Over the weekend, a majority of the top 2004-born players in the state competed in the Massachusetts Hockey CCM High Performance Festival at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro.
The 80 or so players were competing for a spot in next weekend’s Massachusetts Hockey CCM High Performance Final 40. From there, will be selected to compete in the USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp July 15-20 in Amherst, N.Y.
Boston University associate head coach Paul Pearl is the Massachusetts Hockey Boys Player Development Coordinator. He oversees the process for all three age groups, the ‘04s, ‘03s and ‘02s. Each age group has three evaluators for the skaters and two for the goaltenders.
It’s always tough to evaluate players in a short time frame as some will perform better or worse than usual. However, Mass. Hockey has done a good job of making the process as fair as possible with the consecutive weekends. While I disagree with a few of the players left out for next weekend, it by no means I question the validity of the players selected or the decision-making of the evaluators.
Below is a look at the 40 players I would have moved on for next weekend. Keep in mind, it makes sense that the 40 players would be divided up into 24 forwards, 12 defensemen, and four goaltenders. However, I took a few liberties to my list. You’ll notice 22 forwards, 15 defensemen, and three goaltenders. Also, this list is made up entirely of players who competed this weekend. It does not factor in the players who were pushed through to next weekend without playing this weekend, due to injury or other factors.
Forwards (22)
James Fisher
#10 Green, Junior Bruins 16U, Right Shot
Fisher was really good this weekend. He has some size, plays hard between the dots, and competes for pucks. He protects pucks well and was noticeably strong in all three games. He made a couple of real nice passes in the first period Friday. He separated from the defense and finished five-hole on a breakaway in the later stages of the game Friday. He found seams and open space to exploit opposing defenses. On Sunday, he used his powerful stride and size to split the defense twice, ripping one of the post and being the victim of a nice save on the other.
Shane Taddia
#16 Grey, River Rats/BB&N, Right Shot
Taddia is a strong skater who gets to the scoring areas and has a good stick. Taddia was really good on Sunday, but had a solid weekend, overall. He had a nice dish to Bobby Landry for a goal on a two-on-one rush Friday night. On Sunday, he started the game by ripping a wrist shot off the post and in. Later in the game, he scored a goal on a breakaway, going bar down after slipping behind the defense.
Michael Callow
#9 Red, South Shore Kings, Right Shot
Callow has a lot of upside as a tall, power forward with a good stride. He’s explosive and can drive to pucks and to scoring areas at times. He uses his length as leverage and protects pucks. He can get shots off under pressure and he scored a nice goal going to the net Friday. He made a nice pass off the wall for a good scoring chance on Saturday. He still has room to grow into his frame and he has all the tools to be a solid college prospect in a couple of years.
Henry Wilson
#17 Red, Boston Advantage/Winchester HS, Left Shot
Wilson made a great impression over the weekend. From Winchester, he got a lot of chances, especially in Friday’s game. He was buzzing all over the ice in a good way. He hunts pucks and can protects puck with his size. He’s a little raw, but has a lot of room to grow into a very good player.
Chris Delaney
#11 Red, Junior Bruins 16U, Left Shot
Delaney is a small, waterbug-type forward from Hopkinton, Mass. He makes some great passes to facilitate offense and is very strong in small areas. He can accelerate quickly to break free from opposing defenders and has the agility and stickhandling abilities to make plays in tight areas. He can change directions quickly and isn’t afraid of contact. He made a nice low to high pass from below the goal line on Saturday and had a nice assist on a Callow goal Friday night.
William Hughes
#12 Blue, River Rats/Phillips Andover, Right Shot
Hughes has good size, is heavy on pucks, and is around the play a lot. He had a couple of assists by winning puck battles and dishing it off to linemates while controlling possession below the dots. He has a hard shot, but he also moved the puck better this weekend than in past viewings. A turnover he forced Saturday ended up in the back of the net after his linemate converted a breakaway.
