shot, 5-8/150
Giuliano started the season with the Jr. Eagles, but appears to have left to play full-season midget with South Shore Kings. A former Bishop Hendricken standout, Giuliano is a good skater with a high motor.
27. Joe Fleming
Wellesley/Jr. Eagles 16-U, 6/19/03, D, right shot, 5-11/190
Fleming is a big, strong and sturdy defender. He plays hard and brings it physically. He has a fairly good stick, but his skating needs some work in order to gain Division I attention.
28. Silas Van Vranken
Berkshire/Mid Fairfield 16-U, 9/19/03, D, left shot, 6-3/185
Van Vranken stood out at the New England District tryout camp in Attleboro, Mass., last March. A tall defender, he’s a player with late birthday who was previously at Cardigan Mountain. He’s raw, but has upside.
29. Daniel Lurie
Westminster/Yale Jr. Bulldogs 16-U, 6/30/03, D, left shot, 5-11/160
Lurie has bounced around a little from the Northern Cyclones to North Jersey Avalanche, but he’s in prep this winter with Westminster. His feet are good and he can make some plays in transition. If he can improve how he sees the ice, he’ll be that much better.
30. John Logan
BC High/Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, 5/3/03, D, right shot, 5-10/170
Logan is a player with good mobility who saw a lot of ice time for a championship-winning team at BC High last winter. He’s on the smaller side, but he has potential as a puck-moving, offensive defenseman.
