North Jersey Avalanche won the ECC Labor Day Cup 18-U Red Division with a 4-1 win over the Junior Bulldogs on Monday afternoon at the ICenter in Salem, N.H.
While the 18-U Red Division lacked the high-end players that the 16-U and 15 Pure divisions boasted, there were some solid ‘01 and ‘02 prospects.
NHL scouts headed to the ICenter and a couple other area rinks to get a glimpse at Rochester Coalition’s Alex Jefferies, a Merrimack commit who plays at Gunnery during the prep season.
In addition to Jefferies and a couple of other committed players of note, a few uncommitted prospects really stood out in this division. Here’s a recap of the top prospects and some other players worthy of honorable mention from the 2019 ECC Labor Day Cup 18-U Red Division:
18-U Forwards
1. Alex Jefferies
#12 Rochester Coalition, LW, Right Shot, 6-0/190
NCAA Commit: Merrimack
Jefferies hunts pucks and drives the net. He makes plays and he can score. He showed all of that once again over the course of the weekend in Salem. Outside of St. Mark’s defenseman Ian Moore, he looks to be the top 2020 NHL Draft prospect in prep hockey.
2. Quinn Hutson
#27 North Jersey Avalanche, 1/1/02, C, Right Shot, 5-10/150
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Hutson is the offensive catalyst for North Jersey. He has good speed which he uses to recover pucks, drive the net, and draw penalties. He’s able to find seams in opposing defenses and exploit them. He scores and he also makes really good passes from down low after hunting pucks.
3. Michael Citara
#22 Mount Saint Charles, 4/22/02, RW, Right Shot, 5-11/65
NCAA Commit: Providence
Citara displayed his skill and offensive ability all night on Friday against the River Rats. He scored a nice tip-in goal after starting the rush on the same sequence. He has good agility and can dart in and around opposing defenders. He makes some good passes after freeing up space for his linemates. He scored a nifty goal during the shootout.
4. Victor Czerneckianair
#9 Mount Saint Charles, 2/17/02, C, Left Shot, 5-11/175
NCAA Commit: Quinnipiac
Czerneckianair got a lot of chances and created offense. He’s quick and can score. In addition, he does a good job on the forecheck and is always in pursuit of the puck. He’ll be a player that should have a productive career once he gets to Quinnipiac.
5. Blake Humphrey
#34 Rochester Coalition, 1/18/02, C, Right Shot, 5-8/153
NCAA Commit: Providence
Humphrey scored a nice goal on a one-timer and continued to show he has the skill and shot to be a top six, productive player at the collegiate level.
6. Jack Seymour
#13 Northern Cyclones Prep, 4/6/01, C, Right Shot, 5-10/150
Seymour wasn't quite as visible as some of the other top players this past weekend, but college coaches should absolutely make it a point to go watch him and his team play. His skating is very good and he can create offense. He's a prospect who projects as a second line center for the right Hockey East, ECAC Hockey or Atlantic Hockey program.
7. Tabor Heaslip
#7 River Rats, 12/17/01, C, Left Shot, 5-9/160
NCAA Commit: UConn
Heaslip made a diving block on an opposing defenseman’s one-timer bid during a penalty kill sequence. That’s the type of player he is. He’s not going to wow you with his stride, hockey sense or offensive instincts, but he’ll compete hard. He has a little more skill than he’s given credit for, and despite his funky stride, he can get around well enough for this level.
8. Morgan Winters
#61 River Rats, 12/8/01, C/RW, Left Shot, 5-9/155
NCAA Commit: New Hampshire
Winters is an elite skater who has had a nice start to the fall season. He sees the ice well and has above average hockey sense. His puck skills are just average, but his skating is an asset that should translate well to the big surface at the Whittemore Center.
