12 uncommitted standout defenders from USA Hockey’s Select 17 Camp

AMHERST, N.Y. — We've looked at the standout uncommitted forwards from USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp. Now, it's time to look at the uncommitted defensemen and goalies who brought their best.

The biggest storyline throughout camp is who moves on to the Hlinka Gretzky Camp and then to Team USA to compete at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. We will know more about that this week.

I was at Select 17 Camp last Tuesday and Wednesday, so I saw every team at least once (and typically twice). In picking uncommitted standouts, I based it on my own viewings and how they performed through the rest of the camp.

If I were a Division 1 college coach, these are the players I'd feel good about after this camp.

A friendly reminder: Massachusetts is a separate region from New England, according to USA Hockey.

Let's dive in.

Levi Harper

Team: Southeastern
Shattuck-St. Mary's, 10/3/2008, D, right shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Tampa, Fla. 

Harper was one of the best defensemen I saw at camp. He broke pucks out safely even with forecheckers on him, using his feet to get out of danger. At the opposing blue line, he was mobile, utilizing fake shots and his eyes to get defenders coming at him to go the wrong way. Harper finished as the highest-scoring defenseman at Select 17s with two goals and seven points in six games. He will undoubtedly be a hot commodity on Aug. 1.

Zaide Penner

Team: Northern Plains
NorthStar Christian Academy, 7/8/2008, D, right shot, 6-0/187
Hometown: Fargo, North Dakota 

My first thought when watching Penner: Man, he plays like a more conservative version of St. George's defenseman Everett Baldwin (Providence, R.I.). Penner was a fantastic skater and was able to drive play from the back. He made smart decisions with the puck in the neutral zone, opting to dish it off to wingers closer to the opposing blue line with more of a lane for a zone entry. He had a secondary assist when I watched him face Minnesota, and finished the camp with two helpers.

Aidan Hesse

Team: Northern Plains
Sioux Falls Power, 2/23/2008, G, catches left, 6-0/174
Hometown: St. Paul, Minn. 

Hesse was lights-out against Minnesota. He took over in the second half and made numerous outstanding stops. He didn't give up many rebounds, tracked pucks through traffic and was locked in on shots from high-danger areas. It wasn't much of a shock to see he finished fifth in goals-against average (1.67) and sported the fourth-best save percentage (.930).

READ MORE: 11 local prospects to watch for the 2027 NHL Draft

Kade Meyer

Team: Central
Little Caesars, 11/5/2008, D, left shot, 5-8/185
Hometown: Minocqua, Wisc. 

I loved the way Meyer played. The undersized defenseman played like he was 6-foot-3 in going for big hits and often knocking down bigger players. He showed himself as a phenomenal skater and super mobile. He calmly moved pucks too, as he finished the six-game stretch with two assists.

George Komadoski

Team: Central
Mount St. Charles, 8/3/2008, D, right shot, 6-3/211
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo. 

Komadoski's size is one of the big parts of his game. He was very physical on opposing forwards and even got in a scrum with Brown commit Payne Riffey. There is certainly meanness in Komadoski's game. But he also showed he could jump into the offense. Against New York, he snuck into the low slot off the rush and almost had a goal.

Ryan Hecker

Team: Central
Avon Old Farms, 6/27/2008, D, right shot, 6-0/173
Hometown: Evanston, Illinois 

Against Southeastern, Hecker was everywhere. The Avon Old Farms product was making smart decisions with the puck, featuring good puck protection and deception in where he was going with it. He was aggressive at the opposing blue line to keep plays alive. Late in the first half, he used great stick positioning to get inside and poke the puck away from UMass commit Evan Foiles, negating a scoring chance. Hecker's best play came when he stepped up in the neutral zone, forcing a turnover and having play go the other way. It directly led to a goal from Rennick Hendrickson.

Brian McFadden

Team: Massachusetts
Thayer, 1/8/2008, D, right shot, 6-4/183
Hometown: Holbrook, Mass. 

McFadden was a player that NHL scouts surely wanted an early look at over the last week, and the Thayer defenseman showed well. He finished with a goal and an assist and was offensively creative with pucks in the offensive zone. He was also physical in his own zone and took away passing lanes with his stick.

Henry Hlinka

Team: Pacific
Seattle Junior Kraken, 9/5/2008, D, right shot, 5-10/165
Hometown: Lake Forest Park, Washington 

What a last name for this camp. Hlinka showcased phenomenal skating and edgework. Against Michigan, he used his edges to slow down a forechecker from reaching his partner. Moments later, he used his speed to get his stick out and break up a play in the high slot.

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Genc Ula

Team: New York
Peterborough Petes, 10/26/2008, D, left shot, 6-0/209
Hometown: Chappaqua, N.Y. 

Ula's skating and puck skills do need to improve. But Ula used his size so well, showing himself as a physical, punishing defenseman. He was aggressive along the walls and intelligently pinned opposing players against the glass. His compete was extremely high in 50/50 puck battles. He finished the camp with two assists.

Alofa Tunao Ta'amu

Team: Pacific
Edmonton Oil Kings, 5/28/2008, D, left shot, 6-2/227
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo. 

Ta'amu's size was apparent immediately upon watching him. He was physical and threw his weight around well. He showcased a heavy, pro-shot that he scored on with a nice shot from the point against Michigan. He finished the camp with three points in six games.

Carson Mertz

Team: New England
Mount St. Charles, 2/19/2008, G, catches left, 5-11/174
Hometown: Coventry, R.I. 

I saw Mertz at his best when he made 18 saves in one half against Northern Plains in the first game of his camp. That strong play continued through the camp, finishing with the eighth-best GAA (2.38) and the seventh-best save percentage (.920).

TOP FORWARDS AT CAMP: 17 uncommitted standouts at Select 17s

Tommy Saulnier

Team: Massachusetts
St. Sebastian's, 2/15/2008, G, catches left, 5-10/165
Hometown: Medfield, Mass. 

Saulnier had a breakout year with St. Sebastian's this past winter, and it continued into Select 17 Camp. He was outstanding on point-blank shots and made intelligent reads. He finished the opposite of Mertz — seventh-best GAA (2.33) and eighth-best save percentage (.919).