NEWINGTON, Conn. — The Yale Junior Bulldogs Jamboree brought together most of the region’s notable teams at the 15 Pure division.
The three-day jamboree was hosted at the Newington Arena, Northford Ice Pavilion and a few other nearby rinks in Connecticut. It was a well-organized event that was scouted by junior scouts and general managers from the USHL, OHL and QMJHL.
It was nice to see some 15 Pure teams that I hadn’t seen previously this season, including Bishop Kearney Selects, New Jersey Rockets and Team Maryland. All three teams have at least one notable player. Other teams such as Boston Junior Eagles, Neponset Valley River Rats, North Jersey Avalanche and Springfield Rifles also were viewed.
Listed below are the players who had notable performances while I was watching the 15 Pure division of the Yale Junior Bulldogs Jamboree. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
Pavel Baranchik
North Jersey Avalanche, 9/22/05, LW, left shot
Baranchik scored two goals vs. the Junior Eagles on Sunday morning. He doesn’t possess elite skill, but he’s smart and in the right position at the right time. He’s almost always on the right side of the puck and works hard in both zones. Baranchik is in his first season out east after playing previously for the Los Angeles Junior Kings.
Alex Bosland
North Jersey Avalanche, 4/14/05, D, right shot
Bosland was the best defenseman I saw at the 15 Pure division. He has good size, is strong and can impact the game at both ends. Projecting out, he’s probably more of a defensive defenseman, but he makes good breakout passes and seemingly was on the ice for a majority of his team’s goals. He played for the New Jersey Colonials last season.
Hunter Dickey
Rochester Coalition, 1/19/05, RW, right shot
Dickey uses his speed to create offense on the rush. He’s skilled and can beat defenders wide with his second gear. He gets his shot off quickly and with zip. Dickey played for the Buffalo Regals last season.
James Guiffre
North Jersey Avalanche, 2/24/05, RW, right shot
Guiffre is a big power forward who plays the wing. He’s able to protect pucks and get space for his open linemates. He was on the scoresheet a couple times Sunday morning against the Junior Eagles. Guiffre played for the Long Island Royals last season.
Ryan Flaherty
River Rats, 4/25/05, C, right shot
Flaherty had a couple of goals and an assist on the weekend. His production was timely and he played hard. The Milton, Mass., native and BC High sophomore plays the game on the edge, drawing the ire of opponents. He’s not afraid to go to the dirty areas.
Drew Gibbons
River Rats, 6/2/05, RW, right shot
Gibbons, from Wakefield, R.I., had four assists on the weekend. He’s a good pure passer who makes a lot of plays from below the dots. He’s heavy on pucks and sees the ice well. He’ll be a rising star on Carl Corazzini’s team at St. Mark’s.
Wyatt Glass
River Rats, 2/10/05, LW, left shot
Glass, playing with a bad knee while still recovering from surgery, gives it his all each shift. I didn’t see a player, regardless of division, block as many shots as he did. Glass will be a sophomore at Duxbury (Mass.) High School.
Thomas Klochkov
New Jersey Rockets, 3/30/05, C, left shot
Klochkov is the second-best forward on the Rockets, behind Nick Metelkin. He has good size, sees the ice well and made some plays in Sunday’s game. He came over from the North Jersey Avalanche, where he played last season. He plays for Seton Hall Prep during the high school hockey season.
Ryan Leonard
Springfield Rifles, 1/21/05, C, right shot
Leonard had a hat trick in Saturday’s game against the River Rats and had a couple of other strong games on the weekend. The Amherst, Mass., native is dangerous when he gets the puck on his stick. His shot obviously is very good, but he’s heavy on pucks and sees the ice well. There were several occasions where he’d lift an opponent’s stick, win the battle for the loose puck, then get a scoring chance for himself or a teammate. There wasn’t a player in this division who was as lethal with the puck on the weekend. Coming off a monster freshman season at Pope Francis, Leonard should put up even gaudier numbers for the Cardinals this season.
Brian Lonergan
North Jersey Avalanche, 12/28/05, D, right shot
Lonergan is a big defenseman who moves well for his size. He’s rangy and was a factor in his team’s game against the Junior Eagles. As I’ve mentioned before, he’s a couple days shy of being an ’06. I see upside in Lonergan as he continues to develop with the Avalanche.
Jake McManus
Junior Eagles, 1/3/05, LW, left shot
McManus played on the 15 Pure team Sunday, but I’ve also seen him playing up with the 16-U team this season. He scored his team’s only goal vs. the North Jersey Avalanche. McManus is quick and skilled.
Nick Metelkin
New Jersey Rockets, 8/9/05, LW, left shot
Metelkin scored two goals, including the game-winner in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the River Rats. Metelkin did a good job of winning battles for loose pucks. His skating and skill are both evident as he was a centerpiece on the team’s power play. He played for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms during the 2019-20 season. I didn’t know much about Metelkin heading into the weekend, but he made a name for himself.
Cam Russo
River Rats, 1/3/05, C, right shot
Russo had three goals on the weekend. The Middleton, Mass., native is skilled and can finish. His hands are very good and he’s got above-average size. He’s heading from St. John’s Prep to Governor’s.
Ryan Shaw
Springfield Rifles, 1/29/05, LW, left shot
Shaw, who plays wing on the top line with Leonard at center, is a skilled forward. He’s quick and is around the puck a lot. Like Leonard, Shaw will be back at Pope Francis for another season in 2020-21.
Ethan Skowronek
Team Maryland, 2/15/05, C, left shot
Skowronek was his team’s top player. He showed offensive upside in terms of goal-scoring ability. Skowronek was on the team’s top line and played the point on the power play. He’s a player to watch over the coming years.
Cam Squires
Bishop Kearney, 4/11/05, RW, right shot
Squires was the Bishop Kearney player who kept finding his way onto the scoresheet in my two viewings of the new program this weekend. From Prince Edward Island, he’s on the smaller side, but he’s crafty, smart and makes plays. Squires was dynamic and showed an ability to take over a game offensively.
Joey Zheng
River Rats, 9/8/05, RW, right shot
Zheng had three goals on the weekend, including two in his team’s win over Team Maryland on Friday night. The Phillips Andover sophomore is the fastest player I saw in this division. He uses his speed to track down loose pucks and separate from opposing defenders. His skill is sometimes overlooked because of his skating. However, he can shoot the puck with accuracy and zip.
Adam Zidlicki
North Jersey Avalanche, 1/28/05, LW/D, left shot
Zidlicki seemingly played a little up front and a little on the blue line. He plays a powerful game, is heavy on pucks, and strong on his skates. I think his footwork has improved. Looking ahead, he is a solid prospect for the college and pro levels.
