MARLBORO, Mass. — The Massachusetts Hockey "Final 40" was conducted over the weekend for three birth years, 2005 through 2007.
At the '06 level, 40 players took to the ice with the goal of being selected to USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp this July in Amherst, N.Y. This is a solid birth year around the country and Massachusetts is no exception.
The '06s were missing a handful of solid players this weekend, due to making the NTDP or earning exemptions at the NTDP Evaluation Camp. Absent were forwards Cole Eiserman (Newburyport), Teddy Stiga (Sudbury), Gavin Cornforth (Milton), defenseman Owen Keefe (Saugus), Kiernan Poulin (Norwell) and goaltenders Thatcher Bernstein (Brookline) and Ryder Shea (Framingham).
Nonetheless, there were a number of '06s that impressed at the "Final 40." USA Hockey allotted the district seven forwards, four defensemen and one goaltender. Below is my personal opinion on who should have been selected, followed by six players deserving honorable mention accolades, who I haven’t written up as much or at all over the last year.
Forwards
1. Jack Galanek
Shattuck-St. Mary’s 15O, 6/4/06, LW, left shot, 5-9/150
Galanek (Hopkinton, Mass.) was the best forward here. While he might have only scored one goal, he consistently made plays and had chances. He’s smart, cerebral and has a strong stick. What really stands out is his ability to possess pucks and win puck battles.
2. JJ Monteiro
Mount Saint Charles 15O, 1/12/06, C/LW, left shot, 5-11/175
Monteiro (Hudson, Mass.) was the best forward on the ice Saturday and continued to play well Sunday. It’s easy to write him off, but his hockey sense and willingness to play the game in the high-traffic areas make him a threat each shift. It’s easy to root for a player who gets the most out of his physical tools, as he does on a consistent basis.
3. Nate Porter
Dexter Southfield/Jr. Eagles U16, 3/10/06, RW, right shot, 5-10/160
Porter (Hingham, Mass.), who is underrated in this age group, was a little sleepy Saturday, but came on strong Sunday. He scored a pair of goals. Porter is smart and lets the game come to him. He’s able to play at pace while not rushing decisions. Porter should continue to trend up over the coming years at Dexter Southfield.
4. Will Doherty
Marshfield/CC Whalers 15O, 2/13/06, RW, right shot, 5-11/150
This weekend was the best viewing to date for Doherty, who impressed quite a bit at Marshfield this winter. He played a north-south game and showed off his hard shot, scoring a couple of goals.
5. James Marshall
BC High/River Rats 15O, 4/5/06, LW, left shot, 5-11/155
Marshall (Assonet, Mass.) missed Saturday’s game, but made a statement with his play Sunday, especially in the first half. He’s skilled, has a smooth stride and wants the puck on his stick. Marshall has Division 1 skill and offensive tools.
6. Jackson Delleo
Junior Bruins U16, 1/13/06, RW, right shot, 5-10/175
Delleo (Franklin, Mass.) had a hat trick in the first half of Sunday’s game. He’s a rugged, strong winger who goes to the net and plays a heavy game. His skating needs to improve, but he deserved to get through based on his performance over the weekend.
7. Jack Sadowski
Arlington/Jr. Eagles U16, 7/29/06, LW, left shot, 5-10/160
Sadowski is one of the smarter players in this age group and has a good shot, as evidenced by a goal he scored here. His skating is an area of his game that he’ll need to improve, in order to make the transition from MIAA to prep at Kimball Union next fall.
Defensemen
1. Will Felicio
Mount Saint Charles 15O, 5/19/06, D, left shot, 5-9/160
Felicio (Holden, Mass.) missed Sunday’s game, due to a family obligation, but he was unquestionably the best player at the '06 level on Saturday. Not much needs to be said that hasn’t already been. His skating, poise, and vision make him a threat to move pucks up ice and walk the blue line in the attacking zone. He’s signed a tender agreement in the USHL with the Madison Capitols.
2. Dylan Hunt
Milton Academy/Little Bruins U16, 2/9/06, D, left shot, 6-1/175
Hunt (Marlboro, Mass.) isn’t necessarily a player that stands out in events like this, unless you’re watching carefully. He has good size, skates well, and plays with jam defensively. His range allows him to defend well, but he doesn’t run around and protects his net front. Hunt has NHL upside as a five/six shutdown defender.
3. Joe Mense
Nobles/Little Bruins U16, 7/21/06, D, right shot, 6-1/190
Mense (Westwood, Mass.) caught my attention a few times here for his size and physical play. One particular play that stood out was when he stood his ground at his offensive blue line, knocking an opposing wing off the puck. His skating has gotten better and will need to keep improving, but there’s potential to make it to Division 1 as a steady, reliable blue liner.
4. Andrew O’Sullivan
Boston Advantage 15O, 8/15/06, D, right shot, 5-9/160
O’Sullivan (Norwell, Mass.) has been one of my favorite defensemen in this age group for a few years. It wasn’t his best weekend, but his body of work still should propel him to national camp. He’s heading to Kimball Union to play for Tim Whitehead.
Goaltender
Keagin Wilson
Hingham/River Rats U15, 10/12/06, catches left, 5-9/140
The two best goaltenders in this birth year were missing, which obviously hurt the overall caliber of play at the position. Wilson was the best goalie here. While he’s undersized, he’s athletic and did the best job of eating pucks and not allowing second chances.
Honorable Mention
Grayson Cohen
Belmont Hill JV/GBL Bruins U16, 10/18/06, D, right shot, 5-9/150
Cohen (Weston, Mass.) is a player that was admittedly not on my radar until the previous festival weekend. He made a nice impression once again at the Final 40. He’s tall, lanky and moves well. Cohen did a good job of keeping it simple and making efficient passes on breakouts. He’ll be making the jump up to varsity after playing JV at Belmont Hill this past winter.
Ethan Cox
Nobles/Cape Cod Whalers U15, 1/25/06, LW, left shot, 6-1/170
Cox (Westboro, Mass.) had a solid weekend, picking up a goal and an assist. He has good size and played a power forward role. The past two weekends were two of my best viewings of the Nobles winger.
Will Irving
Xaverian/Jr. Eagles U15, 4/13/06, RW, right shot, 5-9/145
Irving (Holliston, Mass.) is a player who keeps getting better with each viewing. He works hard and forechecked with tenacity. A few times he was able to disrupt the breakout and force turnovers.
Teddy MacAusland
Dexter JV/Little Bruins U16, 1/13/06, RW, right shot, 5-6/140
MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) is on the smaller side, but he buzzes out on the ice. He had the puck a lot, especially in Sunday’s game. His quickness and shiftiness allow him to make plays and generate offense for his team.
Ben Nakata
Nobles/Cape Cod Whalers U15, 8/30/06, C, left shot, 5-10/165
Nakata (West Barnstable, Mass.) doesn’t have as dynamic of a skill set as some of the players who made it to national camp, but he’s smart and is able to slow the game down. He made a couple of low to high passes that aren’t used as much as they should be, especially in events like this weekend. He should be able to step into a top-six forward position at Nobles next season after being a third liner this past winter.
Andrew Waugh
Belmont Hill JV/River Rats U15, 3/31/06, C, right shot, 5-9/160
Waugh (Norwell, Mass.) had a solid weekend. He skates well, competes hard, and was around the puck quite a bit. Very few players will outwork Waugh, who is another JV player expected to step up and have a key role on varsity at Belmont Hill in 2022-23.
