
And here we go.
Since Jan. 1, college hockey teams have been able to contact then-sophomores in high schools. That will all pay off on Aug. 1 when colleges can begin offering scholarships to those same players, who are now entering their junior year of high school.
Last year saw a handful of local talent commit when Aug. 1 rolled around.
Defenseman Owen Keefe (Saugus, Mass.) committed to BU on Day 1. Defenseman Tory Pitner and forward Matthew Frost, who both played at South Kent, committed to schools on Day 1, too, with Pitner choosing UMass and Frost opting for Boston College.
Kent's Alex Bales announced Providence College was his destination on Aug. 1. Cam Russo (Middleton, Mass.), a forward at Governor's Academy, chose Brown, while Dexter's Jonathan Lanza (Winthrop, Mass.) selected Yale. Westminster's Ryan Shaw (East Longmeadow, Mass.) gave his commitment to RPI.
Some top talent opt to wait until later in August, while others take their time to decide. Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.), a projected top-three pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, waited until September of last year to announce his commitment to the University of Minnesota. Most wait even longer.
Still, a good number of players announce early in August. Here are nine prospects to watch when the recruiting window opens. Many more players from around the region may commit throughout August and some on this list may opt to wait.
It's an ever-changing process, but I find these nine particularly interesting. They're listed alphabetically.