After focusing on some underrated players from the 2006 birth year participating in the Eastern Exposure Cup in Foxboro late last month, the prospect spotlight turns to some 2007s that are having a similar impact in the Bantam major ranks since the fall hockey schedule began.
With assessments of some of the top performers already appearing in New England Hockey Journal, the purpose of this analysis is to recognize some of those who might not be the bigger names for the July 2022 Select 15 (S15) U.S. National Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y., but who are on the map and have a chance to be selected to participate this summer through the S15 district festival process.
There are so many worthy players who are worthy of the 'underrated' honorific, but we’re focusing on those who have stood out for their consistency, production and effort in multiple viewings. This does not represent every 14-U team out there, as our live looks have been limited to the River Rats Jamboree, USHL Fall Classic, Eastern Exposure Cup and a handful of fall Beast and Northeast Pack games.
Forwards
Colvin Callahan (Lexington, Mass.)
River Rats, 2/9/07, right shot, 5-9/135
You wouldn’t think that putting the leading scorer of his team on an underrated list makes sense, but Callahan is that player who often gets overlooked against the bigger names. He’s got good size, nifty hands, skates hard and shows an impressive burst to pull away from opponents in open ice. He brings a consistent scoring mindset with his vision and offensive awareness but is a reliable thee-zone player who we’re hearing is getting a lot of prep school attention and rightfully so. He set the example in the Beast playoffs, leading his team to the championship game before falling to BK Selects, including a 5-point game against Rochester.
Simon Wang
Mount Saint Charles, 7/07 left shot, 5-8/140
Provides important secondary scoring on a loaded MSC 14 team, so you sometimes take him for granted. Every time we watch this club, we keep going back to No. 9 who makes a lot of plays on the third line and just seems to always materialize in the right spot where the puck is. He scored a lot of goals in our several viewings, and with so many “name” players on the roster, he’s found a way to carve out his own impressive niche.
Chase Jette
BK Selects, 4/9/07, right shot, 5-7/132
Turns the wheel consistently and stands out with second effort, disruptive plays that complement the higher-end forwards like Cooper Dennis and Jack Murtaugh nicely. A whirling dervish with the puck who can cut and weave cleanly on his edges to open things up. With his high tempo and fearlessness to get to the middle of the ice, he’s a player we have time for each time we watch him.
Ryan Aaronson
Chicago Mission, 1/07, left shot, 5-8/145
Good size, compete and sneaky skills that sometimes get lost in the mix on a loaded Mission 14 team. He can skate and plays in straight lines, but also has good recognition and awareness, able to find soft spots in opposing defenses. In the Exposure Cup, he had one memorable top-shelf snipe against the Jr. Eagles, taking the pass in the wheelhouse and wasting no time trying to dust it off or make an extra move- wired it the upper corner in a flash.
Gavin Joyce (Dedham, Mass.)
Jr. Eagles, 7/07, right shot, 5-4/115
Had a strong Exposure Cup and was rewarded by going hard to the net. He’s perhaps not as refined or advanced as other forwards on his team, but he comes from good stock, moves well and when he dials up the intensity, brings a dangerous element to the mix.
Connor Mudd (Shrewsbury, Mass.)
South Shore Kings, 7/16/07, left shot, 5-7/135
Always around the puck and attacking on offense whenever we watch his SSK team. He has a natural nose for the net and has consistently finished off plays during the fall hockey season by getting to loose pucks and getting shots off quickly. Cam Caron and Ryan Magaletta are impressive teammates up front, and there are other flashier, bigger name players from Mass. who get a lot of attention, but he has the look of a forward who will translate well to prep hockey if that’s the next step he wants to take.
Quinn McKenzie
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 11/28/07, right shot, 5-2/110
Tiny but tenacious water bug is one of the youngest in the birth year but plays a bigger game for his size. He’s a perpetual motion machine who forechecks relentlessly and can drive defenders wide with his top gear. Smart, engaged forward who gives a top Penguins team important depth because he creates timely offense and can exploit matchups when opponents are keying on top forwards like John Mooney and Brian Woods among others. He’ll likely need to take the longer path in hockey, but there’s some upside here for his skill and heart.
Defensemen
Anthony Bongo (Ridgefield, Conn.)
Mid Fairfield, 5/07, right shot, 5-8/140
Activates and gets up ice with pace/speed. Confident with the puck and makes hard, on-target passes or skates it himself. Can beat the forecheck with his quick feet and hockey sense, and transitions back to defense quickly with his smooth transitions and awareness. Makes good decisions, though does like to push the envelope at times. If he continues on his current trajectory, he’ll be a very good junior and D-1 eventually.
Myles Brosnan (Winchester, Mass.)
Jr. Eagles, 10/07, right shot, 5-5/140
Smart two-way defender can wheel and plays an up-tempo style from the back end. Activates at the right times and will pinch down from the offensive blue line with the puck. Will have to keep working on getting his shot through traffic on net, but does a lot of things well and has had a noticeable impact on games this fall in a strong group of Jr. Eagles defensemen on the whole.
Rylan Singh
BK Selects, 10/4/07, right shot, 5-7/120
Smooth skater who can accelerate in small areas and change direction quickly. A late ’04, has some impressive hockey tools and room to develop and improve. Doesn’t play with a lot of jam, preferring to play the puck versus the body, but has a good stick and uses his quickness to gap up and contain outside speed. At times, he’ll opt for the riskier pinch and has turned the puck over, but his confidence is a plus, and he’s one to watch to see if he can take that next step.
Gabriel Simpson
Colorado Thunderbirds, 1/13/07, left shot, 5-10/143
Good size, functional strength to take the body and separate puck carriers or pin opponents to the wall. Good skater and efficient passer- not flashy, but breaks pucks out with ease. He’s already a capable defender, but there’s some interesting offensive upside to his game as he continues to grow and fill out his athletic frame.
Goaltenders
Giulio Torriero
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 2/21/07, catches left, 5-6/120
Watched him blank the MSC powerhouse on his home ice in Pittsburgh in late September. While small, checks the boxes with his cat-quickness, puck-tracking and competitiveness. A little luck didn’t hurt him either, but he’s a battler. If he can continue to grow, there are some raw materials here that in a matter of years, could make for a pretty capable netminder.
