The 2019 STX 68 Combine, featuring many of the top ‘05s in the country, took place August 8-11 at the Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge, Ill.
In addition to the three games that the STX 68 Combine participants competed in, there were on-ice practices and workouts, off-ice seminars, and equipment demos. Some of the guest coaches and lectures included Wisconsin head coach Tony Granato, NHL on NBC analyst and former Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Ed Olcyzk, and hockey hall of famer Marty St. Louis.
Past STX 68 Combines have been a good indicator of future success. This year will likely be similar. While some players will undoubtedly improve significantly, many of the top players from the 2019 STX 68 Combine will be selected to play for USA Hockey’s NTDP someday.
Based on attendance at all six games, here is a look at the top players from the 2019 STX Combine:
Forwards
1. Quentin Musty
#14 Grey, Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 7/6/05, Left Shot
Musty had three goals and three assists. He’s a power forward with skill who uses his size and strength to his advantage. He’s able to make plays, especially down low. He can lower his shoulder and use his length to protect pucks. He has a long, explosive stride that allows him to get to pucks as well as separate from defenders. He has good hands for a big guy, exemplified by a midair tip-in goal he scored.
2. Ty Henricks
#13 Black, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 6/28/05, Left Shot
Henricks, who had two goals and three assists, has a ton of potential with his size and offensive ability. He protects pucks with his size and length. He made a couple of big time passes, including one from the left wing wall that led to a goal on Friday. He wins battles and has good hands for a big guy. He has a net front presence and can really rip a shot. If his first step and separation speed can get better as he grows into his large frame, he’ll continue to be one of the elite players in this age group.
3. Ryan Fine
#8 Black, Mid Fairfield, 3/14/05, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Fine is a speedy forward with elite playmaking capabilities. He had three goals and an assist. All three goals came in Sunday’s finale. His speed is an asset as he can burn by guys and accelerate quickly to make plays in small areas. His agility is a notable asset. He sees the ice well and knows where to find pucks.
4. Tanner Adams
#8 Red, LI Royals, 9/2/05, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: Providence
Adams had four goals. He’s quick, has agility, a good release and consistently makes plays. He showed that he’s an elite play-making forward for this age group. He made a couple of highlight reel passes in addition to his goals. He showed that he can score goals in different manners. He scored a nice backhander from in close while also ripping a shot while on the rush. He hunts pucks and was good on the forecheck.
5. Carter Slaggert
#15 Red, Chicago Mission, 3/4/05, Left Shot
Slaggert is a very good skater who has offensive instincts, vision and skill to go with it. He also plays well away from the puck and has good hockey sense in all three zones. He had two goals and an assist. He scored a beauty of a breakaway tally with a nice finish on a deke. He also gave a great pass to a linemate for an assist on Friday. Slaggert is the son of Notre Dame associate head coach Andy Slaggert and the younger brother of Notre Dame forward Graham Slaggert and NTDP U-18 forward Landon Slaggert.
6. Chase Pirtle
#12 Black, Philadelphia HC, 3/8/05, Right Shot
Pirtle had two goals and an assist during a very good weekend for himself. He has good hands, but plays a powerful game. He has a hard shot and wins a lot of battles below the dots. He also has length and used it to backcheck and made a nice play while killing a penalty.
7. Will Smith
#9 Red, Jr. Eagles, 3/17/05, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
Smith had two goals and an assist. He’s a big power forward with a hard shot. There’s no questioning his finishing ability. He has that ability to drive into the slot and rip a shot. His skating is above average and he has the skill to make a couple of really good passes, but he tends to not move the puck as often as he perhaps should.
8. Brian Nicholas
#16 Red, Westchester Express, 3/15/05, Left Shot
Nicholas, a winger with real good size and length, had a goal and an assist. He can drive the net and plays a powerful game, but he also has a little bit of finesse and deception at times. He’ll pull the puck back before ripping a hard wrist shot. He uses his length to protect pucks. Like Smith, he also has to learn to move the puck more.
9. Salvatore Guzzo
#9 White, Mid Fairfield, 4/17/05, Right Shot
Guzzo had an assist in Saturday night’s game. He’s a big power forward with a strong, explosive stride. He’s able to power his way past defenders, whether it be with the puck or to win a race to a loose puck. His hockey sense is an area of his game that could use some work moving forward.
