Cushing was already a fairly young team last season, filled with various newcomers.
The Penguins cruised to a Large School tournament championship, taking down Brunswick, 7-0, in the final. It was never close.
But Cushing lost a lot over the offseason. Not only did it graduate the usual line of seniors, but others left for juniors or other opportunities.
It started when Joe Covelluzzi (Wakefield, Mass.) left midseason last winter for the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints.
Then came the defections of '10s: forwards Ethan Machado (Wayland, Mass.) and Owen Frick (Holden, Mass.), along with defenseman Brodie Anderson (Wayland, Mass.), left for Masters Academy.
Forward Sebastian Mogull broke out in the second half of last winter and made the OHL's Barrie Colts for this season. Defenseman Colin Yandle (Dorchester, Mass.) made the USHL's Madison Capitols.
Add in goalie Mason Raycroft (Wellesley, Mass.) leaving for the OJHL's Wellington Dukes, and that's seven players who should've been core players for the Penguins.
That would be crippling for most prep schools. But Cushing is Cushing. There is plenty of talent on the way.
Zoomed-out view
Cushing being really good and being known as really good is a double-edged sword in today's landscape.
The good: the Penguins will always be an Elite 8 contender with high-end talent. Dan Fontas will never have to worry about attracting top players from around the country.
The bad: top players may only be at Cushing for one year. Junior hockey will always pull high-end 16-, 17-, and 18-year-olds from prep. Cushing has felt that quite a bit in recent seasons and will continue to do so. The Penguins' NEPSAC success will often come down to how good the crop of seniors is for any given year.
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The last few years
Last year's Large School championship was the first time since before COVID-19 that Cushing didn't make the Elite 8. In 2022-23 and 2023-24, Cushing, with stacked rosters, fell in the Elite 8 championship as the No. 1 seed.
It wasn't until 2024-25 that the Penguins pulled out an Elite 8 championship win, finding a way to the final as the No. 4 seed.
What I love most about that three-year run is that the least flashy Cushing roster was the one to win the Elite 8 title.
The coach
Last year was Fontas' first as head coach of the varsity squad. He was an assistant the year before, and led the Varsity B team from 2021-23. The former UMass Lowell forward is the perfect coach for Cushing. Someone who knows how to coach high-end talent, develop players through the school and wants to be the Cushing boss for a long time.
Who will the stars be?
Without question, the top player is Chase Warsofsky (Northboro, Mass.), who committed to Holy Cross over the summer. He put up eight goals and 23 points in 31 games last season, and has long been one of the better '09s in Massachusetts.
He will be one of the captains, opting to stay for his senior year.
"He's going to be heavily relied upon to be a leader," Fontas said. "In terms of pace of play, his ability to drive play up front. He has a tremendous amount of speed and can really change a game."
Jeff Swartz will play a big role as a do-it-all center. The '08 had 21 points in 33 games last season.
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"I can rely on him in any situation," Fontas said.
An interesting name up front is Miles Mireault, an '08. The Topsfield, Mass., native had seven points in six games at USA Hockey's Select 17 Camp last summer, but had a pretty quiet junior year at Cushing with six points in 29 games.
"Last year probably wasn't the level of production that he wanted individually," Fontas said. "I think this year, he's going to be relied upon as more of a goal scorer."
On defense, Oliver Svoboda is clearly the leader. A senior captain, Svoboda has steadily gotten better the last two seasons, going from 12 points as a sophomore to 21 in a much bigger role last winter.
Newcomers
Two mainstays in Cushing's offense are arriving as newbies this year, and they're local kids: Danny Patch (Melrose, Mass.) and Ryan Elrick (Canton, Mass.).
Patch already has quite a bit of experience in prep, standing out at Pingree for the last three seasons. The Boston Junior Eagle put up 15 goals and 39 points in 27 games last season.
"I expect him to contribute right away and be one of our top guys offensively," Fontas said.
Elrick had a similar past over the last few seasons, but at Canton High School in the MIAA. He notched a goal in the third period of the Division 2 championship game back in March, en route to a Canton win. He's highly skilled, quick and has a lethal shot.
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"He'll also be a big-time scorer for us," Fontas said.
Two other newcomers who should make an impact are forwards Drew Brierley and Benny Yabsley. They are not locals.
Brierley, a 6-foot-2 '09, was a standout for the Chicago Reapers over the last two seasons. Yabsley, a 5-foot-11 '09, put up 32 points in 32 games for the East Coast Blizzards 18U team last winter.
Breakout prospects
With Raycroft gone, the door is open for now-junior Harper Hubbard to take on the starting job. In limited time last season, Hubbard posted a 2.14 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage.
"It's his net to lose right now," Fontas said. "He's got the ability to steal us a game here and there, and at least give us a chance to win a game every night."
Defensively, Cushing has multiple internal breakout candidates.
That starts with senior Gleb Kokorin. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Santa Monica, Calif., native got good minutes last year as a junior after spending sophomore year on the Varsity B team and freshman year with junior varsity.
"He's a kid that I expect to do really well," Fontas said.
Two juniors who should step into bigger roles are AJ Haas and Landon Nickulas (West Barnstable, Mass.), two '09s.
The ceiling
Despite all the talent lost from last season's team, the newcomers mixed with the returning core should have Cushing back in the Elite 8 conversation.
The forwards are the most intriguing. They're older and deeper up front, which should lead to them being one of the top offenses in New England.
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In that case, so long as Cushing gets adequate defense and goaltending, the Penguins should be back in the Elite 8.
