Belmont Hill junior center Ryan McGuire has committed to play college hockey at Colgate University.
The New Canaan, Conn., native is a two-way forward whose best attributes include his intangibles and playing away from the puck.
McGuire excels at winning draws, killing penalties, and playing on the right side of the puck. His skating and offensive skill set are two areas that he’ll need to continue to improve upon before heading to Colgate. He led Belmont Hill in scoring during the 2018-19 season with 11 goals and 18 assists in 30 games played.
Prior to the commitment, McGuire was slated to be the top uncommitted '02 in prep school hockey this upcoming season. In addition to Colgate, McGuire drew varying levels of interest from a couple of other ECAC Hockey and Hockey East programs.
McGuire is the son of NBC’s NHL analyst, Pierre McGuire, who was a college assistant at Babson and St. Lawrence and a scout for the Ottawa Senators and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Familiar bloodlines for Crimson
Eden Prairie defenseman Mason Langenbrunner committed to Harvard, he announced late last week.
From Moose Lake, Minn., Langenbrunner is an ’02 right-shot defenseman with good size. He played last season with Cloquet High School, recording three goals and 15 assists in 24 games.
A late bloomer, Langenbrunner had a very impressive showing at June’s USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp. He was my 27th rated defenseman from the weeklong camp that took place in Amherst, N.Y.
Langenbrunner is a steady defender with size. He has the size and length to defend. His skating still needs some work, but he’s a prospect trending in the right direction.
In a recent article on the top uncommitted ‘02s in the United States, I ranked Langenbrunner as the eighth best such prospect in the country. His birthday falls one day inside the cutoff, meaning he’ll be eligible to be drafted in next June’s 2020 NHL Draft.
He is the son of Boston Bruins Player Development Coordinator Jamie Langenbrunner, who had nearly a two decade run in the NHL as a player.
UNH lands a Euro
New Hampshire picked up a commitment from ’00 left-shot forward Timo Bakos. The Augsburg, Germany, native is in his first season playing on this side of the pond.
Playing for the Sioux Falls Stampede, he registered a goal and an assist in two games at the recently completed USHL Fall Classic. Bakos is a big power forward who continues a recent trend of Europeans committing to play for the Wildcats.
All three UNH coaches, head coach Mike Souza and assistant coaches Glenn Stewart and Jeff Giuliano, were in Cranberry Township, Pa., to watch Bakos in the USHL Fall Classic.
Bakos will join freshman defenseman Kalle Eriksson from Sweden when he arrives at the Durham, N.H., campus. Fellow German Tim Stutzle was also UNH commit before he opted to sign a professional contract. Stutzle is a projected first round pick in 2020's NHL Draft.
Beniers nearing a decision
As NEHJ recently reported, USA Hockey NTDP U-18 center Matt Beniers visited Boston College and Harvard earlier this month. The Hingham, Mass., native and projected first round NHL pick in 2021 is expected to announce his commitment shortly, according to a source.
Both BC and Harvard's coaching staffs were in attendance at the USHL Fall Classic to watch Beniers, who played prep hockey at Milton Academy before heading out to the NTDP.
