MARLBORO, Mass. — The Boston Junior Eagles captured top billing at the Massachusetts Hockey 18-U State Championship over the weekend.
The three-day tournament, held at the New England Sports Center, was the culmination of the fall hockey season in the region. The Junior Eagles, coached by BC alum John Joyce, defeated South Shore Kings Prep in Sunday afternoon’s championship game by a score of 5-3.
A number of NHL personnel, including crossover scouts from across the country, were in attendance to watch a number of 2022 draft prospects that were competing in the tournament. Junior Eagles right wing Michael Callow and East Coast Wizards center Ben MacDonald didn’t disappoint as both players put on quite a show in games over the weekend.
There were also a ton of college coaches from the region in the building, particularly on Sunday. They were there to keep an eye on their recruits as well as check out some of the uncommitted players still available.
I thought the three-day tournament put on by Massachusetts Hockey, led by Executive Director Kevin Kavanagh, was well run. The games were officiated by two refs and two linesmen, which made for better calls on offsides than usual at a midget game. The tournament program had all the rosters. Most importantly, the players were treated well. There were a couple of highly competitive games that were fun to watch. The games were all under one roof and start times were staggered, which allowed for optimal viewing.
Below is a look at the top eight 2022 NHL draft prospects from the Massachusetts Hockey 18-U State Championship followed by a look at one uncommitted player from each team who stood out, based on this weekend’s games.
2022 NHL Draft prospects
Ben MacDonald
EC Wizards, 2/24/04, C, left shot, 5-11/165
NCAA commit: Harvard
Saturday night’s 10-4 win over Central Mass Penguins wasn’t the greatest reflection on team defense and goaltending, but MacDonald put on a clinic. The dozen or so NHL scouts in attendance for the game had to leave impressed by what they saw from the Weston, Mass., native. He had a number of breakaways as he showed off his skating and separation ability. He has better hands than he’s sometimes given credit for. I have always liked his hockey sense and that showed this weekend. I think the stat keepers might have missed a few, but he was credited with two goals and two assists. The Nobles junior has become more dynamic over the past 18 months and he’s climbed up my draft board. He’s versatile and can play a defensive role, as well. He has a mean streak and has jam to his game. The one area that I’d like to see him improve upon is having the puck on his stick more.
Michael Callow
Junior Eagles, 1/15/04, RW, right shot, 6-3/181
NCAA commit: Harvard
This was one of my best viewings of Callow in a while. The South Boston, native and St. Sebastian’s senior is a big power forward. He’s an explosive skater that can drive the net and bull his way to the scoring areas. He had four goals and three assists in three games. His compete going forward is good, but his hockey sense and compete away from the puck and on the defensive side of things could use some improvement. That could happen when he gets better coaching in the USHL and then at Harvard. He showed scouts this weekend why he should hear his name called next June.
Duncan Ramsay
GBL Bruins, 2/8/04, D, left shot, 6-4/182
NCAA commit: Vermont
Friday night’s 6-5 loss to the Little Bruins wasn’t the best viewing of Ramsay. His size, length and range were still noticeable and positive attributes. His long, fluid stride allows him to get up ice quickly and he’s very smooth. I just thought it was a sloppy game for all involved with very little structure. Both benches were short so it was somewhat understandable with the longer than usual periods. He’ll be one of the more watched prep hockey players during the 2021-22 season.
Matthew Maltais
Top Gun, 9/2/04, C, left shot, 6-1/155
NCAA commit: Nebraska-Omaha
Maltais is a lesser-known NHL draft prospect for many in this region, as KUA games were closed to the public last winter. I had seen him previously when he came to New England for a couple of showcases, including the 2019 Junior Chowder Cup. From Quebec, Maltais skates well and can score. He found the back of the net a couple of times here. He has good size. He’s 14 days away from being a late '04 and is still raw, but I like his upside. He’s a player that should be watched closely this winter at Kimball Union.
James Fisher
EC Wizards, 4/28/04, RW, right shot, 6-3/180
NCAA commit: Northeastern
I liked what I saw from Fisher here. The Wilmington, Mass., native and Belmont Hill junior is a power forward who shoots it hard. He scored a big-time goal, off a backhand, with time running down to send the semifinal game into overtime. He played a hard, north-south game and should have left scouts with a positive impression.
Michael Fisher
EC Wizards, 5/2/04, D, right shot, 6-2/193
NCAA commit: Princeton
Fisher had two goals and two assists in two games. The Westboro, Mass., native and St. Mark’s senior has good size, skates well, and was able to jump into the offense here. He’s still a little raw and his decision-making could get better. With his size, skating ability and above-average stick, he’ll likely be drafted come next June.
Chris Romaine
South Shore Kings Prep, 2/21/04, D, right shot, 5-11/185
NCAA commit: Providence
Romaine had three assists here, including on a couple of key goals for his team. The Braintree, Mass., native and Milton junior is a mobile, puck-moving defenseman. His offensive production sometimes doesn’t match that, but it did here. He had two assists in the semifinals, including on the game-winner in overtime. He skates well and is a breakout machine with a good first touch. I thought he showed more poise and confidence with the puck than he sometimes has in the attacking zone. His footwork and ability to promote possession are reasons NHL teams should have him on their radar, despite not being on NHL Central Scouting.
Grayson Badger
South Shore Kings Prep, 5/9/04, RW, right shot, 6-0/172
NCAA commit: Northeastern
Badger had the game-winning goal in overtime to lift his team into the championship game. The Dexter Southfield senior and Hyde Park, Mass., native led South Shore Kings Prep in scoring with a goal and four assists. I’ve always been a big fan of Badger, dating back to his days playing bantam with South Shore Kings and high school at Brookline. I love the energy he provides. He hunts pucks and generates a lot of offense. I thought this was his best viewing of the fall. I expect him to be a very good college player at Northeastern. He gets around the sheet well enough, but his skating and hockey sense are both areas that NHL teams will rightfully question when evaluating him for pro potential. Still, his compete level and history of producing should keep him on the radar. I wouldn’t count him out.
Top uncommitted prospects
Sean Keohane
South Shore Kings Prep, 11/4/04, D, left shot, 6-4/190
Keohane isn’t always known for his offense, but he had a big second-period goal for his team in a win over East Coast Wizards in the semifinals. He’s big, rangy and a late '04 who continues to get better. The Milton, Mass., native is deservedly getting big-time interest from top Hockey East programs. He was the best uncommitted prospect in the 18-U division.
Linas Dedinas
Central Mass Penguins, 10/11/04, LW, left shot, 6-0/175
Dedinas is a late '04 from Lithuania, who I first noticed a couple of weekends ago in this same venue at a different showcase. He has that quick twitch, skates well, and can create offense on the rush. He seems to get a lot of breakaways and has a goal-scoring touch. He’s a player I want to keep an eye on during the prep school season at Cushing. He had a couple of goals in two games.
Jaiden Moriello
GBL Bruins, 5/4/03, C/RW, right shot, 6-2/180
Moriello, a Saugus, Mass., native and senior at Kimball Union, has gotten a lot better over the course of the last two years. His size and shot have always been intriguing, but his goal-scoring ability has increased. His skating still needs work, but he scored three goals in Friday night’s loss to Little Bruins. He is able to protect pucks, drive the net, and he can snipe. He has interest from a couple of Division 1 schools but is still hoping for a Hockey East offer.
Charlie Gollob
River Rats, 2/10/04, C, left shot, 6-2/190
Gollob didn’t score on Friday night for a shorthanded River Rats squad, but he had the puck a lot and generated numerous chances. He’s heavy on pucks, strong on his skates, and has very good hockey IQ. His skating is an area of his game that he needs to continue working on, but his will to win, strength and compete compensate for it. The Toronto, Ontario, native is a newcomer to prep as he’ll be a junior at Avon Old Farms. He was the only AOF player to skate on the weekend, showing how much hockey means to him.
Ronan O’Donnell
EC Wizards, 2/26/04, RW, right shot, 6-2/190
O’Donnell is a goal scorer. From Fairfield, Conn., he scored four times in two games. O’Donnell has a heck of a shot and his hockey sense allows him to be in good positions to score. He’s also heavy on pucks and his vision is above average. The Belmont Hill senior chipped in three assists for a total of seven points.
Landyn Greatorex
Junior Eagles, 7/26/03, LW, left shot, 5-10/160
Greatorex had a very good weekend for the champions. According to the stats kept by the referees and scorekeepers, he led the tournament in scoring with three goals and five assists for eight points. The Reading, Mass., native has always been intriguing, due to his skating, skill and vision. His compete, while playing for Reading High School, was in and out. At least this weekend, he showed an increased energy level on a more consistent basis during my viewings. He’s graduated from Reading and is now pursuing opportunities in the NAHL and BCHL for the rest of the 2021-22 season.
Liam Bard
Little Bruins, 1/4/04, D, right shot, 5-9/155
The Little Bruins were a tough team to evaluate here as Friday night’s win over the GBL Bruins was sloppy. The team had a limited roster on Saturday night in a 4-1 loss to South Shore Kings Prep. Bard was noticeable for his skating and mobility. Along with Holy Cross commit Dom Murphy, he was a leader for the Little Bruins during the two games here. Bard, from Southboro, Mass., recorded a pair of assists. He’s a senior at Berkshire.
Matthew Babineau
Islanders HC, 4/4/04, LW, left shot, 6-1/170
I only caught a brief portion of Babineau’s contest Friday night as four round-of-16 games were going on simultaneously. The Malden, Mass., native is a good-sized power forward who can score goals, as he did in this losing effort. Babineau is in his second year at New Hampton as a junior after spending his freshman campaign at Malden Catholic.
Leo Piandes
Top Gun, 8/9/03, C, right shot, 5-11/160
Piandes, a senior at Tilton, skates well, hunts pucks and factored into his team’s offense through their three games at the state tournament. The former Arlington High standout could be a nice option for a Division 3 school in the future.
Sean McWhinnie
Boston Hockey Academy, 10/23/03, LW, left shot, 6-2/170
McWhinnie had a pair of goals in two games here for BHA. A big lefty from Natick, Mass., he left his hometown high school for his senior year at Matignon. McWhinnie protects pucks, can drive the net and has the ability to finish.
Nick Larkin
Cape Cod Whalers, 5/28/03, RW, right shot, 6-1/174
Larkin, an '03 from Canton, Mass., is a good skater who gets around the sheet well. The Dexter Southfield senior formerly played for the South Shore Kings full-season team. He had a goal and an assist as the Whalers fell short in the round-of-16 against the Central Mass Penguins.
Ian Olenik
Boston Imperials, 3/20/03, LW, left shot, 5-9/160
It was a tough ending to the season for the Imperials as they fell short in the round-of-16 against Boston Hockey Academy. Olenik, a Windham, N.H., native and senior at Governor’s, had a goal and is able to create offense on the rush. A good athlete, Olenik has signed a National Letter of Intent to play lacrosse at Providence College.