9. Chris Carroll
#28 North Jersey Avalanche, 5/4/01, LW, Left Shot, 5-9/155
Carroll has quickly become a favorite of mine after watching North Jersey here and at the River Rats Jamboree. He skates well enough, but his compete on the forecheck and being heavy on pucks are the attributes that really stand out.
10. Owen Fowler
#16 River Rats, 6/4/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-9/190
NCAA Commit: UMass Lowell
Fowler showed a little bit of skill this weekend, to go with his ability to drive the net and bowl opposing players over. He made a nice pass on the rush while still delivering a couple of big hits.
18-U Defensemen
1. Cole Teleki
#9 River Rats, 3/13/02, D, Right Shot, 6-0/190
Teleki was the best uncommitted player in the 18-U Red Division. He’s getting bigger and he’s very quickly earning college attention and should soon be getting noticed by NHL scouts. He skates well, has mobility and can close on opposing forwards very quickly. He’s able to shut down the rush as well as attacking plays in-zone. He also can get pucks moving north. He scored a goal in a game on Saturday on a wrist shot from the point.
2. Bayard Hall
#3 Junior Bulldogs, 8/16/02, D, Right Shot, 6-1/176
NCAA Commit: Brown
Hall continues to get better. He has size and plays a solid two-way game. He does a good job in his own zone and closes well. He has a good stick and can contribute offensively from time to time. However, projecting forward, he looks to be a steady defensive defenseman. He should at least be a watch for NHL scouts this winter.
3. Jason Marsella
#4 North Jersey Avalanche, 11/20/02, D, Left Shot, 5-10/185
NCAA Commit: Yale
I knocked Marsella for not bringing his best effort to the River Rats Jamboree. He turned it around in a big way here. He was making really good passes to transition from defense to offense and using his feet to escape oncoming forecheckers. He stepped up for a goal on the rush as the trailer. At least in my viewings, he limited his turnovers and made better decisions with the puck on his stick.
4. John Hallard
#3 North Jersey Avalanche, 1/28/01, D, Right Shot, 5-11/190
Hallard has some jam and skates well. He makes some good reads defensively which allows him to force turnovers. He usually chooses when to pinch wisely, but he occasionally makes that decision to make that one extra play which gets him in trouble. Overall, he was good again and should have a couple of college offers soon, if he doesn’t already.
5. Frank Djurasevic
#7 North Jersey Avalanche, 3/9/02, D, Right Shot, 6-2/190
Djurasevic was really good here. He has a good stick defensively and is rangy. He made a couple of really nice passes, including a stretch pass that led to a breakaway goal on Friday. Going forward, he projects as a defensive defenseman, but he does have some offensive and puck-moving capabilities.
6. Zachary Bookman
#47 Rochester Coalition, 3/29/02, D, Right Shot, 5-9/148
NCAA Commit: Merrimack
Bookman committed to Merrimack during the tournament. A few other Hockey East schools and an Atlantic Hockey school were among his other suitors. He has a good stick and feet to defend. It allows him to stop the rush. His good mobility extends to being able to move pucks north and make plays in the attacking zone.
7. Damien Carfagna
#93 River Rats, 12/12/02, D, Left Shot, 5-10/155
Carfagna produced offensively here. He does a good job getting shots on net and he sees the ice well. He made several nice passes to get pucks up ice and into the hands of scoring threats. He’s an offensive defenseman, but he can handle himself in his own zone.
8. Joaquim Lemay
#8 Mount Saint Charles, 7/28/02, D, Left Shot, 5-11/160
NCAA Commit: Nebraska-Omaha
Lemay plays with some jam and has good feet. He walks the blue line and gets shots through. He also does a nice job of seeing the ice and had a couple of good puck touches.
9. Nate Benoit
#11 Mount Saint Charles, 11/26/02, D, Left Shot, 6-1/170
Benoit has upside. As a late ‘02 who played for Northern Cyclones last year, he’s a little under the radar still. It won’t be for long. He has skill, but he also plays with jam and has a high compete level. He skates well and has good size. He should be a Division I player down the road.