Ben MacDonald
#13 Blue, EC Wizards, Left shot
MacDonald is a good, complete, two-way forward who had a productive weekend. He made a great power move with a finesse finish on a goal Friday night. He’s smart and hunts pucks and in all three zones. He scored a power play goal Saturday and converted on a breakaway after Hughes had forced a turnover. On Sunday, he scored a goal on the doorstep.
Cameron Lund
#14 Red, South Shore Kings, Right Shot
Lund is one of the smartest players in this age group. He always seems to be on the right side of the puck and plays an overall responsible game. He backchecks and broke up a couple of plays by getting back. He made several great passes over the weekend as well. One was a circle to circle pass for a goal. His vision and ability to play a 200-foot game will carry him a long way.
Bobby Landry
#11 Grey, Boston Advantage, Right Shot
Landry is a tall, good-sized forward with upside. He showed good patience on a two-on-one goal off a feed from Taddia.
Andrew Garzone
#12 Green, South Shore Kings, Right Shot
Garzone plays with pace and can stickhandle well. He hunts pucks in all three zones and his relentless forecheck prevented breakouts on Saturday.
Joseph Dable
#8 Grey, Roxbury Latin, Right Shot
Dable is able to use his size and strength to power his way to scoring areas and fend off opposing defenders. He is tough to knock off pucks with his strong lower body. He’s able to stickhandle and protect pucks. He scored a breakaway on Saturday. He got a lot of chances in Sunday’s game.
Connor Sutherland
#15 Grey, Boston Jr. Eagles, Left Shot
Sutherland had a nice weekend. He’s got good size and is heavy on pucks. In Saturday’s game, he made a nice play by pick-pocketing an opposing player before ripping a shot on goal. He’s got upside with his strength on pucks and on his skates.
Grayson Badger
#8 Red, South Shore Kings/Brookline HS, Right Shot
Badger had a lot of chances that he wasn’t able to capitalize on, but his compete and high motor need to be praised. He forechecks hard and is always moving his feet.
Pavit Mehra
#15 Green, South Shore Kings, Right Shot
Mehra scored a goal in Friday and Saturday’s game by being around the net. A loose puck caromed off his lower body and in Friday and he banged home a rebound on Saturday. He competed hard and brought energy each shift.
Nick Townshend
#17 Grey, EC Wizards/St. John’s Prep, Right Shot
Townshend is strong below the dots and competes hard for pucks down low, especially on the forecheck. He consistently was strong on puck pursuit.
Eli Cardosi
#10 Red, NorthStars, Right Shot
Cardosi made a couple of nice plays on Friday and Saturday. He scored a goal Friday and then had a nice backhand goal Saturday. He made some good passes from below the dots as well.
Caleb Patrick
#17 Green, Islanders HC, Right Shot
Patrick made a nice a sauce pass to a teammate for a goal Friday night. He was a bull, getting to pucks down low, and using his strength and size to win battles. If his skating can improve some, he should become an even bigger threat below the dots.
Jake Murphy
#15 Red, Seacoast Academy, Right Shot
Murphy scored a nice goal under the bar on Sunday.
Donovan Frias
#12 Red, Minuteman Flames/Hillside, Left Shot
Frias has good size and is able to control possession below the dots. He made a nice pass on a two-on-one Sunday. He consistently used his size and length to make plays after winning puck battles below the dots.
Cole Lopilato
#13 Red, Northern Cyclones/St. John’s Prep, Left Shot
Lopilato plays a hard and heavy game with his rugged frame.
Joshua Iby
#13 Green, Springfield Rifles, Right Shot
Iby was a solid presence and was noticeable, especially in Friday and Saturday’s games.
Jason Cooke
#9 Blue, Tewksbury HS, Right Shot
Cooke worked hard and had a hard shot ring off the post in Saturday’s game. He’s a little under the radar having played for Tewksbury High School, but he showed well this weekend.
Defensemen (15)
Jackson Dorrington
#6 Red, Cushing, Left Shot
Dorrington is a good, puck-moving defenseman with poise. He can carry the puck or pass it out of his own zone. He’s a smooth skater with good gap control. His skill is elite with pucks always hitting the tape on passes. When he doesn’t try to do too much, he’s at his best. He made a great dish to Callow for a goal on Friday night.
