There’s been a lot to talk about after two days of action at the 2019 ECC Labor Day Cup Red Division which has been hosted the ICenter in Salem, N.H., Cyclones Arena in Hudson, N.H., and Skate 3 in Tyngsboro, Mass.
Friday night was the debut of the Mount Saint Charles Hockey Academy. The new program played the Neponset Valley River Rats at the 18U, 16U and 15 Only level. The three games at the ICenter were heavily scouted by Hockey East and ECAC Hockey programs.
While the top teams have been fun to watch, it would be nice if the Red Division had a couple of fewer teams in it going forward. It’s not good for anyone when there are lopsided results due to teams being overmatched.
Here are five talking points from the first two days of action, including NTDP shoe-ins and top uncommitted prospects who are garnering serious attention of college coaches at the tournament:
1. NTDP locks
Florida Alliance has been one of the best teams here and it’s largely due to forward Gavin Brindley and defenseman Seamus Casey.
I’ve watched two of the team’s three games so far and Brindley has scored seven goals. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s absolutely dynamic. The Estero, Fla., native can buzz all over the ice as he uses his edges and his hands are just as elite. While the new NCAA legislation prevents him from committing at the moment, he’s certainly one of the most coveted uncommitted prospects in the land.
His father, Ryan Brindley, is one of the team’s two coaches and had a very good collegiate career at Miami before playing several years of pro hockey in the AHL and ECHL.
Casey, who played forward for much of last season while with Compuware, is a puck-moving defenseman, also from Estero, Fla. The Michigan commit is an elite skater who can make some highlight reel passes to generate offense.
While both Brindley and Casey are locks for the NTDP, there is another ’04 on the Florida Alliance who should have a very good chance of making the program. Defenseman Aidan Dubinsky, whose father Steve Dubinsky is the team’s other coach, is a smart, two-way defenseman who can skate well. He’s a kid from just outside Chicago who took his play to Florida beginning last season.
’03 forward Clint Levens has been the team’s other big player so far this weekend. A big forward who plays with a big time physical edge, he had a hat trick in Saturday night’s game against Valley Forge Minutemen.
While not on Florida Alliance, ’04 left-shot defenseman Seamus Casey of Rochester Coalition 15’s looked as good as usual Saturday evening. The Marcellus, N.Y., native should also be selected to the NTDP. His older brother, Eamon Powell, is a BC commit playing on the NTDP U-18 team this upcoming season.
2. Uncommitted prospects
Excluding the ‘04s who are too young to commit following the implementation of the new NCAA legislation, there are several uncommitted prospects at the ECC Labor Day Cup who are already generating serious interest from college coaches.
No one has been more talked about in the two days than Mount Saint Charles 16U center Zachary Bolduc. A highly coveted ’03 prospect from Quebec, Bolduc is a terrific skater with a lot of skill. On Saturday, he scored a beauty of a backhander for his first score. Later in the game, he had an assist and a goal on the same shift. On top of all that, he plays with an edge and isn’t just a skill player. There’s obviously the potential he ends up in the QMJHL with Rimouski Oceanic, but he’s being recruited by all the NCAA powers, including North Dakota and Boston University, among others.
One of Bolduc’s teammates, ’03 right-shot defenseman Anthony Cliche has been really good. The 6-foot-3 blue liner skates well, has good range, and has some skill, especially for a big guy. His hockey sense can be questionable at times, but with his physical tools, you can bet that college coaches will be all over him in short order.
’03 left-shot forward Owen McLaughlin of Valley Forge Minutemen 16U saw his stock soar at the 2019 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp, and he’s been impressive here. He has scored a couple of goals and he has shown his potential upside. He plays point on the power play and is a strong skater with size. Word around the rinks is he has offers from over 20 NCAA programs.
Other uncommitted prospects generating buzz include ’03 forward Jack Musa (North Jersey Avalanche 16U), ’01 right-shot defenseman John Hallard (North Jersey Avalanche 18U), ’02 right-shot defenseman Cole Teleki (Neponset Valley River Rats 18U), ’03 left-shot defenseman Ethan Mistry (Neponset Valley River Rats 16U) and ’03 right wing Jake Bongo of Selects Academy 16U.
3. Canadian imports
In addition to the aforementioned players such as Bolduc, Cliche, and Mistry, several other players from north of the border have impressed at the ECC Labor Day Cup.
’03 defenseman Guillaume Richard, a Maine commit from Mount Saint Charles 16U, has been really good. From Quebec, he skates well, has a good stick, has strong hockey sense, and can play both ways.
Other players from north of the border who have notable so far are ’04 defenseman Jake Furlong and ’04 forward Nathan Casey of Mount Saint Charles 15's, ’03 defenseman Conor Shortall (Selects Academy 16U), ’04 forward Jordan Dumais (Selects Academy 15's), '03 forward Massimo Gentile (Top Gun/Prep Selects 16U), and ’03 Ryan Greene, a Boston University commit and the only one of the players mentioned back for a second season in the region.
New England Hockey Journal will have more coverage of the 2019 ECC Labor Day Cup following the conclusion of the event.
