Concluding the New England Hockey Journal coverage on 16-U teams playing in the fall season for both split-season and full-season programs, the focus is on non-New England natives competing for teams both inside and outside of the region.
We previously covered the top-15 forwards and honorable mentions of New England natives. This top-10 is not a comprehensive list of players from all regions but is compiled from live viewings from the River Rats Jamboree all the way through the Beast series championship round (with Eastern Alliance Kickoff, USHL Fall Classic, Boston Jr. Bruins Shootout and many events in between).
The Long Island Gulls capped off a fine couple of months, winning the Beast 16-U championship game in a spirited affair against the Buffalo Regals in Attleboro on Oct. 24 by a 3-2 score. A pair of Northeastern recruits in Ben Poitras and Ben Yurchuk had standout performances for the Regals and Gulls respectively, but Poitras might be the fastest rising ’05 we have seen all year, and represents a significant get for Jerry Keefe (Saugus, Mass.) and his staff.
The series focus will next shift to the 18-U division, where there are myriad teams and players to shine a light on as we get closer to the start of the prep hockey season, while the 2021-22 full season rolls on.
1. Brian Nicholas- Michigan
Long Island Gulls, 3/15/05, left shot, 6-1/183
The tall, rangy forward and Sioux City Musketeers 2021 futures pick uses his length and power to get pucks to the net and provide a matchup challenge for opposing defenses. He has a bullet shot and excels in the possession game, where he can shield the puck on the cycle, win wall battles or set up shop in front of the net. While not as skilled or dynamic up front as teammate Yurchuk is, Nicholas is a complete power forward who projects to have a strong pro career if he continues to refine his habits and gain experience.
2. Ben Yurchuk- Northeastern
Long Island Gulls, 2/19/05, left shot, 5-10/168
After committing to the Huskies during the RR Jamboree in late Aug., the Chicago Steel first-round pick has continued to rack up the points and key a talented team’s top line with Griffin Erdman and Logan Renkowski, also drafted in the USHL futures lottery. He has magical hands. On his team’s first goal in the championship contest, he and Erdman combined on a give-and-go play that tied the score and helped spark a surge by the Gulls after they had been a little unsettled in the early going. That kind of high level play is what Yurchuk consistently brings to the table, with the kind of instincts you can’t teach.
3. Brandon Svoboda- Boston University
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 2/4/05, right shot, 6-2/193
Size, skating, skills, shot…Svoboda is an impressive physical specimen with NHL upside. What prevents him from being at the top of the list is that you have to look for him at times. When on top of his game, he can blow pucks by opposing goalies from the outside, has a creative mindset to thread the needle with pinpoint passes and is a possession machine/tough to contain on the cycle.
4. Ben Poitras- Northeastern
Buffalo Regals/Salisbury, 7/18/05, right shot, 5-11/165
No player has been more impressive in terms of rising in the rankings coming in than the Toronto product, who also committed to the Huskies early in the fall campaign and looks like a real player. His USHL rights are held by Sioux City, and he’s an impressive skater who can get north-south with speed, but also possesses outstanding lateral quickness to elude defenders. He scored the championship game’s first goal on an elite net drive to bury a centering feed. Skilled and instinctive, he’s the complete package of power and finesse.
5. Logan Renkowski- Harvard University
Long Island Gulls, 8/1/05, left shot, 5-8/165
High-motor, relentless forward has really stood out in our viewings for his ability to make plays consistently, comprising a key element of a lethal top line for the Gulls. When he buzzes the tower, goalies and defenders are forced to account for him, and he can pass or finish of plays. The Cedar Rapids Roughriders prospect plays with real urgency and uses his vision/smarts to impact the game in all three zones. He’s one more example of quality and quantity when it comes to the Gulls 16 squad, and it showed with their victory in the Beast playoffs- he elevated his game in the playoffs when the games mattered most.
6. Chris Pelosi- Quinnipiac
Mount Saint Charles, 3/6/05, left shot, 6-0/160
This powerful center brings the kind of appealing attributes that set him up well to keep playing hockey after college. He can move well and plays with his head up, advancing pucks and getting through creases in coverage and going hard to the net. He brings that kind of hard skill that coaches value because even if he isn’t scoring (and for the record, he can both create and finish), he’s a solid three-zone guy and is tough to play against. It’s not surprising that he secured a commitment already, and he will make the Bobcats better when his time comes. The Muskegon Lumberjacks own his USHL rights.
7. Daniel Markevych
Boston Jr. Eagles/Lawrence Academy, 2/2/05, left shot, 5-10/175
Arguably the most naturally skilled forward on a loaded squad, the Canadian-Ukrainian center from the Toronto area is our pick for the best undrafted (in the USHL) ’05 available. He can skate and is crafty, with impressive vision and the knack for finding soft areas in opposing defenses and getting to where he can pass or shoot. He’s light and lean- will need time to physically mature, but after deciding on the NCAA route over the OHL, Markevych can take his time to get better. He’s a top rookie candidate this season for LA in prep.
8. Luke Drury
Mid Fairfield/Brunswick, 5/24/05, left shot, 5-6/180
Built like a tank, with a low center of gravity, this elite athlete just bulls his way through contact and plays with a relentless drive to reach the net. He has the obvious blood lines, but it’s the motor and intelligence that more than compensate for the lack of size and while he’s not the most skilled player on his Mid Fairfield team, he consistently makes things difficult for the opposition. Winning player, and Des Moines was smart to draft him in the phase 2 USHL draft last May.
9. Owen King- Providence College
Bishop Kearney Selects, 9/14/05, right shot, 5-8/146
Impressive summer and fall showings led to a commitment to the Friars. With his speed, quickness and ability to back up defenders as he generates offense, King will be a good fit at PC. He plays with pace and brings an attacking mindset, which has translated to production on a strong BK squad. He’s on an upward trajectory and it will be interesting to see how he progresses this season. Undrafted in the USHL, he'll be in play for the 2022 phase 2 draft as a backfill option.
10. Spencer Hirsch
Boston Hockey Academy, 1/7/05, left shot, 6-3/201
With outstanding size and shot, the Long Island native is rising and one of the most intriguing players we have seen this fall. He beat out some impressive players in Justin Stupka, Blake Montgomery and Erdman to crack the top-10, and while raw, this talented power forward could end up with the highest long-term ceiling of most players in 16-U. He'll need to keep focusing on refining the details in his game and improving foot speed and small area quickness, but taken as a whole, he's a real finisher and fine prospect.
Honorable Mention
Justin Stupka, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite; 3/15/05, 6-2/188
Blake Montgomery, Seacoast Performance Academy  5/4/05, 6-3/181
Griffin Erdman, LI Gulls; 2/10/05, 5-8/155- Dartmouth
Nick Metelkin, NJ Rockets; 8/1/05, 6-1/175
Eli Friedman, Mid Fairfield; 4/29/05, 5-10/164 – Yale
Keanan Dewberry, NV River Rats; 5/8/05, 5-10/170
Thomas Klochkov, NJ Rockets; 3/30/05, 5-10/150- UConn
Joey Zheng, NV River Rats; 9/8/05, 5-11/170
Ty Creech, Buffalo Regals; 6/19/05, 6-3/190
Trip Pendy, NJ Rockets; 1/7/05, 6-0/170
Jamison Sluys, LI Gulls; 9/3/05, 5-11/165
Jack Pechar, South Kent Selects; 3/20/05, 6-0/176
Jake Lewis, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers; 4/5/05, 5-11/158
Nick Shaw, BK Selects; 3/4/05, 6-6/185
Grant DeNuccio, Wash Little Caps; 4/1/05, 5-9/160
