When Cushing won last season's Large School title, the Penguins celebrated as if they had won a meaningful regular-season game. There wasn't much pep in their step as they jumped over the boards and piled on goalie Mason Raycroft (Wellesley, Mass.).
That was understandable. Cushing won the Elite 8 the season before and had been in the Elite 8 final the prior two years. This was small potatoes.
It was also such a stark lack of celebration because of how Winchendon celebrated winning the Small School championship in the early game.
The Wapitis had a legitimate case to be in the Elite 8, but were kept as the No. 1 seed in the Small School, rolling through the field and taking down Holderness, 5-2, in the final game.
When the clock hit zero, helmets and gloves flew from the bench and all over the ice as they poured onto their senior goalie, Brady Knode. It was one big party.
And that made sense. Especially given how far the program has come in such a short amount of time.
Zoomed-out view
Winchendon was the second-best offense in prep last season with 186 goals for. The Wapitis boasted players like Charlie Puglisi, Jackson Smail (Milton, Vt.) and Cooper Ludwar (Chelmsford, Mass.). All three graduated, along with the next seven top scorers. Add in standout '10 Drew Short (Lunenburg, Mass.) bolting for Belmont Hill, and the offense will have an entirely new look this season.
"It'll be a little bit different than last year," head coach Mike Busconi said. "I think we'll still score, but I don't think we'll be scoring as much."
Fortunately for Busconi, Winchendon returns most of its defensive core. And even though it lost Knode to graduation, now-senior Mackinley Dumais (Lunenburg, Mass.) is back, and Henry Skale was brought in from Seacoast Performance Academy.
It will be a new-look Winchendon team, strong in back with questions up front.
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The last few years
When Busconi took over in 2023, Winchendon was coming off a 7-14-4 record in 2021-22 and 10-17-4 in 2022-23. Even in Busconi's first season, the Wapitis only improved by one win, finishing with 11.
But the tide turned in 2024-25, with Winchendon going 15-15-1, just narrowly missing the postseason.
Things looked bleak early on last season. Winchendon didn't beat a team that wasn't Albany Academy until Jan. 7. Busconi's squad was 2-5-5 through its first 12 games.
Then came a 20-2-1 stretch to finish the season. Things are different now.
The coach
Busconi, a Watertown, Mass., native who played at Winchendon before moving on to Division 3 hockey in the 2010s, has done a strong job of rebuilding the Wapitis. That's not a huge shock.
He's known as a strong recruiter, given his background running Islanders Hockey Club. He also helped turn Puglisi from a hardly-known, 20-point forward in 2024-25 to a 76-point NHL Draft pick (seventh round, Nashville Predators) last season. He won our Player of the Year award for his play down the stretch, which is actually bigger than getting drafted.
That will surely help with recruiting in future seasons.
Who will the stars be?
No doubt: NHL scouts will be keeping tabs on defenseman Tyler Poti this winter. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound defenseman is a '10 and won't be eligible until the 2028 NHL Draft. But scouts are already talking, and for good reason.
"He gradually grew over last winter, and then in the spring and summer, he took off," Busconi said. "I would expect him to be a big contributor on D for us. I would expect his offensive numbers to jump."
Poti is still raw, but just seems to be scratching the surface. He committed to Quinnipiac over the summer.
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Up front, the stars should be Austin Prep transfers Ryan Mogielnicki (Hudson, N.H.) and Mason McGovern (Andover, Mass.). Mogielnicki, an '09, had 29 goals and 48 points in 32 games last season, while McGovern, an '11, had 32 points.
Newcomers
Mogielnicki and McGovern certainly lead the charge for newcomers up front, where there will be the most opportunity given Winchendon lost its top 11 scorers from last season.
Luke Allen (Billerica, Mass.), the former Lawrence Academy forward, should be a big producer up front as an '08. The same can be said about Jake Eldredge (Brewster, Mass.), another '08, who came over from Nauset High (Mass.).
Hollister Wallace is a name to watch. The '10 has been a longtime standout for Indiana Elite and was picked in the 11th round by the Omaha Lancers in the USHL Phase 1 Draft earlier this year. Riley Harby, an '09, has arrived from the Chicago Fury, along with Chase Bradford (Essex, Mass.), another '09, who came over from St. George's.
An intriguing '11 is Max Colley, who was a standout with the 14U Cape Cod Whalers and Sandwich High School last season.
Breakout prospects
Names among the newcomer forwards above will break out. But a handful of candidates on defense should also break out.
Matthew MacInnis (Stratham, N.H.), an '08, had 19 points from the back end last season. RJ Grace (Dracut, Mass.), an '09, had 11. Both are seasoned more than they were last season and are due for an increase in both offensive production and defensive roles.
A returning forward who should make even more noise is Liam Carlin (Andover, Mass.), a '10. He had 17 points last season far down the depth chart. Due to all the departures ahead of him, he will be in a spot to produce even more.
"He could be a kid who jumps off the page this year," Busconi said.
ROUTE 12 FALL CLASSIC: 16 standout 14U forwards | 13 standout 14U defenders
The ceiling
Winchendon was a borderline Elite 8 team last season. Even with all the departures up front and Knode graduating in net, Busconi's team is still borderline Elite 8.
The x-factor will be whether many of the newcomers acclimate quickly and produce immediately.
Or it may take some time. Winchendon proved that wasn't an issue last season.
