PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The OverSpeed Holiday Hockey Classic took place over the weekend at Schneider Arena on the campus of Providence College and at the Adelard Arena at Mount Saint Charles in nearby Woonsocket.
The three-day showcase was put on by Toby O’Brien, a native of Sandwich, Mass., and former collegiate goaltender at Union College. Following his playing career, he has spent over three decades as a coach in minor pro and scout for a couple of NHL teams, most recently the Florida Panthers. For a first-year showcase, it ran smoothly with games going off on time, schedules, results, and standings easy to come by, and line charts and rosters available for college coaches and scouts.
There were three divisions, 15 Only, 16-U, and 18-U. It wasn’t a big showcase, but organizations in attendance included Mount Saint Charles, South Kent Selects Academy, Maine Nordiques, Little Caesars, Windy City Storm, Ohio Blue Jackets, and Colorado Rampage. Skilled players brought out scouts from USA Hockey, USHL, NHL and college coaches from Hockey East and ECAC Hockey. Mount Saint Charles won the inaugural event at the 18-U and 15 Only divisions while Little Caesars returned to Michigan with the title at the 16-U division.
18-U: O’Neill propels Mount Saint Charles
There’s been little doubt as to the top player on Matt Plante’s team at Mount Saint Charles this season. This weekend proved once again that UMass commit Cam O’Neill, an '04 right wing from Odenton, Md., is the straw that stirs the drink. He scored the game-winning goal in Sunday’s championship game against the Maine Nordiques. O’Neill is a power forward who plays a north-south game, shoots it hard, and can control puck possession. In each of my two viewings, he had multiple-point games.
His linemates, center Jason Stefanek, a Dartmouth commit, and left wing Micah Berger, a recent Miami commit, were also solid. Berger had a monster weekend, as well, scoring a few goals and setting up others, including a beauty to the backdoor in the final.
Without a Division 1 commit currently, the second line is no slouch. Left wing Ryan O’Connell, center Zachary Aben and right wing Will Lawrence produced all weekend. O’Connell had a pair of assists in Sunday’s finale. Lawrence finds the score sheet, but his hard work, physicality, and willingness to block shots is always notable.
For the Nordiques, one player that stood out was a newcomer to my radar. '03 center Zach Herman, from Holly Springs, N.C., had two points in the final versus Mount Saint Charles. His speed stood out. He can scoot. Herman played previously for the Carolina Junior Hurricanes and Rogue Warriors. USPHL NCDC and NAHL teams should watch him in the second half to see if his skating is worth taking a shot on for next season.
16-U: Little Caesars upends Mount Saint Charles
Little Caesars came away with a 2-1 win over Mount Saint Charles in the championship game of the 16-U division. The two teams played a pair of hotly contested games with Mount coming away victorious in the preliminary round on Saturday night.
Little Caesars, a perennial powerhouse program from the Detroit area, has a handful of good players. Carter McCormick and Roman Wainwright were the goal scorers in Sunday’s championship game. Aidyn Merrick had the assist on McCormick’s shorthanded tally and was impressive over the final couple of games.
A couple of the coaches on Little Caesars have connections to the New England area. Brian Rolston played a few seasons for the Boston Bruins in his NHL career that spanned 17 seasons and 761 points. John Emmons played for Yale before playing several years of pro hockey, including 22 games with the Bruins.
Both of their sons were key pieces to the puzzle this weekend. Right wing Stone Rolston had a couple of goals and an assist during my viewings. He’s big, skates well, and competes hard. Defenseman Charlie Emmons isn’t overly flashy nor a great skater, but his hockey sense is impressive. He makes a lot of good plays on both sides of the puck by using his brain.
Quinnipiac commit and first line center Chris Pelosi was one of the statistical leaders for Mount Saint Charles. His right wing, Patrick Murphy (North Kingston, R.I.) is one of the top uncommitted '05s in New England, due to his compete and athleticism. Right wing Christian Venticinque was notable for his shot and physical play. Center Cole Burbridge isn’t the best of skaters, but his hands were worth a couple of points. Defenseman Conor Ryan was worth writing about, due to his mobility and shiftiness.
South Kent Selects Academy has a very good first line, centered by '06 Matthew Frost with Jack Pechar on the right wing and Matt Baittaini (Pittsfield, Mass.) on the left side. Frost is a good skater who has a high ceiling. Pechar is a power forward with reach and playmaking ability below the dots. Baittani has quite a bit of skill. On defense, Matej Teply (Stamford, Conn.) was the standout.
The Ohio Blue Jackets feature Providence commit Braiden Clark as the team’s top center. The son of a former pro, Clark plays a complete, honest game. He’s always on the right side of the puck, is heavy, and getting better each viewing. He scored a goal in each game I watched. Clark already plays like a pro and is the type of player others should want to emulate.
One other noteworthy player on the Blue Jackets was '07 left-shot defenseman Sascha Boumedienne. Playing up, he stood out for his skating and stick. He’s mobile, makes quick and smart decisions on his puck touches, and can wire a shot. His father, Josef Boumedienne, is the Director of Pro Scouting for the Columbus Blue Jackets. He’s been with that NHL organization since the 2013-14 season. The Stockholm, Sweden, native played several seasons in the AHL, including a few in New England for the Portland Pirates and Springfield Falcons. In addition, he played in 47 NHL games with the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Windy City Storm had several talented players at the event, including Colorado College commit Aidan Shirey on defense and Ryan Seelinger at center. The team is coached by former Cornell player and assistant coach Topher Scott.
15 Only: Mount Saint Charles stays on top
Mount Saint Charles has been the top-ranked team in the country at the 15 Only division for much of the season. After lopsided victories over South Kent Selects Academy and Ohio Blue Jackets, the team persevered in back-to-back tight contests against Windy City Storm.
James Hagens, a late '06 from Hauppauge, N.Y., is the best American forward in the age group. The team’s top center, his skating and stick make him a threat to score or set up a goal for a teammate each time he hops over the board.
Sacha Boisvert centers the second line and is on the first power-play unit. On just about every other team on the continent, he’d be the best player on the team. From Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Boisvert is a big, physical power forward with pro upside.
Right wing Theo Kiss had the game-winning goal in Sunday’s final. The Kosice, Slovakia, native seems to produce in every game I watch. Other forwards of note were center Luke Gallo, left wing JJ Monteiro and left wing Chase Stefanek.
Will Felicio (Holden, Mass.) is a smart, swift-skating two-way defenseman. His skating stands out when he’s defending. He gaps well, uses his feet to take away time and space, and has a good stick for poke checks. With the puck, he skates with his head up and makes smart, effective decisions on puck touches.
Vinny Ipri is another defenseman of note. He scored one of the prettiest goals of the weekend to tie Sunday’s game up late in the second period. He’s slick and smart and was noticeable throughout the showcase.
He doesn’t always get tested a lot, but Jack Parsons is one of the best goaltenders in the age group. From Cortland, N.Y., he has good size, moves well, and is technically sound.
For Windy City Storm, left wing Tyler Atchison scored at least a few goals over the weekend. Center Jordan Geike is one of the hardest working forwards in the age group. On defense, Cole Longacre and Finn McLaughlin were notable.
South Kent Selects Academy is led by defenseman Tory Pitner. He’s the most promising prospect on the team coached by Jamie Russell, a former Providence College assistant and Worcester Railers head coach.
