As Aug. 1 approaches, the local college hockey recruiting news will heat up in a big way as rising high school juniors are allowed to commit to Division 1 colleges.
Those players began getting calls from colleges on Jan. 1, according to NCAA rules.
Before that kicks off, however, there has been tons of recruiting news from the summer as local players from the '03-'06 birth years made decisions on their college hockey destinations once the 2022-23 season concluded.
Some of these were more recent, while others go back to March. Let's dive in.
Gavin Cornforth commits to Boston College
On Saturday, Cornforth (Milton, Mass.) announced his commitment to Boston College via Instagram. The 5-foot-9, 156-pound right wing burst onto the scene during his first year at Thayer in 2021-22, posting 12 goals and 30 points in 22 games. That helped him get selected 12th overall by the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the 2022 USHL Futures Draft.
As a late '06, he opted to go right to Dubuque for this past season and scored four goals and added six assists in 49 games.
“The first month was definitely hard on my body,” Cornforth said of adjusting to the USHL back in May. “I wasn’t used to skating every day. The speed is definitely really fast. It was tough for me to adjust. I had to relearn the game in a way. Moving it quicker, keeping my head up at all times, and playing a structured (defensive) zone. I wasn’t used to there being much structure at all. That was definitely a learning curve for me.”
https://twitter.com/CornforthGavin/status/1680316828701151232?s=20
Surviving that learning curve and competing against older players, along with his skating and skill, planted him as one of the top recruits from the '06 birth year, so it's no surprise Boston College got its hands on the current junior in high school.
One interesting note: Cornforth's father, Mark, did four years at Merrimack from 1991-95 before seeing time in the NHL, AHL and IHL from 1995-2000.
Back in March, the Eagles received commitments from forward Jake Sondreal, Cornforth's teammate in Dubuque, and goalie Alex Musielak.
Will Felicio commits to Denver
Back on June 19, Felicio announced his commitment to the University of Denver via Instagram. Like Cornforth, the 5-foot-10, 161-pound defenseman opted for the USHL in 2022-23 as an '06.
Felicio was a standout producer in the USHL, posting four goals and 28 points in 55 games for the Madison Capitols. Those 28 points were the most by a 16-year-old defenseman in USHL history. That boosted him on to the USHL All-Rookie First Team.
"It's never easy coming into a league like the USHL at 16 years old," said Madison interim coach Tom Gilbert of Felicio to The Rink Live. "I would say it's probably easier as a forward too but for him as a defenseman, he had a lot thrown his way and he handled it well."
Felicio is known for his puck-moving abilities, which made him a coveted recruit from the '06 class.
CHAMPS: How the New England District won USA Hockey's Boys Select 17 Camp
The Holden, Mass., native developed his game at Mount St. Charles, where he was a point-per-game player with the 14U team in 2020-21 and had 59 points in 54 games with the 15U squad.
Boston University lands two local prep standouts
Back in March, Dexter Southfield defenseman Mick Frechette (Weston, Mass.) committed to Boston University. The '03 was known around the prep circuits as a defenseman with a mean streak and he posted strong numbers this past winter. As a senior, the 6-foot-1, 205-pound defender notched 11 goals and 25 points in 32 games.
The Terriers also secured a commitment from goalie Max LaCroix in May. While he's from Colorado, he played the last two seasons with Governor's Academy. His junior season in 2021-22 was his best, posting a 2.50 goals-against average and a .928 save percentage while splitting the net. He played in every game for Governor's in 2022-23 and his numbers dipped to a 3.16 GAA and .906 save percentage.
Two former prep goalies land with big-time programs
Jackson Irving committed to UMass in March. The Newbury, Mass., native was Cushing's go-to goalie from 2019-22 before playing this past season with the Sioux Falls Stampede in the USHL. Irving posted a 3.92 GAA and a .888 save percentage for Sioux Falls. He's 6 feet and 172 pounds.
AWARDS: Handing out the 2023 boys and girls prep and high school awards
Just a handful of days later, Stephen Peck committed to Michigan. The longtime North Jersey Avalanche netminder led the region in both GAA (1.26) and save percentage (.948), leading head coach John Gardner's team to a NEPSAC Elite 8 title.
Ryan St. Louis commits to Brown
Back in March, St. Louis (Burlington, Vt.) announced his commitment to Brown. St. Louis, son of Montreal Canadiens head coach Marty, has a different path from everyone in this story.
The left wing played for Brunswick from 2017-19 before heading to the United States National Team Development Program from 2019-2021. St. Louis went to Northeastern for 2021-22 but struggled to gain his footing in college hockey, so he went back to the USHL and joined Dubuque for this past season. He scored 30 goals and 72 points in 58 games.
Gryphon Watson-Bucci commits to Merrimack
Watson-Bucci, from Ontario, isn't a local, but he played for Boston Hockey Academy the past two seasons. He posted an impressive 35 goals and 105 points in 60 games this past winter for BHA's 16U squad. That came after he notched 15 goals and 62 points in 58 games for the 15U team the previous season. He committed to Merrimack in June.
