AMHERST, N.Y. — New England won the championship at USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp last year. While the region didn't repeat as champs this year, it still had a good showing.
New England fell to the Atlantic region in the first game but rebounded for a 4-0 win over the Massachusetts region (which is separate from the New England region in USA Hockey) in Game 2. New England took a tough, 7-3 loss to Northern Plains in Game 3, but rattled off three straight victories against Mid-American, Southeastern and Rocky Mountain to finish 4-2 and in second place in the American division.
By being there, every player boosted his stock. But some players really improved their chances for a Division 1 commitment, NHL Draft hopes or just their stock in general.
The best players at the event were invited to the Hlinka-Gretzky Camp, which will take place July 26-30 in Minneapolis. From there, those players will hope to play for the United States. The tournament will be hosted Aug. 5-10 at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
Let's dive in.
Standouts
Everett Baldwin
St. George's, 1/17/2007, D, right shot, 5-11/173
NCAA: Providence CollegeÂ
This was the perfect stage for Baldwin to show how much progress his game has made over the last year. He wanted the puck and when he got it, he was confident. He rushed the puck numerous times, speeding through the neutral zone and gaining offensive zone entries for his team. In the offensive zone, he acted as a great facilitator, making an impact all over the zone. He often created his own shooting lanes from the point. His wrist shot is so quick and accurate, as was evident on his goal against Massachusetts on Thursday when he corralled a puck quickly and ripped it in from distance. When defending his own end, he used his great skating to hold good gaps at the red line, creating turnovers.
It's hard to call anyone a lock for the Hlinka-Gretzky team at this event. However, I do think Baldwin has a legitimate chance at making it out of camp. This was also the first big event for 2025 NHL Draft prospects and Baldwin showed well. His stock continues to rise. As of right now, I'd put him in second- to third-round territory. Baldwin netted two goals and added an assist in six games.
Egan Beveridge
Saint John Sea Dogs, 1/11/2007, C, right shot, 5-7/169
Beveridge is consistently one of the smallest players on the ice...and it never seems to matter much. In Thursday's game, Team Massachusetts defenseman Myles Brosnan went to hit him and Beveridge laid a strong reverse hit, using a good center of gravity to knock the bigger Brosnan down. Beveridge uses his speed and skill to create offense. He's always willing to try and dangle a defender. He can also drive a line. His decision-making can be questionable at times, but the pros outweigh the cons quite a bit. He scored four goals over the six games.
Anthony Bongo
Shattuck-St. Mary's 16U, 5/16/2007, D, right shot, 5-9/158
NCAA: MichiganÂ
Last year, Bongo tried out for the U.S. National Team Development Program. While he didn't make the team, he showed at Select 17s why he has long been thought of as one of the better '07 defenders in the nation. His vision with the puck on his stick was impressive, as he consistently found creative passing lanes up ice. Even when there was high amounts of pressure on him, his elusiveness and edgework got him out of danger to gain space to make those passes. He knew when to join the rush and in the offensive zone, made intelligent puck decisions. He finished with one goal and one assist.
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Alex Donovan
Shattuck-St. Mary's 16U, 4/8/2007, RW, right shot, 5-10/174
NCAA: DenverÂ
I wrote about this trend with Donovan back at the New England District Camp, but he plays bigger than he is. He uses his body to shield pucks well. He's able to stick handle around bigger defenders, getting to open space and helping gain offensive zone entries. Against Northern Plains on Friday, Donovan made a great play dangling a defender at the blue line and created space for Marco Senerchia, who received the pass and went right down the slot for a shot. Donovan is an interesting prospect to watch for the 2025 NHL Draft, too. He finished with two goals and six points in six games.
Matthew Dabrowski
New Jersey Rockets 16U, 2/18/2007, RW, right shot, 6-0/185
NCAA: MerrimackÂ
Dabrowski skates like his hair is on fire and by going faster, the flames will go out — and I mean that in the best way possible. His speed always gave him an advantage every shift. He always wanted the puck and when he got it, he showed great patience. He was able to navigate the offensive zone and fight to get to open space. He often waited for passing lanes to open before moving the puck. The Merrimack commit boosted his stock quite a bit. He finished with one goal and five points in six games.
Takeaways
- One uncommitted player who kept catching my eye was Van Martin (Derry, N.H.) — and that was at both ends of the ice. In his own zone, he did a good job of getting back. Against Massachusetts on Thursday, he hustled back, got low and negated a scoring chance by his own net. He has a high compete, as was evident when he was hunting pucks and engaging in footraces. He would be a great candidate for a non-Beanpot Hockey East school or an ECAC destination.
- I've always liked George McCaffrey (Ridgefield, Conn.). His game progressed at Select 17s, as he notched one goal and six points in six games. Against Mid-American, he made such a nice heads-up play to get Brent Solomon a goal. McCaffrey had the puck at the side of the net and quickly stick-handled to open a passing lane to get a pass to Solomon. There's a reason why he's already committed to New Hampshire.
- Tommy Coccaro's (Fairfield, Conn.) compete and ability to get low and under opposing players trying to take the puck from him will serve him well. The Westminster product is 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds, but makes it work. I'm intrigued to see what kind of college interest he gets after this event and in the next 12 months. He was tied for third on his team in points with five.
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- Speaking of undersized players, New England had lots of them. Max Donatelli (Barrington, R.I.), at 5-foot-7 and 156 pounds, always knew where to be in the offensive zone and scored a nice goal against Mid-American on Saturday. He also showed an ability to be defensively responsible. Indiana Grossbard (Wilton, Conn.), at 5-foot-8 and 153 pounds, played with so much compete. On defense, Yale commit Kirby Perler (Woodbridge, Conn.), at 5-foot-7 and 167 pounds, moved pucks well under pressure and used his feet to make him into a strong defender. Marco Senerchia (Greenville, R.I.), at 5-foot-7 and 146 pounds, made moving pucks look easy. He's an interesting prospect to watch come Aug. 1, when he can commit to a college. The rising junior should have interest, while some want to see what he will be like in higher leagues.
- I hadn't seen a lot of Jack Fichthorn (Darien, Conn.) prior to Select 17s. I was impressed by the Westminster product. Fichthorn showcased a lot of athleticism and an ability to get to any puck to make a stop. He was square to shooters and was especially good on low shots. He finished the camp with the third-best save percentage (.935) and tied for the third-best goals-against average (2.00). Fichthorn should be a big reason why Westminster has a rebound-type season next winter.
