The 2018-19 hockey season is well underway in New England with fall midget hockey in high gear and the USPHL NCDC dropping the puck last weekend.
College coaches have been out in full force looking to stockpile their future rosters. Over the past month or so, college coaches in New England have viewed many of the region’s prospects at the Beantown Summer Classic, River Rats Jamboree, EHF Selects Preseason Showcase, Tier 1 Labor Day Face Off, ECC Labor Day Cup and the HPHL vs. Beast Series Showcase. These events have given coaches ample opportunity to look for uncommitted players who could fit into their programs in years to come.
With the advent of young recruiting, many of New England’s top 2001-born prospects have been committed for some time. However, that leaves the door ajar for programs who still have scholarship room available to jump on some late bloomers or players who might not have popped previously. There are several players in the region who fit that bill.
A few defensemen highlight the group of top uncommitted 2001-born prospects in New England. Kennedy O’Connor (Springfield, Mass.) and Cooper Moore (Cos Cob, Conn.) are far and away the top uncommitted players in the region for this age group.
Listed below, these five uncommitted ’01 players from New England could very well commit to a collegiate program in the near future.
1. Kennedy O’Connor
Yale 18U/Loomis Chaffee, 5/10/01, Defense, Left Shot, 6-0/165
O’Connor’s stock continues to go up after improving significantly from the 2017-18 prep season. He was always a good player, but certainly not on the radar of any Division 1 college programs until the Massachusetts Hockey Boy’s CCM High Performance Festival in May. He’s continued to shine this fall with the Neponset Valley River Rats. O’Connor has a good first step and skates well. He has decent size and a good stick. The one area of his game that could use some improvement is his assertiveness. He’s absolutely a Division 1 hockey player and will be one of the better defensemen in prep hockey this winter with the Pelicans.
2. Cooper Moore
Mid Fairfield 18U/Brunswick, 2/16/01, Defense, Left Shot, 6-0/165
Moore began to draw attention a few months before O’Connor, because his size and physical tools attracted college coaches last fall. His play was steady throughout the prep season and buzz surrounding his game picked up again at the NEPSAC Prep Finals at Saint Anselm’s Sullivan Arena. Moore’s size and skating are both very good, but his hockey sense is a work in progress. Some big-time Hockey East programs are reportedly interested in the defenseman who helped Brunswick win a NEPSAC Large School Championship last March.
3. Jake Flynn
Junior 18U/Thayer, 5/26/01, Defense, Right Shot, 5-10/155
The Milton, Mass., native is a mobile, puck-moving defenseman who excels at breaking the puck out of his own zone with his feet. Flynn does a nice job of escaping trouble and he has impressive skill with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. Earlier this month, he showed that ability with an overtime game-winner against Mid Fairfield at Daly Rink. To truly make it, Flynn will need to focus on preventing turnovers and his play in his own zone. However, the athleticism is there for him to earn a commitment in the near future.
4. Cade DeStefani
Junior Bruins NCDC, 6/21/01, Forward, Right Shot, 6-1/165
The Bedford, N.H., native put up huge numbers with Northern Cyclones 16U last winter. He’s opted to take the next step in his development with the Junior Bruins in the USPHL NCDC. DeStefani is a better skater than his older brother, Ethan, a freshman playing at Merrimack. He has good skill and sees the ice well. He’s prone to playing on the perimeter, but can beat defenders wide and set up scoring chances for his teammates. If he can improve his compete and play more between the dots, he could be a good pickup for a Hockey East program.
5. Henry Wilder
Yale 18U/Hotchkiss, 3/19/01, Goaltender, Catches Left, 5-11/165
From Needham, Mass., Wilder is the best uncommitted ’01 goaltender in the region. He’s of average height, which will scare some schools away. It’s also extremely rare to see a college program commit a goaltender out of prep. That being said, Wilder is a Division 1 goaltender in this observer’s opinion. He’s athletic, does a good job of challenging and squaring up to shooters, and remains poised in net. He was a major reason the Bearcats stayed in as many games as they did last winter.
