Aug. 1 is always a date circled on the calendar for top college hockey prospects entering their junior year in high school.
The NCAA came down on college hockey recruiting with two ground-breaking rules in 2019. The first was colleges couldn’t begin recruiting players until Jan. 1 of their sophomore year in high school. The second was players couldn’t receive verbal offers (and give out verbal commitments) until Aug. 1 of that same year.
This year will be an interesting one for the region.
There are a handful of high-end forwards who will be newsworthy nationally. But where things get intriguing for the region is all the forwards after them who are shaping up to be Division 1 prospects.
Those are players that schools are projecting will ascend into strong Division 1 college hockey players.
Here are 12 forwards to keep an eye on when Aug. 1 arrives this week. We've done a separate story on defensemen and goalies.
MORE: 12 defensemen, goalies to watch in college recruiting window on Aug. 1
Casey Mutryn
U.S. NTDP U-17, 7/5/2008, C, right shot, 6-1/172
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.
Mutryn is the most high-end prospect eligible to commit from this region. The St. Sebastian’s product made the U.S. National Team Development Program in the spring and projects to be a vital piece for the Plymouth, Mich., based team. Mutryn’s mix of high-end compete with high-end skill, skating and vision make him a dynamic college hockey prospect. As for where he might end up, here are some interesting tidbits. Teddy, his older brother, committed to Boston College last season. Mutryn’s parents both went to Boston College. His father, Scott, was a quarterback for the BC football team, while his mother, Kathy, played lacrosse.
Will Bent
Mount St. Charles 16-U, 3/12/2008, F, right shot, 6-1/196
Hometown: Dover, Mass.
Bent is a high-end Division 1 prospect. He was invited to NTDP Evaluation Camp and while he didn’t make the team, his offensive upside is enormous. He scored 51 goals and finished with 93 points in 58 games for Mount St. Charles’ 15-U team last season. He will be the star on the 16-U squad this winter. He has interest from Hockey East, ECAC, NCHC and Big Ten schools, but it wouldn’t shock me if he stayed in the East. An interesting school to watch here is Harvard.
JT Rothstein
Taft, 1/19/2008, F, left shot, 5-9/155
Hometown: New City, N.Y.
He might not be a New England native, but he’s at Taft and played for Mid Fairfield in 2022-23. Rothstein is fresh off a very strong showing at USA Hockey’s Select 16 Camp, scoring four goals and finishing with nine points in six games. That was tied for fourth-best at the camp. Rothstein has long been a sought-after ’08 forward. He was dominant for the Long Island Gulls’ 15O squad (48 points in 41 games) before playing for Taft, where he notched seven goals and 18 points in 25 games as a sophomore. In one season, he proved to be a high-end player against his age group and older players. He has significant interest from Hockey East and ECAC schools.
Rian Chudzinski
Dexter Southfield, 12/30/2007, F, right shot, 6-0/172
Hometown: Needham, Mass.Â
Chudzinski has transferred to Dexter Southfield. He was a freshman at St. Sebastian's last season, but has accelerated to being a junior this fall, making him eligible to commit. He's a high-end, '07 forward who has seen his stock jump a lot over the last year. Chudzinski is able to play at a high speed with a high level of skill, which allows him to produce a great amount of offense. He's also very smart and has a strong shot. I could see him going to a Hockey East school.
Max Donatelli
St. George’s, 6/15/2007, F, left shot, 5-9/154 

Hometown: Barrington, R.I.
Donatelli is such an intelligent player who always knows where to be and how to produce. He was tied for the team lead in points at St. George’s last winter with 40. He scored two goals and finished with four points in six games at Select 17 Camp last month. He’s had interest from Hockey East and ECAC schools. He’s a good candidate for an Ivy.
Indiana Grossbard
Avon Old Farms, 12/21/2007, F, right shot, 5-9/150 

Hometown: Wilton, Conn.
Grossbard has grown his stock considerably in the past 12 months. The Wilton, Conn., native tallied 15 goals and 36 points in 26 games for Loomis Chaffee this past winter. He followed that up by making Select 17 Camp out of the New England District camp and posting three assists in six games. He always seems to be able to make anything happen offensively. He has interest from Hockey East and ECAC schools and could commit rather early.
Justin Graf
Rivers, 7/10/2007, F, left shot, 5-11/161
Hometown: Lincoln, Mass.
Graf will be an interesting name to watch in August. His game has trended up over the past year. He was a force at Rivers this winter, tallying 13 goals and 35 points in 30 games. He followed that up with a strong performance at the Mass. District Festival and three assists at Select 17 Camp. He plays with a high compete and it’s clear he will continue to get better as he gets stronger and matures. He would be a great candidate for a non-Beanpot Hockey East school or ECAC.
Billy MacAusland
Nobles, 8/4/2007, C, left shot, 5-10/160 

Hometown: Westwood, Mass.
MacAusland’s stock soared at Select 17 Camp, scoring three goals and totaling five points in six games. He had a nice season at Nobles last winter, too, finishing with 13 goals and 28 points in 27 games. He has a hard, accurate shot and good hands. He also has no problem taking the puck to high-danger areas no matter the consequences.
Tommy Coccaro
Westminster, 4/10/2007, F, right shot, 5-8/161
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.Â
One can never question Coccaro's compete. The Westminster product plays such a hard, fearless game and showcases a motor that never stops. He also has great hands is able to make plays well from in tight. He's fresh off a strong performance at USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp where he posted two goals and five points in six games. He had 20 points in 25 games for Westminster last winter and is a breakout candidate for this coming season.
Patrick Woods
Belmont Hill, 7/5/2007, F, right shot, 6-1/170
Hometown: Charlestown, Mass.
Woods centered Belmont Hill’s second line this past season, tallying six goals and 17 points. What makes him so intriguing is his potential. He has a strong frame and consistently drives play down the middle. He plays fast, can be powerful at times and is a good playmaker. I was surprised he didn’t make it to Select 17 Camp. I project him to be due for a huge breakout year in prep this winter, so Division 1 schools would be wise to jump on him early.
Jake Tavares
Belmont Hill, 1/27/2007, F, right shot, 6-0/174 

Hometown: Belmont, Mass.
Tavares was a breakout star last season for Belmont Hill, tying for the team lead in goals (18). He was effective at Select 17 Camp, scoring one goal and adding two assists. He plays with a high motor and, as a right wing, is a great complement to a strong centerman. He has interest from Hockey East schools and Ivies. It wouldn’t shock me if he committed in August.
COMMITS TRACKER: Stay updated on all the recruitment news over the first week of August
Jack Fitzpatrick
Dexter Southfield, 10/22/2007, F, left shot, 6-4/190
Hometown: Canton, Mass.
Fitzpatrick probably needs to show himself as a top player in prep before committing, but he will attract college eyes this season due to his size. Fitzpatrick is coming off two strong years at Xaverian. Last season, he posted 13 goals and 22 points. He’s great at protecting the puck but like most players at his size at his age, skating is always an area to improve. He will have the benefit of playing with high-end players this winter at Dexter Southfield, which should help him be a big producer.
