18 defenders who should get calls from Division 1 colleges on Jan. 1

We've covered the forwards to watch. Now it's time to look at the defensemen and goalies.

Come Jan. 1, Division 1 college coaches can contact sophomores in high school for college hockey recruiting. When Aug. 1 rolls around, those schools can extend verbal offers. Those players will be rising juniors by then.

Jan. 1 used to be a huge day, and it still is to an extent. But things have changed since the 2024 CHL ruling, which allowed players in the Ontario Hockey League, Western Hockey League and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League to be eligible to play Division 1 NCAA hockey. Schools have become much more open to recruiting players straight out of the CHL, or even using the transfer portal, to fill roster spots.

College coaches have also often taken a wait-and-see approach with fringe Division 1 players who are in prep or full-season 16U and 18U hockey. It’s not always the case, but it’s become more frequent that those schools want to see players thrive in juniors before extending an offer.

That's the case with defensemen and especially the case with goalies.

Defensemen tend to take longer to develop. And recruiting goalies who are 16 years old, and won't be in college until they're 19 or 20, is near impossible, which is why some schools opt to pluck netminders out of juniors.

Nevertheless, these 18 are local names I'd expect to have some interest. I organized the forwards in tiers, but for this story, they're just listed alphabetically.

Let's dive in.

Brodie Anderson

Cushing, 5/7/2010, D, left shot, 5-9/150
Hometown: Wayland, Mass. 

When I think of Anderson, I think of steady. He's not flashy by any means, but he makes smart puck plays and can be relied on in his own zone. He's been a longtime standout for the Minuteman Flames and had three goals at USA Hockey's Select 15 Camp last summer.

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Ivan Belikov

Honeybaked, 3/31/2010, D, right shot, 6-4/190
Hometown: Moskva, Russia 

Belikov played with Mount St. Charles last year, so I'm grouping him in with New Englanders. He's huge, physical and rangy. It's no surprise that he's hard to play against. But he also has nice hands and an offensive side to his game. He has 17 points in 42 games for Honeybaked at the 15O level this winter.

Brody Berard

Youngstown Phantoms, 9/2/2009, D, right shot, 6-0/194
Hometown: Cumberland, R.I. 

Berard opted to leave Mount St. Charles and head to the USHL, where he has two assists in 17 games for Youngstown. While his offensive numbers were good at the 14U and 15O levels at Mount, his game isn't predicated on offense. He's a shutdown, physical defenseman who makes life hell on opponents. He's been at both Select 15 and 16 Camp.

Jake Donatelli

St. George's, 1/4/2010, D, left shot, 5-9/160
Hometown: Barrington, R.I. 

Donatelli's upside as a puck-moving defenseman is intriguing. He's a creative puck-mover who has good hands and uses his great skating to help him stand out. Through seven St. George's games this winter, he has a goal and six points. He played as a freshman at St. George's last winter, so he has a full year of prep. He stood out with the Neponset Valley River Rats this past fall and had a great showing at Select 15s last summer.

Alex Guo

Belmont Hill, 5/10/2010, D, left shot, 5-10/174
Hometown: Weston, Mass. 

Guo is a pure, confident puck-moving defenseman. He got experience last winter getting reps for Belmont Hill and, so far, has three assists as a sophomore. He had a nice fall for the Minuteman Flames' 15O squad and was at Select 15s last summer.

Kamden Jackson

Williston Northampton, 3/4/2009, G, catches left, 6-1/185
Hometown: Manchester, N.H. 

After starring at Seacoast Performance Academy for the last few years, Jackson has been dominant with Williston so far, with a staggering 1.33 GAA and a .964 save percentage. Given his athleticism and results, Division 1 programs should be fine committing him, even if it's still early to lock up goalies.

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Justin Lee

Nobles, 6/28/2009, G, catches left, 6-1/183
Hometown: Newton Center, Mass. 

Lee was always a standout with the Boston Junior Eagles, and it translated to prep. He grabbed the starting job at Nobles last year, posting a 2.55 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage en route to a spot in the Elite 8. He's been solid this year, too, with a 2.99 GAA and a .915 save percentage. He's been at USA Hockey Select 15 and 16 Camp the last two summers.

