ROCKLAND, Mass. – Many of the best 2006-born players from across the state took part in the Mass. Hockey Festival Final 40 at Lovell Arena.
College coaches were assigned as evaluators by Mass. Hockey for each age group, including the '06s. The group of coaches watched each stage from the first tryout through last weekend’s festival and the Final 40. They were tasked with selecting the top nine forwards, five defensemen and one goaltender to send to USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y., next month.
The '06s that were selected will skate together as a team as USA Hockey is bringing back the format that was previously used a number of years ago. The USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp typically brings out a large contingent of NHL scouts looking to get a first look at the upcoming year’s draft class. It is also a tool used by USA Hockey to determine who will make a secondary camp to select the roster for the annual Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in August.
The '06s aren’t a great group overall in terms of NHL draft potential from this area, especially when you factor in that NTDP forwards Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) and Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.) are ineligible for the player development camps. Of the '06s at the Mass. Hockey Festival Final 40, the best 2024 NHL Draft prospect was Milton Academy defenseman Dylan Hunt (Framingham, Mass.).
Of all the selections to national camp, the one that stands out the most is Xaverian junior goaltender Cole Pouliot-Porter of Franklin, Mass. He’s a prime example of a kid who just won’t give up. He’s on the smaller side for a goaltender and he’s certainly not technically sound. But, his compete level was probably the highest of anyone in any of the three birth years at the festival. He just wills his way to stop pucks.
Another interesting tidbit from the weekend was the absence of four of the better '06s in the state. Madison Capitols defenseman Will Felicio (Holden, Mass.) was the best player not in attendance. Also missing were Nobles goaltender Thatcher Bernstein (Brookline, Mass.), St. George’s goaltender Ryder Shea (Framingham, Mass.) and Shattuck-St. Mary’s U16 center Jack Galanek (Hopkinton, Mass.).
Here is a look at the top three uncommitted prospects based on my viewing of Sunday’s game.
1. Dylan Hunt
Milton, 2/9/06, D, left shot, 6-1/174
Hunt cannot commit until Aug. 1, but big-time schools should be all over him. The Marlboro, Mass., native has the size, skating ability and hockey sense to be an elite shutdown defender for an upper-echelon team in Division 1. He was good positionally and used his stick and feet to take away shooting and passing lanes and close on opposing forwards quickly. At the very worst, he’s a defensive stalwart who can be a team’s five or six. He might not stand out for his offensive stick, but he’s a Beanpot-caliber blue liner.
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2. Gavin Cornforth
Dubuque Fighting Saints, 12/15/06, RW, right shot, 5-9/145
Cornforth showed what a year in the USHL will do for a player’s maturity. In many previous viewings of the Milton, Mass., native, he would circle around the perimeter and just hold onto the puck too long. Here he did a much better job of using his linemates and making plays. His skating is elite and his stick is pretty close. A number of schools in Hockey East are on him. His dad, Mark, played at Merrimack before embarking on a pro career that included a stint with the Boston Bruins and a longer period with the AHL affiliate in Providence.
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3. James Marshall
South Kent, 4/5/06, C, left shot, 5-10/145
Marshall has come a long way in 12 months. Always a gifted player with the puck, his game matured a ton while at South Kent. He continues to engage more in all three zones. Even in a setting like this where it could have been easy to circle and cheat, he played the game closer to the right way. His stick, skating and offensive vision are all very good. He’s a rising senior at South Kent and should be on the radar of a number of Hockey East teams. It would be a mistake to wait much longer on the Weymouth, Mass., native as he’s coming on fast.
