BOSTON — At the conclusion of the 2017-18 season, Derek Mullahy was fresh off a junior campaign at Dexter Southfield that saw him post a 1.94 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. Both numbers placed him among the best netminders in prep.
He didn’t need those stats to solidify his status as one of the best up-and-coming goalies in the region.
The Scituate, Mass., native spent 2015-17 as a standout goalie for Shattuck St. Mary’s. That led to him committing to Harvard in February 2017. Later that year, he was taken 33rd overall in the USHL Futures Draft by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
Committing to Harvard placed importance on academics, which is why Mullahy transferred to Dexter for the 2017-18 season. Not only would there be more of an onus on grades at the Brookline, Mass., prep school, but he would be coached by Harvard men’s hockey coach Ted Donato’s (Dedham, Mass.) brother, Danny (Dedham, Mass.).
The big decisions weren’t over once Mullahy arrived at Dexter.
After that strong junior season in which Mullahy carried Dexter to the semifinals of the Elite 8 Tournament, there was pressure to forgo his senior year and head to Cedar Rapids. There was going to be some turnover for the RoughRiders in net and Mullahy’s services could’ve been used immediately.
“I talked with Danny [Donato] and Teddy [Donato] on staying my senior year,” Mullahy said last week at Boston Bruins Development Camp. “Not only for hockey but school-wise. Getting that degree and enjoying it.”
Mullahy opted to stay at Dexter for his final year in high school and the move paid off. His numbers improved even more, as he ranked second in the region in GAA (1.43) and fifth in save percentage (.940), guiding Dexter back to the Elite 8 Tournament.
“I grew up another year when maybe I’d go out [to the USHL] a year early and not play well because I’m so young, and I get stuffed down in the North American Hockey League or my confidence could get hurt and I’m playing catch up from there,” Mullahy said. “Playing at Dexter and just kind of being able to dominate a little bit really just boosted my confidence, and I felt like I could go to the USHL the next year and be one of the best goalies in the league.
“Glad I made that decision. I wouldn’t change it.”
The decision Mullahy faced — to stay or to go — is one that many of the top New England prep players face every March and April.
Most recently at Dexter, defenseman Sean Keohane (Milton, Mass.) opted to stay for his senior season rather than play in the USHL. Last month, he was selected in the sixth round of the NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. The 6-foot-4 defender is following a similar path to Mullahy.
However, many have differing decisions. Former Dexter forward Grayson Badger (Hyde Park, Mass.), who was a junior with Keohane in 2021-22, chose a different path, opting to forgo his senior year and skate in the USHL for 2022-23.
“It’s definitely a tough decision,” Mullahy said regarding advice for goalies facing similar circumstances in the present day. “Take your time. The league will always be there. I think you have to dominate at your level and then you move up. If you’re in the middle of the pack as a goaltender in prep hockey, I don’t think there’s any pressure to go up to the USHL.
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“Say you’re a top-three or top-10 goalie in prep. I think maybe that’s when you can go out to USHL camps and see how you fit in and see how the competition is. I think development is key. I’ve seen so many goalies and players leave high school too early and kind of struggle because they don’t get those reps and they’re not getting confidence, plays or games.”
Mullahy skated at Boston Bruins Development Camp as an invite last week. He played the last two seasons at Harvard, seeing a total of 13 games and backing up upperclassman Mitchell Gibson.
The Dexter product wasn’t the only player with ties to prep hockey at Bruins Development Camp.
Former Salisbury standout Ryan Walsh was picked by the Bruins in the sixth round of last month’s NHL Draft.
After spending his junior year at Salisbury during the COVID-impacted 2020-21 season, Walsh went back for his senior year despite being taken in the fourth round by Cedar Rapids in the 2022 USHL Futures Draft.
Like Mullahy’s decision to stay in prep, the move paid off. Walsh posted 16 goals and 39 points in 28 games for head coach Andrew Will in 2021-22, leading the Crimson Knights to an Elite 8 Tournament championship.
“The biggest thing that Salisbury did for me was it taught me to be accountable,” Walsh said. “It was the first time living away from home. You don’t have your parents there to drive you to the rink.
“Being able to act like a professional at a young age has helped me tremendously through my career and especially in juniors. The professionalism [Will] taught us – he taught us to be there 5-10 minutes early, stretch before, the longevity of the hockey game – is huge. A lot of the off-ice stuff — the things that go unnoticed — came from Salisbury.”
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This year was Walsh’s third and final crack at being selected in the NHL Draft. He was helped by a 2022-23 season with Cedar Rapids that had him rank second in the league in points with 79.
While a number of former prep players were taken in Nashville, only two who played the 2022-23 season in prep were picked.
“I think the biggest prep school is it helps you prepare more for your junior career than the NHL Draft,” Walsh said. “I feel like if you’re only trying to go for that first year [of eligibility in the NHL Draft], I don’t know if [prep school] is where you want to go. But prep school is very good for landing a Division 1 college. That kind of stuff. Definitely a great path.”
