Tues. 1/31/17
NCDC Futures Draft Today
The 11-team National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC), the new tuition-free junior league being added as the top-most rung of most teams currently in the Premier League, is holding its Futures Draft today, for '01 and '02 birthdates.
In a separate process, each team is already in the process of identifying players for next season and offering tenders, which will be used to gain rights to players not already in its organization. A number of players have already been signed.
The league's charter members are the Boston Bandits, Junior Bruins, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Islanders Hockey Club, Jersey Hitmen, New Jersey Rockets, Northern Cyclones, PAL Junior Islanders, Rochester Monarchs, South Shore Kings, and Syracuse Stars.
The NJ Rockets, Boston Bandits, Northern Cyclones, and Rochester Monarchs are the only teams not members of the current 10-team Premier League. The Northern Cyclones do, however, have lower-level teams in the USPHL.
'01s and '02s may be signed to tenders, but any team that has selected one will lose their top pick in today's Futures Draft. This rule was put in place to discourage other teams from selecting a top young prospect who might be leaving his current team from being held hostage. Geography will play a role in this, especially with regards to natives of the areas in which the 11 teams are located. A team such as Rochester or the P.A.L. Islanders is pretty unlikely to sign a player from, for example, Foxborough, Mass., the home of the South Shore Kings.
In addition, a player already on one of the 11 organization's youth teams will be exempt from the drafts or tender process. However, this doesn't apply to split-season teams. They must be on full-season squads.
Players not signed to a tender -- each team is allowed eight -- are eligible for today's Futures Draft if they are '01s or '02s. The NCDC's regular entry draft (for '97s, '98s, '99s, and '00s) will be held in May. The USPHL Premier League, currently a 10-team league, will remain in its current pay-to-play format, and will drop down to become each organization's #2 junior team.
In today's Futures Draft each team will pick six players. The teams will keep the order in which they are picked a secret in order to prevent jealousies that might turn prospects off.
Each player chosen in today's Futures Draft will remain the property of the selecting team until they graduate from prep school or high school. They cannot sign with any other team unless they are traded or released. Upon graduation they can become free agents.
It remains to be seen how these changes will affect prep schools, high schools, and other junior leagues. How many top young players will leave their school team to play in the new league? There will certainly be pressure on them. Also, the new league will be going up against the more-established USHL or BCHL, and how much success they have there will be crucial to its survival in an already over-crowded field.
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A New Pre-Draft Showcase
Peter Masters reports that on Sat.-Sun. May 13th-14th a three-game series will be held at the New England Sports Center between two teams of players eligible for this June's NHL Entry Draft.
There will be one game Saturday night, and one Sunday morning followed by a third on Sunday night. Both teams will have 18 players (10 F, 6 D, 2 G) and will be selected by the NHL's Central Scouting Service as well as scouts from individual teams.
Players who were passed over last year or the year before and are still eligible will, if chosen, be allowed to participate.
Tues. 1/31/17
NCDC Futures Draft Results
Here are the results from today's National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) Futures Draft for '01s and '02s. For more info on how the whole system works please refer to our previous article.
| Josh Lawrence | F | 2002 | Selects Academy | Fredericton, NB |
| Reid Leibold | F | 2001 | Washington Little Caps | Ashburn, VA |
| Conner Guyette | D | 2001 | Tabor Academy | Waterbury Center, VT |
| Ethan Phillips | F | 2001 | Selects Academy U15 | Dartmouth, NS |
| Moe Acee | D | 2001 | CP Dynamo | Balston Spa, NY |
