Established 1996
 
 

 

NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch List

NHL Central Scouting Service released its new Players to Watch List today. It's a lengthy document. Pages 1-14 are for US/Canada. Pages 15-22 cover the European Leagues. It's a little thin on the New England Preps and Minnesota High School, as those leagues haven't gotten cranked up yet. That should change with the next list.

Four current or former New England prep players recieved an "A" or "B" ranking. They are RW Oliver Wahlstrom (NTDP/Harvard), who is an "A". The three who received "B" rankings are C Jay O'Brien (Thayer/Providence), RD Michael Kesselring (New Hampton/Merrimack), and LD Mike Callahan (Central Illinois/Providence). A number of others received a "C" ranking.

The 2018 NHL Draft is on June 22nd and 23rd at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.


NHL Central Scouting Players to Watch List of Nov. 15, 2017





Results from Sunday's District Championships


Mass. State Championship

All games at New England Sports Center
Sunday, November 12, 2017
(Rink number is in parentheses.)

In Massachusetts, seven different organizations won a trip to Nationals.

Tier I:

14U Tier I Semifinal: 8:30 am (5) -- Boston Jr. Eagles 5, NV River Rats 0
14U Tier I Semifinal: 8:30 am (4) -- Boston Jr. Terriers 3, Islanders Hockey Club 2
14U Tier I Championship: 3:00 pm (2) -- Boston Jr. Terriers 2, Boston Jr. Eagles 1 (OT) -- Jayden Grier put the Terriers up early in the first with a flukey goal that deflected in off a Jr. Eagle defender. Nolan Joyce got one back in the third with a PPG. But with six seconds left in OT, Jr. Terrier center JP Turner barreled down the left wing and fired a shot far side that beat Ryan Kazmouz for the GWG. The star of this game, in which the Jr. Eagles held a huge margin in time of possession and shots, was Jr. Terriers goalie Layne Browning. In addition, the Terriers played with grit and kept their wits about them when under pressure. The most compelling of the championship games here today. (Despite their loss, the Jr. Eagles, due to their strong season, have a chance of being invited to Nationals as an at-large team.)

15 Tier I Semifinal: 8:40 am (3) -- Boston Advantage 2, Springfield Rifles 1 (OT)
15 Tier I Semifinal: 9:00 am (2) --  Cape Cod Whalers 4, NV River Rats 3
15 Tier I Championship: 5:00 pm (2) -- Boston Advantage 2, Cape Cod Whalers 1 -- Ryan Corcoran scored two first period goals, which was all the Advantage needed.

16U Tier I Semifinal: 10:30 am (5) -- Boston Jr. Eagles 5, EC Wizards 1
16U Tier I Semifinal: 10:30 am (4) -- NV River Rats 6, Cape Cod Whalers 2
16U Tier I Championship: 5:00 pm (1) -- Boston Jr. Eagles 4, NV River Rats 2 -- A John Farinacci goal off a breakaway broke open a 2-2 game in the third. David Jacobs added an insurance goal with 1:32 remaining. Peirce Kenney and Ben Meehan also scored for the Jr. Eagles. Danny Colon and Robbie Barletta scored for the River Rats. Derek Mullahy got the win in net; Gavin Fitzpatrick took the loss.

18U Tier I Semifinal: 11:00 am (2) -- Little Bruins 6, Boch Militia 1
18U Tier I Semifinal: 11:40 am (7) -- Cape Cod Whalers 5, EMass Senators 3
18U Tier I Championship: 6:00 pm (5) -- Cape Cod Whalers 4, Little Bruins 3 -- In the waning minutes of the third, the Little Bruins had what would have been a game-tying goal waived off when the officials ruled the puck hadn't crossed the goal line. Numerous spectators thought it had, and Little Bruins coach Peter Masters definitely thought so, but his argument didn't convince the referee. The Whalers got goals from Jack Rathbone (2), Ryan Stevens, and Aidan McDonough. All the Little Bruins goals -- from Jack Studley, Andrew Moynihan, and Gunnarwolfe Fontaine -- came in the first period, as did two of the Whalers' goals. Matt Lane (Whalers) and Aidan Porter (Little Bruins) were in net. The Little Bruins had a short bench, as five players were scratches due to injury, including Hunter Brackett, who broke his arm in an earlier game.