10. Chris Pelosi
#16 Black, Philadelphia HC, 3/6/05, Left Shot
Pelosi had two goals and two assists. He has a good release, is quick, and makes plays. His skating and explosive stride were noted in all three games.
11. Charlie Lewinski
#14 Black, Belle Tire, 1/5/05, Left Shot
Lewinski, a power forward, had two goals and an assist. He has the size and length to protect pucks and he can bring it physically. He delivered a big hit on the forecheck in Sunday’s game. If his skating and hockey sense can improve a little, he has a lot of upside.
12. Drew Stewart
#11 Black, Minnetonka AA, 11/3/05, Right Shot
Stewart had five goals here and displayed good chemistry while on a line with Henricks. It wasn’t all Henricks and he deserves credit. He has good hands, a quick release and he skates well, which allows him to find seams and get pucks in the scoring areas. He’s quick, agile, crashes the net and keeps his feet moving.
13. Dashel Oliver
#12 Red, Chicago Mission, 2/24/05, Right Shot
Oliver had a good weekend, but his production all came Sunday with a goal and an assist. He skates well and has good hands while being hard to defend due to his elusiveness. He forced a turnover behind the net while on the forecheck and had a second gear to blow by opposing defenders.
14. Joseph Willis
#15 Black, Chicago Mission, 3/10/05, Left Shot
Willis had a pair of assists. He had separation speed and was able to beat defenders wide. He used his edges and was agile.
15. Brandon Hilton
#10 Black, Belle Tire, 6/13/05, Right Shot
Hilton had a goal and an assist. His skill and quickness were noticeable throughout the weekend. His hockey sense could use some improvement.
16. Oliver Moore
#13 Grey, Mounds View AA, 1/22/05, Left Shot
Moore has very good speed and he scored two goals in Sunday’s game. His skating stood out in all three games. One of his goals came on the rush while the other came from a slick move as he was driving the net from the corner.
17. Ryan Leonard
#9 Grey, Springfield Rifles, 1/21/05, Right Shot
Leonard had a goal in Sunday’s game. He has a hard and accurate shot with a sneaky release. His hands and overall puck skills are strong as well. He has a good stick and is heavy on pucks. If his skating can get a little better, his ceiling will be that much higher. He’s the younger brother of San Jose Sharks prospect and UMass junior John Leonard.
18. William Whitelaw
#10 Red, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 2/5/05, Right Shot
Whitelaw had a goal and an assist. He has above average speed, quickness and hands. He scored a shootout goal in addition that a nice snap shot high above the goaltender’s glove.
19. Brandon Svoboda
#12 White, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 2/4/05, Right Shot
Svoboda had good size and protects pucks. He’s a little raw, but there are the physical tools in his game that are intriguing.
20. Owen Leahy
#16 Grey, Providence HC, 2/11/05, Left Shot
Leahy had a nice weekend, even outside from the one goal he scored in Sunday’s contest. He made a couple of good looks in Friday’s game and used his burst of speed to get to pucks. He plays a responsible game in all three zones, which is saying something for his age and in this type of environment.
21. Will McDonough
#9 Black, Boston Advantage, 6/18/05, Right Shot
McDonough was held scoreless, but his play improved as the weekend moved along. His skating is still a work in progress, but there’s a lot to like about his game. He has good size, has a net front presence, and plays hard. He has a hard shot and he got it off a couple of times, but it didn’t find the back of the net.
22. Ryan Morgan
#14 Red, Team Illinois, 9/16/05, Left Shot
Morgan didn’t find the score sheet, but he was around the puck a lot. He forced a couple of turnovers.
23. Nate Murray
#10 White, Honeybaked, 2/9/05, Right Shot
Murray is a quick, smaller forward who registered a couple of assists. He made a really nice pass to hit the trailer on a goal on the rush. He’s fast and makes plays, but a lot of his play came outside the circles.
24. Zach Nehring
#11 Grey, Minot Wolves, 3/7/05, Right Shot
Nehring had a goal and an assist in Friday night’s game. He has good size, had an above average release on his shot, and made some plays on the rush. He needs to be more assertive on a consistent basis.
