NEEDHAM, Mass. — The St. Sebastian’s Christmas Tournament had four marquee teams in its field this winter as Brunswick, Northwood, St. Andrew’s College, and the hosts battled it out for bragging rights at Lane Rink.
All four teams made it into the semifinals before Brunswick and Northwood advanced to Sunday afternoon’s championship game. The eventual winner was the Bruins as Mike Kennedy’s team outlasted the Huskies in a shootout. The final game was an exciting one with lead changes and a couple of late goals by both teams forcing overtime.
There were a number of NHL scouts in attendance to watch 2022 NHL draft prospects, including St. Sebastian’s right wing Michael Callow (South Boston, Mass.), Brunswick left wing Hank Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.), and St. Andrew’s defenseman Matthew Morden. All three are committed to Ivy League schools – Callow and Morden to Harvard while Cleaves is a recent Dartmouth addition.
I only watched the four aforementioned teams, plus Williston and Rivers, due to jumping around from one rink to the other with various Christmas tournaments ongoing throughout the region. Here’s a look at the top-15 uncommitted prospects from the six teams that I did see at the St. Sebastian’s Christmas Tournament:
Jan Korec
Northwood, 9/28/04, G, catches left, 6-1/176
Korec had been solid all fall, but he truly made a name for himself in a 2-0 shutout win over St. Andrew’s College in the semifinals. From Bratislava, Slovakia, he was terrific in that game and was solid again in the finals, despite losing to Brunswick. He has slightly above-average size, covers a lot of ground in the net, and eats up rebounds. The one area of his game that could use improvement is his skating. That’s just nitpicking as his play here showed he should very much be on the radar for the 2023 NHL draft. There were a ton of Hockey East and ECAC Hockey coaches in the rink who were excited about Korec.
Jack Pridham
St. Andrew’s, 10/8/05, RW, right shot, 6-0/146
There’s a ton of talent on David Manning’s team, but much of it is already committed. Pridham is the team’s top uncommitted prospect. A late '05 from Stouffville, Ontario, he’s tall, lanky, and can shoot the puck. He’s quick, skilled and thinks it well offensively. A ninth-round pick in the 2021 OHL Priority Selection, Pridham is a late bloomer who will continue to get better.
Drew DellaSalla
Brunswick, 5/8/06, LW, left shot, 5-11/150
DellaSalla didn’t have an overly productive weekend, but he showed his immense skill on a handful of occasions. The Rye, N.Y., native was one of the youngest players in the tournament, but that didn’t stop him from making some offensive plays that could only be described as elite. He’s slick, skates well, and can create in small areas. His best hockey is ahead of him, as well.
Billy Zonnon
Northwood, 10/3/06, C/LW, left shot, 6-1/170
I’ve seen Zonnon a handful of times this fall, but this was his best viewing by far. The Montreal, Quebec, native is a little bit of a robust skater, but he made plays and finished here. He scored on the power play and made some great passes upon zone entry. He drew a key penalty late in one game that helped his team secure a victory. Zonnon has the size, offensive instincts, and strength to intrigue. If his skating can get better, his stock will soar.
Brendan Holahan
Brunswick, 6/15/04, G, catches left, 6-3/180
In almost any other tournament, Holahan would have been the top goaltender. He gave up just two goals in each of his team’s wins in the semifinal and final. The New Canaan, Conn., native has good size. He’s a little raw, but there’s plenty of potential. NHL scouts and Division 1 recruiters should be paying attention.
Sean Gibbons
Brunswick, 8/1/05, RW, right shot, 5-7/155
Gibbons plays right wing on the team’s top line and certainly has that quick twitch and crafty skill that will fit in well at a Division 1 program in a few years. The Fairfield, Conn., native should keep getting better as he gets stronger.
Brendan Giles
Brunswick, 2/18/05, RW, right shot, 5-9/155
Giles had a couple of goals here while playing wing on the line with Yale commit Eli Friedman at center and DellaSalla on the opposite wing. Giles has speed and skill to shine at this level. At the end of the day, he’s yet another Division 1 player off that incredible Mid Fairfield '05 group.
Sloan Farmer
Brunswick, 6/2/05, D, left shot, 5-11/165
I’ve said this a number of times since July, but Farmer is one of the most improved players in the birth year. The Old Greenwich, Conn., native had an assist in the win over St. Sebastian’s, but he played hard, brought a physical element, and defended well. His skating and puck play have both become more dynamic.
Isaac Mitchell
St. Sebastian’s, 2/28/05, LW, left shot, 5-8/170
Mitchell was one of the more productive players for his team here. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s quick, crafty, and skilled. The Harvard, Mass., native did a lot of his damage without the benefit of playing on the team’s top line with two committed forwards.
Will Elias
St. Sebastian’s, 1/28/03, D, right shot, 6-0/178
Elias has long been a favorite of mine. He doesn’t have a huge ceiling in terms of his athletic ability, but his floor is high enough for Division 1. The Weston, Mass., native is reliable, skates well, and has a good stick. He’s effective at both ends of the ice and would make a very nice player at a number of ECAC Hockey programs.
Teddy Mutryn
St. Sebastian’s, 2/16/07, RW, right shot, 6-0/180
Mutryn was the youngest player in the tournament and didn’t generate a ton of production. Still, the Norwell, Mass., native shows enormous potential. His size, long, powerful stride, and overall athletic ability make him one of the more prized players in the `07 birth year.
James Shannon
Brunswick, 8/12/04, C, right shot, 5-10/175
Shannon plays center on the team’s top line and does a good job of hunting pucks and complementing Cleaves and Gibbons. Shannon has a wide base, is hard to knock off pucks, and does a good job cycling below the dots. He’s a Division 1 hockey player.
Conor Sullivan
Rivers, 10/1/03, G, catches left, 6-3/190
Sullivan is the top prospect on Freddy Meyer’s team. The late `03 from Westboro, Mass., has good size, athleticism and technique. He needs to become more consistent, but his physical tools were on display here. He was solid in his team’s 3-1 loss to Northwood, giving up two before an empty net tally sealed the deal.
Billy Batten
Northwood, 9/1/04, LW, left shot, 5-9/155
Batten has had a propensity for scoring goals in each of my viewings of Northwood this season. The Phoenixville, Pa., native did so again here, scoring a clutch goal late in the final against Brunswick and also finding the twine in the shootout. He also scored against Rivers. Batten is a little undersized, but there’s something to be said for consistently producing.
Ricky Volpe
Northwood, 5/10/04, D, left shot, 5-8/177
Volpe, from Commack, N.Y., might not be the best defensive prospect on this team, but he had the best weekend. He had a goal and added at least a few assists. Volpe competes hard and gives an honest effort most nights.
