Northeastern didn’t make a splash on Aug. 1, but newly appointed head coach Jerry Keefe and his staff hauled in two big commits over the past three days.
The Huskies added to their already impressive 2004 birth-year class with the addition of Dexter Southfield and Cape Cod Whalers right wing Grayson Badger and Nashville Junior Predators right wing Ethan Fredericks.
The pair of new commits join Cam Lund (Bridgewater, Mass.), Jackson Dorrington (North Reading, Mass.) and Vinny Borgesi.
Badger, from Hyde Park, Mass., was one of the top uncommitted forwards in the region. He was so sought after that Boston College head coach Jerry York paid a visit to his family’s house on Aug.1. Despite the efforts of the Eagles’ staff, Badger opted for the three-time defending Beanpot champions.
Badger is one of the hardest-working forwards in the region. His compete and ability to hunt pucks has been notable for a few years. In the past, it could be argued that his lack of offensive instincts and skill caught up to him when it came to production against top competition.
Many of those questions were answered in Buffalo this summer when Badger put on quite a performance at the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp. He led the four-game event in goal scoring with four while adding a helper. A lot of his production came in key moments at the camp.
Badger is a good example of a player’s development being helped by a good prep school coach. Dan Donato at Dexter Southfield certainly has helped fine tune his game in just one season of practice and scrimmages.
Fredericks, a big power forward from Atlanta, has spent the past two seasons playing for the Nashville Junior Predators. In 2020-21 while playing for the organization’s 16-U team, Fredericks potted 49 goals and added 37 assists in 77 games.
The Northeastern staff, along with other college hockey programs, was forbidden from being in the rink all season and would have missed his time with the Predators. They would have seen him at June’s USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp as well as the recently concluded Beantown Summer Classic that took place in Marlboro.
Black Bears add Compuware forward
Ben Barr is putting his stamp on the Maine program right from the start. The most recent addition to the future stable is Compuware 15 Only forward Jaden Johnson.
The ’05 from Inverness, Ill., had a very good 2020-21 season with Compuware, scoring 12 goals and 30 assists in 29 games. At July’s USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp, he finished in a tie for second in scoring with two goals and eight assists for 10 points in five games.
Johnson isn’t always the most gifted player on the ice in terms of skating or skill, but he’s around the puck a lot and always finds his way onto the scoresheet. He’s a great young add for the Maine staff that includes Alfie Michaud and Jason Fortier.
