Four Massachusetts natives will be among the 47 draft-eligible prospects taking part in the 2023 BioSteel All-American Game, set for Jan. 16 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. The scrimmage is set for 4:00 p.m. and will be broadcast across the country on NHL Network.
Three USA Hockey NTDP U18 forwards — Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.), Will Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and Will Vote (Arlington, Mass.) — and Sioux Falls Stampede right wing Will McDonough (Duxbury, Mass.) are the locals set to participate in the scouting showcase. The trio of NTDP players are all committed to Boston College while McDonough is slated to play for Harvard.
Leonard, who played for Pope Francis and Springfield Rifles before heading to the NTDP, has scored 20 goals and 14 assists in 24 games this season. He’s listed as an ‘A’ rated prospect, per NHL Central Scouting, signifying that the service believes he’ll be selected in the first round.
Smith has the most points per game of anyone on this year’s NTDP U18 team. The former Boston Junior Eagles and St. Sebastian’s standout has scored 18 goals and added 29 assists in 26 games. Smith has also been given an ‘A’ grade by NHL Central Scouting.
Vote, a longtime teammate of Smith with the Junior Eagles, has 10 goals and 12 assists in 27 games. He skated for Dexter Southfield before joining the NTDP. Vote was given a ‘C’ grade by NHL Central Scouting.
McDonough, a veteran of the Boston Advantage youth program, is in his second season playing in the USHL with Sioux Falls. In 23 games, he’s scored four goals and had two assists.
In addition to the four Bay Staters, 17 other players in the game will have a connection to the New England region. Four players each are products of Mid Fairfield Junior Rangers and Mount Saint Charles. Including the three New Englanders, seven Boston College recruits will take part in the game. Boston University has five recruits in the showcase, while Harvard has three.
Players with New England ties
- Tanner Adams, RW, Tri-City Storm (Providence) (Mount Saint Charles alum)
- Michael Chambre, G, NTDP (Boston University)
- Seth Constance, D, Tri-City Storm (Northeastern) (Mount Saint Charles alum)
- Ryan Fine, C, NTDP U18 (Harvard) (Mid Fairfield Rangers alum)
- Drew Fortescue, D, NTDP U18 (Boston College) (Mid Fairfield Rangers alum)
- Jacob Fowler, G, Youngstown Phantoms (Michigan) (South Kent alum)
- Salvatore Guzzo, RW, NTDP U18 (Harvard) (Mid Fairfield Rangers alum)
- Jack Harvey, C, Chicago Steel (Boston University)
- Kai Janviriya, D, NTDP U18 (Boston University)
- Gavin McCarthy, D, Muskegon Lumberjacks (Boston University)
- Aram Minnetian, D, NTDP U18 (Boston College) (Mid Fairfield Rangers alum)
- Gabe Perrault, LW, NTDP U18 (Boston College)
- Jack Spicer, G, Waterloo Black Hawks (Mount Saint Charles alum)
- Brandon Svoboda, C, Youngstown Phantoms (Boston University)
- Nathan Tobey, D, NTDP U18 (Quinnipiac)
- Nicholas Vantassell, RW, Green Bay Gamblers (UMass)
- Alex Weiermair, C, NTDP U18 (Denver) (Seacoast Performance Academy alum)