Tier II:

14U Tier II Semifinal: 7:40 am (7) -- Islanders Hockey Club 8, EC Wizards 0
14 U Tier II Semifinal: 8:00 am (1) -- South Shore Kings 5, Springfield Rifles 1
14U Tier II Championship: 1:40 pm (7) -- South Shore Kings 4, Islanders HC 3 -- Luke Raider, with an assist from Alex Infanger, scored the game-winner 4:10 into the third period.

16U Tier II Semifinal: 9:40 am (7) -- NV River Rats 3, Canton Bulldogs 0
16U Tier II Semifinal: 10:00 am (1) -- Greater Boston Jr. Bruins 5, South Shore Kings 3
16 U Tier II Championship: 6:30 pm (7) -- NV River Rats 2, Greater Boston Jr. Bruins 1 (OT) -- A Kevin Moriarty goal 15 seconds into overtime, a tuck of a rebound of a Devon Carlstrom shot off the end boards, lifted the River Rats to a 2-1 win.

18U Tier II Semifinal: 10:40 am (3) -- EMass Senators 4, Quincy 67s 3
18U Tier II Semifinal: 10:40 am (6) -- Springfield Rifles 8, Barnstable Raiders 3
18U Tier II Championship: 8:00 pm (7) -- Springfield Rifles 4, EMass Senators 1-- The Rifles struck for three second period goals, including two from John Barron.


***
New England District Championship
All games at the Berkshire School; Sheffield, Mass.
Sunday, November 12, 2017

16U Tier I Championship: 10:00 am (Olympic) -- Selects Academy 2, Yale 0 -- Selects got goals from PJ Fletcher and Ethan Phillips, and Trevor Giwerowski posted a 42-save shutout.

15 Tier I Championship: 11:00 am (NHL) -- Selects Academy 4, Yale 0 -- Selects 15s got goals from Jack Williams, Nick DeSantis, Ryan Miknich, and Tyler Silverstein. Victor Czernecklanair had a pair of assists. And Tommy Aitken (12 saves) notched the shutout.

18U Tier I Championship: 12:30 pm (Olympic) -- Yale 4, NH Avalanche 0 -- Alex Dipaolo (2g,2a) figured in all four Yale goals, and Daniel DeChille (44 saves) let nothing by him. Jacques Bouquot had a goal and an assist, Nick Hale had a goal, and Kevin Wall had a pair of assists.


***
And The Winners Go To...
USA Hockey National Championships
Tier I: April 5-10, 2018
14U -- Charlotte, NC 
15 -- Plymouth, Mich.
16U & 18U -- Philadelphia, PA

Tier II: April 5-9, 2018
14U -- Amherst, NY
16U -- Wayne, NJ
18U -- Green Bay, Wisc.

 

 

MPHL Tournament This Weekend

The Midwest Prep Hockey League will be hosting its Seventh Annual Kick-Off Classic at Cairns Arena in South Burlington, Vt.

The tournament, hosted by Rice Memorial Prep, starts Friday and ends Sunday. This is one of only two chances to see all ten MPHL teams as they play a total of 25 games over the course of the weekend.

There will be a coaches' hospitality area. Programs, rosters, and line charts will be available. 

MPHL teams in 2017-18 are:

Bowers Division
Bishop's College School (Sherbrooke, Que.)
Rice Memorial Prep (South Burlington, Vt.)
Rothesay Netherwood School (Rothesay, NB)
Stanstead College (Stanstead, Que.)
Ridley College (St. Catharine's, ONT)

Malloy Division
Gilmour Academy (Gates Mills, OH)
Lake Forest Academy (Lake Forest, Ill.)
Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, Conn.)
St. Francis HS (Athol Springs, NY)
Shady Side Academy (Pittsburgh, PA)

Two new schools have joined the league this year: Cheshire Academy and Rothesay Netherwood. They replace St. Michael's College (Toronto, ONT) and Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.).


