Summer is for the beach and relaxing, unless you’re one of the many area hockey prospects vying for attention from NHL scouts and college coaches.
While a bunch of local players have taken part in USA Hockey Player Development Camps and other showcases, a few have set themselves apart from the rest.
No one did that more so than Joe Connor with his performance in June at the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp. The Amherst, N.H., native led the event in scoring, earning himself a spot on the U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team that will compete in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in August in Red Deer, Alberta.
Connor scored four goals and had nine assists in seven games. There was a lot of buzz at the rink about his stock soaring after the camp. As a rising junior, he’ll have his pick of schools when Aug. 1 rolls around, when he’s eligible to receive offers and commit to a college.
He’s always had a handful of schools interested in him, but some of the premier programs in Hockey East joined in after his showing in Amherst, N.Y.
Connor is on the smaller side for the liking of NHL scouts, but his skating, skill and compete are all notable attributes. He wins races for loose pucks and fights for possession down low. His willingness to go to the dirty areas and play a gritty style were all present throughout the camp. An '05, Connor has put himself on the radar of NHL scouts ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft.
On the U.S. team for the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup with Connor are two other New Englanders — Sioux Falls Stampede right wing Will McDonough (Duxbury, Mass.), and Brunswick and Mid Fairfield defenseman Lucas St. Louis (Greenwich, Conn.).
While Connor impressed at Select 17s, the biggest surprise of the summer was Teddy MacAusland making the U.S. Under-17 Select Team after the USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp a few weeks later. From Westwood, Mass., he scored three goals and had four assists in five games while playing against the best '06s in the country.
The undersized wing played a fast game and was able to use his speed to separate from opposing defensemen and gain plenty of odd-man rushes throughout the five-day camp. After an up-and-down season at Dexter Southfield, MacAusland is transferring to Nobles.
Joining MacAusland at the Five Nations Tournament are two fellow Bay Staters: Malden Catholic defenseman Owen Keefe (Saugus, Mass.) and Nobles goaltender Thatcher Bernstein (Brookline, Mass.). The inclusion of both players was more predictable than MacAusland’s. Both Keefe and Bernstein were at the USA Hockey NTDP Evaluation Camp in March and narrowly missed out on playing for the program’s U-17 team in 2022-23.
Arlington High and Junior Eagles product Jack Sadowski also shined at the Select 16 camp, finishing in a tie for first in scoring with three goals and five assists. While his skating is still a work in progress, his immense hockey sense, knack for being in the right place at the right time, puck poise, and shot all helped him have a successful camp. Sadowski, from Arlington, Mass., will be heading to Kimball Union to play for coach Tim Whitehead this fall.
Bishop Hendricken and River Rats center Ryan Staples blasted out of the gates at the Select 16 camp with four goals in the first game. The Middletown, R.I., native finished the camp with four goals and two assists. His play away from the puck, compete level and ability to hunt pucks were all valuable attributes outside of his crafty shot.
A number of New Englanders competed at the USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp later in July. It was the first chance for the '07s to compete on a national stage with all of the best players in their birth year from across the country.
The Foxboro Summer Prep League has been going on every Wednesday since June 15 at the Foxboro Sports Center. The league has been attended by college coaches and NHL scouts. While the games serve as a way to stay in shape and have some fun for area prospects, it’s also a chance for some to impress recruiters.
With Aug.1 now such a meaningful date for rising juniors, one such prospect has had a strong showing in multiple games. Mount Saint Charles right wing Patrick Murphy (North Kingston, R.I.) has had a hat trick in two games at least and been a consistent presence on the ice. He plays hard in every game and brings intensity, even getting into a scrap in the first game. There should be plenty of interest from college coaches when it comes to offering him a scholarship on Aug. 1.
While August is a lighter month than June and July for camps and showcases, a few premier ones still dot the calendar. The Junior Chowder Cup takes place July 30-Aug. 1 and some of the top '08s in the region will travel to Chicago two weekends later for the CCM 68.
