CANTON, Mass. — The Cape Cod Whalers Midget Showcase brought together several of the region’s top Midget teams this past weekend at Canton Ice House.
There were games at the 18-U, 16-U and 15 Pure levels. In addition to the hosts, Boston Junior Eagles, East Coast Wizards, GBL Bruins, Junior Bruins, Little Bruins and South Shore Kings had teams in action.
The most high-end talent was in the 16-U division, but several NHL scouts turned out to watch draft-eligible players, focusing on the Boston Junior Eagles and Little Bruins. For local players, St. Sebastian’s center Tim Delay (Boston College) and Thayer left wing Nick Roukounakis (Boston University) were the main attractions. Both players produced in an 8-2 win for the Boston Junior Eagles 18-U over South Shore Kings 18-U on Saturday afternoon.
Delay certainly has the height, skating and skill to catch a scout’s eye. He’s proven that his speed and hands can make him a dangerous offensive player at the Midget and prep level. He has to show that he can do that at the USHL and NCAA level when decisions have to be made quicker and playing between the dots becomes more of an emphasis.
Roukounakis has impressed me the past couple of weeks. He looks to be in better shape and he’s still a force below the dots and can get shots off quickly and with zip. In my viewings of his team last weekend, he was around the puck, produced, and drew penalties with his size and strength down low. He made a bold statement to NHL scouts, more than anyone else.
According to MyHockeyRankings, the top team in Massachusetts at the 16-U level is the East Coast Wizards. I got to see them a few times over the weekend. While they don’t have the depth that the Cape Cod Whalers or Junior Eagles have, they have a dynamic duo in center Ben MacDonald of Nobles and right wing James Fisher of Belmont Hill. Over the weekend, the East Coast Wizards skated to a pair of 2-2 ties against the Junior Bruins and the Junior Eagles.
With Division 1 college coaches still locked out of the rinks due to the NCAA recruiting dead period associated with the coronavirus, there were quite a few uncommitted prospects who stood out over the course of the showcase. Ranked below are the top uncommitted prospects who I watched at the Cape Cod Whalers Midget Showcase. Note that a few ’06s were worthy of mention on this list but were omitted due to still being a couple of years away from NCAA recruiting age.
James Fisher
East Coast Wizards 16-U, 4/28/04, RW, right shot, 6-2/175
Fisher has been on my radar since he played for the Junior Bruins 16-U as a Bantam during the 2018-19 season. The Wilmington, Mass., native took a considerable step in his game as the 2019-20 season moved along at Belmont Hill. While he was making improvements, there were no signs that he was a can’t-miss prospect.
Not anymore. He’s always been noticeable for his size and potential. That all seems to be coming together this fall as he’s brought his game to a whole new level with the Wizards. At the Cape Cod Whalers Midget Showcase, Fisher showed that he is now a big-time power forward who should be coveted by every major college program in the region. He used his size and length to protect pucks as he drove the net. He finished in small areas and in traffic in front of the net. His skating and explosiveness have gotten even better.
Fisher is only a sophomore, but expect him to get a lot of phone calls and text messages on Jan. 1. A college commitment will follow next August.
Ben MacDonald
East Coast Wizards 16-U, 2/24/04, C, left shot, 6-1/170
MacDonald is the more complete player on the Wizards’ top line. He doesn’t have that big, pro frame like Fisher, but he’s a cerebral, 200-foot center. The Weston, Mass., native is an extremely smart player who plays on the right side of the puck and does a lot of the little things to win hockey games. With that being said, his skating and skill have both made notable improvements since last season. I always respected his habits and ability away from the puck. He’s now using his speed, vision and making a lot of plays. On one of Fisher’s goals Sunday vs. the Eagles, he recovered a puck in his own zone and sent a great lead pass for a breakaway tally. I’d expect MacDonald to take on an even greater role at Nobles this winter, if the prep season goes off as planned. It would be a shock if MacDonald didn’t follow in the footsteps of his father, Lane, by heading to Harvard in a couple of years.
Mack Oliphant
Little Bruins 18-U, 12/28/02, D, right shot, 6-4/200
Oliphant is an intriguing prospect for his size and skating ability from the back end. His offensive hockey sense is just average, but he shows off some decent skill from time to time. He scored a goal during the shootout against Cape Cod Whalers. He runs around a little defensively, but he has the length and mobility to recover most of the time. Overall, he’s a prospect who will continue getting looks from NHL scouts and should earn a college commitment shortly. After playing last season for Lawrence, he’s getting some ice time with the USPHL NCDC’s Junior Bruins this fall.
Owen Leahy
Cape Cod Whalers 15s, 2/11/05, C/LW, left shot, 5-8/150
Leahy, who plays Rhode Island high school hockey for Bishop Hendricken, had a huge weekend. He scored at least 10 points in my viewings. Leahy is an above-average skater who sees the ice well, hunts pucks in all three zones, and competes for loose pucks. He’s a little undersized, but he’s a player who will find his way into a Division 1 college lineup down the road.
