The 2005 birth year in New England is top heavy with three stars from USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program leading the way before the group slims out quickly.
Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.), Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.) and Will Vote (Arlington, Mass.) are the top three forwards and are all committed to Boston College. It’s not as if there aren’t good players in the birth year after them, but it’s certainly not as deep as many others in recent years, particularly the '01s and '04s.
An '05 could still be four years away from entering college if he uses up all his junior hockey eligibility. As we’ve seen with other birth years, there is plenty of time for players to develop or regress until the 2026-27 season. Especially with the COVID backlog, most '05s, outside of the NTDP trio and two-to-three other select players, shouldn’t expect to be heading to college hockey until the 2025-26 season at the earliest.
MORE 'BEST OF NEW ENGLAND' BY STATE: '01s | '02s | '03s | '04s | '06s
Connecticut
Lucas St. Louis
Brunswick, 3/30/05, D, left shot, 5-10/161
NCAA commit: Harvard
Expectations are sky high for St. Louis, as so many look for him to live up to the lofty standards of his dad, Marty. Lucas is a very good player in his own right who will spend the 2022-23 season with Dubuque in the USHL. He more than proved his worth with Brunswick and Mid Fairfield as a mobile, puck-moving, offensive defenseman. The Riverside, Conn., native sees the ice well and has a good stick. He’ll get better as he continues filling out. There are moments where he could afford to reel it in a little and not force plays, but he’s creative and makes things happen.
Maine
Eli Chilicki
Berwick, 7/25/05, LW, left shot, 5-9/141
I’ve liked Chilicki for a few years now, ever since seeing him in a summer showcase. The North Berwick, Maine, native had his growing pains while skating at the prep level in 2021-22. However, he had a solid fall and regional weekend with the Northern Cyclones. He’s a goal scorer with a crafty shot.
Massachusetts
Will Smith
NTDP U17, 3/17/05, C, right shot, 6-0/172
NCAA commit: Boston College
Smith has long since established himself as the best ’05 in the country. The Lexington, Mass., native has always had the size, skating, skill and hockey sense to be worthy of the high praise. As I’ve stated a few times recently, his compete and all-around game has improved drastically over the last 24 months. He’s dedicated to staying atop the perch. Smith earned a prolonged call up to the NTDP U18 team this past season. He should have a monster year in 2022-23, as he looks to solidify being a top-10 NHL draft pick next summer before embarking on his college career at BC.
New Hampshire
Joe Connor
Avon Old Farms, 3/31/05, C, right shot, 5-10/170
Connor had a solid campaign at Avon Old Farms as a top-six center. The Amherst, N.H., native also was impressive in the fall and at nationals with the Yale Junior Bulldogs. Connor isn’t overly big, but he has a powerful stride, drives the net, and can finish. He will be one of the most coveted rising juniors when colleges can offer commitments on August 1.
Rhode Island
Patrick Murphy
Mount Saint Charles U16, 12/1/05, RW, right shot, 5-11/174
Murphy is one of my favorite players in this birth year among New Englanders. From North Kingston, R.I., he’s an athlete who excels on the ice and the lacrosse field. A late birthday, he’ll be eligible for the NHL draft with the ’06s in 2024. Murphy is a north-south power forward whose compete, heaviness and hard shot are all quality attributes.
Vermont
Luke Clarner
Kimball Union, 1/10/05, D, right shot, 6-0/161
Like Maine, Vermont’s top player wasn’t as clear cut or quite as high end as the rest of the states in the region. Clarner is still somewhat of a project, but I’ve liked him in viewings with Top Gun and KUA. The East Burke, Vt., native has good size sand is rangy on the defensive side of the puck. He projects as a bottom pairing, reliable defensive defenseman.
