With the announcement over the weekend that Tyler Young has decommitted from Providence, it seemed like a good time to take a look at the top uncommitted '01s in New England.
Players born in 2001 will have their junior hockey eligibility expire at the end of the 2021-22 season. It’s a difficult time for players in search of a college destination due to the complications from the coronavirus. College hockey players were all given a fifth year of eligibility during the 2020-21 season.
It’s interesting to note that there seem to be more and more local players taking their talents to the North American Hockey League (NAHL). As this dive into the top uncommitted '01s will show you, more and more players are opting for the NAHL over the USPHL NCDC.
Below is my look at the top six uncommitted '01s in New England.
1. Tyler Young
Muskegon Lumberjacks, 5/8/01, RW, right shot, 6-1/179
Young’s decommitment is an interesting one as he’s still on a National Letter of Intent with the Friars. He had a rocky 2020-21 that included him leaving the USHL for the NCDC. Now, he’s back in the USHL and had a solid showing at the league’s Fall Classic in Pittsburgh. His skating is above average and he can make plays. The Lawrence Academy alum will have three years of junior hockey experience when he finally gets to college. With his father’s pedigree at Boston University, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Terriers got involved. There will certainly be several other programs poking around.
2. Kevin MacKay
Aberdeen Wings, 4/25/01, D, left shot, 6-1/190
MacKay, from Franklin, Mass., is now in his third season of playing in the NAHL. The Dexter Southfield alum has good size, athleticism and skating ability. He has a goal and an assist in his first six games of the season. Hockey sense is the biggest issue for college coaches when evaluating MacKay. He can recover with his skating, but he doesn’t always make the best reads and decisions. However, he’s finally starting to gain some traction among Division 1 recruiters. It will likely be in a recruited walk-on role or low scholarship money, but he’ll find his way onto a roster in Atlantic Hockey or at the lower end in ECAC Hockey or Hockey East.
3. Conor Lovett
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 4/7/01, C, right shot, 5-10/175
Lovett is an interesting case study here as he went into school prematurely. He went straight to Merrimack after his senior year at Lawrence Academy. Things didn’t go well and he was asked not to return to the Warriors. He’s now playing his first season of junior hockey as an age-out. He scored a goal and racked up 14 penalty minutes in his first two games for the RoughRiders. The Franklin, Mass., native is a hard-nosed, gritty player who skates well. He can surely fill a bottom-six role for a team in Atlantic Hockey at the very least.
4. Kyle Chauvette
Youngstown Phantoms, 10/5/01, G, catches left, 6-0/165
Chauvette committed to Holy Cross over three years ago, but recently decommitted from the Crusaders, per the Youngstown line chart. Despite losing his first start of the season, the Goffstown, N.H., native had a good showing at the USHL Fall Classic. The Loomis Chaffee alum is on the smaller side but has earned some accolades over the years. He represented USA Hockey at the Five Nations Tournament in 2017. He’s on the smaller side, which precludes him from getting more significant Division 1 interest. I’d expect him to get a chance as a backup at a good academic school in ECAC Hockey.
5. Frank Ireland
Lone Star Brahmas, 2/6/01, LW, left shot, 5-11/180
After spending five seasons with the Junior Bruins organization, including the last three with the NCDC team, Ireland left the region. He’ll spend his final year of junior hockey playing in the NAHL. The Longmeadow, Mass., native has a goal and four assists over the first six games of the campaign. Ireland is a competitive winger who brings a spark to every shift. He’ll hunt pucks and win a lot of battles, despite being somewhat undersized. The issue that is limiting his Division 1 offers is his skating. He’s had a smattering of interest from Atlantic Hockey schools over the years. If he keeps up this scoring clip, he’ll likely get a Division 1 commitment.
6. Matt Connor
Maine Nordiques, 5/31/01, D, right shot, 6-2/220
Connor, from Amherst, N.H., is off to a solid start to the season. In the first six games of his second season in the NAHL, he has two goals and one assist. Connor isn’t overly offensive, but he has a hard shot and brings a physical presence with his tall, sturdy frame. His skating is average for a bigger defender. The biggest area of concern for college coaches will be his hockey sense. The Lawrence Academy alum will likely end up at a good Division 3 program unless he can find a walk-on spot in Atlantic Hockey or a state school in Hockey East.
