Looking across college hockey in New England, there are plenty of high draft picks and a projected first-round pick that are worthy of discussion.
Boston College freshman Cutter Gauthier was picked fifth overall by Philadelphia in 2022 and UConn rookie Matthew Wood is projected to be selected in the first round of the 2023 NHL draft.
As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Wood is off to a great start in his college hockey debut as the youngest player in the nation at just 17 years old. The '05 from Nanaimo, British Columbia, isn’t the best skater, but his shot and hockey sense make up for it.
If he were in one of the three Canadian major junior leagues or the USHL, he’d be lighting it up against players his own age. Instead, he’s proving he can score at nearly a point per game clip against players up to seven years older.
Elsewhere, there are four undrafted prep school hockey alums stating their case as viable players for the professional level. All four of them could be described as average height or below and none have the physical tools that scouts sometimes look for when evaluating players in prep school. They’re not overly tall with long, smooth strides, booming shots or gifted hands.
However, the quartet has perhaps more important intangible attributes: hockey sense or compete level.
Justin Hryckowian
Northeastern, 2/23/01, C, left shot, 5-10/194
Hryckowian has been one of my favorite players to watch since he arrived at Salisbury for the 2018-19 season. He spent two years in the USHL between his prep and college career. The sophomore is enjoying a five-game point streak, including his five-goal, one-assist outburst in a sweep of New Hampshire last weekend. From L’Île-Bizard, Quebec, Hryckowian doesn’t have blazing speed, but his footwork has gotten better since he first took to the ice in New England over four years ago. His hockey sense, compete level and stick are all attributes worthy of the NHL. He knows where to go on the ice to find soft spots in opposing defenses. He’s got a knack for the net and getting to loose pucks in scoring areas. His stick skills have always been good, but he’s heavy on pucks, wins draws and is strong in between the dots. He should spend at least one more year at Northeastern after this one, but an NHL contract should be awaiting him as a free agent when his time with the Huskies is over.
Jacob Quillan
Quinnipiac, 2/2/02, C, left shot, 6-0/201
Quillan was a prep school teammate of Hryckowian and is also a sophomore. From Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, he spent a season in the BCHL with Penticton between his two years at Salisbury and matriculating to coach Rand Pecknold’s program. Quillan is a good skater who has a second gear, which allows him to separate from opposing defenses. His shot is better than advertised, as the puck comes off his stick with zip and accuracy. He’s also a smart, cerebral, 200-foot center. His competitiveness is an underrated part of his game. It took him a year to adjust to the college game and figure out Pecknold’s system, but he’s shining now in his second season with the Bobcats. Scouts who paid attention to his time in prep school will remember the growth he had there, in terms of his size and ability. He’s a late bloomer who is trending the right way and will likely earn an NHL contract when his time is up in Hamden.
Matt Copponi
Merrimack, 6/4/03, C, right shot, 5-11/174
Copponi is scoreless in his last five games after a three-game point streak helped him start the season with two goals and three assists. However, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to his play recently. The Mansfield, Mass., native was around the puck and had eight shots on goal in Merrimack’s sweep of Boston College last weekend. He was involved in scoring plays, even if indirectly. He competes and plays with swagger. He’s an above-average skater and his stick skills are underrated. The Dexter Southfield alum has proven he can play against older players at the collegiate level and is worthy of consideration when it comes to the sixth or seventh round of the 2023 NHL draft.
Andrew Lucas
UConn, 2/5/99, D, right shot, 5-11/161
Lucas, a 2018 graduate of Loomis Chaffee, is in his first year at UConn after spending three seasons at Vermont. From Alexandria, Va., his skating, footwork and hockey sense are all valuable assets at the collegiate level. He’s got the skating ability and mobility to move pucks up ice with his feet and draw opposing defenders before moving it to an open teammate. He can sidestep opposing forecheckers and walk the blue line in the attacking zone. He’s slight and can struggle with one-on-one matchups along the wall, but he’s able to defend the rush with his feet and stick. I’m not sold on an NHL contract yet, but he should get an AHL deal at the very least.
