MARLBORO, Mass. — The 2006 birth year proved to be a good one over the weekend at the Massachusetts Hockey CCM High Performance Festival at New England Sports Center.
The state’s top ’06s took to the ice over the course of three days to showcase their skill-sets in front of numerous college coaches and scouts. Massachusetts Hockey player development director Paul Pearl, the associate head coach at Boston University, and four other college coaches and NHL scouts evaluated the players in order to pick who moved on to USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp in July.
Sixty-eight players participated over the course of the first two days before the field was whittled down to 30 for Sunday’s All-Star Game. I disagreed with a few of the picks and thought a few players inexplicably were left out of Sunday’s All-Star Game. In the end, I agreed with most of the selections for Select 15s in Buffalo. I watched all three days of action from Marlboro so my observations and evaluations are based on the body of work over the entire weekend.
Below are my rankings for the event, broken down by position. An asterisk is next to the players who earned a spot at Select 15s, which will take place July 13-18 at Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo. This was a very deep group, especially on defense. Some very good blueliners failed to get through to Buffalo.
Forwards
1. Cole Eiserman *
Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 8/29/06, left shot, 5-10/178
Eiserman had three goals by my count during the weekend, including one in Sunday’s All-Star Game. Sunday’s goal came as a result of him picking off an errant D-to-D pass at his own blue line. He went in on a breakaway and buried it past the goaltender. He’s physically mature, which helps him dominate at this level. The Newburyport, Mass., native has a deceptive release and a hard, heavy shot.
2. Teddy Stiga *
Junior Eagles, 4/5/06, left shot, 5-8/147
Stiga was really good throughout this event, and there certainly could be an argument for him deserving the top ranking. From Sudbury, Mass., Stiga is an elite skater, which allows him to make a huge impact offensively. He made a bunch of nice players over the first two games to set up linemates for goals. He did that again on Sunday but also had a really nice goal. It was a great individual effort where he showed off his elusiveness. Stiga’s feet and skating will carry him a long way.
3. Nate Porter *
Junior Eagles, 3/10/06, right shot, 5-8/156
Porter is one of the top players in this age group. It’s not always apparent to casual observers. He doesn’t have the powerful stride, size or other physical tools at the moment that some of his peers do. However, he’s a good skater who sees the ice well. He can slow the game down and make poised plays. I thought he made a lot of plays, especially in Friday’s game. The Hingham, Mass., native just quietly goes about his business and makes his linemates better.
4. Gavin Cornforth *
Junior Eagles, 12/15/06, right shot, 5-9/150
Cornforth is extremely gifted. The Milton, Mass., native has the size and explosive skating stride to be a power forward who can possess pucks for long stretches of time. He has a hard shot and can protect pucks. The one area of his game that needs improvement is his hockey sense. He sometimes skates it into trouble and doesn’t always keep his head up to find open teammates. If that can improve, combined with his physical tools, the production will increase.
5. Jack Sadowski *
Junior Eagles, 7/29/06, left shot, 5-8/140
Sadowski scored a couple of goals and might have had an assist. From Arlington, Mass., his hockey sense is what truly separates him. He sees the ice well and puts himself in position to score goals. Once his first two steps get better, he’ll be an even better player. He’s already one of the most impactful players in this age group.
6. Mike Sullivan *
EC Wizards, left shot, 5-10/155
Sullivan had a great weekend, scoring three goals and adding a helper. The North Andover, Mass., native is big, strong and heavy on pucks. He’s not the greatest skater, but he uses his size and strength for positioning. He has a hard shot and goes to the tough areas where goals are scored.
7. Ben Nakata *
Boston Advantage, F, left shot, 5-8/140
Nakata saved his best hockey for Sunday. He scored a goal on a tap-in rebound. While some might look at that as a garbage goal, I think it’s evident of Nakata’s hockey sense. He’s almost always on the right side of the puck and in smart areas where the puck will find him. The West Barnstable, Mass., native isn’t the most skilled or the fastest skater, but his hockey IQ puts him into the top-10 category.
8. Teddy MacAusland *
Minuteman Flames, 1/13/06, right shot, 5-6/140
MacAusland was held off the scoresheet here, but he’s quick, crafty and can make plays. He has a low center of gravity and is heavy on pucks for a smaller player. The Westwood, Mass., native made quite a few notable plays with the puck on his stick.
9. Josh Itri *
Sandwich, 1/4/06, right shot, 5-6/140
Itri is a good skater who competes hard. He got a few chances but didn’t bury them. The Sandwich, Mass., native is one of the best players in this age group at hunting pucks. For him to take that next step, he needs to be more assertive and improve his hockey sense. If he can take pucks to the net and put himself in better position to receive passes, he’ll start to bury some of those chances.
10. Jackson Delleo
Mount Saint Charles, 1/13/06, RW, right shot, 5-9/140
Delleo had two goals and an assist during the first two games but was left out of the All-Star Game. That was a huge mistake. The Franklin, Mass., native is a goal scorer who hangs around the net and can bury loose pucks. He’s physically mature and rugged, making him heavy on pucks. His boots are a little heavy, but he was unequivocally one of the top 16 forwards at this event.
11. Aidan Westphalen
Boston Advantage, 1/1/06, right shot, 5-10/150
Westphalen, from Cohasset, Mass., didn’t make the All-Star Game either. His skating and hockey sense need some work, but I’d have liked to see him get through. He’s a power forward who can score goals, as he did once during the first two days.
