The 2018 Boston Junior Bruins Shootout gave scouts and college coaches their first look at teams and players from the USPHL NCDC, all under one roof at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass.
USPHL NCDC league games took place Friday through Monday, were on time, and teams were younger than past years – a credit to the league. With the new rule limiting teams to seven overage players (‘98s), some organizations have looked to imports to stockpile their rosters.
Northeastern recruit Robby Griffin (Burlington, Mass.) is the league’s only real shot at a draft pick come the 2019 NHL Draft. While there doesn’t appear to be any legit NHL prospect in the USPHL NCDC, there are some good players and some uncommitted players who will one day find their way onto a Division 1 college roster.
One of the best players in the league is ’99 Cam Boudreau of the Junior Bruins. The Salem, N.H., native is a puck-moving, swift-skating defenseman who is committed to playing college hockey at Quinnipiac. His improvement over the last two years has been noteworthy.
A couple league teams, PAL Islanders and New Jersey Rockets, are much improved this season. The Rockets, especially, are a team to watch as they've tried to go younger than a lot of their league counterparts, rostering some intriguing players.
USPHL NCDC - Top uncommitted prospects
1. Ryan McInchak
#30 Jersey Hitmen, 2/28/99, Goaltender, Catches Left, 6-2/175
The Trenton, Mich., native has grown and become an even better goalie over the last year. McInchak squares up to shooters well and makes saves look relatively easy. He’s a competitor and jumps on loose pucks quickly. He’s above average at tracking pucks. He’s backstopping the best team in the league, but he’s very good himself.
2. Hunter McCoy
#16 Islanders HC, 8/1/00, Center, Left Shot, 6-0/190
McCoy appears ready to take his game to the next level in 2018-19 after adjusting to junior hockey last winter. From Newburyport, Mass., he sees the ice well and is strong on his skates. He’s tough to knock off pucks and plays with an edge. He had three goals over the last two games of the Junior Bruins Shootout.
3. Michael Colella
#13 PAL Islanders, 6/12/99, Left Wing, Left Shot, 5-9/150
The Turnersville, N.J., native has been on fire to start the NCDC season. Colella has a league-league-leading eight goals and 14 points through five games. Colella played with Virtua, previously called Team Comcast, the past few seasons. He was always quick and skilled, but he’s really put it all together. He made a couple of really great passes to send guys in for good scoring chances and finished a few plays with nice goals. He’s smart enough to know where to go to use his quickness to hunt pucks. It likely won’t be long before he has a commitment.
4. Artjoms Koppass
#27 Boston Bandits, 4/23/00, Left Wing, Left Shot, 6-2/205
From Latvia, Koppass does a good job of being a strong and heavy north-south power forward. He has a hard shot and plays a simple game. He often commands attention and possesses pucks below the dots. He does a good job of protecting pucks and getting off scoring chances.
5. Ryan Sorkin
#17 New Jersey Rockets, 6/13/01, Center, Right Shot, 5-8/155
Sorkin has stepped up from Chicago Mission 16U and Team Illinois 16U before that to play in the NCDC. His skating is very good. He has the speed to get to pucks and to separate from opposing defenders. His speed is an asset, especially in the transition game where he can create offense on the rush.
6. Cade DeStefani
#14 Junior Bruins, 6/21/01, Right Wing, Right Shot, 6-2/168
The Bedford, N.H., native is a good skater who makes plays. He’s the younger brother of Merrimack freshman Ethan DeStefani. As Cade continues to fill out his frame, he should be more comfortable playing between the dots. He undoubtedly has the skill and skating ability to be a Division 1 player.
7. Frankie Ireland
#77 Junior Bruins, 2/6/01, Left Wing, Left Shot, 5-10/160
The Longmeadow, Mass., native would probably have a commitment if he had played prep and put up big numbers. As it is, he’ll have to play in junior hockey to land a commit. He’s a little on the smaller side, but he’s gritty and plays bigger. He’s not afraid to go to the greasy areas to look for pucks to bang home.
