In the 2022 NHL Draft, five then-prep hockey players from New England were selected.
St. Mark's defenseman Michael Fisher (Westborough, Mass.) and Nobles forward Ben MacDonald (Weston, Mass.) were both taken in the third round. St. Sebastian's forward Michael Callow (Boston, Mass.) was picked in the fifth round, while Milton Academy defenseman Chris Romaine (Boston, Mass.) was snagged in the sixth round and Belmont Hill forward James Fisher (Burlington, Mass.) went in the seventh.
Things look to be different this year.
While New England is slated to be well-represented in the first round of the draft that will occur on June 28, New England prep hockey will most likely have fewer players taken than last year.
"There's less and less kids that stay in their draft year in the prep school system in New England," NHL Central Scouting's Dave Gregory said. "Historically, it's been a great funnel and feeder to get to the next level, certainly to college and then if development continues, right into the National Hockey League. As the USHL became a more prominent league and scouted more, those that have the aspirations that 'Hey, I want to play at the highest level possible,' are drawn to that challenge."
Here are the prep hockey players most likely to be taken in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Joe Connor
Avon Old Farms, 3/31/2005, C/LW, left shot, 5-10/170
NCAA:Â Northeastern
In the last 12 months, Connor boosted his stock quite a bit. First, he was a standout player at the 2022 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp, which led to him getting the nod for the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Once the prep season got going, he was Avon Old Farms' leading point-getter, scoring 43 points in 28 games to lead the Winged Beavers to an Elite 8 championship.
Once Connor was done celebrating his Elite 8 triumph, he bolted for the USHL, playing in 12 games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks. The Amherst, N.H., native posted one goal and six points.
What could detract some NHL teams is his height, but Connor plays with a high motor — his compete is evident on every shift. He regularly creates plays with his quickness and shiftiness. Those two factors should make up for concerns NHL front offices have regarding his frame.
Ethan Gardula
Cushing, 2/28/2005, LW, left shot, 5-11/174
NCAA:Â UConnÂ
Gardula turned in a great season. The Princeton, Mass., native boosted his point total from 24 in 2021-22 to 50 this past winter as an assistant captain for Cushing, which made it to the Elite 8 championship game. When the prep season ended and Gardula went out to Sioux City to play in the USHL, he continued to produce, posting two goals and five points in nine games for the Musketeers. That surely helped his draft stock.
What sets Gardula apart are his two-way abilities. He reads the play well, puts himself in good spots in all three zones and fights hard on the backcheck. It was fun to watch the little plays Gardula would make every time he was on the ice.
The big thing Gardula had to work on entering this past winter was his assertiveness in shooting the puck and getting to high-danger areas. He made real strides in that department, going from six goals in 2021-22 to 17 this past winter.
A fun tidbit on Gardula is that growing up, he was the left wing on a line with U.S. National Team Development Program products Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Will Vote (Arlington, Mass.) with the Boston Junior Eagles. Like Smith and Vote, Gardula should hear his name called in Nashville.
Sean Keohane
Dexter Southfield, 11/4/2004, D, left shot, 6-4/194
NCAA:Â HarvardÂ
Keohane's senior season was a down year by his standards. On paper, his 16 points in 32 games was a step back from his 23 points in 24 games he posted during his junior year.
There should be a couple of asterisks next to that.
For one, the 2022-23 Dexter squad wasn't as good as it was in 2021-22. Keohane didn't have the same weapons to pass to and work off of on offense. The second is that Keohane battled a shoulder injury all season, but didn't want to miss time. He underwent shoulder surgery shortly after the season ended. He's slated to be fully healthy by the start of next season, where he'll be logging minutes for the USHL's Tri-City Storm.
The Milton, Mass., native's strong defensive abilities led Dexter to rank fourth in goals allowed (58) this past winter. The only teams better than head coach Danny Donato's squad in that category were Avon Old Farms, Cushing and Milton — the top three teams in the Elite 8.
That, paired with a bad shoulder hampering him all season, could be viewed by NHL teams as a reason to select Keohane. While his value may have dropped from the start of the season, defensemen of Keohane's size — 6-foot-4 and 194-pounds — who can skate well don't grow on trees.
The pro upside is legitimate with Keohane, which is why I expect him to be taken in this draft.
Of the three names mentioned so far, Connor ranked the highest in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings of North American skaters, coming in at No. 74. Keohane came in at No. 159, while Gardula finished in the No. 170 spot.
Other names to keep an eye on...
Stephen Peck
Avon Old Farms, 1/18/2005, G, catches left, 6-2/174Â
Peck was a huge reason why Avon Old Farms won the Elite 8 title this past winter. His .948 save percentage was tied with Milton Academy's Sam Caulfield for best in the region. No one was particularly close to Peck's 1.26 goals-against average. In NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, Peck ranked seventh among North American goalies.
Rudy GuimondÂ
Taft, 5/19/2005, G, catches left, 6-4/179
NCAA:Â YaleÂ
Guimond stood on his head this season, carrying Taft to a Large School division championship. His .943 save percentage, despite facing the highest number of shots in the region, was impressive. He came in at No. 17 in NHL Central Scouting's final rankings. His frame and ability to stop a ton of pucks are interesting qualities NHL teams might consider, though I wouldn't expect either Peck or Guimond to be selected.