| Lynden Breen | F | 2001 | New Hampton | Grand-Bay-Westfield, NB |
Connecticut Junior Rangers
| Brandon Cimino | D | 2001 | NJ Avalanche U16 | New Rochelle, NY |
| Briggs Gammill | F | 2001 | Berkshire School | New Canaan, CT |
| Cooper Moore | D | 2001 | Brunswick School | Cos Cob, CT |
| Jimmy Rayhill | D | 2001 | The Gunnery School | New Hartford, NY |
| Joey Sharib | G | 2001 | Cushing Academy | Natick, MA |
| Nick Capone | F | 2001 | East Haven HS (CT) | East Haven, CT |
Islanders Hockey Club
| Christian Sarlo | F | 2001 | NJ Avalanche | Lynbrook, NY |
| Cole Vallese | F | 2002 | NJ Colonials U14 | Rockville, MD |
| Derek Mullahy | G | 2001 | Shattuck-St. Mary's U16 | Scituate , MA |
| Jack Robilotti | D | 2001 | Selects Hockey Academy U15 | New York, NY |
| Ryan Johnson | D | 2001 | Anaheim Jr Ducks U16 | Irvine, CA |
| William Margel | F | 2001 | Selects Hockey Academy U15 | Potomac, MD |
Jersey Hitmen
| Adam Varga | F | 2001 | Washington Little Caps | Bel Air, MD |
| Anthony Cipollone | F | 2001 | Westchester Express | Rye, NY |
| Cade Webber | D | 2001 | Rivers School | Meadville, PA |
| Connor Tait | F | 2001 | Team Maryland | Boyds,MD |
| Trevor Kuntar | F | 2001 | Buffalo Jr. Sabres | Buffalo, NY |
| Tyler Paquette | F | 2001 | The Hill School | Collegeville, PA |
Junior Bruins
| Colby Bailey | D | 2001 | St. Mark's | Mendon, MA |
| Henry Thrun | D | 2001 | St. Mark's | Southboro, MA |
| Liam Connors | F | 2001 | St. Sebastian's | Westborough, MA |
| Patrick Moynihan | F | 2001 | Nobles | Millis, MA |
| Sam Colangelo | F | 2001 | Lawrence Academy | Stoneham, MA |
| Sean Farrell | F | 2001 | St. Mark's | Hopkinton, MA |
New Jersey Rockets
| Kyle Mandleur | F | 2001 | Mercer Chiefs | E. Brunswick, NJ |
| Alexandros Aslanidis | G | 2001 | Jr. Flyers | Moorestown, NJ |
| Jared Crespoi | D | 2002 | NJ Avalanche | Easthampton, NJ |
| Chase Bradley | F | 2002 | NJ Colonials | St. Louis, MO |
| Jason Siedem | F | 2002 | NJ Devils | Madison, NJ |
| Mason Proskin | D | 2002 | NJ Colonials | Pittsburgh, PA |
Northern Cyclones
| Braden Doyle | D | 2001 | Lawrence Academy | Lynnfield, MA |
| Cade Destefani | F | 2001 | NH Monarchs U16 | Bedford, NH |
| Jake Dunlap | F | 2001 | NH Monarchs U16 | Windham, NH |
| Jeff Kopek | F | 2001 | Nichols School | Warners, NY |
| Reese Farrell | F | 2001 | North Yarmouth Academy | Auburn, ME |
| Zach Mouzakes | F | 2001 | Albany Academy | Albany, NY |
PAL Junior Islanders
| Aidan Cobb | F | 2002 | Westchester Express '02 | New Hampshire |
| Alex Dominique | F | 2001 | Toronto Titans | Toronto, ON |
| Brandon Charbrier | D | 2002 | NJ Colonials | Bayville, NY |
| Michael Posma | F | 2001 | NJ Avalanche '01 | Pomona, NY |
| Spencer Evans | D | 2002 | Portledge School | Long Island, NY |
| Zack Tonelli | F | 2002 | Westchester Express 14U | New York |
Rochester Monarchs
| Alex Houston | G | 2002 | Cleveland Barons U15 | Canton, OH |
| Ammon Anderson | F | 2001 | Colorado Thunderbirds U15 | Syracuse, UTAH |
| Conor Heneghan | F | 2001 | Chicago Young Americans U15 | Niles, IL |
| Daniel Colabufo | F | 2001 | Skaneateles Lakers U16 | Camillus, NY |
| Sam Carper | F | 2001 | Ohio Blue Jackets U15 | Dayton, OH |
| Zach Vandale | F | 2002 | Elite Hockey Program | Branford, CT |
South Shore Kings
| Drew Commesso | G | 2002 | St. Sebastian's | Norwell, MA |
| Jayden Struble | D | 2001 | Nobles | Cumberland, RI |
| Kevin MacKay | D | 2001 | Dexter School | Franklin, MA |
| Liam Devlin | F | 2001 | St. Sebastian's | Needham, MA |
| Matthew Beniers | F | 2002 | South Shore Kings U14 | Hingham, MA |
| Matthew Boldy | F | 2001 | Dexter School | Millis, MA |
Syracuse Stars
| Alexandros Gaffney | F | 2002 | NJ Colonials Bantam Major | West Orange, NJ |
| Austen Swankler | F | 2001 | Pitts. Penguins Elite U16 | North Huntingdon, PA |
| Dalton Duhart | F | 2001 | Belle Tire U16 | Flint, MI |
| Kabore Dunn | D | 2001 | Shawnigan Lake School Prep | Mill Bay, BC |
| Spencer Cox | D | 2001 | Culver Academy U16 | Dayton, OH |
| Stephen Halliday | F | 2002 | Toronto Marlboros | Glenwood, MD |
Thurs. 1/26/17
ECEL Elite Playoffs Schedules & Rosters
The 18U & 16U East Coast Elite League playoffs get underway tomorrow, Fri. Jan. 27, and run through Sunday the 29th at the Tri-Town Arena in Hooksett, NH.
