The birth year of 1999 is an interesting one to take a look at now that all New England players have aged out of junior hockey and will be playing college hockey in 2020-21. There has been significant ebb and flow when it comes to the top ’99s in New England. Twenty-five New Englanders from...
The birth year of 1999 is an interesting one to take a look at now that all New England players have aged out of junior hockey and will be playing college hockey in 2020-21.
There has been significant ebb and flow when it comes to the top ’99s in New England. Twenty-five New Englanders from the birth year made USA Hockey’s NTDP or were selected in the 2015 USHL draft.
Yale defenseman Phil Kemp (Greenwich, Conn.) was the only New Englander in this age group to play for the NTDP, while Harvard defenseman Reilly Walsh (Andover, N.H.) was the only New England ’99 selected in the first round of that year’s USHL Phase I Draft. It’s safe to say that those two players are still among the best ’99s in New England.
On the other end of the spectrum, one player drafted is no longer playing organized hockey, while four will be playing Division 3 hockey in the fall. Another eight saw plenty of time in the stands as a healthy scratch or put up very limited numbers in their freshman seasons this past winter.
Two ’99s who went undrafted in the USHL in 2015 are now among the top 10 in the birth year, per my rankings. Northeastern left wing Aidan McDonough and Boston College right wing Mike Hardman both had to fight off the perception that their first few steps weren’t good enough. Both players had productive freshman campaigns in Hockey East and appear to have a future in professional hockey.
Another late bloomer, Providence center Tyce Thompson, is first in my list of ’99s from the region. He was a scrawny kid who took a while to fill out and become the explosive player he is now.
All three players — McDonough, Hardman and Thompson — spent time in the USHL and didn’t rush their development. I think a key ingredient to developing into a better player is pushing yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone.
Another staggering figure is that 20 of the top 53 New England players in this age group de-committed or already have transferred from the school they originally committed to.
As you’ll see in my list, there are a handful of quality Division 3 players in the top 53 New England ’99s. It’s just another reminder that there are plenty of quality opportunities for hockey players at the Division 3 level in New England.
New England’s top ’99s
