With the 2018 USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP) Evaluation Camp concluded, scouts within the organization will turn their attention towards the 2003-born prospects who will eventually make up the 2019-2020 USA Hockey NTDP U-17 Team.
As is often the case in life, where talent comes from is cyclical. 2001 was a favorable birth year for New England prospects while 2002 was somewhat of a down year outside of two top players. There are some very good 2003s in New England and there will likely be more players invited to camp and making the team from the region come next March.
Here are 12 New England natives who are strong candidates to be invited to next year’s NTDP Evaluation Camp:
1. Ryan St. Louis
Forward, Shoots Left, Mid-Fairfield/Brunswick School, Riverside, Conn.
St. Louis is the son of former NHL star and Vermont alum Marty St. Louis. He’s a talented playmaker and an exceptional skater. He’s gritty and isn’t afraid to go into the dirty areas, despite being on the smaller side. His vision and creativity allow him to make great passes to teammates for good scoring opportunities. He’s an elite talent.
2. Patrick Morrisey
Defense, Shoots Right, Roxbury Latin, Canton, Mass.
There is a ton to like about Morrisey’s game. He’s already gotten a year of prep hockey under his belt and he fared quite well. He has good size, skates well and makes a good first pass. He’s an extremely smart defender who will just keep getting better. He’s the best defender in his age group for this region.
3. Paul Davey
Forward, Shoots Left, Mid-Fairfield/Brunswick School, Greenwich, Conn.
Davey is a tall winger who can control pucks down low. He has the length and stick skills to protect pucks and leverage defenders. Ha makes great passes coming off the wall and from down low. He also has a hard shot that he can unleash from the slot. With his size, there is a lot of upside.
4. Jack Hughes
Forward, Shoots Left, Boston Jr. Eagles, Westwood, Mass.
Hughes is a physically mature center with skill. He is able to get into the high slot and rip one-timers and hard wrist shots. He thinks the game well offensively and can make nice passes, but can also finish. He’s the younger brother of Northeastern recruit and St. Sebastian’s junior Riley Hughes.
5. Matthew McGroarty
Forward, Shoots Right, Mid-Fairfield, Westport, Conn.
McGroarty doesn’t have the obvious skill of some of his Mid-Fairfield teammates, but his compete is very high and he is effective because of the energy he brings. He never stops moving his feet and he’s relentless in puck pursuit. He recovers a lot of pucks and makes plays because of it. His skating ability allows him to beat defenders wide and separate from them in small areas.
6. Tim Delay
Forward, Shoots Right, Boston Jr. Eagles, Hingham, Mass.
There might not be a better pure skater in New England among this age group. He’s very gifted in that regard. It allows him to generate a lot of chances and be an impactful player in all three zones.
7. J.P. Turner
Forward, Shoots Right, Boston Jr. Terriers/Falmouth High School, Falmouth, Mass.
Turner is a big, power forward who put up nearly two points per game in Massachusetts high school hockey this winter. He is able to use his size and strength to his advantage to drive the net and get into scoring areas. His feet still need a little work.
8. Davis Kinne
Defense, Shoots Right, St. Mary’s of Lynn, Swampscott, Mass.
Kinne competed in the MIAA as an eighth grader and more than held his own. Every time you watched St. Mary’s, it looked as if Kinne was a senior. He’s rugged physically and extremely poised. He makes a good first pass out of his own zone, knows when to pinch, and can quarterback a power play. He wanders a little bit, but that’s to be expected for a young defenseman playing up.
9. Will Elias
Defense, Shoots Right, Boston Jr. Eagles, Southborough, Mass.
Elias is a reliable two-way defender who skates well and moves pucks north. He can also defend in his own zone and he plays with confidence.
10. Will Killoran
Defense, Shoots Right, Belmont Hill, Charlestown, Mass.
Killoran has good size and athleticism. His feet are still a work in progress, but there is certainly upside. He got a little taste of prep hockey this winter at Belmont Hill.
11. Matthew Fusco
Defense, Shoots Right, Dexter School, Westwood, Mass.
An undersized defender, he skates well and saw limited minutes this winter at the prep level. There’s no questioning his hockey bloodlines as his older brother John is a standout defender for Dexter and his father and uncle both won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as college hockey’s top player during their playing days at Harvard.
12. Nick Roukounakis
Forward, Shoots Left, Boston Jr. Eagles, Pembroke, Mass.
Roukounakis is a converted defenseman who made the switch to forward. He’s a rugged skater who is hard to knock off pucks. He uses his size and strength to gain time and space. He plays physically and makes some big hits that can change the flow of a game.
Honorable Mention: Forwards Chris Aube (Avon Old Farms), Anthony Cafarelli (Austin Prep), Matty Copponi (Mansfield HS), Jackson Cuoto (St. Mark’s), Vincent Gould (Boston Jr. Terriers), Jayden Grier (Boston Jr. Terriers), Caiden Hess (Archbishop Williams), Jayden Moriello (St. Mary’s), C.J. Monturio (Xaverian), PJ Neal (Mid-Fairfield), Casey Raffone (Mid-Fairfield), Nick Ring (Boston Advantage 15U) Cully Wilson (Boston Jr. Eagles); Defensemen Nick Donaldson (Mid-Fairfield), Brendan Fitzgerald (Malden Catholic), Joe Fleming (Boston Jr. Eagles)
