Amherst, N.Y. — Following the conclusion of the 2018 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp, the roster will be chosen for the U.S. Under 17 Men’s Select Team that will compete in next month’s Five Nations Tournament. The event, which takes place in Piestany, Slovakia from August 15-19, will pit the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and...
Amherst, N.Y. — Following the conclusion of the 2018 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp, the roster will be chosen for the U.S. Under 17 Men’s Select Team that will compete in next month’s Five Nations Tournament.
The event, which takes place in Piestany, Slovakia from August 15-19, will pit the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland against the U.S. The team, led by Mark Dennehy (Dorchester, Mass.), former Merrimack coach and recently-appointed coach of the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers, is searching for its fourth consecutive title.
The USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp brought together most of the top 2002-born players in the United States outside of those who earned spots on the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP) for the 2018-19 season.
There were some players who stood out in past viewings, but didn't didn’t perform well at the Northtown Center. The following prognostication of who should make the roster for the Five Nations Tournament is based solely off Select 16s camp. Consideration was also made for a team needing more than just skilled players.
There were several significant snubs from the All-Star Game, including Gerard Keane, Sasha Teleguine (North Attleboro, Mass./Thayer/Northeastern), Joe Miller, Nick DeSantis and Isaac Novak.
This observer's roster includes eight players with ties to New England, either through hometown, prep hockey, or a college commitment. Prospects are listed in alphabetical order by their positional group.
Forwards
Cameron Berg
Blake Biondi
Michael Cameron (Salisbury)
Tanner Dickinson
Dane Dowiak (Kent)
Daniyal Dzhaniyev
Cross Hanas
Jonston Meiers
Mackie Samoskevich (Newtown, Conn./Shattuck St. Mary’s U16)
Aidan Thompson
Cole Vallese (Salisbury/Providence)
John Waldron
Jack Williams (Scarborough, Maine/Selects Academy/Northeastern)
Defense
Jarod Crespo (Salisbury)
Christian Jimenez (Taft/Harvard)
Wyatt Kaiser
Gerard Keane
David Ma
John Opilka
Avery Winslow
Goaltenders
Gavin Fitzpatrick (Norwood, Mass./Thayer)
Colin Purcell
