Woodridge, Ill. – The top 2004-born hockey prospects in the United States gathered just outside of Chicago this past weekend to compete in the prestigious STX 68 Combine.
The 68 participants were chosen based on merit to showcase their skills in front of college coaches, junior scouts, and NHLPA agents over the course of three days at the Seven Bridges Arena in Woodridge, Ill.
Thirteen local players were at the STX 68 Combine, while several college coaches from the region were in attendance, including Boston University head coach Albie O’Connell and associate head coach Paul Pearl. Big Ten and NCHC coaches were also present.
In the past, the STX 68 Combine has served as a strong indicator of future success. Fifteen players from last year’s event, featuring the ‘03s, have already committed to Division 1 college programs, including several from the region. Forwards Ryan St. Louis (Riverside, Conn.) and Jack Hughes have both pledged to Northeastern, while BU has picked up commitments from Tyler Boucher and Jeremy Wilmer. Boston College has secured the services of defenseman Aidan Hreschuk.
Goaltender Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass.) and forward Sasha Teleguine (North Attleboro, Mass.) have committed to BU and Northeastern, respectively, out of the 2002 class at the STX 68 Combine.
Getting back to 2018's edition, two of the top three forwards represented the changing guard of the sport. Gavin Brindley and Seamus Casey both hail from Florida, a state that surely wouldn’t have been in the discussion for top hockey prospects a decade or more ago.
Below is a breakdown of the STX 68 Combine's top players at each position, including an honorable mention category for forwards, defensemen, and goalies.
Forwards
1. Seamus Casey
#10 Red, Compuware, 1/8/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Estero, Fla., native is arguably the most-explosive player in this age group among U.S. players. His skating is a five out of five. He has speed to create offense on the rush and consistently make plays in the offensive zone. He’s shifty and can juke defenders. He has vision and poise with the puck on his stick.
2. Nick Pierre
#16 Black, Hill-Murray, 4/9/04, Forward, Left Shot
NCAA Commit: Wisconsin
Pierre was the only committed forward here, and it's easy to see why. The Cottage Grove, Minn., native is explosive and has excellent speed. He has a second gear that allows him to blow by defenders. He can really rip a shot and has an eye for a pass, too, including one head-turning sauce pass. Pierre also got under opposing players’ skin at times.
3. Gavin Brindley
#9 Grey, Florida Alliance, 10/5/04, Forward, Right Shot
Also from Estero, Fla., Brindley is coached by his father, Ryan, a former standout defenseman at Miami who went on to play professionally. Brindley is extremely fast. He uses his speed to hunt pucks and make plays. He did a good job of beating defenders with his speed and then finding open teammates for a scoring chance. He scored a nice rebound goal where he caught up to the rush for a tap-in finish.
4. Maddox Fleming
#8 White, Rochester Mayo, 2/13/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Rochester, Minn., native was a clear standout here with his ability to combine skill and work ethic. On Saturday, he scored a nifty breakaway goal through the five-hole after picking a defender’s pocket. That was just one example of how he played heavy and won puck battles. He has a hard shot, drove the net, and also made a couple of nice passes.
5. Cutter Gauthier
#11 Black, Honeybaked, 1/19/04, Forward, Left Shot
Gauthier plays a similar style to Fleming in that he was hard on pucks and played with an edge. He’s a good skater, strong on his skates, and hard to knock off pucks. He has a hard shot, hits with authority, and tends to command possession.
6. Jackson Graber
#13 Red, Florida Alliance, 10/20/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Jacksonville, Fla., native was another standout from the Sunshine State. He made a couple of really nice looks, including one to the backdoor for an assist on Saturday. Later in that game, he made a perfect pass right on his teammate’s tape for a two-on-one goal. On Sunday, he scored a nice goal coming down the right wing on an odd-man rush.
7. Devin Kaplan
#10 White, North Jersey Avs, 1/10/04, Forward, Right Shot
Kaplan is a big, physically mature power forward who can impact the game in multiple ways. He’s heavy on pucks, drives the net, and hits hard. The Bridgewater, N.J., native forces turnovers and disrupts the opposition’s breakout with his tenacious forecheck. He has a good release that he can get off with zip. He consistently went to the dirty areas and made life tough for the other team.
8. Owen Baker
#8 Red, Compuware, 1/29/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Howell, Mich., native is a gritty little forward who is willing to go to the greasy areas to produce. He’s elusive and crafty, which allows him to be very good in tight areas. He scored a tip-in goal and screened the goalie on another goal from a point shot. He has good feet, opens his hips to receive passes, and get shots off quickly. He also moves the puck well.
9. Charlie Stramel
#16 Red, Rosemount, 10/15/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Rosemount, Minn., native could develop into a big-time power forward. He plays with an edge and uses his size and muscle to bring a physical element. He’s heavy on pucks and can dominate below the dots. He scored a really nice goal to showcase his finishing ability.