MPHL Kick-Off Classic Schedule



 

EHF to Merge with Mass Selects in 2018

The Eastern Hockey Federation (EHF) will be merging with the Mass Select League in the fall of 2018.

The new league will be called the EHF Selects 15 Pure/16U/18U Division -- it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue -- and will be made up of 11 EHF elite organizations along with 8 Mass Select League organizations. Each summer, after tryouts, teams will be broken out into divisions. A top division will consist of the best teams at their respective age levels.

Regardless of division, all 19 teams will be able to compete for a league championship and a spot in their state or regional playdowns which, of course, can lead to a slot in USA Hockey's National Championships in April.

The EHF's 11-team Select Division will consist of the Bay State Breakers, Boston Bandits, Boston Jr. Eagles, Boston Jr. Terriers, Conn. Jr. Huskies, Islanders Hockey Club, Minuteman Flames, Providence Capitals, South Shore Kings, Top Gun, and the Mid-Fairfield Jr. Rangers.

The eight Mass Select League organizations who will be joining the EHF Selects are the Boston Bulldogs, NS Wings, 495 Stars, North Stars Hockey, Boston Jr. Bruins, RI Saints, Cape Cod Whalers, Junior Bruins Hockey, and the Eastern Mass Senators.

Update: The official name of the league is the EHF Selects, and in its first year the top division will consist of no more than 10 teams, and most likely probably around eight. That's to be determined. The league will appear in a number of showcases, and will be hosting a Columbus Day event in Boston, utilizing rinks such as Northeastern, Harvard, BU and Warrior.

 

 

New England Regionals Program Book

The field is set and the schedule finalized for the New England Regionals, to be held Friday Nov. 10 through Sun. Nov. 12 at the Berkshire School (Sheffield, Mass.) and the Hotchkiss School (Lakeville, Conn.).

The big upset over the past weekend came on Saturday night at the Newington Arena where the #4-seeded U18 Connecticut River Hawks edged #1-seeded Selects Academy U18, 1-0, on a goal from incoming Westminster forward Sean Clarke, who played for the Lac St-Louis Lions (Midget AAA) last season, with 30 seconds remaining in OT.

Incoming Salisbury goaltender Jared Levine, an '00 from the LA Jr. Kings who has been excellent all fall, kicked out 63 shots for the shutout.

In the other U18 semi, Yale blanked Mid-Fairfield, 4-0.

As Connecticut gets three slots, the losers from Saturday played Sunday, with Mid-Fairfield punching its ticket for a trip to New Englands with a 5-2 win over Selects Academy.

U18 Seeding:
1. Yale
2. NH Avalanche
3. Conn. River Hawks
4. Mid-Fairfield

U16 Seeding:
1. Selects Academy (AKA Central Conn.)
2. NH Northern Cyclones
3. Mid-Fairfield
4. Yale

15s Seeding:
1. Selects Academy (AKA Central Conn.)
2. NH Avalanche
3. Yale
4. Mid-Fairfield


New England Regionals Program Book





Mass. Championships Program Book

The Mass. State Championships -- U18, U16, 15, U14 -- are on tap for this coming weekend, Fri.-Sun. Nov. 10-12, with all the action taking place at the New England Sports Center (Marlborough, Mass.)

The tournament includes both Tier I and Tier II.

Update, Thurs. Nov. 9th -- The updates to the schedule are minor. Game times and opponents are the same, but some Friday games were moved to other rinks -- all, of course, in the same building.

Mass State Championships Program Book


Mass State Championships Schedule (updated)



 

‘03s at the Prep Cup
Here are our top 15 ‘03s from this past weekend’s action at the ECC Prep Cup.