Here are the rosters and schedules:
ECEL Playoffs Program Book
Mon. 1/23/17
KUA Returns to the Top in USHR Prep Poll
Kimball Union (19-3-1 in NEPSIHA play; 21-3-1 overall) has returned to the top of the USHR Prep Poll after a one-week absence.
USHR Prep Poll, Week of Jan. 23, 2017
Fri. 1/20/17
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings
The NHL Central Scouting Services released its Midterm Rankings Wednesday, and here they are.
These are downloadable, printable and contain official heights and weights taken by Central's scouts, as well as birthdates, left/right shot, etc.
Among New England prep and high school players, the top ranked are both Harvard commits -- Proctor RD Reilly Walsh (#65 overall) and Dexter LD Jack Rathbone (#78 overall). Keep in mind that these are North American Rankings. Things change when the real draft -- it's at Chicago's United Center June 23-24 -- arrives and European players are added to the mix.
LD Ben Mirageas, who was at Avon Old Farms last season, and is now with Blomington (USHL), was ranked #48. Of the North American skaters, Mirageas, from Newburyport, Mass., is the highest-ranked native New Englander.
The overall highest-ranked native New Englander is former Springfield Cathedral and Selects Academy U18 goaltender Keith Petruzzelli, a Quinnipiac recruit from Wilbraham, Mass. now playing in Muskegon (USHL). Petruzzelli is the #1 overall North American prospect in net. At 6'5¼" he is also the tallest goalie on Central's list. In case you're wondering, the shortest goalie on the list is 6'0".
There were 12 Minnesota High School players on the list including Eden Prairie center Casey Mittelstadt, ranked #5 overall and the top-ranked American on hte list.
In addition to Walsh and Rathbone, other current New England prep players on Central's Midterm Rankings are forwards Tyce Thompson (Salisbury, #150), Santeri Hartikainen (Groton, #156), and Neil Shea (Lawrence Academy, #196); and defenseman Jack Cameron (Lawrence Academy, #216). St. Andrew's College center Morgan Barron (#88), Northwood LW Jonathan Dugan (#82), Selects Academy U18 center Skyler Brind'Amour (#202), and former Northern Cyclones (EHL) defenseman Corson Green (#149) also made the list, as did former Brunswick School defenseman and current NTDPer Phil Kemp (#179).
Speaking of the NTDP, their top-ranked player is former Shattuck-St. Mary's LW Grant Mismash (#30 overall).
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings: North American Skaters
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings: North American Goaltenders
NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings: North American Skaters A-Z
Mon. 1/16/17
LA New #1 in USHR Prep Poll
A Lawrence Academy 5-0 smackdown of Thayer combined with KUA's 3-2 loss at Tabor, has flip-flopped the two teams in this week's prep poll.
USHR Prep Poll, Week of Jan. 16, 2017
Fri. 1/13/17
Scores -- and more -- from Northwood Invitational
Here is a link to the Northwood Invitational website. Up-to-date scores and standings will be posted here, as well as the pairings for Monday's crossover games.
Official Northwood Invitational Website
If you can't make it to Lake Placid, Hockey TV will be telecasting all the games live from the Olympic Center. Here's their promo.
HockeyTV to Cover Northwood Invitational
The games start today with three matchups from the Showcase Division:
Nichols vs. CÉGEP Sainte-Foy, 2:00 pm
Northwood vs. Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 5:00 pm
St. Andrew’s College vs. Culver, 8:00 pm
All the rest of the teams -- U18, U16, and Girls -- get underway on Saturday.
Thurs. 1/12/17
Mass. Hockey Tweaks Player Selection Process
Mass Hockey is tweaking the format for player selection to USA Hockey's Player Development Camps. The key change is the addition of a “Final Forty” weekend. In the past the kids going to Buffalo were selected out of the Mass Festival, which meant that the All-Star game that wrapped up the festival was their fifth time on the ice for the weekend. Now, there will be three games in the Festival, then the two All-Star teams will come back on a separate weekend. Below are the dates.
