AMHERST, N.Y. — The top storyline at USA Hockey Select 15 Camp is always about the U.S. National Team Development Program prospects.
This year, the top 2010-born players from around the United States went to the Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y., to get their first taste of a Select Camp — and play in front of NTDP eyes.
The NTDP, headed by director of player personnel Rod Braceful, will spend the next year evaluating 15O talent for their evaluation camp in March of 2026.
At the camp for '09s earlier this year, 46 prospects were invited. Most were at Select 15 Camp last summer. A lot more than the 10 players listed below will be at NTDP evaluation camp next season — and these 10 players are far from a guarantee.
Things can change in the next year. New players can, and will, emerge.
From watching Thursday and Friday's action at Select 15 Camp, these were the players I would put in the NTDP category. To get into this story, it had to be an immediate "Oh, yeah. They're NTDP kids." No internal debates. While these are the 10 I liked, there may have been some players I missed who will be at NTDP Evaluation Camp next year.
But these are the players I saw who impressed me.
Let's dive in one year out.
Henry Buttweiler
Minnesota Blue Ox, 6/1/2010, F, left shot, 5-9/161
Hometown: Alexandria, Minn.Â
Buttweiler possessed the confidence of a play-driving center that the NTDP would want to take a look at. I even watched him get crushed in open ice, and that still didn't seem to hinder his confidence to make plays. He scored twice and added four assists in four games as the leading scorer for Orange at camp.
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Drew Daley
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 2/16/2010, D, right shot, 5-11/152
Hometown: Lake View, N.Y.Â
Steady — that was the name of Daley's game. As I wrote about in my defender standouts, his gaps and decisions to step up were some of the best I've seen in his age group in my three years in this job. Along with being reliable in his own zone, he has a potent offensive side to his game, too. That resulted in him ranking second among defensemen at the camp with six points.
William LoSauro
North Jersey Avalanche, 7/14/2010, F, left shot, 5-8/155
Hometown: Ridgewood, N.J.Â
From the wing, LoSauro's ability to get to high-danger ice was high-end among players at the camp. In my viewing of him, he picked his spots well, sometimes opting for a pass instead of a mad dash to the slot. He was tied for second in points at the camp with eight.
Matthew Lynn
BK Selects, 6/4/2010, F, right shot, 5-9/172
Hometown: Collegeville, Pa.Â
Lynn's hands, puck decisions and two-way play had the NTDP light go off for me. He played like a center who could slot anywhere in a lineup. As I wrote about in my forwards standouts, he got down and blocked a shot in the first game of his Select 15 Camp. That's not something every high-end player is willing to do.
Maverick McKinnon
Forest Lake High School, 9/14/2010, F, right shot, 5-8/159
Hometown: Forest Lake, Minn.Â
A coach mentioned to me that the '10s seem to have a lot of really good players, but not many great ones. I agree with that assessment, but McKinnon teetered more on the "great" side to me. His blend of a lethal shot and speed put him on a different tier than most of the camp. It wasn't a surprise that he finished second in goals (five) over the four games.
Jack Queally
St. Sebastian's, 7/27/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/185
Hometown: Milton, Mass.Â
Queally was more physically dominant than most opponents in his age group, which can sometimes be concerning for a 14-year-old (he turns 15 on Sunday). His face-off play, shot and two-way instincts quell those worries. He projects as a nice, anywhere-in-the-lineup center for the NTDP.
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Patrick Taylor
Chicago Reapers, 3/12/2010, F, left shot, 5-7/126
Hometown: Lake Bluff, Ill.Â
Taylor was the best passer I saw. His vision, instincts and puck-handling were elite. If I were a goal-scorer, I would plead with the coach to put me with Taylor. He has the puck poise of an NTDP player. His upside will become increasingly intriguing as he continues to grow.
Alec Walker
Florida Alliance, 4/8/2010, F, left shot, 6-5/180
Hometown: Lithia, Fla.Â
From the 5-foot-7 Taylor to the 6-foot-5 Walker. Walker is a unicorn. At just 15 years old and at that size, his skating and stick skills are outstanding, not just because he's that size. They're genuinely good. Some might think Walker is a project, but I'd disagree. Sure, there's still a lot of potential, but he's already an extremely effective player. He finished camp with three goals and an assist.
Caiven Walos
Madison Capitols, 7/5/2010, F, left shot, 5-7/181
Hometown: Hartland, Wis.Â
Walos had the confidence of an NTDP player. He drove play, wanted the puck (either passed to him or in board battles) and found ways to get to inside ice. At 5-foot-7 and 181 pounds, Walos was hard to knock off pucks, too. I'm curious to see how he develops over the next year. He had 61 goals and 112 points in 75 games for the Madison Capitols 14U team this past season.
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Blake Wilichoski
Minuteman Flames, 4/18/2010, F, right shot, 5-10/172
Hometown: Danvers, Mass.Â
The second New Englander in this story, Wilichoski moved into the NTDP tier category for me after this camp. His ability to slow the game down with the puck on his stick and calmly navigate through defenses was impressive. I'm interested to see how big a role he plays — and how much he produces — at Milton Academy this winter. He should be a top-six regular.
