It all comes down to this. One final day remains in the 2017-18 New England Prep School Athletic Council hockey season. Saint Anselm College will host three championship games in the three different tournaments. The day kicks off with the Small School Tournament final at 12 noon. No. 4 New Hampton and No. 3 Lawrence...
It all comes down to this. One final day remains in the 2017-18 New England Prep School Athletic Council hockey season. Saint Anselm College will host three championship games in the three different tournaments.
The day kicks off with the Small School Tournament final at 12 noon. No. 4 New Hampton and No. 3 Lawrence Academy clash in this one. Next up on the docket is a 2:30 p.m. game in the final of the Large School Tournament, featuring No. 3 Thayer Academy and No. 5 Brunswick School. The marque game of the day, slated to start at 5:30 p.m., is the most anticipated contest of the year between No. 3 Kimball Union Academy and No. 1 Salisbury School to decide the winner of the Elite 8 Tournament. The Wildcats are the defending champion while the Crimson Knights were the top ranked team for much of the year.
Several 2018 NHL Draft prospects will be on display throughout the three games. Providence recruit and Thayer center Jay O'Brien, prep hockey's top prospect, is the top draw for NHL scouts. Other prospects ranked by NHL Central Scouting include New Hampton defenseman Michael Kesselring (Merrimack), Lawrence Academy left wing Connor Sweeney (UNH), Thayer left wing Aidan McDonough (Northeastern), Kimball Union defensemen Jordan Harris (Northeastern) and Christian Felton, Kimball Union left wing Logan Cash (Vermont), Salisbury defenseman Peter Diliberatore (Quinnipiac) and Salisbury center Jacques Bouquot (BC). Note that Felton didn't play in KUA's game on Saturday against Rivers.
While he's still two years away from being drafted, late '01 right wing Nick Capone, a Maine commit, is a player to watch for the future. He's a man amongst boys. He hits hard and can dominate below the dots. Kimball Union '01 center Arlo Merritt (Ohio State) and New Hampton '01 center Lynden Breen (Maine) are two prospects, both from the Canadian Maritimes, who are worthy of a look for the 2019 NHL Draft.
Top uncommitted prospects include Thayer '01 defenseman Jake Flynn, Salisbury '99 center Brett Willits, Salisbury '99 left wing Matt Holmes, Brunswick '00 forward Charles Shaffer, Thayer '99 center Evan Googins, and Kimball Union '99 center Andranik Armstrong.
