Harvard University coaches hosted the ‘06 Crimson Combine at the Bright-Landy Hockey Center on Monday and Tuesday, August 5-6.
The event brought together many aspiring prep and collegiate players from across the country. While most of the players hailed from New England and New York, there were a few players from as far away as Illinois, California, Tennessee and Arizona.
Former assistant coach Rob Rassey, now an amateur scout with the Detroit Red Wings, and assistant coach Jim Tortorella and Director of Hockey Operations Sean O’Brien ran the two-day event that included practices, testing, and seminars.
The Crimson Combine, regardless of which birth year it is, is a good take for players, but also for prep coaches, junior scouts and agents looking to get a look at some of the top players of the future. Here's a look at the review of the '05 Crimson Combine from last week. The ‘06 birth year was no exception.
The following is a list of players who will soon be on the radar of our many prep coaches, midget coaches and agents who subscribe. It is not intended as a ranking by any means and is in alphabetical order. Also, please note, it is based on Tuesday’s games only.
Forwards
Bobby Bartell
Chicago Mission, Right Shot
Bartell was a big forward with the ability to drive the net and protect pucks.
Benjamin Bradley
Mid Fairfield Rangers, Left Shot
Bradley had two goals on. He had good size, drove the net, and had length to protect pucks. He was heavy on pucks and one of the goals he scored was on a rebound of his own shot from in close.
Walker Bright
Mid Fairfield Rangers, Right Shot
Bright had a goal and assist. His agility allowed him to cut around opposing defenders and get lanes to get shots off. His stickhandling helped him maintain possession.
Vincenzo Capano
NY Saints, Right Shot
Capano used his edges and scored a nice goal, finishing off a pass on a two-on-one rush.
Gavin Cornforth
Jr. Eagles, Right Shot
Cornforth had an assist and looked to be a very good player. He has the wheels to skate around the offensive zone while keeping the puck away from opposing defenders. He made a couple of nice passes and saw the ice well. He had a good release on his shot. His father, Mark Cornforth, played at Merrimack before embarking on a pro career that included a long stint with the Bruins organization.
Joey DeRosa
Chicago Mission, Left Shot
DeRosa had an assist and was a good, complete player. He used his edges, was a good skater, backchecked, and has high hockey IQ. He made a great play to avoid a defender and give a nice pass out front to set up a teammate for an easy tap-in.
Jack Doyle
NY Saints, Left Shot
Doyle had a goal on a nice backhand finish up high after picking off an errant breakout pass.
Allen Fang
NJ Titans, Right Shot
Fang is a big, power forward who protects pucks and has a hard shot. He drives the net and scored a goal.
Patrick Fortune
LA Jr. Kings, Left Shot
Fortune was one of the smaller forwards on the ice, but that didn’t stop him from producing. He’s quick and had a goal and an assist. He made a lot of plays and was good on puck support, especially for this age.
Jack Galanek
Jr. Eagles, Left Shot
Galanek was quick, had good hands, and made a couple of real nice passes. He sprung a teammate for a breakaway goal after making a nice pass from the left wing wall in the neutral zone.
Luke Gallo
LI Royals, Right Shot
Gallo made a nice pass and had the edge work to be good in small areas.
James Hagens
LI Royals, Left Shot
Hagens is very skilled and has the hands and skating ability to make plays on a consistent basis. He’s able to spin away from trouble and maintain possession in tight areas even without the size of some of his peers. He made numerous great passes and also scored a goal.
Evan Jones
NY Saints, Right Shot
Jones was quick and hit the post on a backhand chance while coming in down the left wing.
Michael Minchello
Boston Advantage, Right Shot
Minchello had a couple of goals, including one where he zipped a puck home, high glove, on a breakaway.
Ben Nakata
Boston Advantage, Left Shot
Nakata made a lot of plays, backchecked, and went to the net for a goal on a feed from a defenseman who was rushing the puck up ice.
Joseph Orlando
Valley Jr. Warriors, Right Shot
Orlando was a big forward who scored a goal. His goal was a laser into the top corner over the goaltender’s blocker. He also hit the post on another shot.
Luke Pazzia
Islanders HC, Left Shot
Pazzia had a goal and also made a nice pass on the rush.
Nicholas Peragine
Westchester Express, Right Shot
Peragine had a goal on a play where he was able to bull his way to the slot from the right wing on a rush.
