30 forwards who should get calls from Division 1 colleges on Jan. 1

On Jan. 1, Division 1 college coaches can begin contacting sophomores in high school to express interest. Come Aug. 1, those coaches can extend verbal offers to those players, who will be rising juniors.

And the college hockey recruiting carousel goes on.

Things have been different. 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, colleges have been more open to recruiting players directly from those leagues.

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.

There's also the transfer portal, which allows schools to bring in college-experienced players immediately.

The forwards mentioned in this story won't all commit to or play Division 1 hockey. It's always interesting to look back on these years from now and see who were the big names as sophomores in high school.

Undoubtedly, there will be '09s and '10s who are currently sophomores who weren't mentioned in this; years down the road, we'll say, "How were they not mentioned, Evan?"

I've organized the names on this list into tiers. Tier 1 is for definites. These are the players who will generate the most interest. Tier 2 is "Next Up," and Tier 3 is "Worth Watching." I've listed them in the order that I would have them in if I were a college coach.

Let's dive in.

TIER 1: DEFINITES

Brayden Willis

U.S. NTDP U17, 9/16/2009, F, right shot, 5-9/179
Hometown: Gilbert, Ariz. 

Willis played for Mount St. Charles last season, so I'm grouping him with New England. He's tied with Carter Meyer (Winchester, Mass.) for most points (31) on the NTDP's U17 team. He's highly skilled and outstanding at getting inside ice. When paired with the right center, Willis' offensive ceiling is incredibly high.

Thomas Boisvert

Mount St. Charles, 1/14/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/150
Hometown: Trois-Rivières, Quebec 

Boisvert has dominated 15O hockey this season with Mount St. Charles. Through 38 games, he has a whopping 35 goals and 87 points. He's a powerful skater who can plow through coverage and bulldoze his way into high-danger areas. His hands are fantastic, and he is so reliable in the offensive zone. It's early, but he projects as a top-six stalwart someday. His cousin is Boston University forward Sacha Boisvert, a first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks.

Wilson Boumedienne

Mount St. Charles, 6/29/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/159
Hometown: Södertälje, Sweden 

Boumedienne is elite. The Swedish forward has high-level skill and is a fantastic skater. He had an absurd 14U year with Mount, scoring 60 goals and finishing with 160 points in 58 games. He's missed some time this season due to injury, but still has 20 points in 10 games. His brother, Sascha, is in his second season at Boston University and was a first-round pick by the Winnipeg Jets last June. It's no surprise that high-end schools in Hockey East, the Big Ten and the NCHC are interested.

Jack Queally

St. Sebastian's, 7/27/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/181
Hometown: Milton, Mass. 

There's no doubt about the Division 1 interest in Queally. The do-it-all center is the kind of player that Division 1 programs want in their middle six someday. His IQ and compete are high, and he's responsible.  The biggest question with him is his offensive upside, and he's already at seven goals and 11 points in eight games for St. Sebastian's. He's a candidate for the U.S. National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp this spring. In terms of college interest, expect Beanpot schools to be all over him.

Zaac Charbonneau

Mount St. Charles, 1/18/2010, F, left shot, 6-1/185
Hometown: Quebec 

Charbonneau generated headlines as a 14U last season with 85 goals and 168 points in 58 games for Mount St. Charles. This season, he has 35 goals and 58 points in 27 games. While Charbonneau is bigger than most of his competition, his size still translates well to higher levels of play. He plays a very north-south game and is reliable in his own zone. I still think he will need to get used to not being the biggest player on the ice come junior and college hockey, but there's no denying that top schools will show heavy interest in him. He was also just tendered by the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks for next year.

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Brayden Hekle

Shattuck-St. Mary's, 6/8/2010, F, right shot, 5-10/161
Hometown: Wilton, Conn. 

Hekle is a fantastic skater. He can generate speed quickly and has a great stride. He plays with pace and is extremely effective in the offensive zone. After standing out with Mid Fairfield, Hekle moved to Shattuck-St. Mary's this season and has 10 goals and 30 points in 30 games. He had three goals and six points in four games at Select 15s last summer.

MJ Campbell

Mount St. Charles, 4/3/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/150
Hometown: Frankfort, Ill. 

Campbell has been a force for Mount St. Charles over the last two seasons. He had 43 goals and 139 points in 58 games at the 14U level last winter, before notching 21 goals and 50 points in 24 games with the 15s this season. He impressed at Select 15s last summer with three goals and four points in four games.