Joe Hurton
Junior Eagles 16-U, 3/23/05, RW, right shot, 6-3/190
Hurton played a few games with the Eagles’ 15 team, as well, last weekend. He used his size and reach to score goals. I’d like to see a more consistent compete and willingness to play as a power forward instead of trying to be a finesse player. Regardless, Hurton’s physical tools are too much to overlook. I’d expect him to eventually land at Harvard or another Beanpot school.
Damon Alexander
GBL Bruins 16-U, 7/12/04, D, left shot, 5-11/180
Alexander is a player who first got on my radar while playing his freshman and sophomore seasons in the MIAA at Boston Latin. He’s continued to get better and showed a lot of power in his game over the weekend. He does a good job at both ends, whether it be closing on opposing forwards, keeping the play in front of him, or shooting it hard on the point. I expect Alexander to get even better as he transitions to prep hockey at Dexter Southfield.
Shane Baker
Junior Bruins 16-U, 4/21/04, C/RW, right shot, 5-11/180
Baker was missing his linemate in Chris Delaney over the weekend, but he still impressed. The Grafton, Mass., native has average size, skates well and made a nice pass for an assist vs. the Little Bruins. As long as he keeps taking steps in the right direction, he should be in line for a Hockey East commit over the next couple of years.
Nolan Joyce
Junior Eagles 18-U, 9/25/03, D, right shot, 6-0/175
Joyce flies a little under the radar when it comes to ’03 defensemen in the New England region. He has taken quite a step over the past 18 months. He has good size, skates well, gets shots through from the point, and can make solid breakout passes. It wasn’t a great viewing as his team thoroughly dominated South Shore Kings Saturday night, but he was noticeable in a positive way.
Brendan Gorman
Junior Eagles 18-U, 2/17/03, RW, right shot, 6-0/160
Gorman quietly has gone about his business and gotten better over the past couple of years. He has good size, goes into the corners, wins battles, and can shoot it hard. The Arlington, Mass., native and St. Sebastian’s winger scored a nice one-timer for a power-play goal in Saturday’s game against South Shore Kings. I’d expect Gorman to be an Ivy League player, like his older brother, Liam, and father, Sean, who currently and formerly played at Princeton.
Matthew Biotti
East Coast Wizards 16-U, 8/27/04, D, right shot, 6-4/190
Biotti is the top prospect among defensemen on the Wizards. He has the size and pedigree to indicate he’ll become a solid player. The Cambridge, Mass., native is starting to become more of an impact player in terms of using his size and skating from the back end. He did some nice things in both games over the weekend.
Tristan Mecenas
Cape Cod Whalers 18-U, 11/18/02, G, catches left, 6-4/220
Mecenas was really good in his team’s tie against Little Bruins on Saturday. After letting in a goal that wasn’t really his fault early in the game, he shut the door. From Maryland, he played last season at Governor’s. Mecenas has good size, stays quiet in net, and makes the saves you want him to make.
Joe DiMartino
Cape Cod Whalers 15s, 5/16/05, RW, right shot, 5-10/175
DiMartino is a hard-nosed goal scorer. He’s not the best skater, but he’ll shoot the puck from anywhere. He gets it off with zip and goes to the greasy areas to recover pucks and put himself in scoring opportunities. Formerly of the Boston Advantage, DiMartino does a good job of being heavy on pucks and isn’t easily knocked off by opposing defenders.
Will Elias
Junior Eagles 18-U, 1/28/03, D, right shot, 6-0/175
Elias is a steady defenseman who I’ve always liked. He isn’t flashy, but he skates well, makes solid breakout passes, and can get shots through from the point. He was again solid in the team’s game Saturday. I’m not sure he’s a sure-thing Division 1 player, but he’ll either end up as a fringe player in ECAC Hockey or Atlantic Hockey or at a top Division 3 program.
Drew Haxton
South Shore Kings 18-U, 1/12/03, RW, right shot, 5-9/165
It’s been a really productive fall for Haxton, who hails from Wakefield, R.I. His speed is his top asset. He’s still got a ways to go in becoming more of a complete player, but the second-year winger at Nobles has put himself onto the radar this fall.
Maxx Owens
Junior Eagles 15s, 3/11/05, D, right shot, 6-1/190
Owens is a player I first watched in 2019 at the NEFPHL Summer League. He stood out there, but he keeps getting better. He has size and skating ability and did a good job getting shots on net from the point. One of his shots was tipped home for a goal Saturday night vs. the Wizards. He’s a player to keep an eye on over the coming years.
Dom Murphy
Little Bruins, 11/4/03, RW, right shot, 6-0/180
Murphy scored a beauty of a goal in his team’s game against Cape Cod Whalers. He was around the puck a lot and made a nice look that a teammate just narrowly missed capitalizing on later in the game. His skating is not elite, but he’s a player worth tracking as he continues his development at St. Mark’s.
Cameron Collins
Cape Cod Whalers, 9/14/02, RW, right shot, 5-10/165
Collins was a middle-six forward at St. Sebastian’s last year. He’s always buzzed around and been quick, but his speed and puck pursuit were evident this weekend. While he might not be a Division 1 player, I had to give him credit for keeping his feet moving and being involved in Saturday afternoon’s game. He should be watched closely by Division 3 for a bottom-six role.
