BRIGHTON, Mass. — Two of the premier midget hockey teams in New England, Boston Jr. Eagles and Mid Fairfield, squared off at both the 16U and 18U levels Tuesday evening at Daly Rink.
The games, part of the EHF Selects Preseason Showcase, were played on terrible ice with fiery-hot temperatures outside, but the intensity and pace were high. With the previous games running late, both 16U and 18U games were played in front of a large number of NHL scouts and college coaches. Each of the three college hockey conferences out East had at least one school represented.
Most of the NHL scouts were present to get a look at Dexter senior center John Farinacci, a Harvard recruit who plays for the Jr. Eagles during the fall. However, the Chatham, N.J., native was still home as summer vacation comes to an end.
Even without the potential star attraction, the games featured a boatload of players who will eventually play college hockey. The 16U game had a few high-end players who will undoubtedly play in the NHL some day.
A goal with under two minutes to play helped Mid Fairfield prevail 4-3 in the 16U game. In the opinion of this observer, each team had a clear star: Sasha Teleguine for Jr. Eagles and Paul Davey for Mid Fairfield.
The 18U game ended with an overtime goal from Jake Flynn, whose snipe helped the Jr. Eagles escape with a 3-2 win over Mid Fairfield. Both goaltenders, Derek Mullahy for Jr. Eagles and Cam Fernandez for Mid Fairfield, made several really nice saves.
Here are a few notes on 20 prospects who stood out across the two games.
16U Standouts
Sasha Teleguine
#13 Jr. Eagles, Thayer, 9/17/02, Forward, Left Shot, 5-9/165
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
Teleguine was all over the ice for the Jr. Eagles. The North Attleboro, Mass., native can really skate and brings it on every shift. He had a really nice move on one of his two goals in the game. If his hockey sense and ability to finish improve over the next couple years, he could be a top three-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Paul Davey
#9 Mid Fairfield, Brunswick, 1/11/03, Forward, Left Shot
NCAA Commit: Boston College
With his size and physical tools, Davey is a prime candidate for the National Team Development Program. He’s tall and lanky, but can skate with a long, fluid stride and possesses a ton of skill. He made a great move coming into the zone, stopping on the left circle and sending a backhand pass out to the slot for an easy goal. He also scored on a laser of a shot that went right under the bar.
Tyler Boucher
#19 Mid Fairfield, Avon Old Farms, 1/16/03, Forward, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Boucher is making the move from Virtua to Avon Old Farms. He’s the son of Mount Saint Charles alum and former NHL goaltender Brian Boucher, now an analyst with NBC Sports. He plays a simple, heavy, north-south game. He wins puck battles and can really skate with power. He’ll be an even better player as he gets older and the game becomes more structured. He’s another prospect with a NTDP future.
Tim Delay
#2 Jr. Eagles, St. Sebastian’s, 6/16/03, Forward, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: Boston College
The Hingham, Mass., native is a great skater and has good hands. Once he bulks up and goes into the middle more, he’ll be an even bigger threat to produce offensively.
Jack Hughes
#4 Jr. Eagles, St. Sebastian’s, 11/2/03, Forward, Left Shot
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
This wasn’t Hughes’ best game, but the Westwood, Mass., native still showed the skill and skating ability that make him a NTDP candidate. He plays a harder game than his older brother, Riley, a New York Rangers draft pick and fellow Northeastern commit.
Ryan St. Louis
#16 Mid Fairfield, Brunswick, 6/13/03, Forward, Left Shot
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
The Riverside, Conn., native thinks the game extremely well, which allows him to make plays. He’s not afraid to go into the greasy areas, despite his lack of size. Once his lower-body strength gets better, he’ll add explosiveness and foot speed. He’s the son of former NHL star Martin St. Louis, who coaches for Mid Fairfield.
Will Elias
#8 Jr. Eagles, St. Sebastian’s, 1/28/03, Defense, Right Shot
Elias, from Soutborough, Mass., is a smooth operator on the back end. He retrieves pucks well and transitions quickly from defense to offense. He has decent size and will continue to receive notoriety from Division 1 recruiters.
Brendan Gorman
#17 Jr. Eagles, St. Sebastian’s, 2/17/03, Forward, Right Shot
The Arlington, Mass., native is the younger brother of Pittsburgh Penguins pick Liam Gorman, a Boston University recruit. Brendan is a little more skilled, but still plays a heavy game, similar to his older brother. He’s hard to knock off pucks and plays tough in all three zones.
