The top '04s in the country converged on the Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y., from July 15-20, to take part in the USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp.
The '04 age group is a good one with a lot of the high-end talent concentrated in Michigan, Minnesota and Florida.
USA Hockey's Assistant Director of Player Personnel Rod Braceful had already been keeping tabs on this age group, but this was the first time all of the top American talent, sans a couple of omissions, was in one place competing under one roof in front of scouts and coaches.
Here's a look at the top forwards followed by some players worthy of honorable mention, in alphabetical order:
Top Forwards
Gavin Brindley
#18 Columbia, Florida Alliance 16U, 10/5/04, Right Shot, 5-7/139
Brindley is an elite skater who can buzz around the ice and make plays. He sees the ice well and can cut in and out of traffic. He accelerates quickly and has that separation speed.
Jimmy Clark
#18 Grey, Edina HS, 9/24/04, Left Shot, 5-11/160
Clark goes to the net and uses his size well down low. He gets open and has a quick release on a shot he gets off with zip. He has a strong will to get to pucks.
Luke Devlin
#16 Grey, Toronto Marlies, 3/12/04, Left Shot, 5-11/151
Devlin is an elite skater who produced. He tipped in a point shot and had the shiftiness to create time and space. He has a strong, smooth, long stride that allows him to get places quickly.
Zachary Filak
#13 Navy, Compuware 16U, 1/21/04, Left Shot, 5-11/167
NCAA Commit: Michigan State
Filak is a power forward with skill and vision. He does a good job protecting pucks and can shoot it hard. He’s able to slow the game down and see the ice well, including hitting a trailer with a nice sauce pass. He has pro upside.
Maddox Fleming
#18 Black, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 2/13/04, Right Shot, 5-11.5/166
Fleming is an elite skater with a high motor and compete. He’s an elite possession forward who finds seams and protects pucks. He can finish and he gets to the scoring areas.
Cutter Gauthier
#11 Black, Compuware 16U, 1/19/04, Left Shot, 6-0.5/186
Gauthier is a power forward who can use his size and strength to his advantage. He has a powerful stride and can use it to protect pucks. He plays hard and drives the net with authority. He has a hard shot and is hard to knock off pucks. His hockey sense isn’t bad, but it’s an area that needs improvement as others catch up to his physical ability.
Isaac Howard
#19 Royal, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 3/30/04, Left Shot, 5-9/165
NCAA Commit: Minnesota Duluth
Howard is an elite skater who can finish. He’s strong on pucks and able to protect pucks with his stickhandling before getting it to open teammates. He sometimes holds onto the puck too long, but his speed and skating are at the high end for this group.
Frank Nazar
#14 Grey, Honeybaked 15, 1/14/04, Right Shot, 5-8.75/159
NCAA Commit: Michigan
Nazar is skilled, has good vision, and is patient with the puck on his stick. He makes a lot of plays. He’s quick and accelerates, which gives him separation. He sees the ice well and was consistently productive during all games here at camp.
Jaksen Panzer
#19 Red, Grand Forks Central HS, 1/1/04, Left Shot, 5-8/135
NCAA Commit: North Dakota
Panzer has quick hands and went to the net for rebound goals. He wasn’t afraid to get into the dirty areas. He has a high motor with a second gear to separate from opposing defenders. He has an accurate shot and good touch on his passes.
Nick Pierre
#14 Navy, Hill-Murray HS, 4/9/04, Left Shot, 5-7.5/166
NCAA Commit: Wisconsin
Pierre is a good skater with an explosive stride. He was able to create offense on the rush with his quickness. He has a good shot and scored a nice goal on the power play. If he can be a little less perimeter, his upside will increase.
James Snuggerud
#17 Kelly, Chaska HS, 6/1/04, Right Shot, 6-0/164
Snuggerud was really good here. He had the puck a lot and did a good job protecting it. He made plays and drove the net for power finishes, even in the three-on-three game. For a big player this age, he had the ability to spin away from trouble and get going quickly. He gets space and is a net front presence. He scored a beauty of a goal on Friday with a wrist shot right under the bar. He was around the net for rebound goals and was able to drive to the scoring areas after winning puck battles.
Charlie Stramel
#19 Purple, Rosemount HS, 10/15/04, Right Shot, 6-2/180
Stramel is a big power forward who is heavy on pucks and plays with a physical edge. He didn’t produce as much here as expected, but he’s got a lot of upside with his size, ability to protect pucks, and play with jam. He’s able to generate time and space for his linemates by drawing defenders his way and keeping the puck away with his reach and big frame.
Forwards - Honorable Mention
Ryan Abraham
#15 Kelly, Compuware 15, 4/5/04, Left Shot, 5-4.5/139
Abraham has good edges, made plays, and scored a nice backhander in small areas. He’s shifty and able to hold onto pucks and evade opposing defenders. If he can be even more assertive away from the puck, he’ll be an even better prospect.
Jonah Aegerter
#10 Purple, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15, 1/21/04, Right Shot, 5-7.5/154
Aegerter is a good skater who plays with pace. He can beat defenders and wide and throw pucks into the middle on the rush as he did for an assist in one game.
Brady Berard
#15 Navy, Mount Saint Charles 15, 2/26/04, Left Shot, 5-10.25/181
NCAA Commit: Providence
Berard has good size and plays with jam. He works hard and drives the net. He isn’t the most skilled, but he grows on you with what a solid, complete player he is. He does a good job of hunting pucks and facilitating offense.