10. Rutger McGroarty
#13 Grey, Honeybaked, 3/30/04, Forward, Left Shot
The Lincoln, Neb., native has a terrific shot that he isn’t afraid to let go from anywhere on the ice. He competes hard and goes into the corners to recover pucks. If his skating can improve, he could be an elite scorer at the collegiate level.
11. Jonah Aegerter
#8 Black, Madison Capitols, 1/21/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Janesville, Wis., native is a good skater who uses his speed and agility to create offensive chances. His speed and shiftiness are consistently noticeable.
12. Maxim Namestnikov
#14 White, Compuware, 2/6/04, Forward, Left Shot
Namestnikov uses his edges really well, which allowed him to get inside positioning for a rebound goal. The Wolverine Lake, Mich., native uses his body, despite being a little on the smaller side. He made a nice play to rub a guy off into the boards on a breakout attempt. He also made a nice pass to Kaplan for a goal on an odd-man rush.
13. Ryan Abraham
#8 Grey, Compuware, 4/5/04, Forward, Left Shot
Abraham plays a complete, 200-foot game and does so with a fierce competitive edge. The Livonia, Mich., native drove the net for a two-on-one goal and made some nice passes up the ice to start plays going the other way.
14. Ryan Conmy
#10 Black, Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 10/23/04, Forward, Right Shot
From Alexandria, Va., Conmy boasts a well-balanced offensive skill set. He has above-average speed and hand-eye coordination, plus can shoot the puck well. He goes to the net hard and made a couple of nice passes.
15. Zachary Filak
#12 Red, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, 1/21/04, Forward, Left Shot
Filak was heavy on pucks and had a few goals because he drove the net and put himself in position to get off quality shots from the slot. He had a nice one-timer goal and also banged one home from the goalmouth.
16. Kaleb Smith
#15 Grey, Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 5/14/04, Forward, Right Shot
Smith, from Java Village, N.Y., plays with a purpose just about every shift. He looks to use his body and throw his weight around. He hit just about everything that moved this weekend. He fights for pucks and scored a nice goal on Sunday. His skating will need to improve for him to further progress up the development ladder.
17. Bobby Landry
#12 Grey, Boston Advantage, 3/22/04, Forward, Right Shot
Landry projects as a power forward with some offensive abilities. He had a decent toe-drag, which got him to the inside for a scoring chance. The Hingham, Mass., native made a nice power move in from the left wing on a rush for a goal.
18. Raymond Owens
#15 Black, Chicago Mission, 1/17/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Chicago, Ill., native was fast and got to loose pucks quickly. He had decent vision and seemed to hunt the puck on every shift.
19. Frank Nazar
#14 Black, Honeybaked, 1/14/04, Forward, Right Shot
Nazar is a smaller forward who was shifty and skated well. The Mt. Clemens, Mich., native made a couple of nice moves to get chances and win races to loose pucks.
20. Carson Walters
#16 Grey, Chicago Mission, 5/21/04, Forward, Left Shot
Walters has quickness and made several nice plays. The Aurora, Ill., native hit the post on a breakaway and pulled a puck back before ripping a shot on another sequence.
21. Christian Kocsis
#14 Red, Little Caesars, 6/9/04, Forward, Left Shot
The Middletown, N.J., native plays hard. He had a nice assist from below the goal line and goes to the net. He has a hard shot and is around the puck a lot.
22. William Hughes
#12 Black, Phillips Andover, 1/4/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Andover, Mass., native showed flashes of skill throughout the weekend. He’s physically mature, uses his body, and plays well away from the puck.
23. Logan Cooley
#11 Red, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 5/4/04, Forward, Left Shot
Cooley, from West Mifflin, Pa., scored a goal in tight after he snuck behind the defense. He also had a nice assist on Sunday.
24. Nicholas Turek
#15 White, Chicago Mission, 1/29/04, Forward, Left Shot
Turek, from Geneva, Ill., is a 200-foot player who scored a goal by driving the net and receiving a pass from Kaplan.
25. Andon Cerbone
#9 Black, Mid Fairfield, 4/13/04, Forward, Left Shot
The Stamford, Conn., native is crafty and scored a two-on-one goal thanks to his ability to find seams and go to the net.
Honorable Mention
Michael Callow
#10 Grey, Boston Jr. Eagles, 1/15/04, Forward, Right Shot
The South Boston, Mass., native has good size and looks to have the potential to blossom into a nice player.
Nicholas Capasso
#9 Red, Mid Fairfield, 1/22/04, Forward, Left Shot
The Northford, Conn., native skates well, was elusive at times, and made some nifty passes.
Andrew DellaDonna
#11 Grey, Syracuse Nats, 5/18/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Brewerton, N.Y., native had some skill and quickness, but wasn’t quite able to penetrate into the scoring areas.
Zion Green
#9 White, Compuware, 4/12/04, Forward, Right Shot
Green was a late add to the camp after an invitee couldn’t make it. The Birmingham, Mich., native had decent speed and a hard shot.
Gabe Kenne
#13 Black, Omaha AAA, 3/8/04, Forward, Left Shot
The Ankeny, Ind., native is a good skater who competes hard and plays through the puck.
Chase LaPinta
#11 White, Dallas Stars Elite, 2/10/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Frisco, Texas, native was a good complimentary player for his linemates and was around the puck a lot. He seems to have some finishing touch.
Jack Larrigan
#12 White, St. Louis AAA Blues, 4/9/04, Forward, Right Shot
Larrigan, from St. Louis, Mo., had good edge work and skated well.
Gabriel Ludwig
#13 White, Anchorage North Stars, 2/29/04, Forward, Left Shot
Ludwig, from Elk River, Alaska, was a little buzzsaw out there. He was quick and competed hard.
Evan Raines
#15 Red, Dallas Stars Elite, 4/15/04, Forward, Right Shot
The Rockwall, Texas, native was quick and showed some offensive skill set.
Beanie Richter
#14 Grey, Mid Fairfield, 8/20/04, Forward, Left Shot
The Greenwich, Conn., native is the son of former New York Rangers goaltender Mike Richter. He has decent size, plays through the puck, and sees the ice well.
Michael Valdez
#16 White, Colorado Thunderbirds, 1/20/04, Forward, Left Shot
The Westminster, Colo., native scored off a rebound with the puck loose in front of the net.
Defensemen
1. Charlie Leddy
#6 Grey, Mid Fairfield, 1/11/04, Defense, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: Boston College
The Fairfield, Conn., native, fresh off his commitment to Boston College, was terrific here, especially on Saturday. He has good size, athleticism and strength. He scored on a wrister and made a great lead pass for an assist. He had another assist on an odd-man rush where he shot it nice and low for an easy rebound. He was mean, tough to beat, and made a really nice defensive play on one of the top offensive players at the combine.
2. Ryan Chesley
#2 Black, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 2/27/04, Defense, Right Shot
Chesley has incredible mobility and likes to jump up into the rush. He’s very smooth and skates with his head up. He retrieves pucks well and quickly pushes the pace up ice. From Dellwood, Minn., he reads plays well, defends the rush, and can quarterback a power play.
3. Tyler Duke
#5 Red, Compuware, 7/19/04, Defense, Left Shot
Duke has played up for the past two years. For a smaller defender, he’s tough and likes to engage physically. He plays a mature game and knows when to jump into the rush. The Northville, Mich., native skates well and scored a goal through traffic from the point. His older brother, ‘03 Dylan Duke, is committed to Michigan.
4. Thomas Budnick
#2 Grey, Honeybaked, 2/14/04, Defense, Left Shot
Budnick has great instincts and combines them with his physical tools. He’s tough, steps up to make hits, and gaps well. The Petoskey, Mich., native is rugged and plays a mature game.
5. Aiden Dubinsky
#3 Grey, Florida Alliance, 4/28/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Deerfield, Ill., native is a rock-solid defender with excellent hockey sense. He’s tough and makes simple passes up ice. He made a nice backhand pass off the wall while fending off a forechecker on Saturday night. He skates well, recovers pucks, and is hard to knock off pucks. He also defends very well. Dubinsky is the son of former NHL and Clarkson University forward Steve Dubinsky. His older brother, ‘00 Zach Dubinsky, is committed to RPI.
6. Seamus Powell
#5 White, Syracuse Nats, 4/26/04, Defense, Left Shot
Powell plays a very similar game to his older brother, ‘02 Eamon Powell, who is committed to BC and is set to play for USA Hockey’s NTDP. The Marcellus, N.Y., native is smooth from the backend and makes good outlet passes. He has a fluid stride and makes plays look easy at times.
7. Broderick Williams
#7 White, Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 2/3/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Huntington Beach, Calif., native is a big defender with length who covers ample ground in the defensive zone. He consistently used his stick to break up plays in his own zone. He jumped into the rush some and skated well for his size.
8. Lucas DiChiara
#3 Red, Mid Fairfield, 2/18/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Fairfield, Conn., native is a strong defender who gets shots on net from the point with some zip. He gaps well and is fairly mobile. He defends well and has good positioning in his own zone.
9. Landon Fleming
#4 Black, Madison Capitols, 2/24/04, Defense, Left Shot
The Oregon, Wis., native is a strong-skating, two-way defender. He reads plays well and makes simple, effective plays to move the puck north. His father, Rick Fleming, is his bantam coach and a former standout player at Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
10. Chris Able
#2 Red, Chicago Mission, 11/4/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Libertyville, Ill., native is a strong defenseman with good size. He’s a good skater and his footwork allows him to escape trouble. He scored a nice wrist shot goal where he stepped in from the point and sidestepped an oncoming forechecker.
