The Crimson Combine brought many top ‘05 hockey prospects from across North America to Harvard’s Bright-Landry Hockey Center over the course of two days, August 1-2.
The event, in its fifth year, is run by the Harvard coaching staff, which includes head coach Ted Donato, assistant coach Jim Tortorella, and director of hockey operations Sean O’Brien. Former assistant coach Rob Rassey, who recently accepted a job as an amateur scout for the Detroit Red Wings, played a major role and stayed on to help put on the event.
Looking back over the past four years, the Crimson Combine is a very good indicator of future success. Two years ago, the Crimson Combine featured several ‘03s who went on to make USA Hockey’s NTDP this past March. Tyler Boucher (BU), Liam Gilmartin, Jack Hughes (Northeastern), and Ryan St. Louis (Northeastern) were in attendance in 2017, as were several 2019 USHL tenders and draft picks. Going back to the ‘01 group, it was loaded with future NTDP talent, NHL Draft picks, and college recruits.
This year’s Crimson Combine featured more of an international flavor while still having a couple of solid players from within the region. Here’s a look at the standouts from the 2019 Crimson Combine:
Forwards
Alex Assadourian
York Simcoe Express, Left Shot
Assadourian had five goals over the course of two days, including one on the first shift of the game on Thursday. He’s an elite skater who has a second gear. He has good agility and can make plays in small areas. Assadourian can separate from opposing defenders and put it into a second gear to split the defense or beat them wide.
Brian Nicholas
Westchester Express, Left Shot
Nicholas is a tall forward with length and the ability to protect pucks. He scored a goal and added another tally in the shootout Thursday. He can lower his shoulder and drive the net. He made a couple of plays and seems to have a lot of potential.
Pavel Baranchik
LA Jr. Kings, Left Shot
Baranchik had a goal and an assist and made a couple of nice passes in addition. He looks to be a solid prospect in the making.
Stefan Forgione
Vaughan Kings, Left Shot
Forgione plays with a mean streak. He flew around and delivered a ton of big hits. He’s strong and also uncorked a couple of hard shots. He was fun to watch.
Anselmo Rego
Mississauga Rebels, Right Shot
Rego is a good skater who made a lot of plays with his passing ability, vision and strong hockey sense. He was able to slow things down and cycle pucks.
Eli Friedman
Mid Fairfield, Right Shot
Friedman skates well and can make plays. He sees the ice well and has good habits. He showed poise with the puck on his stick. Friedman had a goal and an assist.
Jake Lewis
Long Island Gulls, Right Shot
Lewis has a hard shot and was able to generate offense on the rush. At least one of his hard shots resulted in a rebound goal.
Ben Yurchuk
NJ Colonials, Left Shot
Yurchuk seemed to get better as the combine went along. He skates well and made a couple of notable passes on a line with Lewis.
Duncan Shin
LA Jr. Kings, Left Shot
Shin had a couple of goals and was heavy on pucks. He made a couple of good looks into the middle after fending off defenders along the wall.
Joseph DiMartino
Boston Advantage, Right Shot
DiMartino has a good couple of days with three goals and an assist. He has a hard shot and made a nice pass out to the slot after winning a battle below the goal line. On one of his goals, he pulled the puck back for a deceptive release.
Benjamin Picard
San Jose Jr. Sharks, Right Shot
Picard had two goals, including one that was a snipe right under the bar on a rush attempt. He’s heavy on pucks and strong enough to protect pucks and win battles.
Joseph McGraw
Dallas Stars Elite, Right Shot
McGraw had three assists and skated well enough to have good chemistry with Assadourian. One of his assists came on a nice low to high sauce pass out to the point that resulted in a goal.
Joseph Hurton
Jr. Terriers, Right Shot
Hurton is a big, power forward who was able to bull his way through opposing defenders. He had an assist and was able to protect pucks with his reach and strength.
Colby Barlow
Toronto Marlies, Left Shot
Barlow is big and has a booming wrist shot that he unleashed a few times, including for a goal. He’s physically mature, strong and can be heavy on pucks below the dots.
Landon Resendes
Assabet Valley, Right Shot
Resendes is a small, slick forward who made a couple of nice passes.
James Giuffre
Long Island Royals, Right Shot
Giuffre is a big power forward who won some battles for loose pucks and drove the net.
