Local players get most of the attention when the topic of top prospects in New England prep school hockey comes up each year.
This year is no different as Ben MacDonald (Weston, Mass./Nobles), James Fisher (Wilmington, Mass./Belmont Hill), Michael Fisher (Westboro, Mass./St. Mark’s), Michael Callow (South Boston, Mass./St. Sebastian’s), Chris Romaine (Braintree, Mass./Milton), Grayson Badger (Hyde Park, Mass./Dexter Southfield) and Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass./Belmont Hill) are some of the most talked-about players in the prep circuit.
However, a number of players from outside the six New England states are having a significant impact on their teams in 2021-22. Avon Old Farms defenseman Sam Court (Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Kent left wing Geno McEnery (Geneva, Ill.) have committed to New Hampshire and Providence, respectively, since the school year started. Kimball Union’s top defenseman, Duncan Ramsay (Halifax, Nova Scotia) had a commitment to Vermont in hand before the season got underway.
McEnery is the most recent to commit. Kent’s leading scorer is having a monster senior season for a Lions team that is on the cusp of earning a spot in the NEPSAC Elite 8 Tournament. With McEnery off the board, let’s take a look at the top 16 remaining uncommitted prospects from outside of the region playing prep hockey in 2021-22. Only juniors and seniors who are eligible to commit are included in this list:
Forwards
Adam Mendelson
Westminster, 3/27/03, C, left shot, 6-0/183
Mendelson leads his team in goals and assists with 15 and 17, respectively. The Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native is in his first season playing on this side of the border. Mendelson’s top attribute is his speed. His straight line skating and agility are both effective and he can make plays in small areas. Mendelson has signed on to play for the BCHL’s Prince George Spruce Kings for the 2022-23 season. Mendelson is likely to end up at an Atlantic Hockey or lower end ECAC Hockey program for his college career.
Jacob Kraft
Kent, 4/26/03, C, left shot, 5-9/165
Kraft has put together a nice 2021-22 hockey season with both the Yale Junior Bulldogs and Kent. A little undersized, Kraft has worked on his strength in the weight room to help him become more of an impact player. He’s quick and tenacious on the forecheck and doesn’t back down when it comes to winning 50/50 races for pucks. The Rochester, N.Y., native has produced offensively, but can slide up and down the lineup in junior and college. He’s received a couple of offers from Atlantic Hockey schools but is waiting on the right opportunity in Hockey East or ECAC Hockey.
Charlie Gollob
Avon Old Farms, 2/10/04, C, left shot, 6-1/185
Gollob has had a strong first season in the U.S. with AOF and the River Rats. A good sized forward from Toronto, Gollob can play wing or center. His hockey sense, compete, and determination allow him to exceed his physical ability. Gollob isn’t the prettiest skater, but he’s hard to knock off pucks and fights through traffic to get to the scoring areas. Gollob is averaging a point per game for one of the top teams in prep hockey. He’s receiving interest from a few Division 1 programs.
Daniel Markevych
Lawrence, 2/2/05, C, left shot, 5-10/160
Markevych, from Mississauga, Ontario, is a smooth-skating, skilled center. In what’s been a tough year for Lawrence, Markevych has shined through with his offensive ability. His quickness, stick skills, and how he sees the ice are all assets. Scoring 14 goals for the Spartans, he’s attracted the attention of Division 1 recruiters. He’ll have to put on weight, become heavier, and play a more complete game to continue heading in the direction of a college offer.
Jackson Graber
Trinity-Pawling, 10/20/04, RW, right shot, 5-11/165
Graber has exuded plenty of skill, dating back to his days with the Florida Alliance. The late `04 has put together two impressive seasons with Trinity-Pawling, leading the Pride in scoring during the 2021-22 winter. From Miromar Lakes, Fla., Graber has skill and shiftiness, which allows him to make plays in traffic. His vision is an underrated part of his game. While he can still improve his overall game, his maturity and willingness to play away from the puck have taken big strides over the past year. He’s a Division 1 talent that could benefit from another season of prep hockey before embarking on his junior career.
Jack Brandt
Tabor, 6/14/04, C, left shot, 5-11/170
There’s no denying that Brandt has plenty of skill and the skating ability to play Division 1. Tabor’s leading scorer is able to make plays on the rush and is a difference maker on the man advantage. From Columbus, Ohio, Brandt needs to hone his overall game and become less of a one-dimensional player. He’s already been on a visit to a top Hockey East school. He’ll reportedly head to the Victoria Grizzlies for the 2022-23 season.
