With each passing summer, there seems to be more and more hockey showcases and camps for players to compete in, which means that there are ample opportunities for scouts and coaches to evaluate prospective recruits.
I’ve spent much of the summer watching top '05s, '06s and '07s at various showcases, including the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp and the Massachusetts Hockey CCM High Performance Festival.
College camps and several other local showcases and leagues in the greater Boston area have provided me with an opportunity to watch some players who are a little under the radar.
Below is a look at eight players born in 2004 or prior who have made a positive impression over the past month.
Wade Volo
Westminster, 1/24/04, RW, right shot, 5-9/154
A lot of scouts and college coaches will remember Volo as the player taken off the ice on a stretcher at the Flood-Marr in December. I’ve seen him at two different college camps over the past few weeks and he’s been impressive. The North Conway, N.H., native is on the smaller side, but he skated well, zipped around the ice, had some skill and made plays. During the two camps combined, no one at either one produced more offensively during my viewings than Volo, who will be a senior for Tim Joncas’ Martlets.
Declan Chapman
Pomfret, 2/13/03, RW, right shot, 5-9/170
Chapman showed goal-scoring ability in the Pioneer Experience. The Pomfret graduate will play in the USPHL NCDC this upcoming season with the South Shore Kings. From Douglas, Mass., he has a good shot, quick release, and skates well enough. He’s a player that could be a high-end Division 3 prospect after a season or two in the NCDC.
Phil Feinberg
Eden Prairie, 5/31/03, RW, right shot, 5-8/170
Feinberg has bounced around, due to his family moving. He spent the 2019-20 season at Kent before playing as a junior and senior at Eden Prairie, a Minnesota high school powerhouse program. What stood out to me at the Pioneer Experience was his skating and compete level. He hunted pucks and played with tenacity. He has options in the USPHL and NAHL for 2022-23 and should be on the radar of NESCAC programs for 2023-24.
Brendan Dumas
New Jersey Titans, 8/28/02, RW, right shot, 5-11/185
Dumas has always been a player I’ve liked, due to his compete level and ability to get the most out of his ability. His skating and hockey sense aren’t high-end, but he plays so hard and goes to the greasy areas. That allowed him to score 24 goals and notch 41 assists as a rookie in the NAHL with the Robertson Cup champion New Jersey Titans. He averaged close to a point per game in the regular season. At the Pioneer Experience, he played hard, made some plays, and finished. He should find his way onto an Atlantic Hockey roster for the 2023-24 season.
Eric Charpentier
New Jersey Titans, 6/10/02, D, left shot, 6-3/201
Charpentier is a Frederick Gunn alum who played this season in the NAHL with Dumas for the Robertson Cup champs. The Silver Spring, Md., native is big, skates well and can bring a physical element. His puck touches and defensive zone reads need to get better as he progresses through his final season of junior hockey. However, his physical tools might be too much to pass up for a couple of Atlantic Hockey schools. In 71 games this past season in New Jersey, he had two goals and 20 assists.
Gunnar VanDamme
Lindsay Muskies, 12/8/02, D, left shot, 6-0/181
VanDamme is a player I had never noticed before the past month. The Pittsford, N.Y., native played youth hockey for the Rochester Monarchs and Buffalo Junior Sabres before heading north of the border to play in the OJHL for the 2021-22 season. His skating will pop off the page at scouts watching him play. I liked his puck touches and decision-making ability. It was summer hockey, but he’s a player that could find a home in Atlantic Hockey after this season in the NAHL with the Maryland Black Bears.
Tyler Fogu
Trinity-Pawling, 2/23/04, LW, left shot, 6-2/190
Fogu is a player I’ve liked for a couple of seasons now, dating back to 2020-21 when he played with the River Rats during the COVID-19 season. The Bayonne, N.J., native is big and can play a north-south style game as a two-way forward. His skill isn’t something that wows anyone watching, but he has good habits and his skating, size and physical presence should be of note to NESCAC coaches.
Brayden Naumann
Dexter Southfield, 11/20/03, LW, left shot, 5-7/140
From Jamaica Plain, Mass., Naumann is a player I noticed on the line chart for Dexter Southfield. There wasn’t ever much to catch my eye as he was overshadowed by more high-end players on Danny Donato’s deep team. At the recent Warrior Way Camp, he showed off some skill. He scored a lacrosse-style goal and added a few other tallies. Naumann is undersized, but he’s a player to keep an eye on for middle-tier Division 3 college programs as he approaches his senior season at Dexter Southfield.
