MARLBORO, Mass. — It's hard to find a better spot to spend Labor Day Weekend than the mecca — New England Sports Center.
From Friday through Monday, hundreds of teams across the 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U levels hit the ice at the Eastern Alliance Kickoff.
My primary focus was the 15O age group. For the 2011-born players, it's a huge year, and this was a huge event, with throngs of junior hockey executives in attendance to get one of their first glimpses of the birth year they'll be drafting come the spring.
Islanders Hockey Club won the 15O Red division, beating the Boston Junior Eagles, 4-2, in the championship.
It's an interesting birth year with a good mix of high-end talent and depth.
Let's dive into some standout forwards. A separate story will be done on defensemen and goalies.
Bryce Albano
Islanders Hockey Club, 1/1/2011, F, right shot, 5-7/138
Hometown: Gloucester, Mass.Â
Early in his team's game against Atlantic Coast Academy, Albano was out for a couple of penalty kills and was fantastic, heavily pressuring puck-carriers high in the zone. He made such smart reads when defending his own zone. When he had the puck and was driving play the other way, he showcased a lot of skill and great hands.
Tyler Brennan
Cape Cod Whalers, 8/25/2011, F, left shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Hanson, Mass.Â
Brennan had great hands and vision in transition, setting up scoring chances and executing clean offensive zone entries. He was smart in his own zone, too, pressuring defenders up high. Against the Long Island Arrows, he took a smart route to the blue line, forced a turnover and got a scoring chance. He was with Whitman-Hanson High School last winter.
Brayden Campanale
Boston Junior Eagles, 3/15/2011, F, left shot, 5-10/172
Hometown: Norwell, Mass.Â
Campanale's hockey IQ is elite. He was able to drive play and playmake as a center, but it was the little things he would do in a sequence that made the biggest difference. Still, his hands were fantastic, and he was able to stickhandle through and around defenders. He never panicked when he had the puck. He was also great at killing penalties.
READ MORE: 10 standout 19U forwards from NAHA Labor Day Showcase
Max Colley
Cape Cod Whalers, 2011, F, left shot, 5-9/152
Hometown: Sandwich, Mass.Â
Colley had two breakaways early against the Long Island Arrows on Saturday. He scored on the second, stealing the puck from a defenseman, going in all alone and sniping one top corner. Colley showcased speed when driving play and was big off the cycle. He always found ways to get open around the net.
Julian Donatsch
Masters Academy, 3/3/2011, F, left shot, 5-11/163
Hometown: Olten, SwitzerlandÂ
Donatsch was straight-up dominant in my viewings. Against the Whalers, he scored two sick goals in the first half. One was off a nice shot in the slot, while the other was him dangling through the defense and tucking a beauty. His hands, vision and ability to get to high-danger areas made him such a force to be reckoned with.
Brody Majcher
Philadelphia Junior Flyers, 1/1/2011, F, left shot, 6-2/208
Hometown: Pottstown, Penn.Â
The Junior Flyers were great at long offensive zone sequences. When Majcher was on the ice, he was a huge reason why. He's a classic power forward who plays the game hard, often bulldozing his way to the front of the net. Because of his size, he was fantastic at protecting pucks. I'm curious to see how he develops throughout his 15O season.
Mason McGovern
Islanders Hockey Club, 6/3/2011, F, right shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Andover, Mass.Â
McGovern was a force up front. He drove play and overpowered defenders in and around the slot. He played on the edge at times, too, getting into it with defenders at the net front.
Max Prudovsky
Boston Junior Eagles, 7/29/2011, F, left shot, 5-8/145
Hometown: Newton, Mass.Â
Prudovsky is clearly the top '11 in New England. His skill — like on goals like this — was all over this weekend, and his offensive creativity is elite. Everything from one-timers to phenomenal passes across the zone to making defenders look like traffic cones seems to come easy to him. But the most impressive asset is that he's not just a skilled center. He was physical, never shying away from laying a big hit. He was smart defensively, too, supporting his defensemen low in the defensive zone and playing responsibly. It feels like he's the next big thing from New England.
Jason Pukhov
Woodbridge Wolfpack, 11/3/2011, F, right shot
Home state: ConnecticutÂ
Pukhov's release on his shot made him such a force. He was able to use his feet to get to prime scoring areas in the offensive zone and let off quick, accurate snap shots. He sniped one against the Tampa Bay Junior Lightning with a slick curl and drag off the rush that went top corner on the far side.
READ MORE: 11 standout 18U forwards from River Rats Jamboree | 10 standout 18U defenders from River Rats Jamboree
Nick Puma
Long Island Arrows, 2011, F, right shot
Home state: New YorkÂ
I was impressed with Puma's intelligence and hockey IQ. He made smart reads on the forecheck and intercepted breakout passes. His do-it-all play stood out, like when he battled for a puck in a 2-on-2 in the corner and came out with it.
Luca Rose
Northeast Generals, 3/3/2011, F, left shot, 6-3/185
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass.Â
Rose's size jumped out first. But then, with his hands and skill in transition, plus his strong skating, Rose instantly jumped out as a fascinating prospect. Rose was on the Junior Eagles' 14U team last season and played for Duxbury High School.
Philip Skobrev
Masters Academy, 6/17/2011, F, left shot, 6-0/179
Hometown: Stamford, Conn.Â
Skobrev was an offensive force, showing himself to be fantastic off the rush and in the cycle, protecting pucks and extending offensive zone possessions. In Friday's game, he scored off a nasty one-timer, staying shot-ready for Donatsch's pass across the zone.
Hunter Thompson
Neponset Valley River Rats, 5/13/2011, F, left shot, 5-10/134
Hometown: Salem, N.H.Â
Thompson consistently impressed as a play-driving winger. He showed himself as a fluid skater who could successfully stickhandle around and through opposing team defenses. Against Notre Dame Academy, he got to the front of the net and cleaned up a rebound for a goal. He'll be back at Salem (N.H.) High School this season, but he strikes me as someone who should be coveted by prep schools for next year.
Carter Watson
Boston Junior Eagles, 2/28/2011, F, right shot, 5-11/170
Hometown: Bridgewater, Mass.Â
Watson's ability to slow the game down when the puck is on his stick and precisely navigate through defenders was so impressive. His size is good, and he was usually one of the strongest players on the ice, which made it difficult to knock him off the puck. He has a missile of a shot. Against the North Jersey Avalanche, he dangled through defenders, cut to the middle and sniped one bar down.
READ MORE: Current and former QMJHL players give advice
Chris Welby
Boston Junior Eagles, 3/14/2011, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Westwood, Mass.Â
Welby is getting acclimated to his new team, switching from Islanders Hockey Club to the Junior Eagles for this season. In one of the best 15O games I've ever seen, he put the game out of reach for the Junior Eagles against Woodbridge Wolfpack with a complete snipe from in tight, going bar down.
