It all comes down to this.
Players will battle for spots at USA Hockey's Select 17, 16 and 15 Camps this weekend at Lovell Arena in the Mass. Hockey boys festival's Final 40.
A group of evaluators will pick a certain number of players (we'll get into that in a bit) to move on to Amherst, N.Y., for Select Camps. I want to make this clear: I don't pick who moves on. I will certainly put out predictions early next week, but I have no part in the decision process.
The '08s are the oldest this season. They will aim to make Select 17 Camp, while the '09s fight for spots at Select 16 Camp. The 2010s are in their first festival, so their goal will be to make it to Select 15 Camp.
First, let's look at the schedule. All games will be held at Lovell Arena in Rockland, Mass.
SaturdayÂ
- 2 p.m.: 2008s
- 4 p.m.: 2009s
- 6 p.m.: 2010s
SundayÂ
- 10 a.m.: 2008 White vs. 2009 Navy
- 12 p.m.: 2008 Navy vs. 2009 White
- 2 p.m.: 2010s
Now it's time to dive into some storylines.
1. How many players advance from the Mass. Hockey Festival?
Like all tryouts, it's a numbers game. Everyone at Lovell Arena will be trying to do the math throughout the weekend.
While the numbers aren't public, you can get a pretty good sense from the past couple of seasons.
Select 15s numbersÂ
- 2023: 10 forwards, five defensemen, two goalies
- 2024: 10 forwards, five defensemen, two goalies
NEW ENGLAND DISTRICT PICKS:Â 13 headed to Select 17Â |Â 14 headed to Select 16Â |Â 16 headed to Select 15
Select 16 numbersÂ
- 2023: Seven forwards, four defensemen, one goalie
- 2024: Nine forwards, five defensemen, one goalie
Select 17 numbersÂ
- 2023: Nine forwards, five defensemen, one goalie
- 2024: Nine forwards, five defensemen, one goalie
Other than the Select 16 forwards and defensemen numbers changing, it's remained pretty similar. I wouldn't expect much to change this season.
There are also at-large bids. Those, however, are picked by USA Hockey and not Mass. Hockey.
2. The '08 defensemen
Last season, an entirely new group of '08 defensemen made Select 16 Camp over the previous season. That was Matthew Hines (Hingham, Mass.), Gavin Holland (Topsfield, Mass.), Phin Howard (Newton, Mass.), Nolan Nassar (North Andover, Mass.) and David O'Brien (Weymouth, Mass.). The '08 defensemen group that went to Select 15s in 2023 was Gavin Callahan (Hull, Mass.), Matas Janulis (Lincoln, Mass.), Brady Sloper (North Andover, Mass.), Kristofer Soja (Ludlow, Mass.) and Maximilian Sullivan (Hingham, Mass.).
READ MORE: 13 standout '08s from the first weekend of the Mass. Hockey Festival
This is an area of much debate.
A couple of notes before we get into who might make it. Kaiden Donia (Townsend, Mass.) automatically made Select 16 Camp last season because he was at the U.S. National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp. As for open spots, Nassar, Janulis and Sullivan didn't make it to the Final 40 this season.
One '08 defensemen who hasn't made either camp straight out of the festival is Brian McFadden (Holbrook, Mass.). He was at Select 16 Camp last season and posted three assists as an at-large bid. He was phenomenal last weekend, and his stock has risen quite a bit. At 6-foot-5 and legitimately good offensive skills, the Thayer product looks like an NHL Draft pick. I would be stunned if he wasn't one of the five defensemen going to Select 17 Camp.
Somehow, Callahan was also an at-large bid last season. He looked terrific this past weekend and might be the most reliable, two-way defender among the '08s at the festival. Another interesting name to watch is Thomas Broderick (Norwood, Mass.), who I thought looked solid when I watched him on Sunday.
3. Who takes advantage of the extra spots among the '09 forwards?
While there are typically less spots for forwards going from Select 15 to 16 Camp, Carter Meyer (Winchester, Mass.), Finn Sears (Medford, Mass.) and Sam Pandolfo (Winchester, Mass.) all made the NTDP, so they won't be at Select 16 Camp. The result: more spots.
Along with those three, Isaac Davis (Rockland, Mass.), Paulo Gualberto Jr. (Sandwich, Mass.), Liam Guilderson (Belmont, Mass.), Troy Hamelin (Southwick, Mass.), Owen Kailher (Duxbury, Mass.), Caiden Pellegrino (Uxbridge, Mass.) and Chase Warsofsky (Northboro, Mass.) made Select 15 Camp last season.
READ MORE: 13 standout '09s from the first weekend of the Mass. Hockey Festival
Not much has changed with those seven players. All had strong winters and have compelling cases to make camp again.
One player who has moved into that grouping is Joseph Covelluzzi (Wakefield, Mass.). He was second on Cushing in goals (18) and points (31), and I would be stunned if he didn't make it to Amherst, N.Y. He was also a standout last weekend.
4. Can anyone new slip in for '08 forwards?
The '08s have five forwards who have made both Select Camps: Michael Federico (Hanover, Mass.), Andrew Giguere (Georgetown, Mass.), Matthew Krayer (Concord, Mass.), Ben Short (Lunenburg, Mass.) and Noah Survilas (Winthrop, Mass.).
Where things get competitive is David Bosco (Winchester, Mass.), Spencer Thornborough (Boxford, Mass.) and Will Bent (Concord, Mass.) were all given automatic bids to Select 16 Camp last season due to attending NTDP Evaluation Camp. While Bent missed the festival with an injury and is eligible for an at-large bid, Bosco and Thornborough are at camp and are competing for spots.
Bosco ranked fourth in Select 16 Camp in scoring with nine points and six games, yet somehow didn't make the Five Nations team. Thornborough had five points in five games at the camp. It's going to be hard to knock those two off.
James Curtatone (Somerville, Mass.), Will Manchuso (Stow, Mass.), JP Messuri (Arlington, Mass.) and Miles Mireault (Topsfield, Mass.) were the other forwards who made it out of the festival last season. The summer before, it was Casey Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.), Ty Hymovitz (Needham, Mass.), Bosco, Bent and Thornborough.
One name that hasn't been mentioned who I can see making a push is Tommy Wilkinson. The Thayer product had 12 goals and 26 points in 29 games this winter and was one of the most improved prospects I saw in prep.
5. What about the '10s?
It's their first time through this, so there isn't much to go off of outside of last weekend. Fortunately for them, the 15s usually get the most spots.
READ MORE: 14 standout 2010 forwards | 5 standout 2010 defenders
Basing it on my one viewing of the '10s last weekend, the forwards I watched and immediately thought "Oh, it's going to be hard to keep them from Select 15 Camp," were Jack Queally (Milton, Mass.), Austin Wu (Dedham, Mass.), Colin Walsh (Framingham, Mass.), Owen Lundin (Bolton, Mass.), Sam Lee (Woburn, Mass.), Carter Felt (Natick, Mass.) and Robert Dekleine (Westboro, Mass.). On defense, it was Shaun Farrell (Hanson, Mass.), Logan Cotter (Marlboro, Mass.) and Alexander Guo (Weston, Mass.).
It was hard to get a good read on goalies from last weekend, so I'll refrain from any observations for now.