8. Linden Alger
#7 Boston Bandits, 4/9/00, Defense, Left Shot, 6-3/200
The Centerville, Mass., native is still really raw, but he’s a tall defenseman who shows some signs of being a potential Division 1 player, possibly as a late bloomer. He’s not going to impact the offense a lot from the blue line, but he could be a solid bottom-pairing, shutdown defenseman.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical order)
Thomas Albert
#19 Northern Cyclones, 5/5/99, Defense, Right Shot, 5-10/170
After playing at Malden Catholic, the Reading, Mass., native had a pretty good season for New Hampton, a team that made it all the way to the final of the NEPSAC Small School Tournament. He’s a little undersized and not quite dynamic enough to be a definitive Atlantic Hockey player, but there’s potential with his skill set and willingness to go to the dirty areas. He’ll most likely be a very good recruit for a Division 3 program.
Antoine Belisle
#11 Jersey Hitmen, 7/15/98, Center, Left Shot, 6-1/190
The St. Bruno, Que., native spent the past two seasons in the CCHL, but he’s brought his playmaking ability to the NCDC. He’s crafty and sees the ice well, but his skating and overall game needs a little improvement to become a Division 1 player.
Liam Bove
#10 Rochester Monarchs, 2/26/99, Right Wing, Right Shot, 5-5/151
Bove is on the smaller side and is the best uncommitted player on a Rochester team that will probably finish last in the league. The Albany Academy alum has a strong compete and will make it to Division 3.
Ilya Fedorov
#52 New Jersey Rockets, 3/27/02, Left Wing, Left Shot, 6-0/185
Fedorov is a youngster from Russia who was battling an injury at the BJB Shootout. He’s fast and has some skill, but his hockey sense will need to improve as he continues to develop in junior hockey.
Luke House
#19 New Jersey Rockets, 7/8/00, Right Wing, Right Shot, 6-3/190
House has bounced around several teams in the HPHL and T1EHL over the past few years before coming to the Rockets. At the BJB Shootout, he showed the ability to use his size and strength to win battles and open up time and space for his linemates below the dots.
Noah Kane
#66 PAL Islanders, 11/27/99, Center, Left Shot, 5-11/175
The Buffalo, N.Y., native is the cousin of Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane. He’s been the beneficiary of playing alongside Colella to start the season. Nonetheless, he’s gritty, quick and knows where to go to be a nice complementary player.
Connor Lind
#18 South Shore Kings, 5/30/99, Defense, Right Shot, 5-10/174
The Marlboro, Mass., native is destined for Division 3, but he’s a very good skater for that level. He moves pucks well, can jump into the offense, and gets shots through from the point.
Sam Milnes
#16 South Shore Kings, 6/3/99, Right Wing, Right Shot, 6-1/200
The Williston alum and Middltown, R.I., native is a big, lumbering winger who can distribute pucks to teammates and win some battles. His pace will keep him at the Division 3 level, but likely an upper-echelon team.
Brad Ong
#91 Connecticut Jr. Rangers, 1/29/99, Center, Right Shot, 5-11/180
The West Vancouver, B.C., native doesn’t the flashiest of skill sets, but he was around the puck a lot and buried some goals last weekend.
Sasha Peresunko
#87 Junior Bruins, 2/8/00, Left Wing, Right Shot, 5-11/185
From Ukraine, Persunko made the jump from the Springfield Pics in USPHL Premier to the Junior Bruins in USPHL NCDC towards the end of last season. He’s a little too on the perimeter right now, but he has some skill and quickness.
Dylan Rallis
#15 Syracuse Stars, 5/29/98, Center, Left Shot, 6-3/198
From Minnesota, Rallis doesn’t have a lot of offensive upside, but he’s extremely fast. With his size, he could make a good bottom-six center for an Atlantic team or a Division 3 program.
Mitchell Shaheen
#18 New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, 3/5/98, Left Wing, Left Shot, 6-1/194
The St. John’s Prep alum is a hard-working, bottom-six winger who can play physically for the right Division 3 program. He scored two goals in Friday’s game against the Syracuse Stars.
Colin Slyne
#26 Connecticut Jr. Rangers, 4/7/98, Right Wing, Left Shot, 6-2/190
Slyne, a former prep star at Brunswick, has a good shot and is around the puck a lot. He has good size and is heavy on pucks, but he’ll need to get a step or two quicker to truly be considered a Division 1 prospect.
Everett Wardle
#91 Syracuse Stars, 1/8/99, Center, Right Shot, 5-8/165
From Hewlett, N.Y., Wardle has bounced around between the NH Jr. Monarchs, Skipjacks, PAL Islanders and CT Wolfpack in midget hockey. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s a waterbug-type forward who can be elusive. He’s probably going to end up in Division 3 because of his size, but he’s a fun player to watch in the offensive zone.
