21 standout forwards from USA Hockey’s Select 15 Camp

AMHERST, N.Y. — We got a glimpse of the next wave of hockey talent in the United States.

From Wednesday through Monday, the top 2010-born players in the United States descended upon the Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y., for their first trip through a USA Hockey Select Camp.

Select 15 Camp is widely regarded as the one with the most amount of high-end players since Select 16 and Select 17 Camps don't feature players picked by the U.S. National Team Development Program.

I took in 3v3 games on Thursday and every team in 5v5 action on Friday. So, I saw every player at least once.

These were the forwards who stood out. A separate story will be done on defenders.

Let's dive in.

Gabriel Belanger

Detroit Little Caesars, 3/23/2010, F, right shot, 5-11/180
Hometown: Wasilla, Alaska 

In Thursday's 3v3 games, Belanger was a bulldozer going to the net, showing zero hesitation about taking it hard to the cage. That continued into the regular games. Against Royal, Belanger fought hard to the netfront and scored. He scored again later in the half, getting the puck in the slot and firing one in. Belanger's shot was lethal and due to his size, he won his board battles. He finished 11th at the camp in points with six.

Henry Buttweiler

Minnesota Blue Ox, 6/1/2010, F, left shot, 5-9/161
Hometown: Alexandria, Minn. 

Buttweiler was consistently driving play as a center. He showcased a great release and a high IQ in the offensive zone, as he supported the play well. His reads were smart, as he anticipated what opposing puck-carriers would do and stole the puck. He was right with Belanger in points with six.

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Jamie Calla

Governor's Academy, 7/12/2010, F, right shot, 5-9/138
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass. 

The Middlesex Islanders product had a breakout camp, leading the tournament in goals (six) and tying for second in points (eight). He got better as the camp progressed, posting a hat trick against Red in his third game and notching two goals and two assists in a battle with Forest Green on Monday. Along with being at Gov's next year, he will also be back with the Islanders.

Bo Christini

BK Selects, 6/2/2010, F, right shot, 5-3/135
Hometown: Collegeville, Pa. 

Christini was so damn fun to watch. The small right wing got his camp started quickly against Red. Early in the first half, he outskated a defender for a loose puck, curled towards the top of the zone with his head up and found John Foye in front, who scored. Christini's skating and creativity with the puck made him so effective, even at his smaller stature.

Cam Daigle

Mount St. Charles, 2/5/2010, F, right shot, 5-6/140
Hometown: East Greenwich, R.I. 

When I watched his team take on Gray, Daigle posted a hat trick. All of his goals showed his nose for the net. He showed off shiftiness in his skating, and was able to get under defenders in the corners to win pucks. He was vital on the cycle and was always involved in the offense. He will be at St. George's this coming season.

Robert Dekleine

Minuteman Flames, 3/21/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/149
Hometown: Westborough, Mass. 

Dekleine was everywhere in the offensive zone. Against Columbia, he successfully followed the play and fired a shot in off a 3-on-1. Later in the half, he stole a puck from an opposing defender, went in on a 2-on-0 and made a last-second pass for a scoring chance. He showcased very good hands and finished with three goals in four games.

Carter Felt

Neponset Valley River Rats, 8/17/2010, F, left shot, 5-8/174
Hometown: Natick, Mass. 

In his first shift against Gold, Felt went head-to-head for an open-ice collision with Mount St. Charles defenseman Ivan Belikov, who is pushing 6-foot-3. After setting that kind of tone (and delivering an equal amount of punishment to Belikov), Felt beat him to the outside off a rush and drew a tripping penalty. The future Rivers forward was also a pain for opposing defenses on the cycle with his physicality and skill.

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Colin Kennedy

Detroit Little Caesars, 3/11/2010, F, left shot, 5-8/168
Hometown: Oakland Township, Mich. 

Kennedy made his presence known early in his matchup with Orange when he absolutely crushed Buttweiler in the neutral zone on a greenlight hit. Kennedy's compete was so high, as he used his feet to get on top of defenders quickly, finish hard hits and free up pucks. I'm going to assume defensemen hated retrieving pucks when he was hot on their trail.

Sam Lee

Minuteman Flames, 9/29/2010, F, left shot, 5-9/154
Hometown: Woburn, Mass. 

Lee was a lot to handle on the forecheck. He consistently drove play with his speed and shiftiness, as he evaded opposing players in the neutral zone to gain offensive zone entries. His speed served him well when he took defenders wide. Even on the cycle, Lee was impactful both in the corners and out high, trying to find a spot to get open.

William LoSauro

North Jersey Avalanche, 7/14/2010, F, left shot, 5-8/155
Hometown: Ridgewood, N.J. 

LoSauro showed such a high amount of confidence with the puck, navigating the offensive zone with possession and waiting for either passing lanes or lanes to the net to open up. Against Forest, he made a fantastic pass to Nick Mueller, who found Owen Lundin (Bolton, Mass.) at the far post for a goal. LoSauro's ability to get to interior ice was impressive, too. LoSauro finished the camp with the second-most points, tallying eight.