11. Christopher Romaine
#6 White, South Shore Kings, 2/21/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Braintree, Mass., native is a mobile, two-way defenseman. He has good feet and pivots well. He fights to recover pucks and makes quick, smart decisions once retrieves it.
12. Lane Hutson
#4 White, Team Illinois, 2/14/04, Defense, Left Shot
The North Barrington, Ill., native is extremely small, but has exceptional vision. He moves the puck north effectively, both with his feet and by passing it. He was really fun to watch.
13. Hunter Brzustewicz
#2 White, Honeybaked, 11/29/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Washington, Mich., native had good feet and skill. He gaps well and has a good stick. He’ll be even more effective once he learns to avoid going for the big play every time.
14. Chase Pietila
#7 Grey, Little Caesars, 3/3/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Howell, Mich., native is a tough defender to beat. He has a good stick to defend the rush and he plays with a mean streak.
15. Patrick Czarnecki
#3 Black, Honeybaked, 2/6/04, Defense, Left Shot
The Bloomfield Hills, Mich., native has good mobility and skates well. He can push the pace and has the skill to move pucks north.
Honorable Mention
Jackson Dorrington
#4 Red, Islanders HC, 4/13/04, Defense, Left Shot
The North Reading, Mass., native is a very good skater who can make highlight-reel plays with the puck on his stick. He has a good stick, but he’ll need to learn to pick his spots and be more careful with the puck.
Owen Hendrikson
#3 White, Rosemount, 3/25/04, Defense, Left Shot
The Lakeville, Minn., native is a good-sized defender who can handle the puck relatively well.
Gus Hinckley
#4 Grey, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 6/27/04, Defense, Left Shot
The Sewickley, Pa., native is a tough defender with size.
William Jones
#5 Black, Nashville Jr. Predators, 3/9/04, Defense, Right Shot
Jones, from Brentwood, Tenn., is a really good skater. He scored a highlight-reel goal when he joined the rush and finished it off with a forehand shot above the goalie’s glove.
Michael Karvelas
#6 Red, LA Jr. Kings, 4/7/04, Defense, Left Shot
The Pasadena, Calif., native was a small, offensive-minded defender.
Lukas Klemm
#7 Red, North Jersey Avs, 4/20/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Ridgefield, Conn., native has good size and projects as a stay-at-home defender.
Bryceon Lago
#5 Grey, Florida Alliance, 5/20/04, Defense, Left Shot
Lago, from North Miami, Fla., is a small, puck-moving defenseman who does a good job with an active stick in his own zone.
Owen Paskowski
#6 Black, Boston Bandits, 2/4/04, Defense, Left Shot
The Plymouth, Mass., native is a big defenseman with some upside.
Dylan Shane
#7 Black, Valley Forge Minutemen, 4/19/04, Defense, Right Shot
The Kutztown, Pa., native is a puck-moving defenseman with good skill. He made a really nice sauce pass for an assist on one goal.
Goaltenders
1. Brendan Holahan
#30 Black, Mid Fairfield, 6/15/04, Goaltender, Catches Left
The New Canaan, Conn., native is a prototypical modern-era butterfly goaltender with good size. He moves well and covers up rebounds quickly.
2. Lucas Szyszka
#30 Grey, Chicago Mission, 4/23/04, Goaltender, Catches Left
The Westmont, Ill., native is strong technically. He squares up to shooters and makes saves look easy. He’s quiet while standing on top of the crease. He made a few nice saves Sunday.
3. Christian Manz
#1 Grey, Minnesota Fire, 1/13/04, Goaltender, Catches Left
The Blaine, Minn., native is on the smaller side, but he makes up for it with quick reflexes. He made several acrobatic saves.
Honorable Mention
Ben Behrens
#1 Red, St. Louis AAA Blues, 5/23/04, Goaltender, Catches Left
Behrens has good size and made a really nice glove save while down on the ice on Saturday.
Trent Boryszczuk
#1 Black, Little Caesars, 1/8/04, Goaltender, Catches Left
The Plymouth, Mich., native was solid on Sunday and made some nice saves, all while showing athleticism.
Nicholas Hansen
#1 White, Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, 4/3/04, Goaltender, Catches Left
The Mesa, Ariz., native is a good skater who moves well laterally.
Jackson Reda
#30 White, Chicago Fury, 8/29/04, Goaltender, Catches Left
From Orland Park, Ill., Reda moved well and displayed quickness to pounce on rebounds.
Jake Schunke
#30 Red, NJ Devils, 3/24/04, Goaltender, Catches Left
The Scotch Plains, N.J., native had good size and covered a lot of net, cutting down on a shooter’s angle to score.
