The Neponset Valley River Rats Jamboree kicked off the fall midget hockey season in New England earlier this week. The event was well attended by NHL scouts, college coaches, junior scouts and NHLPA agents.
Division 1 coaches from Atlantic Hockey, Big Ten, ECAC Hockey and Hockey East programs were in attendance, as well as a myriad of Division 3 schools. Several top programs, including Boston University and Northeastern, had their entire staffs at the two-day showcase.
Games across four levels – 18U, 16U, 15U and 14U – were played at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass. The event was attended by teams in the Beast Series, plus several other outside organizations invited by the River Rats.
The River Rats Jamboree was a well-run event by Albany Academy coach Steve Needham and the rest of the crew from the organization. It’s always great when all games are under one roof, which was the case here. It made scouting the event very easy for coaches, scouts and agents.
Rochester Coalition 16U goaltender Grant Riley was the biggest winner of the River Rats Jamboree. As a former National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp invitee and a two-time participant at USA Hockey National Camp, he was already well-regarded. However, his shutout of the North Jersey Avalanche on Monday sent his stock soaring. Numerous schools were reaching out to show interest in the 2002-born netminder from Rochester, N.Y.
With most players from the River Rats Jamboree compete again this weekend at the ECC Labor Day Cup, special focus was put on teams that won't be back this weekend. Not every team was viewed, so a ranking of prospects wouldn't really make sense. However, below is a list of players who stood out, focusing mainly on players who haven’t been written up as much by New England Hockey Journal.
18U Standouts
Malik Alishlalov
#2 River Rats, Westminster, 1/7/01, Defense, Left Shot, 6-2/195
NCAA Commit: UConn
The Moscow native makes plays by using his athleticism and skating. He sometimes leaves plays hanging and will need to improve his hockey sense, but he has the physical tools for NHL scouts to maintain a watchful eye in 2018-19.
Nicholas Carabin
#27 North Jersey Avs, 4/30/01, Defense, Right Shot, 5-10/170
NCAA Commit: Princeton
A recent Princeton commit, the Mahwah, N.J., native is a tough, physical defender with a mean streak. He’s hard to play against and makes simple, effective plays to transition the puck up ice.
Justin Hryckowian
#19 Rochester Coalition, Salisbury, 2/23/01, Forward, Left Shot, 5-9/190
From Quebec, Hryckowian is making the jump to prep from midget hockey in his native province. He’s not the best skater, but he has terrific hands and offensive instincts. He’ll be fun to watch progress this fall and winter.
Alex Jefferies
#17 Yale, Gunnery, 11/8/01, Forward, Right Shot, 5-11/185
NCAA Commit: Merrimack
After putting up huge numbers with the Islanders HC U16, Jefferies transitions to prep hockey. The Lunenberg, Mass., native plays a heavy game and has a strong first step. He hunts pucks and has a second gear.
Alex Laferriere
#20 Yale, Kent, 10/28/01, Forward, Right Shot, 5-9/145
NCAA Commit: Army
Laferriere is making the jump to prep school after playing with the North Jersey Avalanche. His game really taken off as he’s started to fill out physically. The Chatham, N.J., native made a couple of really nice passes to show off his touch with the puck. He also scored a nice wrist-shot goal going against the grain. It’s been said before in these columns, but he’s a big-time get for coach Brian Riley’s staff at West Point.
Owen Nolan
#4 Rochester Coalition, Millbrook, 3/10/00, Defense, Left Shot, 6-1/175
The Mahopac, N.Y., native really helped out his cause at the River Rats Jamboree. He’s a player whose development is certainly trending upward. He’s a hard-working, two-way defenseman. He’s solid in his own end and has a good stick. He has the hands and instincts to jump into the rush and make some plays offensively. His only negative is the occasional sequence where he over-handles the puck.
Kennedy O’Connor
#5 Yale, Loomis Chaffee, 5/9/01, Defense, Left Shot, 6-1/185
The Springfield, Mass., native made his first appearance at a USA Hockey National Camp earlier this summer after a strong showing at the Mass Final 40. The improvement he’s made over the past 12 months has been remarkable. He has good size, a solid first step and skates well overall. He’s close to being a Division 1-caliber player.
Kenny Riddett
#26 North Jersey Avs, 3/26/01, Forward, Left Shot, 5-5/185
The Fishkill, N.Y., native is on the smaller side, but he’s crafty and seems to find pucks. He scored several goals in a game Monday afternoon.
16U Standouts
Timur Alishlalov
#32 River Rats, Avon Old Farms, 10/8/02, Forward, Right Shot, 5-8/150
Alishlalov will move onto the prep circuit after playing last season with the CT Rangers' U18 squad. The Russian is small, but he’s crafty and makes plays wheeling in and out of traffic.
Cam Bergeman
#10 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 2/11/03, Forward, Left Shot, 5-6/135
On the smaller side, Bergeman scored a nice goal off a feed from a linemate where he quickly whistled the puck home. He’s quick and stays to the outside some, but has skill and speed to make plays.
Kenny Connors
#25 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 3/10/03, Forward, Left Shot, 5-11/180
Connors plays a hard game. He does a good job recovering pucks by using his size and strength to win battles along the walls and down low. He has a hard shot and isn’t afraid to drive the net and hang around in the slot.