Defensemen
1. Will Felicio *
Mount Saint Charles, 5/19/06, left shot, 5-9/150
There is a lot to like about Felicio’s game. He impacts the play at both ends of the ice as a two-way defenseman. He’s tough to beat one-on-one, doesn’t shy away from physical contact, and makes life difficult for opposing players. The Holden, Mass., native jumps up into the offense and promotes possession. He’s not as flashy as some other defensemen, in terms of skating and flying around the ice, but he’s very effective.
2. Owen Keefe *
Junior Eagles, 3/26/06, left shot, 5-11/170
Keefe probably had his best game on Friday. He was very good at both ends of the ice. He jumped up into the play and scored a goal on the rush. Later in the game, he stepped up and delivered a big, clean hit in his own zone that separated the puck carrier from the puck. Keefe, who is getting bigger and stronger, is going to keep getting better. The Saugus, Mass., native plays a mature game at both ends of the ice. He always has his head up and is looking to make plays.
3. Kiernan Poulin *
Boston Advantage, 1/5/06, right shot, 5-4/110
There were times this weekend where Poulin was absolutely electric. He’s on the smaller side, but his skating is a game changer. He can sidestep oncoming forecheckers by juking one way or the other. He retrieves pucks and quickly gets them going north. In the attacking zone, he has the feet and stick to make plays from the point. His vision is outstanding. The only thing that kept him from being ranked higher was he’s a little bit more of a high-risk, high-reward type defender compared to Felicio and Keefe. There were also times this weekend where the Norwell, Mass., native showed some jam.
4. Andrew O’Sullivan *
Boston Advantage, 8/15/06, right shot, 5-8/140
This was a really deep defensive group. I would have liked to rank O’Sullivan higher, but there were deserving players ahead of him. The Norwell, Mass., native isn’t overly flashy, but he’s a very good skater who continued to get better as the weekend moved along. He makes smart plays with the puck, defends well and projects as a reliable two-way defenseman.
5. Brady Flynn *
Junior Eagles, 4/12/06, left shot, 5-8/130
Flynn has shown his skating ability and offensive acumen from the blue line numerous times over the past year or so. I thought he was really good here and earned a bid to national camp. He’s mobile and transitions quickly from defense to offense. The Milton, Mass., native has the feet that will make him well-known to college coaches over the next few years.
6. Liam O’Keeffe
Junior Eagles, 1/31/06, left shot, 6-0/160
This wasn’t O’Keeffe’s best weekend, but he’s still one of the best defensemen in this age group as far as I’m concerned. From Boston, he has good size and strength. His skating and stick aren’t elite, but they’re both above average. I thought he tried to do too much at times, instead of playing his usual, mature game. Hopefully, he gets an at-large bid to the national camp, as he is deserving.
7. Jack Duffy
Belmont Hill, 3/15/06, right shot, 5-6/120
One of the most shocking decisions of the weekend was Duffy’s absence from the All-Star Game rosters. The Walpole, Mass., native was really good the first two days. There might not have been a smarter defenseman over the first two days. Every breakout pass was right on the tape of his intended target, and he made a lot of heady, safe plays on first touch. His size is a limiting factor, but he certainly was one of the top 10 defensemen at this festival.
8. Nathan Walsh
Minuteman Flames, 7/9/06, left shot, 5-7/135
Walsh was a little quiet for his standards through the first two days. He certainly elevated his play on Sunday. He’s gifted offensively, whether it be through his skating ability in transition or his shot from the point. The Mendon, Mass., native projects as a mobile, offensive defenseman with a good stick. His defensive play is the one area that is holding him back from a higher ranking.
9. Dylan Hunt
Junior Eagles, 1/1/06, left shot, 5-11/145
Hunt, from Marlboro, Mass., is a big, strong defenseman who played well here. He was just average in the All-Star Game, but certainly separated himself from many of his peers through the first two days.
10. Joseph Mense
Minuteman Flames, 7/12/06, right shot, 5-9/165
Mense was another surprise player to not get to Sunday’s All-Star Game. He’s a good-sized defenseman with strength and a physical element. The Dedham, Mass., native makes some solid plays defensively and is certainly tough to play against.
11. Evan Dresser
Belmont Hill, 1/1/06, right shot, 5-9/150
Dresser was one of the top defensemen on his team through the first two games. He gets around fairly well and is strong. He might have been a little over his head on Sunday, but the Everett, Mass., blueliner is one of many promising youngsters on a revamped roster at Belmont Hill.
Goaltenders
1. Ryder Shea *
Minuteman Flames, 5/4/06, catches left, 6-2/185
Shea, from Framingham, Mass., has got a lot of physical tools that will garner him significant interest from the NTDP, college coaches and NHL scouts over the next few years. He moves well, cuts down on the shooters’ angles, and makes some saves look easy.
2. Evan Zhang *
Roxbury Latin, 2/2/06, catches left, 5-7/105
Zhang is on the smaller side, but he’s great technically. He has a mild demeanor in the net and doesn’t get rattled. He made a huge save on a breakaway bid in the All-Star Game. The Sherborn, Mass., native should continue to get better as he grows and fills out his frame.
I thought all four goaltenders to make Sunday’s All-Star game were deserving of recognition. While I agree wholeheartedly with the selections of Shea and Zhang, Brendan Carberry (Junior Eagles) and Marty Pierce (North Reading H.S.) performed well throughout the three-day event.
