Fri. 7/14/17
Uncommitted Standouts at Select 16s
Before we move on to the Select 15 Player Development Camp – games start Sunday in Amherst, NY, right outside Buffalo – we have a list of 16 players we liked who are, at least as of today, uncommitted.
So here they are, in totally random order:
Brendan Brisson, F, 5’8/148, Shattuck-St. Mary’s U16 – The son of NHL super-agent Pat Brisson is a late ‘01 from Manhattan Beach, California. A smart player with excellent vision, Brisson makes plays in tight spaces.
Cooper Moore, D, 6’1/174, Brunswick School -- Lanky left-shot defender has a lot of tools. He plays with his head up. He’s a good skater for his size. And his game is trending in the right direction.
Brian Carrabes, F, 5’9/155, St. John’s Prep -- Diminutive forward with an excellent motor. Creates havoc on the forecheck and is able to force turnovers. Above average skills. Safely projects as an energy guy/depth player at the next level, but has a chance to be more than that. North Andover, Mass. native was the second-leading scorer at SJP as a freshman last winter.
Ian Pierce, D, 5’10/175, North Jersey Avalanche U15 – A skilled defender who makes good plays each time the puck is on his stick. Will be going to Kent this fall. Look for him to make an immediate impact.
Jackson Jutting, F, 5’10/175, Prior Lake (Minn.) High School -- Son of longtime NCAA coach Troy Jutting. A productive player who makes his team better every time he’s on the ice. Doesn’t have high-end skill, but his hockey IQ makes up for it.
Cole McWard, D, 6’0/170, St. Louis Blues U16 -- A really fun defenseman to watch. Always has his head up and creates a lot of offense from the offensive blue line. Has a knack for finding seams. An elite D-I prospect who will make an impact on the PP.
Michael Brown, D, 6’3/210, Belmont Hill -- Big and raw, Brown has a ton of potential and will likely only get better. A three-sport athlete (football, hockey, and baseball) whose game could really take off in the coming years.
Thomas Schweighardt, D, 5’10/160, NJ Hitmen U16 – An assertive defender with good feet who can push the pace offensively. Lacks a single attribute that is “elite,” but is very good across the board.
Mark D’Agostino, F, 6’1/170, Gunnery -- Look for the Connecticut native to have a break out season this year as he takes over a larger role for coach Craig Badger. Plays in the tough ice and is heavy on pucks. Good skill set. Had a really good week here
John Fusco, D, 5’10/170, Dexter -- Westwood, Mass native is emerging as a D-I talent. Reliable with the puck and efficient on the PP, Fusco is already attracting ECAC interest, but you have to think he has his eyes on Harvard where his father, Mark, and an uncle, Scott, each won Hobey Baker Awards.
Ryan Johnson, D, 5’10/150, Anaheim Junior Ducks U16 -- The most sought-after D-I prospect here – an exciting, high-impact level player. Johnson is undecided as to where he will play next season, but he will have no shortage of options. Sioux Falls drafted him in the 1st round of the USHL Futures Draft. We are told he has his college choices narrowed down to Denver, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Was named to the Five Nations squad.
Robert Christy, F, 5’11/170, St. Thomas Academy -- Had himself a heck of a week as he went off for 3-6-9 in 5 GP. Possesses an offensively-gifted mind. Des Moines (USHL) owns his rights. Was named to the Five Nations squad.
Jeffrey Bertrand, F, 6’0/165, Alaska Oilers U15 – Bertrand, who looks bigger than his listed height, is a power forward who plays hard in all three zones. Really strong on the puck and has soft hands. Will get a lot of attention following his performance this week.
Kyle Schroeder, F, 5’7/175, Chicago Mission U16 -- Tireless worker has a knack for getting pucks – he’s relentless. Is a real pest to play against, too. Was rewarded for his hard work as he posted a 4-3-7 scoring line.
Frank Ireland V, F, 5’11/175, Boston Jr. Bruins U16 -- Probably closer to 5’9, but nonetheless the Easton, Mass native is a crafty player. Has good hockey sense and vision. Always seems to be around the puck, making things happen.
Dylan Wendt, F, 6’0/175, Belle Tire U16 -- Posted a 4-5-9 scoring line in 5 GP. Was consistently noticeable for the right reasons. Green Bay (USHL) and Owen Sound (OHL) draft pick. Was named to the Five Nations Squad.
***
Five Nations Squad Named
Twenty players picked from the camp have been named to the U.S. Under-17 Select Team.
The players, who represent 12 different states, will be competing in the Five Nations Tournament in Ostrava, Czech Republic Aug. 23-27. The tournament, in addition to the U.S., includes Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany.
The U.S. head coach is Pat Ferschweiler. His assistants will be Mark Dennehy, Shane Connelly and Joe Bonnett.
Goaltenders (2): Kyle Chauvette (NH Junior Monarchs 16U), Ethan Haider (Maple Grove HS).
Defensemen (6): Jake Boltman (Edina HS), Ryan Johnson (Anaheim Junior Ducks 16U), Mike Koster (Chaska HS), Cole McWard (St. Louis Blues 16U), Mitch Miller (Honeybaked 16U), Cade Webber (The Rivers School).
Forwards (12): Jeffrey Bertrand (Alaska Oilers 15), Robert Christy (St. Thomas Academy), John Farinacci (Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16U), Robbie Griffin (Boston Junior Bruins 16U), Josh Groll (San Diego Junior Gulls 15), Jake Hale (Minneapolis HS), Arthur Kaliyev (Compuware 16U), Robert Mastrosimone (Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16U), Josh Nodler (Honeybaked 16U), Grant Sillianoff (Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16U), Lukas Svejkovsky (Delta Hockey Academy), Dylan Wendt (Belle Tire 16U).
Sat. 7/29/17
BU Camp Getting Underway
Boston University's camp gets underway tomorrow, Sunday, and runs through Tuesday at BU's Walter Brown Arena.
A good number of players unknown to us dot the rosters, but you can count on a handful -- more, most likely -- turning out to be interesting prospects.
Rosters and schedule:
Rosters for BU Camp
Wed. 6/21/17
U.S. Junior Camp Roster Announced
Forty-two players -- 25 forwards, 13 defensemen, and four goaltenders -- have been invited to USA Hockey's World Junior Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Michigan July 29th-Aug. 5th.
There are seven returnees from last season's gold medal-winning U.S. National Junior Team: goaltenders Jake Oettinger and Joseph Woll; defensemen Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren; and forwards Joey Anderson, Kieffer Bellows, and Patrick Harper.
Camp invitees include '98s (22), '99s (19) and one '00 (Oliver Wahlstrom).
By state, Minnesota is the biggest roster contributor, with 12 players. Michigan is sending nine, Missouri five, and Connecticut four. Two each are going from Mass., Florida, and Illinois. California, NY, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington are sending one apiece.
2017 World Junior Summer Showcase Roster