Linas Dedinas
Cushing, 10/11/04, LW, left shot, 6-1/185
Dedinas has had his ups and downs during his first prep hockey season, but he’s averaging close to a point per game for the Penguins. The Vilnius, Lithuania, native has a good stick and has a propensity for generating chances. He first impressed me during the fall season with the Central Mass. Penguins with his ability to finish. He will need to improve his overall game as he progresses through prep and junior hockey, but there is Division 1 upside on the offensive side of the puck.
Ryan Novo
Frederick Gunn, 2/5/04, LW, left shot, 5-9/170
Novo is averaging a point per game while leading his team in goals with 15. The Tonawanda, N.Y., native is on the smaller side, but he plays hard and with an edge. He’s not afraid to go to the dirty areas and he does a good job of winning battles for loose pucks. Expect Novo to get a chance to compete in the NAHL in 2022-23.
Dante Palombo
Kent, 12/23/03, LW, left shot, 5-10/175
Palombo, who has signed a NAHL tender with the Maryland Black Bears for the 2022-23 season, has produced offensively everywhere he’s gone. The White Plains, N.Y., native and North Jersey Avalanche product is undersized, but he can rip a puck and also sees the ice at an above-average level. His foot speed and ability to carry over that dynamic offensive level to junior hockey are two aspects of his game that college coaches want to see before offering a commitment.
Revy Mack
Kimball Union, 12/17/02, RW, right shot, 6-2/190
Mack is the only uncommitted player out of the top four scoring leaders on Kimball Union. From Anchorage, Alaska, the late `02 has the size and grit to catch the eye of college coaches. Scoring 21 goals is certainly an impressive feat. He’ll likely need to prove himself in junior hockey next year in what will be his only chance as he’s an older player in prep with just one overage season in which he’s eligible.
Defensemen
Marek Thompson
Lawrence, 6/25/04, left shot, 6-0/172
Thompson has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises in prep hockey this winter. Slated to play for a showcase team at the beginning of the fall season, he took his opportunity to gain ice time for a national bound team and then in prep and ran with it. The Fort Collins, Colo., native is a good skater who has gained confidence and shown more poise with the puck on his stick as the year has moved along. He’ll need to continue putting on weight and work on puck decisions, but he has the potential to earn a Division 1 scholarship.
Cameron Ferraz
Cushing, 1/1/04, right shot, 5-11/170
Ferraz could certainly be categorized as a late bloomer. From Las Vegas, he played last season for the Dallas Stars Elite 16-U. He caught the eye of Cushing coach Paul Pearl at national camp in June and was given a chance to come to prep school. He’s got some offensive upside, but needs to work on refining his game, particularly gap control and defensive zone positioning. Ferraz is a good player who will have to take his time developing, if he is to get to Division 1.
David Brandes
Holderness, 1/24/04, left shot, 5-10/179
Brandes, from North York, Ontario, is averaging over a point per game while leading the offensive attack from the backend for the Bulls. A little undersized, he has above average mobility and can jumpstart the rush with his breakout skating ability. He’ll head to the BCHL for the 2022-23 season.
David Helledy
New Hampton, 5/4/03, left shot, 6-1/185
Helledy caught my eye at the Exeter Invitational and the Watkins Tournament. Helledy likes to push the pace on the rush and can certainly generate offense from the blue line. The Milwaukee, Wis., native will have to learn to simplify his game and not force plays as he makes the move to junior hockey. Tendered to play in the NAHL with the Maine Nordiques, Helledy has a chance to prove he’s a Division 1 caliber player over three seasons of junior hockey.
Goaltenders
Austin McNicholas
Salisbury, 5/24/04, catches left, 6-1/172
McNicholas, who earned a chance to represent USA Hockey at last summer’s Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, has had his ups and downs this season. The Clarence, N.Y., native has the frame and athletic ability to be a Division 1 goaltender, but has to improve in a few areas to make that happen. Focus and concentration need to get better in order to avoid giving up soft goals. At the end of the day, McNicholas has the physical ability and will get a chance to showcase himself at the junior level.
Jake Inzirillo
Brooks, 2/2/03, catches left, 6-1/161
As of this post, Inzirillo’s .953 save percentage is tops in prep hockey. The doubters will say that his size is a limitation and that Brooks doesn’t play the best schedule. However, he’s done everything he can to prove that he can stop pucks at this level. The West Islip, N.Y., native will likely get a chance to show he belongs in the NAHL or BCHL next season.
