BOSTON — Now it's time to focus on those who do their best to prevent goals.
There were a bunch of strong defensemen at the Harvard College Hockey Experience, which brought 175 skaters and 23 goalies together from around the world from Sunday to Tuesday.
In the first story from the CHE, I focused on the 13 standout forwards. This article will be dedicated to defensemen and one goalie.
Let's dive in.
Marko Bilic
Ridley College (Team 2, Kelly Green), 3/5/2006, G, catches left, 6-3/179
Hometown: Toronto, Ont.Â
Bilic, who will attend Cushing Academy in the fall, was one of the better goalies at the camp. He showed poise and his athleticism allowed him to move well in the net. He tracked pucks well. His best save came with his glove off a shot in tight. Bilic projects to play a big role for head coach Paul Pearl's team this winter.
Ryan Howe
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 15U (Team 12, Gray), 2/7/2007, D, left shot
While I couldn't find a height and weight for Howe, he was a smaller-sized defenseman. That didn't stop him from being aggressive and active with the puck, as he always seemed to be stepping up to intercept plays and earn offensive zone entries for his team. He also rushed the puck quite a bit in Tuesday's game, showing off nice hands as he sifted through the neutral zone. Late in the game, a shot of his from the point trickled off a teammate and into the net.
Colby Mara
Lawrence Academy (Team 8, Red), 7/13/2007, D, left shot, 6-1/165
Hometown: Bedford, Mass.Â
Mara showcased a strong two-way game in Monday's game. In his own zone, he was stout defensively, showing off a good stick. He broke the puck out well, too. As play transitioned the other way, he showed no hesitation in joining the rush and getting shots off.
John Mara
Lawrence Academy (Team 8, Red), 7/13/2007, D, left shot, 6-0/161
Hometown: Bedford, Mass.Â
A lot of the same things written about Colby can be said about John, too. In my viewing of them, they're similar defensemen and equally effective. John also showed shiftiness at the blue line, working hard with the puck to find shooting lanes. Both should be bright spots for Lawrence Academy this winter.
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Ryland Randle
Dallas Stars Elite 16U (Team 5, Royal Blue), 5/16/2006, D, left shot, 5-8/143
Hometown: Winnipeg, MB.Â
In Tuesday's game, Randle showed good patience on the breakout, as he waited for seams to open up to make a strong pass up the ice. He's a good skater and used it to his advantage on those breakouts, as he often eluded pressure even if it meant skating deeper into the defensive zone. Randle will be at Cushing this fall and will be an intriguing prospect to watch.
Collin Rowe
Pingree School (Team 2, Kelly Green), 4/1/2007, D, right shot, 5-8/150
Hometown: Andover, Mass.Â
Rowe showed off confidence in Monday's game. In the first half, he had a nice rush out of his own zone that featured him avoiding forecheckers, gaining the offensive blue line and making a slick pass to a forward. In the second half, a shot of his from the point was stopped, but Wonjun Yun — who we'll get to in a second — knocked in the rebound. As a sophomore, Rowe notched one goal and 10 points in 19 games for Pingree in 2022-23.
Haoxi Wang
North York Rangers 16U (Team 7, White), 7/27/2007, D, left shot, 6-2/187
Hometown: Beijing, ChinaÂ
As fellow NEHJ writer Mark Divver and I stood watching warmups of Crimson vs. White's game on Tuesday, he turned to me and said "That Haoxi Wang kid is a real player." Wang proved that right early, scoring on a 2-on-0 by skating past opposing defenders and rifling a shot high over the goalie's blocker. He was confident with the puck and in the second half, went on an end-to-end rush, dangling opposing players before getting a shot off. As he went for the loose puck, he drilled a defender. He was a force on the ice Tuesday and should be someone colleges keep an eye on.
ON OFFENSE: 13 standout forwards from Harvard's College Hockey Experience
Jacob Xu
North York Rangers (Team 10, Sky Blue), 3/13/2008, D, left shot, 6-2/165
Hometown: Richmond Hill, Ont.Â
It says a lot about Xu that even as the youngest player at the camp, he was one of the steadiest. His defense wasn't flashy, but he got the job done. He had good hands that he'd show off when stick handling out of his own zone and through the opponent in the neutral zone. He's a good skater. In his own zone, he had a great stick and shut plays down. Overall, he's reliable and has size — two huge strengths for any defenseman.
