DALLAS – The dust has barely settled on the 2018 NHL Draft, but scouts and organizations will soon turn their focus to prospects eligible for the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver. In fact, the first major scouting opportunity for 2019 draft prospects begins in just a few days.
The 2018 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp takes place June 26-July 2 at the Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y. The event brings together the top 2001-born Americans who aren’t playing for USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program (NTDP).
2019 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for American prospects, with U.S. NTDP U-18 center Jack Hughes an early favorite to be the first overall selection. While Hughes hails from Orlando, Fla., and grew up in Toronto, his mom and dad both played college hockey in New England. He also spent summers at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.
Specific to New England, the 2019 draft class could be a banner year, with several prospects already churning up first-round talk.
Below is an an initial look at first-year eligible prospects from New England who will be scouted ahead of that fateful weekend in Vancouver:
