KEENE, N.H. – The New England District Select 15s took place over the past five days, bringing together top 2007-born prospects from across the New England states, sans Massachusetts.
Tuesday and Wednesday were set aside for practices while competition truly began Thursday afternoon. The five-day camp, which had the players staying on the Keene State College campus, culminated in an All-Star Game Saturday afternoon. The practices and games took place at Keene Ice Arena, a picturesque facility with a mountain backdrop.
The purpose of the camp was to select nine forwards, five defensemen and two goaltenders to attend USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y., from July 15-20. The event, just outside of Buffalo, is highly attended by college coaches, junior hockey scouts, coaches and management, NHLPA agents and USA Hockey personnel staff. It is the beginning of an important scouting season for the ’07s, as the USHL, QMJHL and OHL have their drafts for this birth year the following spring. USA Hockey also will be picking a team of ’07s for the 2023-24 NTDP next March.
The evaluators at New England District Select 15s are college coaches, led by Northeastern assistant Jason Guerriero. The coaches take turns watching from above in the stands and hopping behind the bench to coach in the games. The coaches also ran drills and small-area games in the practices leading up to the competition schedule.
Below is my ranking of the top 18 forwards, 10 defensemen and four goaltenders based on their performance at New England District Select 15s plus projection of future potential. I value skating, skill, compete and hockey sense and am willing to overlook a lack of size at this level. Players with an asterisk next to their name were selected to attend USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp July 15-20 in Amherst, N.Y.
Forwards
1. Nic Whitehead *
Mount Saint Charles, 2/11/07, left shot, 5-9/140
Whitehead was the best forward in Keene over the weekend. He has the speed, skill and hockey sense to make plays, especially on the rush. He made a number of nice passes to facilitate offense and showed off some deception on his release. Originally from Orlando, he’s bounced around over the past several years, playing for the Long Island Gulls, Mid Fairfield and Mount Saint Charles.
2. Egan Beveridge *
Mount Saint Charles, 1/11/07, right shot, 5-9/165
Beveridge outworks the opposition and impacts the game on almost every shift. He’s a strong skater, has a hard shot, and wins puck battles. I liked that he hunted pucks and competed for every inch of the sheet as a north-south player. From East Kingston, N.H., he’s reportedly heading to play for Chicago Mission after only one season with Mount Saint Charles.
3. Tucker Spiess *
Mid Fairfield, 1/5/07, right shot, 6-0/175
Spiess is a big power forward with a hard shot. The Greenwich, Conn., native is a goal scorer who can protect pucks. If he can keep improving his skating, his ceiling is high. In addition to playing for Mid Fairfield, look for Spiess to get more and more ice time on the varsity for Mike Kennedy at Brunswick.
4. Matthew Dabrowksi *
Mid Fairfield, 2/18/07, right shot
Dabrowski is a power forward with speed. His skating ability coming down the wing stood out a number of times over the weekend. He can lower his shoulder, protect pucks and drive the net. From Stratford, Conn., he’s been a longtime member of the ’07 Mid Fairfield squad.
5. Alex Donovan *
Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 4/8/07, right shot, 5-9/149
Donovan is a tall, lanky forward with length and skill. His skating and stick, combined with his height, are intriguing. For him to get the most out of his skill-set, he’ll need to play a harder, heavier game. The Darien, Conn., native spent this past season at Shattuck after playing for Mid Fairfield as a Bantam minor.
6. Luke Dow *
Mount Saint Charles, 1/2/07, right shot, 5-5/140
Dow is one of those players who always has slipped below the cracks, due to playing for the Connecticut Whalers and then being more of a depth piece on a loaded team at Mount this past season. I took notice of him at the Prep Cup in the fall of 2020 and he showed this weekend that he’s very capable of being a good player. From Orange, Conn., he’s on the smaller side, but he skates well and has a quick release on his shot. Dow is reportedly leaving Mount, but the destination is unknown.
7. Indiana Grossbard *
Cardigan Mountain/Long Island Gulls, 12/21/07, right shot, 5-8/140
Grossbard played for the Long Island Gulls and Cardigan Mountain previously. A late ’07 from Wilton, Conn., his skating and compete stand out. He just plays hard every shift. Grossbard is one of those players who should be able to slide up and down the lineup as he furthers his development. Loomis Chaffee and split season with the Yale Junior Bulldogs is on the docket for the 2022-23 season.
8. Dallas Potter
Mount Saint Charles, 6/9/07, right shot, 5-3/105
Potter is another player who sometimes gets overshadowed on talented teams. From Madison, Conn., his skating and compete are both assets. He showed that this weekend, scoring goals and hunting pucks. I liked a lot of his habits as well. He finished at the net and forced turnovers by reading plays and being a dog on a bone. His father, Chris Potter, played at UConn and is he head coach of Wesleyan in the NESCAC.
9. Van Martin
Seacoast, 10/3/07, left shot, 5-9/145
Martin is a pure goal scorer whose play below the dots impressed. A late birthday from Derry, N.H., he made plays down low and cycled well. He went to the net and had a knack for knowing where to find pucks.
