MARLBORO, Mass. — After observing 72 of the Bay State’s 2005-born prospects compete at the New England Sports Center over the weekend, the competitive field for the birth year is coming into focus.
The second phase of a process that began last month with a larger pool of players from the Massachusetts district was overseen by a small group of local college coaches. They will determine who will advance to the final evaluation weekend May 21-22 in Marlboro. On the line at that point is a chance to represent the district at the 2022 USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y. From the Select 17s, USA Hockey will put together the roster that will represent the United States at the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in Red Deer, Alberta, July 31- Aug. 6.
Multiple players impressed in full viewings of the Saturday games. It is not a list predicting all of the players expected to advance to the “Final 40” round, but a sampling of the top performances on a day dedicated to watching the ‘05s in action. Ryan Shaw and Michael Ranaldi had notable and productive efforts up front, while Matt Hanscom and Shawn Leary flashed on the back end. In net, recent USHL draft pick Sam Scopa continued to demonstrate his promise and upside.
Below is a list of those who are among the best in the ’05 class and expected to be back at it in a little under two weeks.