Tyler DesRochers
#12 Mercer Chiefs, 4/12/03, Defense, Right Shot, 6-0/160
NCAA Commit: Providence
The Howell, N.J., native is a smooth operator on the blue line. He does a great job retrieving pucks and breaking pucks up ice. He has a good shot through traffic from the point. The right-shot defenseman has a long, smooth stride and will certainly land an invite to NTDP Evaluation Camp.
Tommy Goguen
#14 EC Wizards, Belmont Hill, 2/27/03, Forward, Left Shot, 6-1/185
Goguen, from Weston, Mass., is a name familiar to prep followers with his older brother, Joe, also at Belmont Hill. Tommy has some size and athleticism and could develop into a solid power forward.
Vincent Gould
#10 EC Wizards, Dexter, 2/11/03, Forward, Right Shot, 6-1/190
The Wellesley, Mass., native needs to improve his skating, but he scores everywhere he goes. He’s big and routinely gets to the high-quality scoring areas.
Thomas Heaney
#32 New Jersey Rockets, 2/2/03, Goaltender, Catches Left, 6-1/165
Heaney is one of the top 2003-born goaltenders in the country and it showed here. He’s athletic, skates well, and has decent size.
Blake Humphrey
#34 Rochester Coalition, 1/18/02, Forward, Left Shot, 5-8/150
Humphrey has a really good shot that he gets off quickly. He’s not afraid to retrieve pucks along the wall and below the goal line, but he also sets up shop in the slot to generate quality scoring chances.
Sam Lipkin
#3 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 1/3/03, Forward, Left Shot, 6-1/165
The Lafayette Hill, Pa., native is a physical, two-way center. He’s heavy on pucks and is able to use his size and strength to win back pucks, especially below the goal line. If his skating improves a little, he could be a very good prospect.
Timmy Lovell
#27 Boston Advantage, 2/8/02, Defense, Left Shot, 5-2/110
Lovell also played a game up with the U18 team here. The Kingston, Mass., native is extremely small, but his skating is off the charts. He’s so good at retrieving pucks and breaking them out. He’s smooth and just makes plays look effortless. His dad, Tim Lovell, is the team's coach and a former collegiate player at Maine and UMass Amherst. The younger Lovell will follow in his dad’s footsteps of playing college hockey. He already has at least five offers.
Jason Marsella
#4 North Jersey Avalanche, 11/20/02, Defense, Left Shot, 5-11/175
NCAA Commit: Yale
The Greenwich, Conn., native is a steady, puck-moving defender who plays with poise and confidence. He’s a good skater and makes the simple, effective plays with the puck almost every time.
Hunter McDonald
#11 Rochester Coalition, 5/11/02, Defense, Left Shot, 6-2/175
McDonald’s development is trending upward. He’s mean and projects as a shutdown defender. He closes quickly, has a good stick and his gaps are strong, shutting down the opposition’s rush.
Ryan McGuire
#8 EC Wizards, Belmont Hill, 7/27/02, Forward, Right Shot, 6-1/172
The New Canaan, Conn., native is the son of NHL on NBC analyst Pierre McGuire. Ryan is a speedster who plays the game the right way. He wins face-offs and does so many of the little things required to win hockey games.
Carter McWilliams
#14 Rochester Coalition, 2/11/02, Forward, Left Shot, 6-1/160
McWilliams is a power forward who plays well below the dots. He drove the net, drawing a penalty on one sequence and scoring a rebound goal on another.
Bauer Morrissey
#4 Rochester Coalition, 1/19/02, Defense, Left Shot, 5-10/165
Some scouts and college coaches might remember Morrissey from when he played for the Washington Little Caps. He’s mobile and makes good breakout passes. He’s a little raw, but there’s upside here as a puck-moving defender.
Jordan Nelson
#16 Springfield Rifles, Westminster, 4/1/02, Forward, Right Shot, 5-10/180
Nelson had a high compete level and was fast to get on pucks. He should be a good addition as a bottom-six forward for Westy this winter.
Mason Proskin
#43 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 4/26/02, Defense, Right Shot, 6-0/165
After playing his bantam season with the New Jersey Colonials, Proskin went north of the border to play for the North York Rangers' minor midget program. Now he’s back in the U.S. and played well here. He’s a good skater who has size, a good stick and gaps well.
Niko Rexine
#21 Rochester Coaltion, 6/20/02, Forward, Right Shot, 6-1/185
Rexine doesn’t have a ton of offensive upside, but his north-south power game could translate into a bottom-six forward role in college. He plays heavy and brings an edge when recovering pucks.
Grant Riley
#1 Rochester Coalition, 8/28/02, Goaltender, Catches Left, 6-3/185
Riley stole the show in a 1-0 shutout win over North Jersey Avs. He has good size, challenges shooters atop the crease, squares up to shooters and stays quiet. He has good rebound control. He made a toe save against the Avs that was absolutely spectacular.
TJ Semptimphelter
#35 Mercer Chiefs, Lawrenceville, 5/9/02, Goaltender, Catches Left, 5-9/170
The Marlton, N.J., native is on the smaller side for a modern-era goaltender, but he plays the position well. He moves well and has very quick reflexes. He does a good job smothering rebounds and is fundamentally sound. Where you notice the lack of size is when he goes post-to-post.
JP Turner
#24 River Rats, Avon Old Farms, 1/31/02, Forward, Right Shot, 5-10/180
Turner has a strong offensive skill set and good size, playing bigger than he’s listed on the roster. Once he fills out his frame, he should be even more effective at driving the net.