Tryouts:
March 26th, 2017 -- Wilmington, Mass.
2002 8:30 am
2001 10:10 am
2000 11:50 am
April 2nd, 2017 -- Bridgewater, Mass.
2002 8:30 am
2001 10:10 am
2000 11:50 am
April 9th, 2017 -- Marlboro, Mass.
2002 9:00 am and 10:40 am
2001 12:20 pm and 2:00 pm
2002 3:40 pm and 5:20 pm
May 6, 7 Festival in Marlboro
The Festival will begin Saturday, May 6th in the late afternoon/early evening. On Sunday, May 7th, there will be two games, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Out of this the evaluators will pick a final 40.
May 20, 21 Final Forty in Marlboro
The Final Forty will play one game Saturday, May 20 in the late afternoon/early evening. On Sunday morning, May 21st, evaluators/coaches will then run a practice for their age group. Following that there will be a second All-Star game for each age group in the afternoon. At that game's conclusion the evaluators will choose the players going to Buffalo.
Thurs. 1/12/17
Selects Academy Showcase Schedule
Selects Academy will be hosting a U16 and U18 showcase on the weekend of Thurs. Jan. 19 through Sunday Jan. 22 at the school's South Kent, Conn. campus.
Here's the schedule:
Selects Academy Showcase
Tues. 1/10/17
Northwood Invitational Coming Up
The 38th Annual Northwood Invitational Hockey Tournament is coming up, starting this Friday (Jan. 13th) and running through Monday (Jan. 16th, MLK Day).
There will be a special six-team Showcase Division consisting of Culver, Northwood, St. Andrew's College, Cégep Sainte-Foy, Nichols, and a rare visit to this part of the country from Shattuck-St. Mary's.
The six Showcase teams will play each other in the only three tournament games on Friday. On Saturday they will play three more before wrapping it up Sunday morning with three games. There will be no playoff round for the Showcase Division.
There are 34 other teams spread across three divisions -- Prep, U16, and Girls. Each of these divisions will play a Saturday/Sunday round-robin schedule and then wind it up with playoffs on Monday.
Northwood AD Gino Riffle and his staff deserve kudos for their work on this schedule, as the tournament appears to have its strongest field in years.
Schedule for 38th Annual Northwood Invitational Hockey Tournament
Thurs. 1/5/17--updated Sat. 1/7/17 10:15 pm
Winter Beantown (Revised Schedule)
The first Winter Beantown is scheduled to get underway tomorrow afternoon (Fri. Jan. 7) at Providence College's Schneider Arena.
Peter Masters reports that he was able to get some ice back from the Providence varsity on Saturday and was thus able to adjust game times to allow games to be played without any breaks in between.
The RI Sports Center, which is about 15 minutes north of PC's Schneider Arena, will have a couple of games on Sunday morning. If you've never been there, the address to enter on your GPS is 1186 Eddie Dowling Highway (AKA Route 146); North Smithfield, RI 02896
Fri. Jan. 6
at Providence College
2:40 pm -- St. Andrew's College 18U vs. Northwood 18U
4:30 pm -- Selects Academy U18 vs. Islanders Hockey Club U18
6:20 pm -- Skipjacks 18U vs. Junior Bruins 18U
8:10 pm -- Junior Bruins 16U vs. Skipjacks 16U
Sat. Jan. 7
at Providence College
8:50 am -- Skipjacks 18U vs. Northwood 18U
10:40 am -- St. Andrew's College 18U vs. Islanders Hockey Club U18
12:30 pm -- Selects Academy U18 vs. Junior Bruins 18U
2:20 pm -- Junior Bruins 16U vs. Skipjacks 16U
4:10 pm -- Skipjacks 18U vs. Islanders Hockey Club U18
6:00 pm -- St. Andrew's College 18U vs. Junior Bruins 18U
7:50 pm -- Selects Academy U18 vs. Northwood 18U
Sun. Jan. 8
at Providence College
8:30 am -- U18 3rd Place vs. U18 4th Place: Junior Bruins vs. St. Andrew's College
10:30 am -- U18 1st Place vs. U18 2nd Place: Northwood vs. Selects Academy
Sun. Jan. 8
at RI Sports Center, Route 146, North Smithfield, RI
10:00 am -- U18 5th Place vs. U18 6th Place: Skipjacks vs. Islanders HC
