Split-season fall hockey will give college coaches and scouts the chance to see some of the top Canadian newcomers coming to play prep school or midget hockey in the region.
There will be several Canadian prospects, new to playing in the New England region, getting plenty of attention this fall. While Kimball Union, Salisbury and other top prep school programs have long attracted coveted prospects from north of the border, a newcomer on the scene has raised the stakes.
Mount Saint Charles Hockey Academy will begin playing this fall. The Woonsocket, R.I., Catholic junior and high school has been a perennial powerhouse in Rhode Island school boy puck for years. Now, the school has gotten into the bantam and midget game, fielding teams at the 18U, 16U, 15 Only, and 14U levels.
With fall split season hockey starting this week with the River Rats Jamboree, ECC Labor Day Cup and Tier 1 Labor Day Face Off, here’s a look at 10 top Canadian newcomers to the region:
Zachary Bolduc
Mount Saint Charles 16U, 2/24/03, C, Left Shot, 5-11/158
Back at the 2018 BU Prep Showcase in July of that year, I reported that Bolduc was likely a top-five talent for both the QMJHL and USHL drafts. “He’s a great skater who is slippery and is able to get time and space. He can separate from defenders and he can finish. He recovers pucks and has a second gear. He was absolutely terrific,” I wrote.
The Bacancour, Quebec, native was picked in the first round, 14th overall, in the QMJHL Draft by Rimouski Oceanic. He was a second-round pick, 21st overall, of the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL Draft. He’d have likely been higher in both drafts if he’d been fully committed to one path.
He’ll play the 2019-20 season for Devin Rask at Mount Saint Charles after putting up 17 goals and 37 assists in 42 games for Trois-Rivieres Estacades in the Quebec Midget circuit last season.
According to a tweet from veteran scribe Mark Divver, the talented playmaker is being recruited by North Dakota, UMass, Boston College, and Penn State. Per sources, Maine is also heavily interested in Bolduc.
Guillaume Richard
Mount Saint Charles 16U, 2/10/03, D, Left Shot, 6-1/155
NCAA Commit: Maine
Richard spent two seasons with CMI M16 before playing the 2018-19 season with Seminaire St-Francois Blizzard in the Quebec midget circuit. The Quebec native committed to the Black Bears shortly after Maine associate head coach Ben Guite saw him at the 2018 BU Prep Showcase. Richard was the seventh overall pick in the first round of the QMJHL Draft, taken off the board by Victoriaville. He was also pegged in the sixth round by the Tri-City Storm in the USHL Draft.
James Malatesta
GBL Bruins 18U, 5/31/03, C, Left Shot, 5-9/155
Malatesta will be skating for three-time defending prep champion Kimball Union this winter. Another star recruit brought to New England by head coach Tim Whitehead, he’ll be playing up for Bret Tyler’s GBL Bruins 18U this fall. The Kirkland, Quebec, native is an elite goal scorer. He was a fourth-round pick of Lincoln in the USHL Draft and a seventh-round selection of the Quebec Remparts in the QMJHL Draft.
Jake Furlong
Mount Saint Charles 15, 3/4/04, D, Left Shot, 5-8/130
From Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia, Furlong is an elite puck-moving, offensive defenseman who will be a key cog for the Mount Saint Charles 15 team. Hockey sense, skating, skill and vision are all assets. He’ll be scouted closely by junior scouts as well as college coaches looking to secure his talent for future years.
Anthony Cliche
Mount Saint Charles 16U, 6/9/03, D, Right Shot, 6-2/193
Cliche, who hails from Saint-Joseph-des-Beauce, Quebec, is an intriguing prospect due to his size and tools. There are parts of his game that still need maturing, but he’s a good-size defender who can skate well and make plays. He played for Bishop’s College School last season. Cliche was a seventh-round pick of the Saint John Sea Dogs in the QMJHL Draft and a ninth-round selection of the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL Draft.
Cole Eichler
Yale 16U, 3/28/03, RW, Right Shot, 5-11/191
Eichler, who will play this winter for Andrew Will at Salisbury, is a physically mature wing who played for GTHL powerhouse Don Mills Flyers last season. He’s rugged and can win puck battles below the dots before distributing it to open teammates. The Toronto, Ontario, native was a 12th -ound selection of the Niagara IceDogs in the OHL Draft.
Cameron Henderson
Mount Saint Charles 14U, 8/14/05, C, Left Shot, 5-8/165
From Nova Scotia, Henderson will be the top player for Frank O’Connor’s 14U team at Mount Saint Charles. He’s a big, strong center who can put the puck in the back of the net. He’s a long ways off from both junior hockey and college, but he’ll be noticed during the Beast Series, Northeast Pack, and other tournaments this winter.
George Vamvakaris
Yale 18U, 11/28/01, F, Left Shot, 5-7/155
A late ’01, Vamvakaris played for Kuper Academy Kodiaks last winter. From Quebec, he’ll be playing for Salisbury this winter after skating with Yale 18U in the fall. He’s consistently put up well over a point per game in each of the last three seasons.
Liam Walsh
GBL Bruins 18U, 6/13/02, LW, Left Shot, 5-8/146
From Bedford, Nova Scotia, Walsh played the past two seasons for Halifax McDonald’s, one of the top midget teams in the maritimes. This winter, he’ll be playing for Kimball Union. Walsh is an undersized forward who can make plays with his skating and quick hands. A lack of size and strength has hurt him when it’s come to QMJHL scouts’ view of him.
Mick Thompson
North Jersey Avalanche 16U, 3/1/04, LW, Left Shot, 5-4/120
I’ve written about Thompson a few times in the past. He’s stood out, despite his small stature, at the 2018 Beantown NAPS and the 2019 Junior Chowder Cup. From Toronto, Ontario, he’s not playing prep hockey, but will be seen plenty around New England while skating for Vinny Smith’s North Jersey Avalanche in the Beast Series.