10. Austin Cook
#15 Mount Saint Charles, 4/23/02, D, Right Shot, 5-10/160
NCAA Commit: Vermont
Cook has an edge to him and grinds it out at both ends of the ice. A Vermont commit, he came over from Selects Academy.
18-U Goaltenders
1. Kyle Chauvette
#1 Junior Bulldogs, 10/5/01, G, Catches Left, 5-10/138
NCAA Commit: Holy Cross
Chauvette is on the smaller side, but he had a couple of strong outings at the ECC Labor Day Cup. He was absolutely terrific in his team’s semifinal win and came on in relief of BC commit Henry Wilder during the final.
2. Gustave Bylin
#31 Selects Academy, 1/12/02, G, Catches Left, 6-4/190
Bylin has the size pro scouts want. He’s quiet and composed in net. He kept his team in it for a while against the North Jersey Avalanche on Saturday.
3. Brandon Milberg
#33 River Rats, 7/16/01, G, Catches Left, 6-0/165
Milberg had a couple of strong games here. He’s not overly big, but he makes saves and has quick reflexes.
Honorable Mention
Jake Cady
#67 River Rats, 7/4/01, C, Right Shot, 5-9/185
Cady had a goal during my viewings, but he stands out for how hard he works. He competes, blocks shots, and brings energy. His goal came after he blocked a shot in his defensive end. He took it and went down the other end for a score. He should be on the radar of Division III coaches looking for a high energy player.
Anthony Calafiore
#77 North Jersey Avalanche, 4/6/02, RW, Right Shot, 5-7/151
Calafiore has skill, which he showed off on a couple of different instances. He scored a nice backhand goal against Des Moines. He also had an assist in that game.Â
Anthony Cipollone
#12 Junior Bulldogs, 5/14/02, C, Left Shot, 5-5/161
NCAA Commit: Vermont
Cipollone had a goal to give his team a 1-0 lead against the River Rats. He’s quick and goes to the net. He’ll be back for another go around at Loomis.
Aidan Cobb
#9 Junior Bulldogs, 5/3/02, C/LW, Left Shot, 5-8/155
Cobb found the score sheet again this weekend with a nice goal from the top of the circle. He’s a player who will be counted on to have an even bigger role for Kent this winter.
Danny Colon
#13 River Rats, 2/13/01, RW, Right Shot, 5-8/170
Colon works hard and was flying all over the ice. He scored a nice breakaway goal. He’s a player who could bring a little bit of offense to the right Division III program, but more importantly, he’ll bring a high compete level every shift.
Aidan Connolly
#23 River Rats, 5/10/01, C/LW, Left Shot, 5-11/165
NCAA Commit: Sacred Heart
Connolly has improved in terms of going to the net and playing more between the circles. He still is a skill player with speed, but it’s nice to see him going to the dirty areas with a little more regularity. He should get plenty of BCHL attention before heading to Sacred Heart in 2021-22 or 2022-23.
Matt DeBoer
#9 Rochester Coalition, 9/17/02, RW, Right Shot, 6-0/173
DeBoer plays a heavy game and is a better skater than given credit for. He’s a player who is showing some upside all of a sudden. He should have a big year at Salisbury.
Gabe Dombrowski
#17 Maine Nordiques Development, 1/22/02, C, Right Shot, 5-11/175
Dombrowski has shown flashes over the years of being a capable power forward. He looked good on a couple of instances this weekend. When he keeps it simple and just lowers his shoulder and drives the net, he can have a positive impact.
Jack Ford
#23 Mount Saint Charles, 6/8/02, LW, Left Shot, 6-1/185
Ford has good size and can rip it. He had a nice chance in Friday’s game where he kinda squeezed through a seam before unleashing a hard wrist shot. He’s a player to watch after coming to Mount from the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 16-U.