Ryan Healey
#5 Green, Boston Advantage, Right Shot
Healey is one of the better puck-moving defensemen in this age group. He’s smooth with the puck on his stick and exudes confidence as he walks the blue line or holds onto the puck to make the right decision in transition opportunities. His hockey sense allows him to make really good decisions with the puck.
Chris Romaine
#6 Grey, South Shore Kings/BC High, Right Shot
Romaine is a high risk, high reward, puck-moving defenseman with elite feet and puck skills. He sometimes will go for the home run pass when it’s not there, but he’s dynamic enough to make some highlight reel plays in transition. One such example was on Saturday when he set up a breakaway goal for Joseph Dable. He has great feet to escape trouble and side-step oncoming forecheckers.
Brian Grant
#5 Grey, South Shore Kings/Mansfield HS, Right Shot
Grant is a pro-style defender with a ton of upside due to his size and skating ability. He’s not as flashy, but he makes smart, efficient plays and can also defend. He’s never going to be the player to skate pucks up ice, but he makes good plays passing it up to the wings.
CJ Foley
#4 Grey, South Shore Kings/Thayer, Right Shot
Foley played forward for much of the prep season, but he’s a good defender who reads plays well and makes smart, safe plays, like chipping it up the wall. He’s strong on retrievals and has good hockey sense. He gets in shooting and passing lanes. He made several really nice reads on the weekend.
Kazimier Sobieski
#7 Green, Shattuck St. Mary’s, Right Shot
Sobieski has good feet and can skate. He defends well with his feet and a good stick. His head is always up and he can make good decisions to start the breakout.
Jack Farrell
#3 Grey, EC Wizards/Austin Prep, Left Shot
Farrell has a good stick and defends well. He keeps things simple and is tough to beat because of his physicality. His feet were better than previously thought. He made a lot of good, smart decisions and skated with his head up.
Ollie Chesler
#3 Green, EC Wizards, Left Shot
Chesler is a small, offensive-minded defender. He has good feet and is at his best when he’s not trying to force plays.
Michael Fisher
#4 Green, River Rats/St. Mark’s, Right Shot
Fisher is a solid, two-way defender who’s solid defensively.
Matt Tully
#7 Red, Foxboro HS, Left Shot
Tully was a little bit of an under-the-radar prospect heading into the weekend as he had played at Foxboro High School this past winter. He made quite a few nice plays on the breakout and skated with his head up. His feet are good and he made a couple of nice plays to defend on the rush.
Shaun McEwen
#5 Blue, Seacoast Academy, Left Shot
McEwen’s feet allows him to side-step forecheckers and walk the blue line. He assisted on a power play goal Saturday and was offensive-minded throughout the weekend.
Sean Keohane
#6 Green, South Shore Kings, Left Shot
Keohane is a good skater who can move pucks. There are aspects of his game that need improvement, such as hockey IQ, but he has the tools to become a good college prospect.
Finnegan Burke
#2 Green, Boston Jr. Eagles, Left Shot
Burke is a little raw, but has good size and skates well.
Matthew Biotti
#2 Blue, EC Wizards, Right Shot
Biotti stood out in all three games with his feet, length, gaps and stick.
Timmy Busconi
#3 Red, Boston Advantage, Right Shot
Busconi is a solid defenseman with potential to continue getting better.
Goaltenders (3)
Dylan Silverstein
#24 Black, Islanders HC 16U, Catches Left
Silverstein is one of the most highly regarded goaltenders in the country and this weekend he showed why. He combines good technical skills, skating and size.
Jackson Irving
#18 Black, Northern Cyclones/St. John’s Prep, Catches Left
Irving is a little on the smaller side, but he stood on his head at times over the weekend. He made several big saves Friday night. It was a terrific performance.
Colin Winn
#20 Black, Boston Jr. Eagles, Catches Left
