The 2001 birth year is a deep and talented one when it comes to hockey players in New England. Eight players heard their names called at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, and four or five more are likely to be selected in the upcoming 2020 draft. Many of the top players in Bantam...
The 2001 birth year is a deep and talented one when it comes to hockey players in New England.
Eight players heard their names called at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft in Vancouver, and four or five more are likely to be selected in the upcoming 2020 draft.
Many of the top players in Bantam and Midget have remained at the top of the list now. Not that he wasn’t always a good player, but Minnesota Wild prospect and Boston College left wing Matt Boldy saw his stock improve probably more than his peers.
Ben Meehan, Alex Jefferies, Connor Sundquist, Jake Dunlap and David Jacobs are examples of 2001s who have gotten remarkably better over the past couple of seasons.
On the other end, there are some ’01s who peaked early and have been passed by players who have kept getting better and developing later. One of the top ’01s growing up in New England was Robert Griffin, who quit hockey earlier this year while a freshman at New Hampshire.
It is interesting to look back at who represented the region at the Quebec PeeWee tournament or who played in the World Selects Invite. Many of the best players at those young ages are still the best players now.
Here’s a look at the top 66 ’01s in New England, as it stands today:
