While the playing of hockey games has been on hiatus since the middle of March due to the coronavirus, action on the recruiting trail hasn’t completely gone away.
Several Hockey East programs have made key additions to their recruiting stables since. In addition, league teams have secured commitments from walk-ons as depth players for next season.
With down time away from the rink and with 2020 passing the halfway mark a few weeks ago, I thought it would be a good time to look at how Hockey East programs are doing on the recruiting trail in this calendar year.
Below, I give a rundown on the recruiting activity in this calendar year of every Hockey East program, ranked by strength of recruiting class. I touch on who the biggest and most influential commits are since Jan. 1, 2020.
Keep in mind that some teams had more needs to fill, while other teams have been quieter in this time, due to already having filled much of their future rosters. The other challenging aspect of evaluating recruiting is putting a value on a player. If two similar players are offered spots by two different schools, it’s possible one of the schools gets a higher grade by giving out less scholarship money to that prospective recruit.
New Hampshire
Commits since Jan. 1: Jed Baliotti (’02 G, New Canaan, Conn./Berkshire School), Damien Carfagna (’02 LD, Wood Ridge, N.J./Lawrence Academy), John Evans (’02 RW, South Surrey, B.C./West Kelowna Warriors), Jeremy Forman (’99 G, Northbrook, Ill./Corpus Christi IceRays), Cam Gendron (’99 RW, Wilmington, Mass./New Jersey Titans), Nikolai Jensen (’00 RD, Cold Spring, Minn./Youngstown Phantoms), Joe Nagle (’99 RD, Weymouth, Mass./New Jersey Titans), Cade Penney (’01 RD, White Rock, B.C./New Jersey Titans), Luke Reid (’01 RD, Geneva, Ill./Chicago Steel)
New Hampshire’s recruiting continues to trend in the right direction as Mike Souza starts to put his stamp on his program. Souza and assistants Glen Stewart and Jeff Giuliano have been busy, but it’s not just in numbers. A lot of these commits will have a positive impact on the program. Jed Baliotti is the future in goal while Jeremy Forman is a serviceable backup with junior experience. The defense looks to be in good hands with the additions of Luke Reid, Damien Carfagna, Nikolai Jensen and Cade Penney. Joe Nagle is a solid walk-on and depth piece. John Evans is a solid winger for the future and Cam Gendron is a walk-on who could provide a spark on the third or fourth line. I haven’t always agreed with UNH’s commits over the past few years, but these players, plus the likes of JP Turner and Nick Ring, should give Wildcat fans reason to believe the turnaround in Durham is close.
UMass
Commits since Jan. 1: Linden Alger (’00 LD, Centerville, Mass./Youngstown Phantoms), Eric DeDobbelaer (’00 RW, Brantford, Ont./Brantford 99ers), Ryan Lautenbach (’00 C, Brighton, Mich./Omaha Lancers), Lucas Mercuri (’02 C, Lasalle, Que./Salisbury), Owen Michaels, (’02 LW, Detroit, Mich./Lincoln Stars), Owen Murray (’02 RD, Decker, Man./Portage Terriers), Timofei Spitserov (’02 RW, St. Petersburg, Russia/Culver)
I really like the focus UMass puts on recruiting outside of the region. The staff has continued to do a good job in that regard since January. The Minutemen landed a couple of smart, yet different, centers in Ryan Lautenbach and Lucas Mercuri. Owen Michaels is a big winger who could pop and Timofei Spitserov is a legit goal scorer from the right wing. UMass has a lot of very good skaters on the blue line but added a solid, physical defender in Linden Alger, a Boston Bandits product. Owen Murray is an offensive defenseman who already has played two years of junior in Manitoba. Lastly, Eric DeDobbelaer is a walk-on for 2021-22.
Northeastern
Commits since Jan. 1: Steven Agriogianis (’99 RW, East Hanover, N.J./Nanaimo Clippers), James Davenport (’00 RD, Natick, Mass./Victoria Grizzlies), Devon Levi (’01 G, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que./Carleton Place Canadians), Michael Outzen (’99 RW, Lone Tree, Colo./New Jersey Titans)
Recruiting is all about filling needs, and the Huskies did a great job in that regard since the turn of the calendar. They started 2020 off with a bang when Devon Levi committed to the Huskies. Since Cayden Primeau turned pro after his sophomore year, NU’s weakness was in goal. Levi is the answer. He’ll likely be an NHL draft pick and comes to the Huskies after a dynamite junior season in the CCHL. The other three are walk-ons, but NU already has a boatload of talent committed. James Davenport is a former Brown commit and St. Sebastian’s alum who I think could be a nice fifth or sixth defenseman. Michael Outzen and Steven Agriogianis are junior age-outs who have shown some offensive ability at times. NU’s staff has done a good job of getting players like them to blossom once at Matthews Arena.
UMass Lowell
Commits since Jan. 1: Matthew Allen (’00 RW, Minco, Okla./Amarillo Bulls), Gabriel Blanchard (’00 LD, East Aurora, N.Y./Sioux City Musketeers), Henry Welsch (’00 G, Lakeville, Minn./Aberdeen Wings)
This is a very solid group that UMass Lowell’s coaching staff has reeled in since January. Very few programs in the country do a better job than the River Hawks when it comes to procuring hidden gems. I admittedly didn’t know much about Matt Allen until he showed well at the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Attleboro, Mass., in February. From Oklahoma, he’s another example of Lowell’s staff finding players from obscure areas of the hockey market. Gabriel Blanchard had a good prep career at Trinity-Pawling, but questions remained about his hockey sense. He’s always had the toughness and ability to break pucks out his own zone. He showed that in the USHL with Sioux City. After a notable high school career in Minnesota, Henry Welsch had a very good first year of junior hockey in the NAHL. He’ll be more than capable of pushing Logan Neaton for playing time as the duo aims to replace Tyler Wall, who has signed with the New York Rangers. UML hasn’t pulled in a lot in terms of pure numbers, but I like these three commits.
Merrimack
Commits since Jan. 1: Zach Borgiel (’00 G, Fort Gratiot, Mich./Cowichan Valley Capitals), Liam Cavan (’02 LD, Gloucester, Ont./St. Andrew’s College), Matt Copponi (’03 C, Mansfield, Mass./Dexter Southfield), Conor Lovett (’01 C, Franklin, Mass./Lawrence Academy), Kevin Sadovsky (’99 RD, Palm Coast, Fla./Utica Comets)
This is a good group for the Warriors. I’m not totally sold that Zach Borgiel will be the answer in goal, but he’s worth a try, and a probable upgrade over the current crop. I really liked Liam Cavan as a mobile defender with St. Andrew’s. Matt Copponi is a hard-nosed center who can slide up and down the lineup. The same could be said for Conor Lovett, who had a breakout campaign with Lawrence, but I’d like to have seen Merrimack push the issue and get him to play a year of junior. Kevin Sadovsky is a walk-on to add depth on the blue line. Overall, the last six months have been good to Merrimack on the recruiting trail.
UConn
Commits since Jan. 1: Cassidy Bowes (’99 LW, Kelowna, B.C./Whitecourt Wolverines), Jack Pascucci (’02 RD, North Andover, Mass./Governor’s), Gavin Puskar (’01 LW, Westfield, N.J./Hotchkiss), Artem Shlaine (’02 C, Moscow, Russia/Shattuck-St. Mary’s)
Former BU commit Artem Shlaine is the headliner. He’s probably coming in a year too early, but that’s how the Huskies were able to land the dual citizen who is projected as a third-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft. He’s the sole reason I gave UConn a little bump in these rankings. I like Gavin Puskar out of Hotchkiss, but he’s also coming in too early. As a walk-on, UConn can afford to let him simmer in Storrs until he’s ready. Jack Pascucci is an improved defender whose stock is rising. I don’t know much about Cassidy Bowes, but he seems like a filler with some potential to add offense as a point per game player out of the AJHL.
Providence
Commits since Jan. 1: Liam Gilmartin (’03 LW, Falls Church, Va./U.S. NTDP U-17), Anton Martinson (’95 G, Klippan, Sweden/Alaska-Fairbanks), Jaxson Stauber (’99 G, Wayzata, Minn./Sioux Falls Stampede)
I had been high on Liam Gilmartin since his Bantam major year. He struggled a little with the NTDP this season, but he’s still a power forward with upside. The Friars also added two goaltenders with college experience in Anton Martinson and Jaxson Stauber. The former is eligible right away after graduating from Alaska-Fairbanks. Stauber likely will have to wait until January after playing a game at Minnesota State last fall. Goaltending is an important position so if either Martinson or Stauber can solidify the crease for the Friars, that’s a win.
Maine
Commits since Jan. 1: Samuel Duerr (’02 LD, Burr Ridge, Ill./Shattuck-St. Mary’s), Kabore Dunn (’01 RD, Mill Bay, B.C./Fort McMurray Oil Barons), Robert Kincaid (’02 LD, Barrhead, Alta./Camrose Kodiaks), John Mulera (’99 RW, Rockville, Md./Junior Bruins), Victor Ostman (’00 G, Stockholm, Sweden/Chicago Steel), Felix Trudeau (’02 LW, Terrebonne, Que./Northwood School)
Samuel Duerr is the biggest catch of this group for the Black Bears. A standout for Shattuck-St. Mary’s, he’s got the potential to be a nice player. Kabore Dunn and Robert Kincaid are defensemen out of Canada with potential. Felix Trudeau is a skilled winger from Northwood School. John Mulera committed to Providence and UConn before ending up in Orono, but there’s some potential with him as a low scholarship player. Lastly, Victor Ostman had a solid year with Chicago in the USHL and continues Maine’s Swedish pipeline. Maybe he’ll continue the Black Bear legacy of being “Goaltender U.”
BC
Commits since Jan. 1: Jack Dempsey (’01 LW, Natick, Mass./Dexter Southfield), Trevor Kuntar (’01 C, Williamsville, N.Y./Youngstown Phantoms), Gentry Shamburger (’00 RW, Atlanta, Ga./Avon Old Farms)
This group got considerably better when Trevor Kuntar switched his commitment to the Eagles from Harvard. He’s a very good forward, but he’ll almost certainly be a four-year player, which makes his commit all the more valuable. Jack Dempsey and Gentry Shamburger are two players out of prep school. Dempsey has a chance to break into the lineup after a year of junior hockey in the NCDC, while Shamburger is a walk-on who likely will be a practice player.
Every program needs walk-ons, and it gives the players a chance to be part of a NCAA team while getting a great education. It’s not a knock to be a walk-on, but it’s a fact of college athletics. BC has a ton of top players who are getting a bulk of the scholarship allowance, including Kuntar, so walk-ons are a necessity to fill a roster.
Vermont
Commits since Jan. 1: Mario Gasparini (’00 LD, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North), Dovar Tinling (’03 C, Pointe-Claire, Que./Hawkesbury Hawks), William Zapernick (’99 RW, Edmonton, Alta./Sherwood Park Crusaders)
The highlight of this trio is Dovar Tinling, who shined in his first year of junior hockey in the CCHL. He made the Canada East team at the World Junior A Challenge. If he gets to Burlington, he’ll likely be a star for the Catamounts. Gasparini is another solid commit out of Minnesota high school. His uncle, Joey Gasparini, is a UVM alum and former assistant coach. William Zapernick put up huge numbers in the AJHL, but that doesn’t always translate as an overage player.
Boston University
Commits since Jan. 1: Tristan Amonte (’00 RW, Norwell, Mass./Penticton Vees), Vincent Duplessis (’99 G, Quebec, Que./Whitecourt Wolverines)
The Terriers have plenty of riches in their future, but these two commits certainly aren’t headliners. Tristan Amonte, a Thayer alum, is a legacy commit and he’s likely a walk-on. Vincent Duplessis is an insurance policy in case Drew Commesso or Ashton Abel are lost due to injury.
