There were several very promising prospects at the 2019 ECC Labor Day Cup 15 Only Division. Selects Academy skated away with the trophy at this division, downing newly minted rival Mount Saint Charles in the championship tilt.
Many college coaches were on hand to watch this division that included three committed players. However, there were a couple of elite, uncommitted prospects that were catching the attention of college coaches.
Many of the top teams at the ECC Labor Day Cup 15 Only Division will get a chance to go up against some of Ontario’s best players in late October at the Beast vs. GTHL Border Battle in Rochester, N.Y. It should be a fun test for a couple of the teams and provide a good measuring stick for how the players stack up against some of the better teams from Toronto.
Without further ado, here’s the top 10 prospects from the 2019 ECC Labor Day Cup 15 Only Division, followed by evaluations of some other players worthy of recognition:
ECC Labor Day Cup 15 Only Division: Top 10 Prospects
1. Vinny Borgesi
#22 Selects Academy, 3/2/04, D, Right Shot, 5-6/131
NCAA Commit: Northeastern
Borgesi had two game-winning goals during Sunday’s playoff action, including the one in the championship game with under a minute to play. He’s on the smaller side, but his hockey sense and offensive instincts are both very high-end. The Philadelphia, Pa., native sees the ice well and has good enough feet to get shots through and escape oncoming forecheckers. While others in this division might have more pro upside down the road, it’s tough to argue against him being slotted as the top player from this past weekend. NEHJ has reported on Borgesi's strong play previously, at the 2018 Crimson Combine, the 2018 North American Challenge Cup, and the 2019 USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp.
2. Jake Furlong
#4 Mount Saint Charles, 3/4/04, D, Left Shot, 5-8/130
Furlong is a smart, offensive defenseman. He has a lot of skill which allows him to make nice sauce passes in transition and escape oncoming forecheckers to keep pucks going north. He had a tendency to make that one extra play that sometimes got him in trouble. However, there’s no denying his tremendous upside as a puck-moving defenseman.
3. David Goyette
#10 Selects Academy, 3/27/04, C, Left Shot, 5-9/147
Goyette is a highly touted ‘04 from Eastern Ontario, having played the last couple of seasons for the Eastern Ontario Wild youth organization. Goyette is a center who sees the ice incredibly well and has the ability to find seams in opposing defenses. He skates well and while he’s not flashy, he consistently generates chances.
4. Brady Berard
#8 Mount Saint Charles, 2/26/04, C, Left Shot, 5-10/181
NCAA Commit: Providence
Berard is a hockey player. While his skill set isn’t flashy, he gets things done and plays the game the right way. He’s strong on puck pursuit and is always hunting pucks. He plays through people and isn’t shy about getting to the greasy areas. While his compete is a very notable trait, he still makes plays and has the ability to be a top six forward moving forward.
5. Seamus Powell
#2 Rochester Coalition, 4/26/04, D, Left Shot, 5-10.25/138
Powell was up to his usual tricks. He’s a smooth, puck-moving defenseman who can more than hold his own away from the puck. He’s a little bigger and might be a little more explosive than his older brother, Eamon Powell, who is a tremendous player on the NTDP U-18. The younger Powell has good hockey sense, but it’s not to the elite level of Eamon’s, at least not yet. Nonetheless, he should be one of the eight defenders chosen to the NTDP U-17 team for 2020-21.
6. Nathan Casey
#11 Mount Saint Charles, 2/8/04, C, Left Shot, 5-8/135
Casey is a good skater who can really get around the sheet. He made a couple of very good passes and showed his ability to see the ice well. He was able to recover pucks along the wall and below the goal line before distributing the puck to open teammates.
7. Andrew DellaDonna
#8 Selects Academy, 5/18/04, RW, Right Shot, 5-8/175
NCAA Commit: Ohio State
There’s never any doubt that DellaDonna is a skilled forward who can create offense. He did that again here on multiple occasions. One play that stood out was a nice finish on a quick snapshot after receiving a pass from a defenseman. Perhaps the biggest thing here was DellaDonna was more engaged away from the puck than he sometimes is. He delivered a big hit and was a little more active on the other side of the red line.
8. Jordan Dumais
#9 Selects Academy, 4/15/04, RW, Right Shot, 5-8/144
Dumais, from Montreal, Quebec, is a gifted offensive player who sees the ice well and uses his speed and skating to his advantage. His hands are good and he can thread the needle on passes as well as get off good shot attempts.
