On Saturday, Aug. 1, most of North America's focus will be on the beach and being outside because, well, it's a Saturday in August.
The college hockey recruiting world will have a much different focus.
Come this Saturday, rising juniors in high school become eligible to accept offers from Division 1 college hockey programs. The top '09s and '10s who become eligible will be getting calls (and even visits) from top D1 schools.
Obviously, not everything takes place on Aug. 1. Plenty of commitments are announced in the days that follow, with players increasingly choosing to take their time and mull over options.
That was one of the biggest pieces of advice offered up by hockey insiders.
Let's dive into the biggest storylines to watch.
How active is this Aug. 1 and the days after?
When the CHL ruling happened in late 2024, many schools opted to bring in CHL age-outs come the start of the next season over longtime recruits who were supposed to start. This created a trickle-down effect of players going back to junior hockey for more seasoning, pushing schools' recruits back even further.
It also made schools realize that committing players closer to their collegiate start date was a much safer bet.
This applies to players, too. In the age of NIL, it's thought to be easier to negotiate more NIL money when you're a more proven commodity after some time in junior hockey than it would be as a 16-year-old still in prep or 15O hockey.
READ MORE: 15 potential USNTDP forward prospects from Select 15 Camp | 7 potential USNTDP defensemen prospects from Select 15 Camp
My guess: There are still several big commitments on Aug. 1 and in the following days. The big-time schools will look to players they project as big-time difference-makers down the road. But outside of that first tier of players, there won't be a lot of other commitments.
What does Harvard's recruiting class look like?
Longtime Harvard bench boss Ted Donato announced he would be stepping down on May 7. Harvard hired former Michigan assistant coach Rob Rassey to replace Donato on June 26. Right before Donato stepped down, assistant James Marcou left for UMass, and assistant Matt Gilroy isn't listed as a coach on the website anymore.
That's quite a bit of turnover for the current team. Now think about how that impacts potential recruits — an entirely new staff (assistants haven't been hired yet) recruiting at the 11th hour.
For most schools, this wouldn't be a huge deal given how big the transfer portal is and snagging kids throughout the year from the USHL and the CHL. But Harvard is, obviously, Harvard. They don't use the transfer portal, and recruiting players later in their junior hockey careers runs the risk of not having the academic requirements to get in.
This is why August recruiting of rising juniors has been massive for Harvard in recent seasons. It will be fascinating to see how Rassey handles this.
Which New England natives will have the most interest?
Jack Queally (Milton, Mass.), who is headed for the U.S. National Team Development Program, would be my only Tier 1 forward. He's the kind of player that all the big schools fight to snag early in August. He has all the makings of a very stable, projectable Division 1 mainstay someday.
On defense, three names come to mind: Cam Minella (Darien, Conn.), Logan Cotter (Marlboro, Mass.) and Tyler Poti (Sandwich, Mass.). All have legitimate questions, but all have legitimate upside.
Minella, an '09, spent this past season with the QMJHL's Halifax Mooseheads. Even after putting up just nine points in 64 games this past season, the tools are there to be an effective Division 1, puck-moving defenseman someday. Cotter, a '10, is one of the best pure skaters for his age in the country, but was under a point per game in prep this past season and will likely take his licks in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers next season. Still, he has the tools to be a speedy, offensive defenseman in Division 1.
And then there's Poti, who is far from a complete package yet, but is 6-foot-3 and a stout, smart, left-shot defenseman. Coaches and scouts love his upside.
AUG. 1 RECRUITING: 15 forwards to watch | 12 defenders to watch
How about the non-New England natives playing in New England?
Mount St. Charles has the Tier 1 forwards here: Thomas Boisvert, Wilson Boumedienne and Zaac Charbonneau. All three have been massive producers at Mount St. Charles and have the qualities that blue-blood programs target when recruiting players on Aug. 1. Boisvert was the first pick in the QMJHL draft, while Boumedienne (Fargo) and Charbonneau (Muskegon) were tendered in the USHL.
On defense, Phillips Andover's Jack O'Dell is the clear-cut No. 1 non-New England native who is playing in New England. He does everything at a high level, and looks primed to go the Ivy route for a commitment. I'd throw Avon Old Farms defenseman Marshall Paul in there as well. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, the right-shot defenseman projects as a strong shutdown presence in Division 1 someday.
James Marcou's impact at UMass
Marcou did very well recruiting good, local players to Harvard. UMass head coach Greg Carvel is notorious for touting that his Minutemen don't usually dip into the local player pool. I'm curious to see how that mixes and if Marcou can successfully convince more local players to view UMass as a potential destination.
What do local non-Beanpot schools do?
The Beanpot schools are always active on and around Aug. 1. But what about schools like Providence College, Maine, UMass and UConn? Maine and UMass have been super active in seasons' past, while Providence and UConn are also in on high-end talent.
How do UNH, Merrimack, UMass Lowell and Vermont approach Aug. 1, as schools that have opted for older players in recent years? UNH and Vermont are usually good for at least one New Hampshire and Vermont player, respectively.
In the ECAC, Quinnipiac and Dartmouth are always active. Does that stay the same? And for Yale, how does a new coaching staff led by Jeff Hamilton operate when trying to bring in rising juniors in high school?
The top players to watch nationally
For '10s, there are some huge names, with the biggest being forward Joey Cullen. The NTDP-bound center is the first underager to play for Team USA at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. His older brother, Wyatt, was taken 10th by the Nashville Predators in June's NHL Draft. His father is longtime NHLer Matt Cullen. With Wyatt bound for Minnesota, it's not crazy to think Joey commits there, too.
Other big '10s are forward Will LoSauro and defenseman Drew Daley. These are the kinds of players that the Boston Colleges and Boston Universitys of the world are in on.
READ MORE: Players, coaches and agents give out advice to Aug. 1 recruits
Former standout Mount St. Charles defenseman Christian Semetsis is a big '09 to watch. He just wrapped up his U17 year with the NTDP and has heavy interest from Hockey East schools. He would make a lot of sense for Northeastern or UMass.
Up front with the '09s, Trevor Daley Jr. and Ryan Kaczynski, a former Mid Fairfield standout, are the big names to watch.
