The state of Massachusetts already has seen seven 2004-born hockey prospects verbally commit to play college hockey.
St. Sebastian’s right wing Michael Callow (Harvard), Junior Bruins defenseman Jackson Dorrington (Northeastern), Boston Advantage defenseman Ryan Healey (Harvard), Dexter Southfield center Bobby Landry (Harvard), Junior Bruins center Cameron Lund (Northeastern), Cushing defenseman Owen Paskowski (Colorado College) and South Shore Kings right wing Michael Stenberg (Penn State) are the players whose college futures appear set, at least as of now.
While those seven players have logos next to their names on line charts, there are other ’04s who have made a strong case for earning a college commitment in the near future. Here’s my look at the top 13 uncommitted ’04s in Massachusetts. Please note, this list is of players who are from the state of Massachusetts. It excludes any player from outside of Massachusetts who might be playing in the state.
1. CJ Foley
Thayer/CC Whalers 16-U, 2/11/04, D, right shot, 5-10/160
Foley had a terrific fall for the Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, posting 10 goals and 18 assists in 31 games. The Hanover, Mass., native played some forward, as he had as an eighth-grader at Thayer. During that 2018-19 season, Foley had three goals and an assist. Last season, jumping back to the blue line, Foley scored four goals and nine assists in 33 games. There’s a lot to like about Foley’s game. He skates well, makes smart breakout passes, and jumps into the rush. Away from the puck, he plays with jam, gaps well and takes away time and space. Foley is versatile, athletic and will do whatever it takes to make an impact and win hockey games. His father, Aaron, played baseball at Northeastern. The Huskies certainly will be a favorite to land the younger Foley, but numerous other Hockey East schools are watching the sophomore closely.
2. Ben MacDonald
Nobles/EC Wizards 16-U, 2/24/04, C/LW, left shot, 6-0/155
MacDonald always has been an intriguing prospect as a two-way forward. The Weston, Mass., native always has possessed solid hockey sense. However, he’s taken a huge step over the past year. Now, MacDonald has added more explosiveness and skill offensively. He skates well, has skill and knows where to go to find soft spots in opposing defenses. He has the vision to make plays, and he makes his linemates better. His father, Lane MacDonald, won the Hobey Baker and a national championship at Harvard in 1989. It would be shocking to see the younger MacDonald end up anywhere else.
3. James Fisher
Belmont Hill/EC Wizards 16-U, 4/28/04, RW, right shot, 6-2/170
Fisher has been an intriguing prospect for a couple of years now, dating back to when he played up with the Junior Bruins 16-U during his Bantam major season. The Wilmington, Mass., native always has had the size and potential to blossom into a power forward. Last year as a freshman at Belmont Hill, he got better as the season went along. He earned more and more playing time, while producing four goals and 10 assists in 29 games. This fall, he appears to have finally taken that big step. In a handful of viewings with the East Coast Wizards, he has demonstrated an explosive, powerful stride. He has driven the net, finished and been a force. Fisher has the physical tools and is trending upward. If he continues to progress at this rate, there will be plenty of big-time programs offering him a commit on August 1.
4. Grayson Badger
Dexter Southfield/CC Whalers 16-U, 5/9/04, RW, right shot, 6-0/170
Badger is now at Dexter Southfield after putting up monster numbers for two seasons at Brookline High School. The Hyde Park, Mass., native concluded his MIAA career in 2019-20 with 25 goals and 15 assists in 20 games for the Warriors. While he’s more than proven his worth at the high school level, Badger also has been stellar with the Cape Cod Whalers during split-season action. This fall, he scored 14 goals and 17 assists in 28 games played. Projecting forward, Badger probably isn’t a big time scorer at the college level. However, his compete level is off the charts, which will allow him to be a significant role player. He’s the type of player who will kill penalties and provide energy each shift. Badger hunts pucks and is tenacious on the forecheck while engaging physically. That’s not to say he won’t chip in offensively, but his biggest strength is his high compete level.
5. Chris Romaine
Milton/CC Whalers 16-U, 2/21/04, D, right shot, 5-10/150
Romaine has stood out for a couple of years now, dating back to his Bantam season with BC High and the South Shore Kings. The Braintree, Mass., native has really good feet and is capable of being a breakout machine. His stick is good and his game is continuing to mature. While he’s still somewhat of a high-risk, high-reward player, he’s starting to make smarter puck touches. In 31 games this fall with the Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, he had a goal and 12 assists. Last winter at Milton Academy, he had seven helpers. His father, Mark Romaine, played college hockey at Providence. Expect the younger Romaine to end up at a Hockey East school as well.
6. Chris Delaney
Junior Bruins, 9/25/04, C/LW, left shot, 5-7/135
Delaney is the smallest prospect to make this list, but he’s more than worthy. From Hopkinton, Mass., Delaney has taken the step up to play junior hockey this season. In 15 USPHL NCDC games, Delaney has two goals and nine assists. He spent the prior two seasons racking up 50 and 20 points with the Junior Bruins 16-U. While Delaney lacks size, he doesn’t shy away from contact and traffic. In several viewings at the NCDC level, he’s gone right into the corners and fought for loose pucks. He sees the ice well and makes a lot of plays from down low on the cycle. His straight-line speed won’t blow anyone away, but he’s crafty. I wouldn’t bet against Delaney having a successful college career at a middle of the pack Hockey East program.
