NORTHFORD, Conn. – Mount Saint Charles ran through the field at the New England District 15 Only Championship en route to victory at the Northford Ice Pavilion.Â
The team, coached by Scott Gainey and Jim Creamer, defeated Mid Fairfield by a score of 6-5 in the championship game on Sunday afternoon. The other semifinalists were Seacoast Performance Academy and South Kent Selects Academy.
The `06s at the New England District possessed the most high-end talent of any of the three age divisions competing for a championship over the weekend. Five players expected to showcase their ability at next week’s USA Hockey NTDP Evaluation Camp and a USHL tender were among the top players in the tournament. However, a number of other players stood out in my viewings over the course of Saturday and Sunday.
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Below is an All-Tournament Team picked by me plus a look at others who stood out over the two days I was in Connecticut at the New England District 15 Only Championship:
All-Tournament Team
James Hagens
Mount Saint Charles, 11/3/06, C, left shot, 5-8/138
Hagens had three goals and three assists during my viewings of Mount Saint Charles. As I was bouncing around from rink to rink watching the other games, he most likely had more than that. From Hauppauge, N.Y., Hagens’ skating, stickhandling, and offensive instincts are elite. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out he’s the best player on the ice. He has the puck on his stick and is lethal each time he hops over the boards. A lock for the NTDP and likely top five overall pick in 2025, Hagens is a big time player.
Drew DellaSalla
Mid Fairfield, 5/8/06, C, left shot, 6-0/154
DellaSalla had a monster weekend. He had at least four points in the championship game against Mount Saint Charles and was noticeably productive during the previous games. The Rye, N.Y., native, who played at Brunswick during the prep season, has a smooth stride and is long and skilled. Aside from the good weekend on the score sheet, I liked his engagement away from the puck. This was the hardest I’ve seen him play.
JJ Monteiro
Mount Saint Charles, 1/12/06, RW, left shot, 5-11/175
Monteiro had a key goal in the final and was once again all over the puck. It wasn’t as strong of a viewing as the Northeast Pack playoffs here a month ago, but he was good. He’s smart, heavy on pucks, and plays in all the hard areas of the ice. The Hudson, Mass., native has been one of the team’s most productive players since the calendar turned to 2022.
Will Felicio
Mount Saint Charles, 5/15/06, D, left shot, 5-9/150
Felicio, from Holden, Mass., is a defenseman that pops right off the sheet each time you watch Mount Saint Charles. His skating, vision, and compete are all strong. He’s able to promote possession for his team as he can sidestep oncoming forecheckers in transition and walk the blue line in the attacking zone. While he’s not the biggest defenseman on the ice, he plays hard and is tough to play against.
Tory Pitner
Selects Academy, 3/6/06, D, right shot, 6-0/164
Pitner is a steady defender with enormous upside. He’s not flashy, but he makes smart decisions on his puck touches. More of a quarterback than a running back, he skates with his head up and looks to make quick breakout passes up ice. He gaps well and has the size and smoothness pro scouts will be looking for in a few years.
Jack Parsons
Mount Saint Charles, 1/15/06, G, catches left, 6-3/174
Parsons posted a shutout against the Junior Bulldogs and was sharp in the round robin game against Mid Fairfield. Given his lofty expectations as a goalie attending NTDP Evaluation Camp, he wasn’t as sharp against Mid Fairfield in the final. From Ithaca, N.Y., he has good size, squares up to shooters, and has the physical tools to be a Division 1 goaltender.
Honorable Mention
Alex Bales
Junior Bulldogs, 7/6/06, D, left shot, 5-10/170
Bales logged a ton of ice time as his team was playing with just 11 skaters, due to an abundance of the roster still competing in Connecticut high school hockey. The East Amherst, N.Y., native has good hockey sense and plays a physical brand of hockey. His upside and future potential are both intriguing.
Sacha Boisvert
Mount Saint Charles, 3/17/06, C, left shot, 6-1/160
At least in my viewings, this was a quieter than normal weekend, in terms of production. Even when he’s not at the top of his game, Boisvert still shows you signs of why he’s such a promising prospect. The Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, native is tall, long, and plays a physical brand of hockey. He protects pucks and plays hard down low. His upside is tremendous.
