The USA Hockey NTDP Evaluation Camp will take place next week in Plymouth, Mich. The four-day event at USA Hockey Arena runs from Monday through Thursday and will feature the country’s top 2005-born hockey players, who are hoping to make the NTDP U-17 team for the 2021-22 season.
USA Hockey NTDP director of player personnel Kevin Reiter, NTDP assistant director of player personnel Rod Braceful, and several area scouts have come up with a list of ’05s who are under consideration for the prestigious program.
The NTDP Evaluation Camp usually takes place in March, but it was pushed back approximately 45 days this year, due to complications with the coronavirus. Six players from New England and several others with ties to the region will be at the selection camp.
Pope Francis center Ryan Leonard, Boston Advantage center Will McDonough, Belmont Hill goaltender Sam Scopa, St. Sebastian’s center Will Smith, Mid Fairfield defenseman Lucas St. Louis and Dexter Southfield center Will Vote make up the New England contingency headed to USA Hockey Arena for next week’s camp.
Leonard just completed his second season of high school hockey at Pope Francis. In addition, he played for the Springfield Rifles. The Amherst, Mass., native is the younger brother of San Jose Sharks left wing and former UMass star John Leonard. The younger Leonard is a finisher who sees the ice well.
McDonough helped his stock a couple of months ago in Plymouth at the USA Hockey Evaluation Camp. The big righty from Duxbury, Mass., creates a lot of offense from the walls and below the dots. He’s a goal scorer who will certainly have plenty of schools coveting his services in the coming years.
Scopa always has been known as a good goaltender, making prestigious events such as the STX 68 in August 2019. From Lexington, Mass., he solidified his position as one of the top goaltenders in this age group with numerous positive outings this season. He’s played for the Boston Junior Eagles, as well as tending net for Belmont Hill.
Smith has been considered one of the top ’05 forwards in the United States for several years. The longtime Boston Junior Eagles star is committed to Northeastern. From Lexington, Mass., Smith has good size, a powerful stride and gifted hands. He’s a power forward who can play with skill. Smith is a lock to make the NTDP.
St. Louis is a familiar name to hockey fans throughout the world. His father, Marty St. Louis, is in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and his older brother, Ryan, is a 2021 NHL draft prospect on this year’s NTDP U-18 squad. Lucas is a smart, offensive-minded, puck-moving defenseman. The Riverside, Conn., native is on the smaller side, but his puck skills and mobility are certainly intriguing. Lucas could follow in Ryan’s footsteps and head to Northeastern. Numerous other schools in the region are also interested in the young blueliner.
Vote is the other lock to make the team out of New England. The Arlington, Mass., native just wrapped up his first season at Dexter Southfield after being a longtime fixture on the top line with the Junior Eagles. Vote isn’t as gifted physically as Smith, but his hockey sense and compete level are elite. He has serious interest from Harvard plus Hockey East and Big Ten programs.
Mount Saint Charles center Tanner Adams, a Providence commit, is one of several invited players with ties to the region. The Northport, N.Y., native put up close to two points per game this winter for Scott Gainey’s 15 Only team at Mount.
Seacoast Performance Academy 16-U center Alex Weiermair, a dual citizen, also made the evaluation camp. His U.S. address is in Los Angeles, but he's played most of his hockey in the GTHL with the Toronto Titans. He joined Seacoast this year, due to coronavirus halting hockey in Ontario. If he chooses to play on this side of the border, he'd be one of the top forwards on next year's NTDP.
In addition to St. Louis, five other players from Mid Fairfield’s 15 Only team made the camp: Boston University commit and center Ryan Fine (Center Moriches, N.Y.), center Brian Nicholas (Scarsdale, N.Y.), right wing Salvatore Guzzo (Staten Island, N.Y.), and defensemen Drew Fortescue (Nyack, N.Y.) and Aram Minnetian (Woodcliff Lake, N.J.).
The team is expected to be picked later this month following the conclusion of the NTDP Evaluation Camp. College coaches still can’t be in the rinks until June 1, but NHL agents and junior coaches, general managers and scouts are expected to attend the four-day camp.