Nate Porter
Jr. Eagles, Right Shot
Porter had an assist, but had the puck a lot and made a lot of great plays. He has touch on his passes and was able to create space with speed to beat defenders wide. He had the length to give deception on his shots and he played hard.
Lance Roberts
Seacoast Spartans, Right Shot
Roberts had a goal on a rebound of a shot from the right point. He made plays, especially on the rush.
Jared Rothman
NY Saints, Right Shot
Rothman had a goal and an assist. He had good speed, which allowed him to make a couple of plays on the rush. His goal was a nice backhand finish. On his assist, he beat a defender wide and gave a perfect pass right on the tape for a one-time goal by his linemate.
Lucas Sansobrino
LI Gulls, Left Shot
Sansobrino had a goal. His team had a lopsided loss Tuesday, but he made the most plays. His speed allowed him to chase down a loose puck and score on a backhand finish on the breakaway.
John Scharf
P.A.L. Islanders, Left Shot
Scharf has good size, protects pucks, and had a net front presence.
Kolin Sisson
Boston Advantage, Right Shot
Sisson was small, quick and made a really nice behind the back pass to set up a teammate for a good chance.
Pyotr Sysak
NY Saints, Left Shot
Sysak had good hands.
Defensemen
Gus Abrecht
Islanders HC, Left Shot
Abrecht jumped into the offense a few times for a goal and an assist.
Cooper Cleaves
Mid Fairfield Rangers, Right Shot
Cleaves had an assist and made several good looks to facilitate offense on the rush as well as in-zone situations.
Deke Davidson
Seacoast Spartans, Left Shot
Davidson made a couple of nice defensive plays, including pokechecks on the rush.
Drew DellaSalla
Mid Fairfield Rangers, Left Shot
DellaSalla had an assist on a point shot that got through before the rebound was banged home. He rushed the puck up ice a few times, as well.
Brady Flynn
Boston Advantage, Left Shot
Flynn made good breakout passes and used his stick to defend the rush.
Michael Hussey
Bay State Breakers, Left Shot
Hussey was a mobile defender with a good shot from the point.
Owen Keefe
Jr. Eagles, Left Shot
Keefe was the best defender here, playing well in both ends. He stepped up and made a nice hit on a left wing coming down the ice. His gaps and stick helped him break up several plays. On one instance, he forced a turnover on the rush and quickly got the puck going the other way for a secondary assist. He reads the situation well. His father, Jerry Keefe, is the associate head coach at Northeastern.
Peter Luecke
Jr. Eagles, Right Shot
Luecke had an assist.
Drake Murray
LA Jr. Kings, Right Shot
Murray was very good defensively and kept things simple. He has good size, skated well, had a hard shot, and used his length and range to close on opposing forwards.
Liam O’Keefe
Jr. Eagles, Left Shot
O’Keefe had good recovery speed and used his reach and stick to defend.
Kiernan Poulin
Boston Advantage, Right Shot
Poulin has a lot of skill. He used deception at the blue line to get shots through. His feet and mobility help him defend as well as on retrievals to get the puck going north quickly. His dad, Kevin Poulin, played at UMass Amherst.
Michael Sciabarra
LI Gulls, Left Shot
Sciabarra has good feet and is able to defend on the rush well, even against bigger players here.
Will Skahan
Woodbury AA, Left Shot
Skahan has good size and used it to be a physical presence defensively. He’s the son of former BU strength coach Sean Skahan, who is currently working in the same role with the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
Blake Stant
Mid Fairfield Rangers, Left Shot
Stant had a good shot and was noticeable a few times.
Joshua Williams
Valley Jr. Warriors, Right Shot
Williams was a tough player to play against. He played with jam in his own zone.
Charlie Windwer
Mid Fairfield Rangers, Right Shot
Windwer was mobile and jumped into the rush. He also played forward on a few shifts.
Goaltenders
Brendan Carberry
Jr. Eagles
Carberry had good lateral movement and looked poised in net.
Jack Jiminez
Westchester Express
Jiminez didn’t face a ton of action in Tuesday’s game. He’s the younger brother of Harvard commit Christian Jiminez, a left-shot defenseman who plays at Taft.
Hayden Thorsen
NJ Colonials
Thorsen had good size.
Evan Zhang
Jr. Terriers
Zhang faced a ton of rubber, but made a couple of nice saves, including one sequence where he stopped three or four shots in a row from point blank range.