TIER 2: NEXT UP

Colin Walsh

Framingham High, 8/18/2010, F, left shot, 6-1/175
Hometown: Framingham, Mass. 

Walsh is one of the best players in the MIAA as a '10, and he was one of the best in his birth year with the Neponset Valley Rivers Rats this fall. While he's not a high-end skater, his ability to get open in high-danger areas and produce is high-end. His intelligence in the offensive zone is legitimate and worthy of Division 1 attention. He also has a quick, accurate shot that he can snap off from anywhere.

Ethan Gingeleskie

Avon Old Farms, 6/2/2009, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn. 

Without question, Gingeleskie has been one of the biggest breakout forwards in prep this winter. In nine games, his eight goals and 13 points are already both more than he had as a freshman last year. His skill level is incredibly high, and that he's doing it against older players in prep should be enough for Division 1 schools to display interest. He's been at both Select 15 and 16 Camps the last two summers, most recently notching four assists in five games at 16s.

Dylan Rothstein

Taft, 7/6/2010, F, right shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: New City, N.Y. 

The word with Rothstein is intelligent. His production has been at Taft with two points in seven games, but that shouldn't give schools pause. Rothstein plays a responsible, high-IQ game at both center and wing. He can drive play and can get to scoring areas. In the offensive zone, he reads breakouts well enough to take away passing lanes and force turnovers. JT Rothstein, his older brother, is committed to Harvard.

Robert Dekleine

Belmont Hill, 3/21/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/154
Hometown: Bethlehem, Penn. 

Dekleine is off to a strong start with Belmont Hill, scoring three times and adding three assists in eight games. He can be a force in the offensive zone with and without the puck on his stick. With the puck, he has nice hands and good vision. Without the puck, he's relentless in pursuit of puck-carries and not afraid to get physical.

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Owen Frick

Cushing, 3/7/2010, F, right shot, 5-9/170
Hometown: Holden, Mass. 

Frick plays like a power forward, unafraid to finish hits and get under opponents' skin. That's continued into the prep season. While he does only have one assist in eight games so far for Cushing, he showed quite a bit of offensive upside in the fall with the Minuteman Flames. He has great vision and uses his frame and physicality well to shield pucks.

Cade Noonan

St. Sebastian's, 8/21/2009, F, left shot, 6-1/181
Hometown: Needham, Mass. 

The biggest thing with Noonan is his compete. Matched with his size, there could be Division 1 programs that want to take a chance on that. As a sophomore in an elevated role at Seb's, Noonan has been dynamite, leading the team with 12 points.

Austin Wu

Dexter Southfield, 1/28/2010, F, left shot, 5-11/160
Hometown: Dedham, Mass. 

Wu is such an interesting prospect. He had nine goals and 17 points in 27 games as a freshman at St. Sebastian's last year. He moved to Dexter Southfield this winter, where he basically started as the 13th or 14th forward. Even in a crowded field, he has three goals and seven points in nine games. He finds ways to produce and plays with power, showing no issue driving the net and into contested areas. He has a strong shot, too.

Cam Daigle

St. George's, 2/5/2010, F, right shot, 5-7/155
Hometown: East Greenwich, R.I. 

Daigle is small and shifty, but he uses it to his advantage. His quick stride and relentlessness allow him to get to high-danger areas, as was evident at Select 15 Camp when he scored four goals, with three of them coming in one game. He has a goal and four points in seven games for St. George's this winter, but had 50 goals and 90 points in 58 games for Mount's 14U team last year.

Ethan Machado

Cushing, 9/7/2010, F, right shot, 5-8/161
Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska 

It's been a bit of a slow start to the season for Machado, with only two goals in eight games. But Machado had 40 goals and 90 points for the Minuteman Flames' 14U team last winter and has long been one of the top '10s in New England. He's known for his high IQ and had an assist at Select 15 Camp last summer.

Colton Simas

Deerfield, 3/22/2009, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Warwick, R.I.

I'm not saying Simas is (or is going to be) Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie, but Simas reminds me of him. Simas isn't the fastest skater, but he finds soft spots in the offensive zone to get open and can rip the puck. He had a strong fall with the Providence Capitals 16U squad and has two goals and five points in six games for Deerfield this winter.