Zachary Cline
#12 Grey, Little Caesars 15, 4/25/04, Left Shot, 5-4.5/141
Cline is small, but quick and pursues pucks. He has slick hands and had a good game Thursday. He can get space and finish. Want him to be more consistent.
Logan Cooley
#11 Navy, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15, 5/4/04, Left Shot, 5-7.25/142
NCAA Commit: Notre Dame
Cooley is small, but has a very good offensive skill set. He makes really good passes and has a quick release. He scored a couple of really nice goals with pinpoint accuracy on his shot. He’s slick and skates well. He went to the net. He sometimes holds onto the puck a little too long.
Andrew DellaDonna
#10 Black, Selects Academy 15, 5/18/04, Right Shot, 5-8/175
NCAA Commit: Ohio State
DellaDonna skates well and has gotten a little bigger. He makes some good passes and creates offense on the rush. He’s too perimeter and soft and lazy away from the puck.
Braedon Ford
#14 Red, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 1/19/04, Left Shot, 5-7.25/146
Ford is a very good skater who flies around ice hunting pucks. He drove the net and drew a penalty. He can make plays on the rush. If he’s more assertive, he’ll use his speed more effectively.
Dylan Godbout
#10 Gold, Hill-Murray HS, 5/5/04, Right Shot, 5-9/167
NCAA Commit: Wisconsin
Godbout is an elite skater who maintains puck possession. He has that second gear to blow by defenders. He can finish and make plays.
Zion Green
#11 Royal, Oakland Jr. Grizzlies 15, 4/12/04, Right Shot, 5-9.25/171
Green has skill with the puck. He’s slick and has the agility to get time and space to get off scoring chances. His hips and edges set him apart in that regard. He finished as well as dishing the puck off to teammates after beating a defender wide.
Gavin Hayes
#11 Gold, Compuware 15, 12/31/04, Right Shot, 6-0.25/152
Hayes has good edges and has quickness. He has slick hands to protect pucks and get chances.
Marek Hejduk
#13 Purple, Colorado Thunderbirds 16U, 1/3/04, Right Shot, 5-8/143
Hejduk has plenty of skill and can skate well enough to maintain possession by skirting away from opposing defenders. His agility and stickhandling are both very good, which allows him to make plays in small areas. If he can learn to play more inside the circles, he’ll be an even better prospect.
Devin Kaplan
#14 White, North Jersey Avalanche 16U, 1/10/04, Right Shot, 6-1.75/189
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Kaplan is a physically mature, rugged forward. He drives the net with authority and has a hard shot. He’s heavy on pucks and is tough to defend. His hockey sense has suffered because of being so much bigger and not needing to use that part of his game.
Colin Kessler
#14 Columbia, Culver Academy 16U, 6/7/04, Left Shot, 5-9.75/152
Kessler is a physical, heavy forward with skill. He scored a nifty goal and also had a nice sauce pass for an assist in the three-on-three games. He protects pucks and is good down low. He has a jump in his step and has a good shot.
Evan Konyen
#13 Royal, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15, 2/22/04, Right Shot, 5-9/156
Konyen just kept scoring all week. He had the puck a lot and was heavy on those pucks. He was around the net and had a good shot. He skates well, but his speed isn’t elite. He makes up for that with his ability to read plays.
Jack Larrigan
#18 Kelly, St. Louis AAA Blues 16U, 4/9/04, 5-8.75/158
NCAA Commit: Notre Dame
Larrigan didn’t produce as expected at this camp. He skates well and is on the right side of the puck a lot.
William Moore
#14 Purple, Culver 16U, 3/22/04, Left Shot, 5-7/151
Moore was one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of the camp. His stickhandling and puck skills in small areas helped him produce and make plays. He’s able to stop and start on a dime. He had a good stick on the penalty kill as well.
Will Schumacher
#18 Red, Prior Lake HS, 5/4/04, Left Shot, 5-10/150
Schumacher has good size and played smart on both sides of the puck. He forced turnovers, broke up plays in the defensive zone, and was on the right side of the puck. He skates well.
Cole Spicer
#19 Forest, Grand Forks Central HS, 6/13/04, Left Shot, 5-9/150
NCAA Commit: North Dakota
Spicer can really rip it, and did so a few times during three-on-three. He faded for his lofty standards during the full ice games. He’s heavy on pucks and able to stickhandle well to protect pucks.
Michael Stenberg
#19 Columbia, Thayer Academy, 9/22/04, Right Shot, 5-10.75/174
NCAA Commit: Penn State
This might have been the best viewing of Stenberg to date. He was heavy, won puck battles, brought it physically, and scored. He made a lot of plays by winning puck battles below the dots and getting it to open teammates. He went to the net and scored tip-in goals.
Ian Spencer
#17 Gold, Chicago Fury, 9/9/04, Left Shot, 5-8/151
Spencer was one of the fastest players at camp and it turned into offense. He scored goals and made plays. He has a good shot and can finish consistently. He also made a couple of nice passes. His speed and skating are major assets.
Camron VanSickle
#18 Gold, Honeybaked 15, 2/24/04, Left Shot, 5-11/194
VanSickle uses his size and plays a heavy game. He throws his weight around and has the puck a lot. His stride and foot speed could use some improvement, but he gets around well enough for now.
Zach Vockler
#12 Navy, Sioux Falls Power, 1/19/04, Left Shot, 5-7.25/137
Vockler plays with a lot of energy and had the speed to pursue pucks and draw penalties. He competes hard, but lacks offensive instincts or hands.
