MARLBORO, Mass. – Seventy-two of the best 2006-born players in the state took to the ice over the weekend at the Massachusetts Hockey CCM High Performance Festival at the New England Sports Center.
As with the other two age groups, four to five college coaches from the region are the ultimate evaluators in determining who represents the Massachusetts district at the 2022 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp this July in Amherst, N.Y. From the Select 16s, USA Hockey will pick a roster of players to represent the red, white and blue at the Five Nations Tournament in August.
The field will be cut in half for the ‘Final 40’ in two weekends before seven forwards, four defensemen, and one goaltender are picked for national camp. Of note, the five local players who were invited to USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp are exempt from qualifying through the Mass. Festival. Right wing Gavin Cornforth (Milton, Mass.), defensemen Owen Keefe (Saugus, Mass.) and Kiernan Poulin (Norwell, Mass.) and goaltenders Thatcher Bernstein (Brookline, Mass.) and Ryder Shea (Framingham, Mass.) will be at national camp. Forwards Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) and Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.) are prohibited from competing at national camp, due to USA Hockey not allowing NTDP players at those events.
Below are the 24 forwards, 12 defensemen, and four goaltenders who I’d have advancing onto the Massachusetts Hockey CCM High Performance Final 40.
