The 2021-22 hockey season is over, opening the door for offseason showcases and events that allow continued viewing and tracking of players during the spring and summer months.
The recent Mass. Hockey and New England District (NED) Festivals provide a good indicator of who among the 2005 and 2006-born class of area prospects are trending in the right direction. While those events are not the only predictors, several local players were drafted to the USHL earlier this month. Even if they aren’t going to play in that league this year, junior teams that select prospects to secure their rights for future seasons have invested assets by drafting players like Sam Scopa (Lexington, Mass.) and Landan Resendes (Marlboro, Mass.), both of whom were breakout performers a year ago in prep with Belmont Hill and Cushing Academy.
This list highlights individuals who have not only stood out in live viewings, but showed well at various points during the season.
Forwards
Cole Blaeser (Boxford, Mass.)
St. John’s Prep, 4/6/05, LW, left shot, 6-0/175
Helped lead the Eagles to the MIAA Division 1 state championship with strong season. A consistent presence up front at that level, he’s a skilled, instinctive player who has put in the work to get stronger and faster. He showed well at the Mass. Festival, earning a nod to the "Final 40" round this weekend.
Austin Borggaard (Charlton, Mass.)
St. Mark’s/Little Bruins, 1/15/05, LW/RW, left shot, 5-10/170
Flashed high-end potential with the Lions last season, and will have a bigger role for Carl Corazzini’s squad in 2023. He can get up the ice quickly, and can find the back of the net with a powerful, accurate shot that he gets off in stride. Played in the fall with the Little Bruins 16 team, grew as a player in the prep season and is getting better as he figures out what he’s capable of.
Blake Burke (Trumbull, Conn.)
Mid Fairfield, 5/18/06, LW, left shot, 5-10/155
Plays the right way: in straight lines, hustles and disrupts breakouts, and has enough skill to generate offense off of the turnovers he causes. There isn’t a lot of creativity or flashy east-west movement in his game, but as he continues to physically develop, plays the kind of style that will translate to junior and beyond.
Ben Buckley (Warwick, R.I.)
St. George’s/River Rats, 2/8/05, C, right shot, 5-10/165
A valuable contributor because of his skating, pace, effort and physical play. Coaches trust the pivot because you always know what you will get. While not possessing the skill and offensive upside of his younger brother Danny, the middle son of former BC captain and player advisor Jerry Buckley is a versatile, three-zone presence who should put up more points this year with an expanded role in prep. He will attend Select 17 National Camp in July, with a chance to make the USA Hlinka-Gretzky Cup team.
James Chase (Williston, Vt.)
BK Selects, 4/8/06, LW, left shot, 5-9/175
Left the Green Mountain State for a top program in Rochester, N.Y.; drafted late in the USHL’s Phase II lottery by the Tri-City Storm. Fast, quick and around the puck a lot, he was at times overshadowed on the BK Selects 15 team, but consistently played an all-around game. As he matures and gets stronger, watch for a bigger offensive contribution. Chosen to attend the Select 16 National Camp in Amherst, N.Y., after a strong showing in Attleboro last month.
Gennaro Pompano (East Haven, Conn.)
Yale Jr. Bulldogs, 12/8/06, C, right shot, 5-8/145
Although not selected to represent the NED at Select 16 National Camp in July, his best days are ahead. With a high motor and relentless style, he forechecks effectively and disrupts a lot of plays/forces turnovers. While not as flashy as some of his other peers, he will attract attention with his effort and willingness to consistently get to the greasy areas and net.
Defense
Calvin Beard (Southboro, Mass.)
St. Mark’s/River Rats, 10/4/05, right shot, 6-0/185
Has been on a steady upward trajectory since last fall, and took big steps at St. Mark’s. Mobile, activates at the right times and will be asked to provide some of the offensive pop with Michael Fisher vacating the Lions lineup next season for the USHL.
Jonathan Lanza (Winthrop, Mass.)
Dexter Southfield/Junior Eagles, 3/10/05, right shot, 6-0/174
Looked good at the recent Mass. Hockey Festival and will be asked to take on a bigger load at Dexter this season. Strong, with an athletic build, he can get up the ice quickly and pinches down to keep pucks in the offensive zone. His USHL rights are owned by Cedar Rapids, and there is junior upside and beyond.
Andrew O’Sullivan (Boston, Mass.)
Boston Advantage/NE Knights, 8/15/06, right shot, 5-11/165
Smart defender is headed to Kimball Union Academy where he and fellow Mass. ’06 Jack Sadowski will bring a lot of intelligence, talent and upside to the reloading Wildcats next season. A third-round USHL futures pick of the Green Bay Gamblers, O’Sullivan sees the ice exceptionally well and can elude forechecking pressure with quick cuts and poise with the puck.
Colton Whitfield (Warwick, R.I.)
Bishop Hendricken/CC Whalers, 4/10/06, left shot, 6-0/156
With his size and strong two-way game, the son of Providence Bruins assistant coach Trent Whitfield has been a top performer in his peer group. Bound for Mount Saint Charles for the upcoming season after helping Bishop Hendricken win a state championship, he should be a top minute-muncher and all situations player on that 16-U squad. Undrafted in the USHL, that’s an indicator that he’s made clear that he’ll follow his father’s path in the WHL (the Seattle Thunderbirds own his rights).
Goaltenders
Kolin Belliveau (Andover, Mass.)
Holderness/Northern Cyclones, 9/14/05, catches left, 5-10/165
Flashed some athletic quickness at the Mass. Hockey Festival to move laterally and deny quality scoring chances off the rush. Although not overly big, he stays square to shooters and works to stay engaged with locating pucks and recovering for secondary saves.
Ryder Shea (Framingham, Mass.)
St. George’s/Little Bruins, 5/4/06, catches left, 6-0/181
Had a superb first prep season, leveraging that success into a spot at the U.S. National Team Development Program evaluation camp in March. He tracks and competes hard — two attributes that will carry him far in his development process.