Walker Bright
Mid Fairfield, 6/3/06, RW, right shot, 5-9/150
Bright scored a couple of goals on Saturday while playing the wing on DellaSalla’s line. From New Canaan, Conn., Bright’s skating, skill and vision are all above average. He’ll have to add a more dynamic element to his skating in order to continue trending in an upward trajectory.
Blake Burke
Mid Fairfield, 5/18/06, LW, left shot, 5-10/1152
The lefty from Trumbull, Conn., had a strong weekend. I first noticed him at last year’s New England District Festival and then again at Select 15s in Buffalo. This weekend he was strong on pucks, forechecked with a purpose, and scored. Burke projects as a north-south power forward who can slide up and down the lineup. He was the second best player on Mid Fairfield’s team this weekend.
Cooper Cleaves
Mid Fairfield, 1/5/06, D, right shot, 6-1/174
Cleaves has taken a big step over the past 12 months. He’s gotten taller and looks quicker and more athletic. From Greenwich, Conn., his size and length were noted this past weekend. He keeps it simple and brings a tough defensive element. I expect him to keep getting better over the coming years.
David Ehrhard
Mount Saint Charles, 3/15/06, RW, left shot, 6-1/155
Ehrhard, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., is intriguing for his size, length and finishing ability. He scored twice while I was watching this weekend. His skating and first two steps are an area of his game that he can refine in order to make the most of his ability.
Ronnie Hill
Seacoast, 10/3/06, C/RW, right shot, 5-8/138
Hill scored a big time goal against Mount on Sunday. The Saco, Maine, native is on the smaller side, but he’s dangerous with the puck on his stick. He has that pure goal scoring touch and has the puck on his stick a good amount.
Cal Hughes
Mount Saint Charles, 1/22/06, RW, left shot, 6-1/170
This was my best viewing of Hughes all season. The good sized winger had a couple of goals and an assist while I was watching Mount. A couple of the tallies were in meaningful times in Sunday’s playoff action. The Basking Ridge, N.J., native has length, skill and pro upside.
Andrew Jensen
Selects Academy, 3/22/06, D, left shot, 5-7/135
Jensen is on the smaller side, but he’s mobile and has a good shot from the point. The Syracuse, N.Y., native does a good job of getting shots through and can fire pucks with velocity whether it’s a wrist shot or one-timer.
Theo Kiss
Mount Saint Charles, 7/13/06, LW, left shot, 5-9/155
Kiss is one of the most underrated players skating in North America at this birth year. He’s on the smaller side, but simply put, he’s a hockey player. His hockey sense allows him to be in positions to score goals and he can make play with his vision. He’s a great complement to Hagens as the duo connected numerous times over the weekend. From Kosice, Slovakia, Kiss’ skating and vision make him a clearcut college hockey player down the road.
Jack Montaldo
Mount Saint Charles, 6/4/06, D, right shot, 5-11/165
Montaldo had a strong weekend, displaying puck-moving and offensive capabilities. The Commack, N.Y., native has above average mobility and looks to push the pace in transition. He got more minutes and stepped up with Vincent Ipri out of the lineup with an injury.
Brady Morris
Mid Fairfield, 2/1/06, G, catches left, 5-8/145
Morris ended up giving up quite a few goals against Mount Saint Charles, but the undersized goaltender from Rye, N.Y., made some key saves throughout the weekend. He did all he could as his team came under siege.
Niko Tournas
Junior Bulldogs, 2/17/06, RW, right shot, 6-0/180
Tournas, from Monroe, Conn., scored the game-tying goal late in a game on Saturday. His shot and pure goal scoring touch are what got him invited to USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp. His skating is an area that needs to get better as he continues making strides in his development.
Tyler Wood
Selects Academy, 2/15/06, C, left shot, 6-1/170
Wood is his team’s best forward. From Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, he uses his size and strength to power his way to the net and protect pucks. He can shoot it hard and has the ability to play the role of a power forward at this level.