Nolan Joyce
#11 Jr. Eagles, St. Sebastian’s, 9/25/03, Defense, Right Shot
This was one of the best viewings for the Dedham, Mass., native in a while. He made two really nice lead passes that led to good scoring chances. He has the mobility and vision to become a good player.
Jack Musa
#8 Mid Fairfield, Trinity-Pawling, 7/22/03, Forward, Left Shot
Musa, from Orange Park, Fla., is the younger brother of Dartmouth commit Joey Musa, who plays for Mid Fairfield’s 18U team. He’s small and plays more aggressively than his older brother. He’s coming off an injury that cost him time this summer, but he looks to be nearing full health. He was around the puck a few times and impacted the offense.
18U Standouts
Cade Alami
#63 Mid Fairfield, Berkshire, 3/13/01, Defense, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: Providence
The Bedford, N.Y., native is still very much a project, but he has a high ceiling. A NHL organization will select him in the 2019 NHL Draft. He’s 6-foot-6 and can skate well enough. He has length and his hands are better than average. There’s a lot to like about the physical tools of this Providence recruit who compares favorably to current Friar senior and Edmonton Oilers prospect Vincent Desharnais.
Briggs Gammill
#60 Mid Fairfield, Berkshire, 5/9/01, Forward, Left Shot
NCAA Commit: Yale
The New Canaan, Conn., native was the best offensive player in this game. He made a couple of really nice plays. He has the skating, skill and vision required to be a really good player in ECAC Hockey for the Bulldogs. His development over the past 18 months is very notable.
Joe Musa
#8 Mid Fairfield, Trinity-Pawling, 6/11/00, Forward, Left Shot
NCAA Commit: Dartmouth
From Orange Park, Fla., Musa has always been a crafty, small forward who could make plays with his brain and above-average hands. He’s added an element of explosiveness to his skating and has put it to good use. He had two assists in the game.
Gabe Blanchard
#57 Mid Fairfield, Trinity-Pawling, 9/15/00, Defense, Left Shot
There were several colleges hot on the trail of this East Aurora, N.Y., native following USA Hockey Select 17 Camp in 2017. However, interest waned some during last year’s prep season. Expect it to pick back up again as Blanchard has the right combination of toughness and skill. He’s mean and not afraid to use his body and stick to make life miserable for opposing forwards. He has the skating ability and skill to move pucks up ice as well.
Chase McInnis
#6 Jr. Eagles, Dexter, 2/23/01, Forward, Left Shot
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
The Hingham, Mass., native is the son of former NHL great Marty McInnis and the younger brother of BC junior defenseman Luke McInnis. Chase doesn’t have the best offensive skill set, but he works extremely hard. He’s smart and will make a great bottom-six forward for the Huskies in a couple of seasons.
Tabor Heaslip
#54 Mid Fairfield, Avon Old Farms, 12/17/01, Forward, Left Shot
Heaslip is making the move to prep hockey after playing for the Dallas Stars Elite program down in Texas. He’s not the most skilled player in the world, but college programs will be hard-pressed to find a more determined competitor. He’s gritty and wins battles for loose pucks on the forecheck. He also blocks shots in his own zone and throws his weight around, despite not being the biggest guy out there.
Jake Flynn
#2 Jr. Eagles, Thayer, 5/26/01, Defense, Right Shot
In addition to scoring the game-winning goal in overtime, the Milton, Mass., native showed he has grown some and put on muscle. He’s a good skater who likes to rush the puck up ice and join into the offense.
Liam Devlin
#19 Jr. Eagles, St. Sebastian’s, 1/7/01, Forward, Left Shot
Devlin, from Needham, Mass., is constantly moving his feet. He has one of the best motors of any player in prep hockey. He’s a little on the smaller side, but he plays the game with an edge. He isn’t afraid to tussle with bigger and stronger opposing defenders. He made a couple of nice plays in this game.
Jayden Struble
#4 Jr. Eagles, St. Sebastian’s, 8/9/01, Defense, Left Shot
Struble, who will play in September’s USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game, was another main attraction for NHL scouts on Tuesday night. It wasn’t his best game, but he has the athletic ability and physical tools to keep scouts coming back for more.
Cam Fernandez
#35 Mid Fairfield, Millbrook, 5/19/00, Goaltender, Catches Left
While the Fairfield, Conn., native might not be a Division 1 prospect, he was lights out on Tuesday night. He made several 10-bell saves, including holding down the fort on a penalty shot. Top Division 3 programs would be wise to keep a close eye on the Mustangs’ senior goaltender.