TIER 3: WORTH WATCHING

Dawson Wood

Kimball Union, 9/23/2009, F, right shot, 5-11/168
Hometown: Barrington, R.I. 

It's always telling when someone who isn't a senior is playing a lot for head coach Tim Whitehead's Wildcats. Wood plays in KUA's top nine and has produced quite a bit so far, with four goals and nine points in 12 games. He has a very good shot.

Alex Strug

Deerfield, 5/1/2009, F, left shot, 5-9/154
Hometown: Westport, Conn. 

Strug was a longtime standout with Mid Fairfield. He had a big fall with the Yale Junior Bulldogs 16U team, posting six goals and 26 points in 22 games. That production continued into the prep season with Deerfield, as he has three goals and seven points in eight games. At USA Hockey's Select 16 Camp this past summer, he had a goal and three points in five games.

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Brayden White

Williston Northampton, 2/16/2009, F, left shot, 6-1/175
Hometown: Wakefield, R.I. 

White had a strong freshman year at Williston last winter with seven goals and 19 points in 27 games. So far, he's on pace for an even better sophomore season with three goals and six points in eight games. The size is there, and he had an assist in five games at Select 16 Camp last summer.

Jack Funk

Thayer, 3/12/2009, F, left shot
Hometown: Duxbury, Mass. 

Funk's been a breakout candidate for Thayer, as he's tied for the team lead in goals with six. He has nice hands and takes smart routes to the net, especially off the rush.

Nolan Roberts

Phillips Andover, 9/4/2008, F, right shot, 6-1/185
Hometown: Cary, N.C. 

In my viewings of Phillips Andover this season, I've liked what I've seen from Roberts. His hands and size are intriguing. He had a strong year last winter with the Carolina Junior Hurricanes 16U team, scoring 20 goals and tallying 58 points in 52 games.

Michael Barrett

Phillips Andover, 5/17/2010, F, left shot, 6-1/185
Hometown: Lynnfield, Mass. 

Barrett has been impressive as a '10 for Andover so far with three goals in 10 games. His size makes him intriguing, along with his scoring ability. He had a goal and an assist at Select 15 Camp last summer and was a standout for the River Rats 14U team last winter.

Kai Scranton

Mid Fairfield, 5/2010, F, left shot, 5-9/135
Hometown: West Hartford, Conn. 

Scranton has good speed and nice hands, which help him create offensively. That should translate as he grows. He had a great winter for Mid Fairfield as a 14U, scoring 31 goals and tallying 73 points in 75 games. He followed that up with two goals and four points in four games at Select 15s.

Jackson Luedke

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

Luedke has a fantastic shot, which stood out quite a bit at Select 15 Camp last summer when he potted two goals and four points in four games. He's been a standout with Mid Fairfield for the past two seasons.

Owen Lundin

Lawrence Academy, 2/26/2010, F, right shot, 5-11/165
Hometown: Bolton, Mass.

When Lundin is at his best, he's able to use his hands and skating to carry pucks into high-danger ice. He has poise and can slow the game down. Through seven games with Lawrence this winter, however, he doesn't have any points. He had two goals at Select 15 Camp last summer.

Keith Olympia

St. Mark's, 2/10/2009, F, right shot, 5-8/155
Hometown: Sudbury, Mass. 

Olympia has been a big part of the best offense in prep. Through nine games, Olympia has four goals and 18 points. He's always been known for his shiftiness and skill.

Drew Short

Winchendon, 3/14/2010, F, left shot, 5-10/175
Hometown: Lunenburg, Mass. 

Short only has an assist in nine games for Winchendon this winter, but does have the experience of playing as a freshman in prep last winter, and had a strong year for the River Rats' 14U team with 49 points in 48 games. Short always seems to find ways to get open and has a nice shot.

Sean Sweeney

Thayer, 7/14/2009, F, right shot, 5-10/165
Hometown: Hanson, Mass. 

The production hasn't been there yet for Sweeney at Thayer (one assist in seven games), but I really liked his play-driving abilities and hands with the Boston Junior Eagles 16U team this fall.

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Colton Cleaves

Brunswick, 8/31/2009, F, left shot, 5-10/150
Hometown: Riverside, Conn. 

Through seven games with Brunswick, Cleaves has two goals and an assist. He was outstanding at Select 16 Camp last summer with a goal and six points in five games. Hank and Cooper, his older brothers, are both playing for Dartmouth.

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