SALEM, N.H. — Two separate showcases, hosted by the New England Fall Prep Hockey League and Northern Cyclones, brought together some of the region’s 18-U teams over the past weekend.
A few NHL scouts made the trek to southern New Hampshire to the ICenter in Salem and Cyclones Arena in Hudson for the games. I saw both Eastern Conference and Western Conference amateur scouts at both venues.
Cape Cod Whalers, Neponset Valley River Rats, South Shore Kings and Mid Fairfield were four teams in attendance that I had seen already this fall. Committed players, including Merrimack recruit Matt Copponi on the River Rats and Providence recruit Declan Loughnane on South Shore Kings, have been written about extensively on this website. Both shined again, with Copponi scoring five points in a losing effort on Sunday.
I was getting my first viewing of a few other teams — Boston Hockey Academy, Little Bruins and NEFPHL Selects. I wanted to highlight the under-the-radar teams and players that stood out over the course of the two days I spent in Salem and Hudson.
Boston Hockey Academy
Boston Hockey Academy, the first-year program out of Matignon High School, won its game against the Rhode Island Hitmen on Sunday morning. Niagara alum Nate Bostic, originally from Shrewsbury, Mass., did much of the organization’s recruiting. He did a good job finding some Massachusetts high school players who transferred in, as well as some players from outside of the region.
On the 18-U team, a few forwards from the area stood out. Riley Fitzgerald, from Wilmington (Mass.) High School, has above-average hockey sense and sees the ice well offensively. He picked up an assist in the game. Former North Andover star Cole Fagan is a big power forward who can shoot it hard. Jesse Horacek is another big winger who can protect pucks and finish or distribute from below the dots. Nicholas Gallo out of the New Jersey Titans also had a productive weekend. All four players are ’03s.
On defense, ’03s David Kloeber and Caleb Craven are players who should be on the radar of USPHL or BCHL organizations down the road.
Little Bruins
I watched the Little Bruins erase a three-goal deficit to beat the South Shore Kings, 4-3, on Saturday at the NHL sheet in Salem. One player who really caught my eye was Phillips Andover senior defenseman Charlie Spence. The ’02 right-shot from Medfield, Mass., always has been a player who I believed could be a solid NESCAC recruit. Mobility and puck-moving capabilities always have been a hallmark of his game. He looked to have added another step and improved his feet even more. While he’d remain a slam dunk for any NESCAC programs, after watching him Saturday, academic-minded schools like Holy Cross, Colgate, St. Lawrence and Brown should be paying attention to Spence. He’ll have to play a year or two of junior if he wants to suit up for a Division 1 program, but it’s a real possibility.
I also liked St. Mark’s senior right wing Brendan Gibbons, an ’02 from Wakefield, R.I. He scored the game-winner in the shootout but was around the puck a lot and is willing to fight for loose pucks in the dirty areas, including in the middle of the ice. His hard shot is always what’s intrigued me, and his skating still needs improvement, but he’s a player to continue watching, especially if you’re an Atlantic Hockey program.
The other player of note was Mack Oliphant, a big rig on the blue line. A late ’02 from Illinois, he scored a goal. While he’s more of a long-term project, there’s some potential in this Lawrence Academy defenseman.