Jackson Luedke

Mid Fairfield, 7/2/2010, F, left shot, 6-0/165
Hometown: Ridgefield, Conn. 

Against Royal, Luedke had two goals. The first was off a one-timer in front of the net, while the second was late in the game when he got the puck in the slot after gaining position and slid it past the netminder. Luedke is still rather raw, but I'm very intrigued by what he will become once he fills out and grows into his frame.

Matthew Lynn

BK Selects, 6/4/2010, F, right shot, 5-9/172
Hometown: Collegeville, Penn. 

As a center, Lynn's hands and play-driving abilities made him highly effective. Lynn showcased patience when he had the puck, especially when skating through the neutral zone. His compete was so high, as was evident against Kelly. He stole the puck off a breakout and passed it to a teammate for a high-danger chance. Late in the game, he stepped up to break up an RJ Thompson rush. Lynn also found himself in front of his own net helping out his defenders and he got down and blocked a shot from the low slot.

Ethan Machado

Minuteman Flames, 9/7/2010, F, right shot, 5-6/158
Hometown: Wayland, Mass. 

Machado's best attribute was his IQ. He consistently supported plays and anticipated where the puck would go before it went there. That was evident in his own zone when he broke up cycles, and it was clear in the offensive zone when he found ways to get open. I also liked Machado's speed. Against Purple, he beat out an icing, got the puck and took it to the net, getting two chances.

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Maverick McKinnon

Forest Lake High School, 9/14/2010, F, right shot, 5-8/159
Hometown: Forest Lake, Minn. 

McKinnon's camp started with a bang. Early in his game against Gold, he took it down the right side of the offensive zone, protected the puck and put it between the goalie and the crossbar — and there wasn't much space to work with. It was a total snipe. He scored again later in the game when he ripped another wicked shot from in tight off the rush. McKinnon's shot, speed and play-driving abilities were a lethal combination. He finished with five goals in four games. More on him in a different story.

Henry Meier

Shattuck-St. Mary's, 1/18/2010, F, right shot, 5-9/163
Hometown: Woodbury, Minn. 

What struck me most about Meier was his compete and work ethic. Against Navy, he mostly played on a line with Lee and Meier's speed and desire to win pucks helped extend offensive zone sequences for his line. Even when he wasn't battling in the corner, Meier made sure to support the play as the third-guy high. He finished camp with a goal and three helpers.

Jack Queally

St. Sebastian's, 7/27/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/185
Hometown: Milton, Mass. 

Queally sometimes looked to be a level above his peers, at least when I watched him against Gray. Queally was super physical and didn't shy away from contact. His speed was evident and he was able to outskate most defenders. That speed helped him drive offense for his line and his shot was one of the hardest I saw at camp. He finished with four points in four games.

Dean Stevens

Minnesota Lakers, 9/18/2010, F, right shot, 5-7/127
Hometown: Excelsior, Minn. 

Stevens' skating was outstanding. He utilized good edges, and his shiftiness made him hard to contain. It didn't help opposing defenders that Stevens' hands allowed him to navigate through pressure. Stevens also had a quick, hard shot that he seemed to be able to get off from anywhere.

Patrick Taylor

Chicago Reapers, 3/12/2010, F, left shot, 5-7/126
Hometown: Lake Bluff, Ill. 

Taylor was the best passer I saw at camp. His playmaking abilities were outstanding. Early against Gray, he hit Queally with a slick, small-area pass for a one-timer. Later in the game, he hit Daigle with a terrific saucer pass to space for Daigle to skate into off the rush. Taylor mainly played the wing, but I'd be curious to see him at center, too. No matter the pressure on him, Taylor never panicked with the puck.

Alec Walker

Florida Alliance, 4/8/2010, F, left shot, 6-5/180
Hometown: Lithia, Fla. 

You read that right — Walker is a 6-foot-5, 180-pound 15-year-old kid. So then you're probably thinking, "Wow, he must barely be able to skate at that size and age, right?" Nope. Wrong. Walker's skating was good for his size and his stick was advanced. Early in the second half against Kelly, Walker corralled a puck and fired it in for a goal off a quick release. His passing was strong, too.

Caiven Walos

Madison Capitols, 7/5/2010, F, left shot, 5-7/181
Hometown: Hartland, Wisc. 

Walos controlled shifts when he was on the ice. As a center, he found soft spots in opposing defenses to create scoring chances in high-danger areas. He played with a confidence that can't be taught, and didn't hesitate to pass to a teammate if they were in a better position to score. In Friday's game against Purple, he had a phenomenal play where he got open in the high slot, a defender came to him and Walos toe-dragged him and got a prime chance.

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Blake Wilichoski

Minuteman Flames, 4/18/2010, F, right shot, 5-10/172
Hometown: Danvers, Mass. 

Wilichoski was able to slow games down with the puck on his stick. Against Purple, he got the puck high in his own zone and stopped short, going for (and completing) a spin move around a forechecker. Then, he didn't panic, holding onto the puck and taking it down the ice for an offensive zone entry. His patience was also evident in the offensive zone on long sequences, as he would wait out defenders until the right passing lane opened.

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