25. Danny Nelson
#5 White, Osseo-Maple Grove AA, 8/3/05, Left Shot
Nelson played some forward and some defense here. He has the size and length and a hard, heavy shot. There’s a lot to like his physical skill set, but this was a hard weekend to truly gauge his current status with switching back and forth. He's probably going to be a defenseman moving forward.
26. Beckett Hendrickson
#13 White, Minnetonka AA, 6/24/05, Left Shot
Hendrickson was an impactful F1. He hunts pucks and keeps his feet moving. His hands are above average and he skates well and with quickness. He’s shifty as well.
27. Brody Clarke
#11 Red, Colorado Thunderbirds, 3/2/05, Right Shot
Clarke had an assist in Sunday’s game. He is a power forward who is heavy on pucks. He has good length and can be a menace below the dots with his strength. He won battles below the dots, in the corners and along the walls. His compete level was high. His skating was an area of his game that could use improvement.
28. Noah Powell
#12 Grey, Team Illinois, 2/2/05, Right Shot
Powell had a goal in Saturday’s game. He plays with energy and grit. His skating and offensive instincts are just average.
29. Sam Carosello
#15 White, CarShield HC, 10/22/05, Left Shot
Carosello was quick and made a couple of plays on Friday and Saturday, including a goal. He’s slick and elusive.
30. Charlie Cerrato
#16 White, Philadelphia HC, 3/10/05, Left Shot
Cerrato had a goal in Saturday’s game. He’s quick and skilled.
31. Connor Brown
#11 White, Florida Alliance, 5/3/05, Right Shot
Brown is small, but has a good motor and forced turnovers by keeping his feet moving on the forecheck. He made a nice pass for his only assist of the weekend.
Defensemen
1. Aram Minnetian
#2 White, Mid Fairfield, 3/19/05, Right Shot
Minnetian was the best defenseman at the combine. He’s a very good skater who uses it to avoid forecheckers on the breakout, push the pace on the rush, get shots on net from the point, and contain opposing forwards. He’s skilled and can really shoot it. He has a good stick to defend the rush. In total, he had a goal and an assist.
2. Nathan Williams
#4 Grey, Chicago Mission, 7/9/05, Right Shot
Williams had a good stick, which forced pucks out of his defensive zone on a couple of occasions. He’s physical and covers a lot of ground while playing solid defense. He closes quickly and plays with jam. He showed good recovery speed and made some smart chips up the wall to break pucks out of his own zone.
3. Drew Fortescue
#7 Black, Mid Fairfield, 4/28/05, Left Shot
Fortescue was really good in both ends of the ice. He skates well and can contribute offensively, but he’s responsible and can bring a physical element. He made a really good first touch that led to a goal on Saturday. It was one of a few good breakout passes. He made several nice plays to break up opponents’ rush attempts.
4. Lucas St. Louis
#6 Red, Mid Fairfield, 3/30/05, Left Shot
St. Louis is an offensive, puck-moving defenseman. He has very good mobility and can turn defense into offense in a blink of an eye. His feet allow him to sidestep forecheckers and he can also use them to defend. His size can hurt him a little on retrievals and defensively. Lucas is the son of Marty St. Louis and the younger brother of NTDP U-17 forward and Northeastern commit Ryan St. Louis.
5. Nicholas Fascia
#6 Grey, Philadelphia Hockey Club, 4/28/05, Left Shot
Fascia is a solid, two-way defender. He has good size, a hard shot, and can step up into the play. He’s a good skater and he can race the puck up ice, but he isn’t flashy. He just does a good job of keeping things fairly simple while still being productive.
6. Paul Fischer
#7 White, Chicago Mission, 1/30/05, Left Shot
Fischer is a solid defensive defenseman. He’s good defensively and has a good stick to get into shooting and passing lanes and break up plays on the rush. He can bring it physically and had a hard shot.
7. William Vote
#8 White, Jr. Eagles, 2/22/05, Right Shot
Like Nelson, Vote played some defense and some forward for the White team. Vote was good at both positions, but excelled on defense. All prior viewings of Vote came while he was playing forward. He’s smart and read plays well. He’s heavy on pucks and was hard to play against with his good stick. He made a couple of plays in Saturday’s game while playing up front.
8. Matthew Mania
#3 Grey, Belle Tire, 1/11/05, Right Shot
Mania has played some forward in the past, which shows in his game. He has the ability to be an elite puck-mover, but his defensive play needs work at times. He’s a very good skater and he can make some big plays on the breakout as he looks to push the pace. Turnovers and picking his spots were an issue at times.
9. Jason Zaccari
#6 White, Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 6/2/05, Left Shot
Zaccari is an offensive defenseman with a good skill set. He skates well and has talented hands while carrying or passing the puck up ice. His mobility and puck-moving skills were notable in all three games. He made several good first touches to spring the breakout.
10. John Novak
#5 Grey, Lakeville South AA, 4/7/05, Left Shot
Novak is a rugged, physically mature defender. He keeps things steady and plays with jam. His physical play was noted during all three games. He’s strong and has a hard shot. His footwork and whether or not he has physically peaked are concerns.
11. John Michael Danks
#2 Black, NJ Colonials, 2/26/05, Right Shot
Danks had a goal and two assists on the weekend. He made plays and showed an offensive flare in Saturday’s game. He has good mobility and made good decisions on when to pinch. He looks to be a potential offensive defenseman in the making.
12. Sean Smith
#6 Black, Honeybaked, 4/10/05, Left Shot
Smith is a big defensive defenseman with a mean streak. He plays hard and likes to throw his weight around. He delivered a couple of really big hits, including one to an opponent’s top forward. His offensive skill isn’t an area of strength, but if he can keep things simple and avoid overhandling, he could be a good shutdown defender.
13. Zach Schulz
#5 Red, Honeybaked, 6/14/04, Left Shot
Schulz is a big defensive defenseman who can add a physical element. He keeps things simple for the most part and made a couple of nice one-on-one plays to break up rushes by the opposition. While not a strength, his skating grew on you as the week went along.
14. Nathan Hargest
#4 Black, Florida Alliance, 4/21/05, Right Shot
Hargest showed the potential to be a puck-moving, offensive defenseman. His skating is good enough that he can jump into the offense and escape trouble on retrievals and breakouts. His stick is also good.
15. Jonathan Lanza
#3 Red, Jr. Eagles, 3/10/05, Right Shot
Lanza’s size and toughness were areas of strengths while his skating and puck skills are areas that he can work on as he continues his development.
16. Shawn Leary
#3 Black, Jr. Eagles, 5/12/05, Right Shot
Leary is a work in progress, but his physical game is solid. He can play with a mean streak. His skating and puck skills are areas that he can work on as he continues to move up the development ladder.
17. Alex Bosland
#2 Red, NJ Colonials, 4/14/05, Right Shot
Bosland is a strong defensive defenseman who made a couple of solid plays one-on-one. Turnovers were an issue at times, but he’ll be OK if he keeps things simple.
18. Ty Hanson
#4 Red, Hermantown, 4/21/05, Right Shot
Hanson had a goal in Friday’s game.
Goaltenders
1. Ryan Sanborn
#1 Black, Mid Fairfield, 1/15/05, Catches Left
Sanborn gave up the fewest goals of any goaltender here. He has above average size, moves well, has strong technique, and most importantly, stops pucks.
2. Michael Chambre
#30 Black, Florida Alliance, 1/7/05, Catches Right
Chambre has good size gave up the second least amount of goals here. He moves well and has strong athleticism. Chambre and Sanborn were in a class by themselves at this combine.
3. Sam Scopa
#1 Red, Jr. Eagles, 1/10/05, Catches Left
Scopa has good size, moves well, and has the makings of a solid goaltending prospect for the New England region.
Leading Scorers
- Quentin Musty...3-3--6
- Ty Henricks...2-3--5
- Drew Stewart...5-0--5
- Tanner Adams...4-0--4
- Ryan Fine…3-1--4
- Chase Pirtle...2-2--4
- Chris Pelosi...2-2--4
- Carter Slaggert...2-1--3
- Charlie Lewinski...2-1--3
- Will Smith...2-1--3
- Brandon Hilton...1-2--3
Goals Against Leaders
- Ryan Sanborn...3 GA
- Michael Chambre…5 GA
- Cooper Rautenstrach…5 GA