Anthony Galante
#18 New Jersey Titans, 4/18/02, RW, Right Shot, 5-10/155
I only saw the Titans once -- on Sunday in a playoff loss. However, Galante was the one player who stood out for his skill and offensive instincts on a couple of shifts. He appears to have taken a step in his game over the past year or so.
Luke Khozozian
#18 EC Wizards, 4/26/01, C, Right Shot, 5-11/180
Khozozian was only viewed once, on Sunday against North Jersey in the semifinals. He made plays and was the biggest offensive threat for his team. The EC Wizards were outmatched by North Jersey, but they should be commended for giving it their all and keeping it close. The referees were also not in their corner.
Darrin Koloski
#11 Des Moines Buccaneers AAA, 2/16/01, D, Left Shot, 5-9/137
Des Moines was one of the few teams with an incomplete roster and no line chart at the event. Going by the fact Koloski appears to be the only left-shot defenseman on the team, I’ll assume he’s No. 11. He was an offensive defenseman who made a couple of nice looks, including one to the backdoor. He had an above average one timer and quarterbacked the power play.
Tomas Mazura
#11 Top Gun Prep Selects U19, 9/23/00, C, Left Shot, 6-2/170
NHL Rights: Edmonton Oilers
NCAA Commit: Providence
I only caught glimpses of a couple of Mazura’s game. The Edmonton Oilers pick is a late ‘00 so he can’t play on any of the national bound teams. However, he’ll get showcase time and be a regular for the NEFPHL’s U19 team.
Michael McEachern
#16 Top Gun Prep Selects, 4/1/01, LW, Left Shot, 5-9/140
McEachern has the blood lines and is starting to emerge as a potential college prospect. He’s been on the small side, but he is getting bigger, which is allowing him to be slightly more explosive with the puck. He’s a player worth tracking as he finishes his prep career at Rivers and moves onto junior hockey.
Ben McGlashing
#53 Selects Academy, 2/25/01, C, Right Shot, 6-3/190
McGlashing is a big power forward who shows flashes of a scoring touch below the dots. If his skating can get better, he’s a potential college prospect with his size, shot, and overall tools.
Niko Rexine
#21 Rochester Coalition, 6/20/02, C/LW, Left Shot, 5-11/161
Rexine plays a hard game and has a hard shot. When he’s at his best, he’s going north and south and not trying to be too fancy. He still needs to work on his skating to get that extra gear, but there’s always been parts of his game that have intrigued me. He still has time to put it all together.
Lukas Sedlacek
#81 North Jersey Avalanche, 10/3/01, LW, Left Shot, 5-10/150
Sedlacek drives the net and is heavy on pucks. He has a good shot and can be a force below the dots. His skating isn’t bad, but it could continue to get better in order to land a college commit.
Aidan Thompson
#20 River Rats, 2/18/02, C, Left Shot, 5-11/157
NCAA Commit: Denver
Thompson is an elite skater who can get around the sheet and make plays. It wasn’t his best performance this weekend. He took a lot of penalties and didn’t generate much in the way of offense at least during my viewings of the River Rats.
Cole Vallese
#24 Junior Bulldogs, 2/15/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-8/135
NCAA Commit: Providence
Vallese has good speed and he found the score sheet a couple of times during my viewings of the Junior Bulldogs. It was one of the best viewings of him in a while.
George Vamvakaris
#10 Junior Bulldogs, 11/28/01, RW, Right Shot, 5-8/160
Vamvakaris is a newcomer to prep. He’ll be at Salisbury after playing for Kuper Academy in Quebec last winter. A late ‘01, he has some skill. He’s shifty and elusive at times.
Brendan Williams
#8 River Rats, 10/21/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-9/140
Williams isn’t the prettiest of skaters, but he gets the job done. He’s a player that you appreciate the more you watch him. He seems to be around the puck a lot and he forces turnovers. He’s willing to go to the greasy areas and he’s produced some.
