Two of the most coveted uncommitted recruits in New England made their college commitments on Wednesday.
Mount Saint Charles 18-U defenseman Nate Benoit and Cushing Academy and Junior Bruins center Cameron Lund committed to North Dakota and Northeastern, respectively.
Benoit, a late ’02 left-shot, had been pursued by the Fighting Hawks for the past few months. From Bow, N.H., Benoit is rated as a ‘C’ skater by NHL Central Scouting in its Preliminary Players to Watch List for the 2021 draft.
Benoit, who played minor Midget hockey for the Northern Cyclones, started popping onto the radar of college coaches last season, his first at Mount Saint Charles. In 70 games, he had 16 goals and 40 assists for 56 points.
Benoit is a two-way defenseman who does a lot of things well at both ends of the ice. As I mentioned in my recent review of Mount Saint Charles’ intrasquad scrimmages, Benoit is solid on breakouts, can quarterback a power play, and plays with jam.
Benoit likely will play a year in the USHL or BCHL in 2021-22 before matriculating to Grand Forks the year after. When he joins the Fighting Hawks, he’ll be the third New Englander on the team’s blue line. Brunswick alum Cooper Moore (Greenwich, Conn.) is a freshman this season and Shattuck-St. Mary’s alum Scott Morrow (Darien, Conn.) is committed for 2021-22.
It speaks highly of the reputation of Mount Saint Charles 18-U coach Matt Plante that two of his former players will suit up for North Dakota, either currently or in the coming years. He coached sophomore center and Ottawa Senators prospect Shane Pinto when he was at South Kent. Pinto’s commitment started the trend of North Dakota recruiting this area.
Lund is a highly skilled, smart, offensive playmaker who played last season as a freshman at Cushing. In 34 games, he potted six goals and added 26 helpers for 32 points. The Bridgewater, Mass., native has appeared in 13 games with the Junior Bruins in the USPHL NCDC this fall. He’s scored four goals and six assists.
Lund was being recruited by all of the top Hockey East schools and had discussions with at least a few of them. He repeated his freshman season at Cushing last year, but accelerated over recent months to reclassify as a junior, which allowed him to be eligible to commit. Lund has a high ceiling if he can continue developing and playing heavier. He’ll likely be a mid-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft.
He joins Cushing and Junior Bruins teammate Jackson Dorrington, a defenseman from North Reading, Mass., as 2004-born players committed to Northeastern. Tri-City Storm defenseman Vinny Borgesi is the only other ’04 on Northeastern’s commitment list currently.
The Huskies, led by head coach Jim Madigan, associate head coach Jerry Keefe and assistant coach Mike McLaughlin, have done a terrific job of infiltrating the local recruiting scene. Northeastern has started getting some of the premier players from around Boston that have typically gone to Boston College, Boston University or Harvard in the past.
BU lands NAHL defenseman
Boston University received a commitment from ’01 Thomas Jarman, it was announced earlier this week. The Pittsburgh native is a big, right-shot defenseman in his third season with the Maryland Black Bears in the North American Hockey League.
Jarman has a goal and two assists through his first eight games this season. He had four goals and 13 assists in 50 games last season. Jarman played Midget hockey for Omaha AAA before heading to the NAHL.
Jarman isn’t the household name of many of BU’s recruits, but it’s a solid commit for the Terriers. He’s likely to stay all four seasons, provide depth, and be more of a defensive defenseman, unlike many of the program’s NHL draft picks on the blue line.
Adams opts to transfer to Providence
Malden Catholic alum Jack Adams (Boxford, Mass.) will suit up for Providence following the conclusion of the first semester. The Detroit Red Wings prospect scored 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 66 games during his two collegiate seasons at Union College. He’s eligible to play this season, due to the Dutchmen canceling their season.
Adams played junior hockey for the USHL’s Fargo Force. He was selected by the Detroit Red Wings in the sixth round of the 2017 NHL draft. Adams’ older brother, the late Mark Adams, played college hockey at Providence from 2011-15.
