There was very little doubt who was going to win the New England District 15 Only Championship.
Selects Academy at South Kent, going by Central Connecticut Youth Hockey for USA Hockey purposes, was far and away the most impressive team at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass. In the final, Selects Academy bested Yale Midget Hockey, 5-0, to officially punch its ticket to the USA Hockey National Championship April 3-8 at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.
Selects Academy at South Kent is coached by Jon Hutcheon, who is in his first year after taking over for the previous regime that left to start a new program at Mount Saint Charles in Woonsocket, R.I.
In the past, the New England District had held its championship at Berkshire School, but it was moved to Marlboro to make it easier for all the coaches and scouts who wanted to watch the Massachusetts District and New England District.
Numerous college coaches and NHL and junior scouts were present throughout the weekend. One notable attendee to Sunday’s championship game was North Dakota associate head coach Dane Jackson, who flew in following his team’s two-game series at Miami to watch Selects Academy center Cam MacDonald of Halifax, Nova Scotia.
New England District 15 Only Standouts
Cam MacDonald
#22 Selects Academy, 5/4/03, Center, Left Shot, 6-2/180
The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native is an elite talent who will be a high pick in the 2019 QMJHL Draft. He’s a 200-foot, speedy, goal-scoring center with size. He hits hard and is heavy on pucks. One such instance was when he took puck away from an opposing player in the right wing corner and took it to the goalmouth for a tally. His explosive skating allows him to separate from opposing defenders and create time and space. He split the defense in the neutral zone and took it in for a goal in another sequence. Simply put, if he continues on this track, pro hockey is in his future.
Eli Barnett
#2 Selects Academy, 9/16/03, Defense, Right Shot, 6-5/198
Barnett is a big, rangy defender from Riverview, New Brunswick. His size and skating ability are intriguing. He’s not flashy, but he makes smart, crisp breakout passes. He thinks the game well and will use the wall to chip pucks up and out of his own zone to start transitional plays. A late ’03, he’ll be highly coveted in the 2019 QMJHL Draft as well.
Oscar Plandowski
#7 Selects Academy, 5/18/03, Defense, Right Shot, 6-0/175
NCAA Commit: Quinnipiac
Plandowski is a smooth-skating, two-way defenseman from Halifax, Nova Scotia. His footwork allows him to sidestep forecheckers to break pucks out as well as walking the blue line on the power play and offensive zone situations. He has a good stick, gaps well and exudes poise with the puck on his stick. His father, Darryl Plandowski, is the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Tampa Bay Lightning and his mother, Jill Plandowski, is a power skating coach.
Ryan Greene
#19 Selects Academy, 10/21/03, Center, Right Shot, 5-11/155
From Paradise, Newfoundland, Greene is a smart, cerebral, playmaking center. He’s shifty, skates well, and has good vision. He’s not as high-end as MacDonald, but he’s a very good prospect in his own right and has garnered plenty of attention from college coaches and junior organizations.
Cam Miranda
#18 Selects Academy, 3/13/03, Defense, Right Shot, 5-11/145
The Mendon, Mass., native had a really good weekend. He has good vision, his skating is above average, and he makes good breakout passes. He made one lead pass from deep in his own zone to the far blue line that resulted in a goal. He projects as an offensive, puck-moving defenseman.
Copeland Fricker
#8 Selects Academy, 8/20/03, Right Wing, Right Shot, 5-7/150
Fricker is on the smaller side, but he hunts pucks and plays with an edge. He’ll get in the forecheck and go to work in the corners and below the goal line to retrieve pucks for his team to start the offensive attack.
Jack Kurrle
#12 Selects Academy, 1/28/03, Left Wing, Left Shot, 5-11/165
Kurrle scored a nice backhanded breakaway goal. The Middlesex, Vt., native is a nice prospect who can skate and keep up with his center, MacDonald.
Greyson Pane
#1 Yale, 8/2/03, Goaltender, Catches Left, 6-1/155
It was a tough test in the final against Selects Academy, but he made some good saves. He has good size and potential to develop at Westminster.