Cole Barrett
Mississauga Rebels, Left Shot
Barrett skates well, scored a wraparound goal and made a play or two.
Nicholas Summers
St. Louis Blues AAA, Right Shot
Summers skates well and had a goal.
Michael Hagens
Long Island Gulls, Left Shot
Hagens is a smaller forward with speed who scored a goal in the shootout on Thursday.
Cam Russo
Jr. Eagles, Right Shot
Russo had a goal. He has some length and is strong on his skates.
Jason McKee
Anaheim Jr. Ducks, Right Shot
McKee skates well, had a hard shot that resulted in a goal, and forced a turnover.
Luciano Supino
Vaughan Kings, Right Shot
Supino had a goal and saw the ice well.
Luke Hogan
Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, Left Shot
Hogan had a goal and was shifty and crafty.
Han Shin
Valley Forge Minutemen, Left Shot
Shin had an assist and was able to control possession down low with being strong on pucks and making a couple of good passes.
Michael Baran
Valley Forge Minutemen, Left Shot
Baran is small, quick and crafty.
Defensemen
Francesco Dell’Elce
Toronto Marlboros, Left Shot
Dell’Elce is a mobile defender with really good feet and agility to escape trouble. He had a good first pass and good stick. He added a goal on a shot from the point.
Tristan Bertucci
Toronto Red Wings, Left Shot
Bertucci showed the ability to be a very good puck-moving defenseman. He could rush pucks up ice and promote possession for his team. He had a good stick.
Andrew Lanni
Toronto Titans, Left Shot
Lanni gapped well and had a good stick for pokechecking opposing forwards on the rush. He also was able to step into the rush.
Jack O’Brien
Boston Advantage, Left Shot
O’Brien skates well and had good gaps. He made numerous really good looks to push the pace in transition and from the point in the attacking zone.
Kai Janviriya
Belle Tire, Right Shot
Janviriya is a small defenseman who seemed to get more confident as the combine went along. He’s very mobile and pushes the pace with good hands and vision.
Mitch Geiser
St. Louis Blues AAA, Right Shot
Geiser did a good job protecting pucks on retrievals and was hard to knock off pucks.
Aiden Elliott
St. Louis Blues AAA, Right Shot
Elliott was mobile and had a good stick to break up plays.
Matthew Andonovski
Markham Waxers, Left Shot
Andonovski made a couple of good looks from the point while moving pucks in the attacking zone.
Denver Gayer
Mississauga Reps, Right Shot
Gayer has good feet.
Bowen Burke
Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, Right Shot
Burke had an assist and showed good recovery speed and hustle a couple of times to get back after jumping into the rush.
Charlie Kinsman
Buffalo Jr. Sabres, Right Shot
Kinsman is a strong, mobile defender who liked to jump into the rush. He had a good stick defending.
Gannon Austin
Jr. Eagles, Right Shot
Austin had a hard shot and length.
Nico Pasquale
Team Illinois, Right Shot
Pasquale jumped into the rush a little, but didn’t have the hockey sense.
Beck Majdell
Montreal Nationals, Left Shot
Majdell scored a goal when pinching into the rush. He has good size and strength.
Hoyt Stanley
St. George’s, Right Shot
Stanley has good feet and scored a goal.
Nick Perniola
BC High, Right Shot
Perniola pushes the pace with good mobility and puck skills. He has good recovery speed.
Zephyr Tangri
LA Jr. Kings, Left Shot
Tangri is a big, shutdown defender who positions himself well to keep plays to the outside. He kept things simple.
Goaltenders
Ryan Sanborn
Mid Fairfield, Catches Left
Sanborn is one of the top goaltenders in the age group. He’s big, eats pucks, and is poised in net. He made a lot of good saves.
Daniel Van Brunt, Jr.
Long Island Royals, Catches Left
Van Brunt, Jr. is small, but he made a lot of big saves. He was quick and had good reflexes. For a smaller goaltender, he didn’t flop around.
Stephen Peck
North Jersey Avalanche, Catches Left
Peck has good size and made a nice kick save in the game Thursday.
William Baker
Mid Fairfield, Catches Left
Baker made a couple of nice saves, but didn’t get the same amount of support in front of him Friday in a lopsided loss.