7. Kazimier Sobieski
Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16-U, 4/12/04, D, right shot, 6-0/172
Sobieski’s path isn’t completely uncommon for Massachusetts hockey players, but it’s certainly rare. The Deerfield, Mass., native has spent the past three seasons, including this one, playing for Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Faribault, Minn. Sobieski is a two-way defenseman who skates well, has a good stick, above-average hockey sense, and keeps the game simple. Sobieski can jump into the rush, but he picks and chooses his spots wisely and doesn’t run around much. This season, he’s seen his offensive production jump with the 16-U team. In 26 games, he has five goals and 16 assists for 21 points. At the 15-U level in 2019-20, Sobieski scored six goals and 13 assists in 46 games. Several Division 1 schools have inquired about Sobieski with Vermont reportedly offering a commitment.
8. Shane Baker
Junior Bruins 16-U, 4/21/04, C/RW, right shot, 6-0/170
Baker is an intriguing prospect who can stand out for his physical tools. He’s tall with a long, fluid stride and good hands. The Grafton, Mass., native has the ability to beat defenders with his skill-set. In numerous viewings of Baker, there are games where he really jumps off the page at you. In others, he leaves you wanting more. Baker needs to improve his consistency, become more assertive, and work on becoming more explosive through increased lower-body strength. He’s produced at about a point-per-game clip with the Junior Bruins 16-U. In 2019-20, he had nine goals and seven assists 16 games.
9. Damon Alexander
Dexter Southfield/GBL Bruins 16-U, 7/12/04, D, left shot, 5-11/175
Alexander is a raw talent with upside. The Brighton, Mass., native is in his first season at Dexter Southfield after playing two years at Boston Latin. As a sophomore, he had five goals and 10 assists in 22 games. This fall, he impressed in several viewings with GBL Bruins. Alexander has a lot of power and strength. He’s able to move pucks north, get shots through from the point, and bring a physical element on the other side of the puck. Alexander still has a long way to go, but there are reasons to believe he’s a Division 1-caliber player.
10. Jackson Irving
Cushing/Islanders HC, 2/3/04, G, catches left, 5-11/160
Irving is a solid young goaltender who has made the jump to junior hockey this fall with the uncertainty of prep hockey. In four appearances for the Islanders in the USPHL NCDC, he has 2-3-0 record with a .921 save percentage. The Newbury, Mass., native posted a .916 save percentage at Cushing last season, his first in prep hockey. He played at St. John’s Prep as a freshman in 2018-19. While Irving isn’t the prototypical modern-era goaltender with size, he’s technically solid. If he was a couple of inches taller, he’d likely be considered as one of the top six goaltenders in the country at this age group. As it stands, he’s still one of the top 12, in my mind. His father, Bruce Irving, was a collegiate goaltender at Cornell. The elder Irving spent more than a decade as a volunteer assistant at Harvard and currently serves in that same capacity at Providence. The Friars could be a potential destination for Jackson.
11. Ollie Chessler
Rivers/River Rats 16-U, 7/9/04, D, left shot, 5-11/165
Chessler is a smooth-skating, puck-moving defenseman from Watertown, Mass. In 18 games played with the River Rats 16-U this fall, Chessler scored two goals and added 13 assists. In 2019-20 at Rivers, he notched three goals and nine assists in 29 games. Chessler projects as an offensive defenseman who can break pucks out of his own zone. He’s not overly flashy, but his feet allow him to sidestep forecheckers. Once Chessler’s game matures further, he should become more effective. At least one Ivy League school has shown interest in the left-shot defenseman.
12. Andrew Garzone
Deerfield/CC Whalers 16-U, 5/30/04, C, right shot, 5-10/150
Garzone is an athletic, two-way center who has gotten better this fall. While he hasn’t displayed much offensive upside with his stats over the past three seasons, he brings other positives to the table. The Dover, Mass., native plays a smart, physical brand of hockey. He competes, can kill penalties and bring energy on the forecheck. I haven’t seen it consistently, but he has shown some flashes of offensive ability. In 16 games this fall with the Cape Cod Whalers 16-U, he had four goals and two assists. Last season at Deerfield, he posted five goals and six assists in 26 games. His dad, Matt Garzone, played college hockey at Colgate from 1991-1995.
13. Beau Lane
Boston Advantage 16-U, 6/16/04, G, catches left, 6-2/155
Lane has emerged as one of the better ’04 goaltenders in the region. From Pembroke, Mass., Lane is a good-sized goaltender who covers a lot of ground and takes away shooters’ angles. Lane skates and moves well in the crease while staying quiet and making saves look easy. Stats for the Boston Advantage aren’t updated as regularly as most other organizations, but he had a .940 save percentage in nine games last season in ECEL action.
