PROVIDENCE, R.I. – North Jersey Avalanche won the 16U division at the Overspeed Hockey Paul D. Merritt Holiday Classic over the weekend.
The tournament was well run by longtime pro scout Toby O’Brien, who now runs skills sessions and other initiatives through his company, Overspeed Hockey.
Below are evaluations of 10 uncommitted players who stood out at the event, based on viewings over three days at Addelard Arena, Smithfield Municipal Rink, and Schneider Arena.
Here are the 10 uncommitted standouts.
Tyler Atchison
Windy City Storm, 10/21/06, RW, right shot, 5-9/130
Atchison is one of those players with a late birthday who could continue making strides over the coming years. He has to get a stronger lower body so he can push off and become more dynamic with his skating. From Las Vegas, he’s crafty, can make plays, and finish. He seems to be around the puck a good amount and has shown a knack for scoring big goals in the past.
Henry Brzustewicz
North Jersey Avalanche, 2/9/07, D, right shot, 5-11/175
Brzustewicz has good size and impacts the game, especially considering he’s playing up an age. The Washington, Mich., native can move pucks up ice with strong, tape-to-tape breakout passes. He’s rangy and has the strength to defend. He’s most certainly on the NTDP radar, but his heavy boots could be the one drawback. His brother, Hunter Brzustewicz, is a late '04 in his first year of eligibility for the NHL draft. An alum of the NTDP, he’s now with the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL.
Kash Crawford
North Jersey Avalanche, 3/10/06, D, right shot, 6-0/165
Crawford came to the Avs after spending two years at Bishop Kearney Selects. He’s fairly tall, lanky and skates well. He makes up a solid defensive corps with Brzustewicz, Lukas Peterson and Luke Janviriya.
Brandt Dubey
Windy City Storm, 2/12/06, D, left shot, 6-1/161
Dubey is the top blue liner for Windy City. The Orchard Park, N.Y., native and former Buffalo Junior Sabre is a steadying presence with good size. His skating is above average and he’s a player who should translate to the Division 1 level someday.
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James Marshall
South Kent, 4/5/06, LW, left shot, 5-11/154
Marshall, from Weymouth, Mass., is a slick, skilled playmaker. He showed good edges, a smooth stride, and an ability to make plays in this game. As I’ve said before, his transition to becoming more of a complete, 200-foot player is showing in his game with each viewing.
John Mustard
North Jersey Avalanche, 8/16/06, C, left shot, 5-10/155
I’ve been a fan of Mustard for over a year now. This wasn’t his best viewing, in that he didn’t produce as much as he had typically since I first really noticed him in September 2021. He’s a dual citizen who was playing AA hockey until a couple of years ago. His upward trajectory is what’s most intriguing. As Mark Divver reported, the entire BC coaching staff, including head coach Greg Brown, had eyes on him Saturday and Sunday. There were a handful of other Hockey East and ECAC Hockey schools in attendance watching the Oradell, N.J., resident.
Ihnat Pazii
Windy City Storm, 12/4/06, LW, left shot, 5-9/154
Pazii is a talented goal scorer who can take over games and jump right off the sheet at you when watching. From Kharkov, Ukraine, he was all over the puck and made plays. He’ll get even better as he learns to play more in the middle of the ice and become heavier on pucks.
Cooper Snee
North Jersey Avalanche, 6/20/06, RW, right shot, 5-10/165
Snee is a late bloomer who will keep getting better, especially once his feet improve. He’s already progressing in his skating, but it will need to keep coming, in order to get the most out of his skill set. What I liked about him here was he engaged physically and played hard on the wall. His father, Chris Snee, is a two-time Super Bowl champion with the New York Giants and played collegiately at Boston College.
Chase Stefanek
Mount Saint Charles, 8/1/06, C/LW, left shot, 6-1/181
I'm not sure there’s a more improved player skating in this region than Stefanek over the last eight months. The Yorba Linda, Calif., native has gotten bigger, stronger and more explosive. He’s going to the middle of the ice and becoming more of a power forward. He’s no longer in the shadows of some of the more highly coveted, committed prospects up front for Mount.
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Ben Wilmott
North Jersey Avalanche, 8/30/06, C, left shot, 5-11/159
Wilmott has a good stick and his skating is above average. You notice him a lot, especially creating on the line rush. He scored the game-winning goal in the final and was named MVP by the tournament organizers. Another dual citizen, he hails from Seattle, Wash., and has a few Division 1 schools watching him.