Jack O'Dell

Phillips Andover, 7/30/2009, D, right shot, 6-0/170
Hometown: Wilmette, Ill. 

If you were to ask a scout or a college coach at the Flood-Marr Tournament who they liked, O'Dell would've been one of the first names mentioned. He's been one of the top breakout players in prep due to his all-around game. He picks the perfect times to jump in the offense, but is responsible and physical in his own zone. He will have heavy interest from Ivy League schools.

Colin O'Leary

Rivers, 2/13/2009, D, right shot, 6-1/160
Hometown: Medfield, Mass. 

I always liked O'Leary on the '09 Boston Junior Eagles as a puck-moving defender, but he's grown a bit, and throughout the fall was much more physical. His toughness and size should be something college coaches watch.

Jacoby Palmer

Woodbridge Wolfpack 16U, 8/9/2009, D, left shot, 6-1/176
Hometown: Holden, Mass. 

Palmer has the size, skating and puck-moving abilities to attract attention from Division 1 coaches. He was a standout with the Boston Junior Eagles before making the move to the Long Island Gulls last winter, scoring 18 goals and totaling 51 points in 57 games. He's now with the Woodbridge Wolfpack 16s.

Marshall Paul

Avon Old Farms, 2/23/2009, D, right shot, 6-2/200
Hometown: Greenville, S.C. 

Paul's size is enough for college coaches to show interest. He played for the River Rats and Cardigan Mountain last season before making the move to Avon. He's been at Select 15 and 16 Camp the last two summers, most recently tallying a goal and two points at Select 16s.

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Christian Semetsis

U.S. National Team Development Program U17, 10/14/2009, D, left shot, 5-10/174
Hometown: Smithtown, N.Y. 

Semetsis broke out with Mount St. Charles' 15O squad last winter with 13 goals and 49 points. His elite skating and puck-moving abilities got him on the NTDP's U17 team for this season. So far, he has 14 points in 28 games. He will have interest from Hockey East, Big Ten and NCHC schools.

Lev Smotkin

Mount St. Charles, 3/1/2010, G, catches left, 6-0/174
Hometown: Penn Valley, Penn. 

Smotkin is extremely mobile and tracks pucks well. He had a strong 14U year last winter at Mount, and that's continued as 15O. Smotkin boasts a 1.96 GAA and a .920 save percentage through 19 games. He had a nice showing at Select 15s last summer, too.

Will Torres

Rivers, 4/21/2010, G, catches left, 5-10/140
Hometown: Framingham, Mass. 

Torres may not be the biggest goalie, but his poise and rebound control are outstanding. So far, he's been a breakout goalie for Rivers this winter with a 2.45 GAA and a .930 save percentage. He's been a longtime standout for the Minuteman Flames and was at Select 15 Camp last summer.

Kasen Walsh

Nobles, 4/24/2010, D, left shot, 5-11/155
Hometown: Warwick, R.I. 

In my prep viewings of him this winter, Walsh has been outstanding. He's hard to play against in his own zone, as he uses his great stick to cut off passing lanes and break up plays. He defends the front of his own net hard, too. He's intelligent with pucks and knows when to jump into the offense.

Nick Ware

Belmont Hill, 1/5/2010, D, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Weymouth, Mass. 

Ware is a reliable, two-way defender who is playing a lot for Belmont Hill. Through six games, he has six assists. He played for the Neponset Valley River Rats in the fall and was at Select 15 Camp this past summer. He can play in all situations, which makes him so versatile.

Elliott Watson

Salisbury, 4/5/2009, D, right shot, 5-9/175
Hometown: Mascouche, Quebec 

While Watson isn't the tallest defenseman, he's one of the fastest. Watson can fly, showing no hesitation to take the puck and drive offense. He already has three goals and five points with Salisbury this winter.

READ MORE: 29 forwards to watch for Jan. 1

Colin Yandle

Cushing, 10/15/2010, D, right shot, 5-9/150
Hometown: Dorchester, Mass. 

Yandle helped lead Catholic Memorial to an MIAA Division 1 state title last spring, and his game has transitioned well to prep. He's a classic, two-way defenseman who makes smart, reliable plays with pucks. He's a very good skater who has a high IQ. He can play power play and penalty kill. The biggest thing with him will be continuing to grow and put on muscle.

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