MARLBORO, Mass. — In what is their final year to compete for a spot at USA Hockey’s Select Camps, the ‘09s battled for spots in the Final 40 this past weekend at the Mass. Hockey boys festival at the New England Sports Center.
The Final 40 is slated to be held on Saturday and Sunday in Marlboro, where players will hope to either make their return to Select Camp or receive their first opportunity at the highly-scouted event. Select 17 Camp is a big draw for college scouts.
I caught the ‘09s on Sunday — the final round of the three-day event — and many players made legitimate cases to be considered for this weekend.
Just because a player isn’t highlighted in this story doesn’t mean they showed poorly at the event. This list only represents those who were standouts on Sunday morning.
We broke down 14 standout '10s and 12 standout '11s earlier this week. Let’s dive into the '09s.
Joseph Covelluzzi
Dubuque Fighting Saints, 1/30/2009, F, right shot, 5-10/174
Hometown: Wakefield, Mass.
NCAA: Maine
Covelluzzi was everywhere on Sunday and impressed as a high-end playmaker with the vision to set up scoring chances for his teammates. He excelled with puck protection below the dots and was a menace in all three zones. After causing a turnover on a back check into the neutral zone, he sped back into the zone to create a one-timer for Kolton Kelleher (Boston, Mass.), which ultimately led to a goal. Covelluzzi is a Maine commit.
MASS. HOCKEY BOYS FESTIVAL: 14 standout '10s | 12 standout '11s
Luke Dickson
Medfield High, 2009, F, right shot
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
Dickson dazzled in transition, deking through his primary defender on two occasions before shooting in stride toward the goal. On his first attempt, he ripped a puck off the goalie’s helmet that was a quick and impactful shot. Later, he made a strong move while stick-handling near the crease and used his speed to emerge on a breakaway. Dickson’s raw skill was evident.
Nikolaos Tzouganatos
St. Mark’s, 2009, D, left shot, 5-10/161
Hometown: Sudbury, Mass.
Tzouganatos was one of the best two-way defenders I saw last weekend. He was poised with the puck in the offensive zone and had a knack for finding open seams to thread the needle to open teammates. One of those instances yielded a goal, sending a firm pass to Jack Funk (Duxbury, Mass.) for a tap-in. He created the play from start to finish, lulling the opposition to sleep while pulling up along the right boards before sliding the puck across the ice through the open lane.
Jack Funk
Thayer Academy, 3/12/2009, F, left shot, 5-2/115
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
Funk found the back of the net twice on Sunday and showcased himself well. He certainly wasn’t the biggest player on the ice, but he utilized his quickness and elusiveness with the puck to escape pressure and had a knack for getting to the front of the net. His first tally came on the rush, where Funk made a nice hesitation move before beating the goaltender with a hard shot.
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Easton Anello
Williston Northampton, 1/19/2009, D, left shot, 6-2/174
Hometown: Windsor, Mass.
NCAA: Massachusetts
Anello was a force on Sunday. He used his strong frame to his advantage in the offensive zone. In one sequence, he protected the puck down the left side of the ice before zipping a pass to Gavin O’Toole (Canton, Mass.) on the doorstep. Anello was quick for his size and just as impactful in his own end with an active stick and strong presence in the net front. Anello is committed to UMass.
Devin Cokinos
Salisbury, 10/31/2009, F, right shot, 5-7/152
Hometown: Dedham, Mass.
Cokinos was hard to play against at all times in the offensive zone, flying around with great speed and tenacity to disrupt play and create chances. He once stole the puck on the wall before finding a teammate for a shot, and later picked a forward’s pocket in the neutral zone to create a two-on-one the other way.
Aiden St. Pierre
St. Mary’s Lynn, 5/14/2009, F, left shot, 5-9/154
Hometown: Beverly, Mass.
St. Pierre was all around the net on Sunday. He was effective on the forecheck, beating a defender to the puck on one occasion and out-muscling him in the corner before sending the puck out front of a scoring chance. Part of his success below the dots was due to his immense skating ability.
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Keith Olympia
St. Mark’s, 4/25/2009, F, right shot, 5-9/157
Hometown: Sudbury, Mass.
Olympia did well on the wing in transition throughout Sunday’s action, showcasing his smooth skating. Making a pass out of his own zone on the wall, he joined the rush and collected a pass, dished it to an open teammate after curling back up the wall, and eventually got it back for a sizzling one-timer. He later scored on an odd-man rush.
Jake Thompson
Eaglebrook School, 2009, D, left shot
Hometown: Dracut, Mass.
Taking the puck the length of the ice, Thompson wasn’t credited for the ensuing score. But he created it with a tenacious drive to the net while shaking off a few defenders before Alexander Zaneski (Pembroke, Mass.) cleaned up the rebound. Thompson showed great vision and strength with the puck.
Chase Warsofsky
Cushing, 2009, F, left shot, 5-8/159
Hometown: Northboro, Mass.
Warsofsky attended both Select 15 and 16 Select camps and has a real chance at being represented in Amherst, N.Y., this summer. He was a responsible forward on Sunday, backchecking into the neutral zone and retrieving a puck after a lengthy skate from deep in the offensive zone. He showcased good speed and supported his defense in his own end.
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Owen Kailher
Mount St. Charles, 4/7/2009, F, right shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.
Kailher is another skater with two Select Camps under his belt. He dominated on Sunday. What stood out the most was his lethal release, where he would pull the puck toward his right skate to create a better shooting angle. He rang a shot off the post early in the game and had a flurry of chances due to his speed and awareness. Kailher’s skill is high-end.
Ryder Bisson
Dexter Southfield, 8/4/2009, D, left shot, 6-1/176
Hometown: Holden, Mass.
Bisson showed great vision and was one of the best defenders on the ice on Sunday. He made a great pass to Gavin Anderson (Andover, Mass.) for a goal and knew when to insert himself in rushes. On one occasion, he back-checked after a strong rush into the zone and quickly shifted gears to defense. He showed well.
Logan Moulton
Boston Hockey Academy, 4/3/2009, G, catches left, 6-1/165
Hometown: South Grafton, Mass.
Moulton made a good glove save in the second half of Sunday’s action and stood tall in the net throughout the game. On one sequence, he stopped an initial shot from the point through traffic before flashing the pad on a second-chance opportunity on a rebound.
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