9. Patrick Reilly
#72 North Jersey Avalanche, 9/27/04, D, Right Shot, 5-9/154
Reilly is a smooth puck-moving defenseman who can use his feet and brain to play a solid game defensively as well. He’s able to get pucks going north and makes consistently smart puck touches. He is far and away the best player on North Jersey Avalanche 15s.
10. Luke Schelter
#17 Mount Saint Charles, 4/6/04, RW, Right Shot, 6-1/186
Schelter is a very good player below the dots. He uses his size to his advantage to protect pucks and win battles. He does a good job of using his reach to protect pucks before finding open teammates who have space because of the attention he drew. While his game is more of a power forward, he showed off some good hands on a goal he scored in Friday night’s game. He tucked a puck in while fending off a defender just above the goal mouth.
Honorable Mention
Hudson Blue
#13 Mount Saint Charles, 7/27/04, LW, Right Shot, 5-9/160
Blue is a small forward who keeps his feet moving. He brings energy each shift and works extremely hard. He scored a nice goal by going to the net off a face-off draw win by a linemate.
Pavel Bocharov
#2 Mount Saint Charles, 2/21/04, D, Right Shot, 5-11/167
Bocharov is a good sized defender who projects as a defensive defenseman. He scored a goal against the River Rats. He has a good stick and there’s potential upside here. His skating and footwork are two areas that could use some improvement.
Jack Brandt
#8 River Rats, 6/14/04, LW, Left Shot, 5-10/140
Brandt is a newcomer to the region as he’ll be playing prep hockey at Thayer this winter following a couple of years with the Ohio Blue Jackets AAA. He really stood out in a couple of viewings for his ability to make plays. He was a threat on the power play and at even strength. Keep an eye on him.
Harrison Bylin
#4 Selects Academy, 5/26/04, D, Left Shot, 6-0/165
Bylin has good size and made a couple of nice plays, including a good stretch pass to the right wing for a goal. He’s a player to keep an eye on moving forward.
Ollie Chessler
#11 EC Wizards, 7/9/04, D, Left Shot, 5-8/135
Chessler is an offensive, puck-moving defenseman who skates well and can make plays in transition.
Joseph Dable
#71 River Rats, 4/13/04, RW, Right Shot, 5-8/160
Dable is a power forward who uses his size and strength to get chances. His skating is slightly above average and he’s a player who could continue developing while at Roxbury Latin.
Frank D’Ancona
#16 Mount Saint Charles, 6/2/04, C, Left Shot, 5-7/140
D’Ancona is on the smaller side, but every time you watch him, he seems to find his way onto the score sheet. He did so again here with a point or more in each viewing. He had an assist Friday and Monday. He’s quick and keeps the puck moving.
Michael Fisher
#16 River Rats, 5/2/04, D, Right Shot, 5-8/140
Fisher is a solid two-way defenseman who is slipping a little under the radar due to playing prep hockey as such a young player last season. He should be a nice depth piece on the blue line for St. Mark’s this winter. He’s solid both ways. He scored a goal here and is tough.
Donovan Frias
#90 River Rats, 11/9/04, LW, Left Shot, 6-0/150
Frias, who will be at St. George’s, continues to produce this fall season. He is good below the dots and is able to protect pucks and take pucks to the net with his size. He scored a goal against Mount Saint Charles.
Ryan Friedman
#10 Long Island Gulls, 3/12/04, LW, Left Shot, 5-5/140
Friedman is a skilled forward who can make plays in small areas by using his slick hands and edges.
Kiernan Gately
#46 Rochester Coalition, 2/25/04, D, Right Shot, 6-0/150
Gately has good size and plays with some jam. He skates well and has a little bit of offensive skill. He’s a player prep school coaches should be looking to land for 2020-21.
Jackson Graber
#10 Mount Saint Charles, 10/20/04, C, Right Shot, 5-9/156
Graber is a quick, skilled forward who can make plays. He made a great pass back to a defenseman trailing the play for a goal on Friday night. He just needs to keep getting better away from the puck. If he does so, his offensive talents will surely land him a college commitment.
Kurt Gurkan
#13 River Rats, 2/13/04, RW, Right Shot, 5-7/162
Gurkan has quick hands, flies around the sheet, and makes plays. It’s easy to doubt him because of his size, but he’s found a way onto the score sheet in each game watched this fall. Keep an eye on him as he gets more ice time during his second season at Phillips Exeter.
Jack Henry
#77 Rochester Coalition, 2/25/04, D, Right Shot, 5-11/181
Henry has good size and strength. His feet and offensive instincts are areas to improve upon, but there’s a foundation here that could be built upon.
