The 2006 birth year is strong across the country and New England is no exception. The region had two players selected for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, two more tenders, and 14 players picked in the USHL Phase I draft.
It will be interesting to see which players in this birth class develop in the right direction. As we’ve seen with older players in the region, a lot can change between freshman or sophomore year of high school and when it comes time to play college hockey.
With the '06s as talented as they are, I’m going with co-best players for three states and just pointing out one in the other three states. There were certainly some tough choices, in terms of leaving players out, especially in Massachusetts. Without further ado, here are the top '06s by state.
MORE 'BEST OF NEW ENGLAND' BY STATE: '01s | '02s | '03s | '04s | '05s
Connecticut
Blake Burke
Mid Fairfield 15s, 5/18/06, LW, left shot, 5-10/154
Burke isn’t the biggest player on the ice, but he plays a strong, north-south game as a power forward. From Trumbull, he’s strong on his skates and hard to push off pucks. His straight-line skating is powerful and he can shoot the puck with zip. His vision isn’t poor by any means, but he’ll need to improve his hockey IQ to make the most out of his ability. He’s reportedly transitioning to prep hockey with Westminster.
Niko Tournas
Joel Barlow High, 2/17/06, RW, right shot, 6-0/180
Tournas is a goal scorer who has as good a shot as anyone in this birth year. From Redding, he scored 59 goals in 21 games for Joel Barlow High School in Connecticut high school hockey. He also showed off his goal-scoring prowess in midget hockey with the Yale Junior Bulldogs. His size and ability to protect pucks are key parts of his game. His foot speed and ability to play at pace are areas of his game that will need improvement as he transitions into junior and college hockey.
Maine
Ronnie Hill
Seacoast 15s, 10/3/06, C/RW, right shot, 5-8/140
Hill is on the smaller side, but he’s a fun player to watch. The Saco resident does most of his damage on the rush. He’s good coming down his strong or off wing and can pick his spots when looking to beat the goaltender. In 72 games this past season, he scored 48 goals and added 53 assists to eclipse the century mark in points. His development will be best served heading to prep school or to a program where he’ll be able to play with better players.
Massachusetts
Cole Eiserman
Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep, 8/29/06, LW, left shot, 6-0/181
Eiserman, from Newburyport, has spent the past two seasons at Shattuck-St. Mary’s and is now off to the NTDP. The big winger is a pure goal scorer who can take over games with his hard shot, powerful stride, and compete level. There is obviously a concern when seeing a player his size dominate at this age that he could have reached his peak. Even if he doesn’t get much better, he should be a very good college player. After putting up 97 goals in bantam, he followed that up with 56 goals in 53 games for the prep team this past winter. He should be a top-six left wing for the program.
Teddy Stiga
Belmont Hill, 4/5/06, C, left shot, 5-9/141
Stiga’s best hockey is ahead of him. From Sudbury, his skating is elite. His edges and ability to create time and space with his speed is at the top of the spectrum at this age level. While he still has work to do away from the puck, he improved a ton in that regard and got stronger and more willing to play in traffic as the season progressed at Belmont Hill. He had seven goals and 14 assists while working his way to the top line for the Sextants, the runner-up in the NEPSAC Elite 8 Tournament this past March. Like Eiserman, Stiga is moving on to the NTDP for the 2022-23 season.
Rhode Island
Ryan Staples
Bishop Hendricken, 2/24/06, C, right shot, 6-0/160
Staples has improved dramatically over the past 12-16 months and will be at national camp for a second straight year in July. The Middletown resident plays a complete, 200-foot game from the center position, but can also play wing. He has a good shot, is heavy on pucks, and competes in all three zones. In addition to his time for RIIL champion Bishop Hendricken, Staples scored 15 goals and 26 assists in 29 games for the River Rats. He’ll be heading to Loomis Chaffee in September.
New Hampshire
Cam Cooke
Junior Bruins 16-U, 2/2/06, C, right shot, 6-0/165
The Pelham native is a good-sized center whose skating is above average. He soared onto the radar in 2020-21 while playing up at the 16-U level in addition to his time in bantam hockey. This year he toiled a little in anonymity, due to playing for the Junior Bruins where viewings are minimal compared to the prep and academy players. In the USPHL All-Star game, New England festival and a few other viewings, he showed off his ability. He projects as a bottom-six center.
Vermont
Elliott Groenewold
Bishop’s College 16-U, 2/4/06, D, left shot, 6-0/170
Groenewold, from Montpelier, has all the tools to be a very good defenseman. He went under the radar somewhat, due to playing north of the border for Bishop’s College. He has good size, skates well, and has poise and smarts on breakouts. He skates with his head up, but needs to improve some of his reads and puck decisions. It will be interesting to see where he ends up for the 2022-23 season.
Caeden Herrington
CP Dynamo 15s, 1/26/06, D, right shot, 6-1/165
Herrington, from Montpelier, is a defenseman who continues to trend in the right direction. The righty skates well, has good size and a good stick. He plays solid defense in his own zone and has range and length to do so while also bringing a physical element. Herrington will be heading to Holderness in September where he’ll also play for the River Rats 16-U.