A Players

Nathan Glencross, left shot F, NH Avs -- Powerful skater, long strides, solid center, dangerous all game. In our opinion, the top player in the tournament. -- 9th grader at Groton-Dunstable HS

Cooper Flinton, left shot F, NH Avs -- Power forward, good size, poise, can make plays. -- 9th grader at Pinkerton Academy

Zach Glass, right shot F, South Shore Kings -- Smart, skilled playmaking centerman. Was a little perimeter at times, but has a great stick. -- 9th grader at Thayer

Jackson Coutu, right shot F, Neponset Valley River Rats -- Strong center, skates well, good skills, plays all three zones and uses his size well -- 9th grader at St. Mark’s School

Brian Morse, right shot D, California Golden Bears -- Big, with good poise and feet, and a long reach. Has the potential to be a very good player. Over 6’0”, 140 lbs.  –Feb. 2003 birthdate from Fresno, Calif.

 

B Players

William O’Keefe, right shot F, NH Avs -- Plays on Avs’ top line with Glencross and Flinton. Good shot with quick release. -- 9th grader at Tewksbury HS

Michael Mumm, right shot F, NJ Devils – Center is a strong skater, responsible, reminds us of current Northwood and former Groton forward Santeri Hartikainen –9th grader at Livington (NJ) High School

Dominic Murphy, F, Neponset Valley River Rats -- Tall, late ’03 with good hands and skating ability. Tries at times to do too much 1-on-1 but can finish. -- 8th grader at Forrest Grove Middle School (Worcester, Mass.)

Matthew Copponi, right shot  F, Neponset Valley River Rats – Center with very good hockey IQ. Walked the center off draw for two good chances. Undersized, very good hands. Needs to get to dirty areas more. --9th grader at Mansfield HS

Joe Freeman, left shot D, Neponset Valley River Rats – Solid-skating defenseman. Breaks the puck out well. Plays D first and keeps the game simple. -- 9th grader at Catholic Memorial

 

C Players

Patrick Last, right shot F, NH Avs – Second line center with good size. Solid all-around player.  -- 9th grader at Pinkerton Academy

Colin Norton, left shot F, South Shore Kings -- Fast, strong on the puck and forecheck. A worker bee. -- 9th grader from BC High

Mike Allen, left shot D, South Shore Kings -- Smooth d-man with average size. -- 8th grader at Burrillville (RI) Jr. High

Max Abramson, left shot F, California Golden Bears -- Forward played a solid responsible game. Has some offensive touch also. – Jan. 2003 from Los Angeles, Calif.

Michael Micalizzi, D, NJ Devils -- Big, raw, defensive defensemen. Could grow into an effective shutdown D. -- 9th Grader at St. John Vianney (NJ)

 

Around the Rinks

Northeastern recruit Riley Hughes (19) and Liam Gorman (15) -- both juniors -- will be taking on a bigger role for St. Sebastian's this season.
Northeastern recruit Riley Hughes (19) and Liam Gorman (15) -- both juniors -- will be taking on a bigger role for St. Sebastian's this season. (Photo: Dave Arnold Photography)
 
Middlesex junior G Joe Stanizzi kicked out 48 shots in a 3-0 shutout of Governor's on Dec 1st.
Middlesex junior G Joe Stanizzi kicked out 48 shots in a 3-0 shutout of Governor's on Dec 1st. (Photo: Dave Arnold Photography)
 
Trinity-Pawling junior -- and Dartmouth recruit -- Joey Musa (right) being defended by Avon D Jack Babbage in last year's Avon Xmas Classic.
Trinity-Pawling junior -- and Dartmouth recruit -- Joey Musa (right) being defended by Avon D Jack Babbage in last year's Avon Xmas Classic. (Photo: J. Alexander Imaging)
 
Northfield-Mt. Hermon's 6'5" junior goaltender Eric Green saw a ton of rubber last season -- 984 shots -- while stealing games for the Hoggers.
Northfield-Mt. Hermon's 6'5" junior goaltender Eric Green saw a ton of rubber last season -- 984 shots -- while stealing games for the Hoggers. (Photo: J. Alexander Imaging)