Kim Hilmersson
#9 Seacoast Spartans, 6/24/04, LW, Left Shot, 5-10/191
Hilmersson plays heavy and has a hard shot. He’s physically mature and can bring it physically.
Joseph Lomtevas
#61 Long Island Royals, 9/10/04, RW, Right Shot, 6-2/193
I didn’t see a lot of the Royals, but he scored a nice goal, sniping one under the bar as he came down the right wing in a game Saturday against the River Rats. He’s a converted defenseman, per Elite Prospects.
Ben MacDonald
#9 EC Wizards, 2/24/04, C, Left Shot, 5-9/146
MacDonald is an honest, two-way center who sees the ice well and plays responsibly away from the puck. He has good blood lines and should be watched as he enters his first prep season at Nobles.
Brendan Maher
#5 Long Island Royals, 3/10/04, LW, Left Shot, 5-5/142
Maher is a smaller forward, who just seems to have a knack for finding the puck and getting to the net. He scored a rebound goal by just hanging around the goal mouth. He impressed at the Crimson Combine and was at national camp in July.
Shaun McEwen
#21 Selects Academy, 1/21/04, D, Left Shot, 6-0/165
McEwen is a physically mature defenseman who uses his size and strength to his advantage. He made a couple of nice looks in transition and jumped into the rush a few times.
Seth Murch
#14 Seacoast Spartans, 6/14/04, D, Left Shot, 5-7/130
Murch stood out here for his vision and playmaking ability from the blue line. He made a couple of nice stretch passes.
Mike Murtagh
#18 River Rats, 9/11/04, RW, Right Shot, 5-9/148
Murtagh is a very good skater who can create on the rush. He’ll need to improve his overall hockey sense some, but his skating and size will turn heads.
Cameron O’Neill
#19 Mount Saint Charles, 1/24/04, LW, Right Shot, 5-10/160
O’Neill scored a goal Friday night and is around the puck a lot. He was a player that intrigued some at national camp.
Nicholas Peluso
#29 Rochester Coalition, 2/14/04, RW, Right Shot, 5-5/135
Peluso is a small, crafty forward who scored a goal in a viewing of Rochester on Saturday night. He has skill, a quick stick, and uses his edges well.
Ben Robertson
#9 Mount Saint Charles, 9/18/04, D, Left Shot, 5-9/175
Robertson is a defenseman who made national camp and looks to have some potential to grow into a solid midget player.
Jake Rozzi
#87 Selects Academy, 1/27/04, LW, Left Shot, 5-11/150
Rozzi is a quick winger who can beat defenders wide and he found the back of the net. He’s another skilled Canadian forward that the Selects Academy coaching staff brought in from north of the border.
Dylan Shane
#22 Mount Saint Charles, 4/19/04, D, Right Shot, 5-10/175
Shane has good vision and he can get out of trouble and start the transition from defense to offense. His straight line speed is an area of his game that could use improvement.
Arthur Smith
#31 Selects Academy, 4/30/04, G, Catches Left, 6-3/185
Smith split time with Collin Winn, but he was solid when called upon. He has good size and athleticism and competes for loose pucks and does a good job tracking pucks. He looks to be one of the better ‘04 goaltenders in the Northeast.
Kyle Smyth
#20 Seacoast Spartans, 1/8/04, C, Right Shot, 5-10/150
Smyth is a possession forward who has been the most consistent offensive threat in games viewed this fall. He drove the net for a goal in one of Saturday’s games and made a couple of other strong moves with the puck. He can set up teammates after clearing space.
Paul Tollet
#12 Seacoast Spartans, 8/9/04, C/LW, Left Shot, 5-11/157
Tollet is another good player for the Seacoast Spartans. He’s good down low and sees the ice well. His skating, particularly his first step, could use some work.
Laurent Trepanier
#11 Seacoast Spartans, 4/1/04, C, Left Shot, 5-7/153
Trepanier is on the smaller side, but he plays with an edge and gives it his all each shift. He throws his weight around and can make some plays.
Dylan Wegner
#18 Selects Academy, 6/1/04, C, Right Shot, 6-0/160
Wegner centered one of the top lines and made some good looks. He has good size and is a player who needs to be watched further this fall.
Christian Wood
#11 Selects Academy, 2/10/04, D, Right Shot, 6-1/190
Wood has good size and projects as a defensive defenseman. If his feet can continue improving, he has good athleticism and could be a physical presence on the blue line.