10. Michal Mardula *
Mid Fairfield, 2/21/07, right shot, 5-10/150
Mardula isn’t the first player who will jump off the page when watching a game, in terms of skating or skill. However, he got the most out of his ability and played some of his best hockey later in the weekend. Originally from Illinois, he played for Mid Fairfield last season after coming over from Detroit Honeybaked.
11. Tommy Coccaro
Mid Fairfield, 4/10/07, right shot, 5-4/115
Coccaro has been a big name on Mid Fairfield teams for a few years. I thought he played well at times and showed some grit. He makes plays and has agility in small areas. In my opinion, he was the best player to not make the All-Star Game on Saturday.
12. Tucker Harris *
Cardigan Mountain, 8/14/07, left shot
Harris’ elite attribute is his skating. He showed speed on the rush and created offense coming down the wing. He’s a pass-first wingernwho also can put the puck in the net. Harris will be back at Cardigan for another season in 2022-23.
13. Kagen Langlois
Seacoast, 8/20/07, right shot, 5-9/160
Langlois was a strong power forward with good size. A goal scorer, he drove the net and was hard to knock off pucks below the dots. The Methuen, Mass., native is jumping to Lovell Hockey Academy after spending the previous two seasons with Islanders Hockey Club and Seacoast Performance Academy.
14. Corbin Carkner
Mid Fairfield, 5/3/07, left shot, 6-1/194
Carkner is a big, rugged forward who can play the role of a physical winger. He’ll be heading to play at South Kent for the school’s 15 Only team in the fall. His father, Matt Carkner, played 237 NHL games and was the assistant coach of the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers the past five seasons. Last month, he was named head coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.
15. Richie Cavanagh
Providence HC, 5/1/07, left shot, 5-7/141
Cavanagh showed an ability to be strong down low. He made a few plays that resulted in scoring chances from below the dots on the cycle. From Warwick, R.I., he’s a player to keep an eye on for prep schools.
16. Oliver Czaja
Mid Fairfield, 9/19/07, left shot, 5-9/140
Czaja, from Darien, Conn. is a skilled forward whose production will improve if he plays harder and in between the dots.
17. Ethan Goodrich
Seacoast, 6/29/07, left shot, 5-8/135
Goodrich, from Hampton, N.H., skates well. On the smaller side, he’ll be a player for prep schools to keep an eye on to see if he grows and continues becoming more dynamic over the next year or two.
18. Jack Devlin
CP Dynamo, 9/23/07, left shot
Devlin caught my eye a few times as a pass-first forward with speed. He created on the rush and showed some flashes.
Defensemen
1. Anthony Bongo *
Mid Fairfield, 5/16/07, right shot, 5-7/135
Bongo is an elite puck-moving defenseman at this age group. He’s dynamic when it comes to transitioning pucks and jumping into the offense. He has good touch on his breakout passes and oozes confidence. One such play that exemplified that was a flip pass into the neutral zone that sprung a teammate for a breakaway. The Ridgefield, Conn., native had plenty of prep school options but is staying to play for Mid Fairfield’s 15 Only full-season team in 2022-23. As of this time, it’s fair to say the younger Bongo is on the NTDP’s radar for 2023-24. His older brother, Jake, is a forward for the Surrey Eagles of the BCHL and is committed to Sacred Heart. His dad, Bob, played at UConn.
2. Marco Senerchia *
Mount Saint Charles, 7/4/07, left shot, 5-7/137
Senerchia, from Greenville, R.I., made a strong case to be considered the top defenseman here. His footwork and skating are impressive. His mobility allows him to be an instant breakout machine, and he can jump into the offense. He scored one of the highlight-reel goals of the weekend on an end-to-end rush before sniping bar down. After one season at Mount Saint Charles, Senerchia is off to play for Connor Gorman at New Hampton.
3. Everett Baldwin *
Junior Eagles, 1/15/07, right shot, 5-9/150
Baldwin isn’t as flashy or as skilled as Bongo or Senerchia, but he’s a steady, reliable defenseman. From Rumford, R.I., he skated well, jumped into the play at times, and did a good job on retrievals. Always a solid defenseman with the Junior Eagles, he’s heading to prep school at St. George’s after spending his freshman year at Moses Brown. There’s pro upside with Baldwin.
4. Kirby Perler *
Mid Fairfield, 3/28/07, left shot, 5-9/155
Of all the top defensemen here, I knew the least about Perler. He wasn’t on my radar heading into the weekend. The Woodbridge, Conn., definitely found a way to impress in Keene. I was impressed with his feet and escapability on breakouts with forecheck pressure. His mobility was a constant factor.
5. Carter Amico *
Seacoast, 3/15/07, right shot, 6-4/197
Amico’s physical tools are as strong as anyone’s in this camp. He’s huge, moves well and exudes athleticism. If he can put it all together and become a complete hockey player, the upside is off the charts. The Portland, Maine, native has a good chance to do just that as he transitions from Seacoast to Mount Saint Charles for his 15 Only season.
6. Nathan DiChiara
Junior Bulldogs, 4/12/07, right shot, 6-0/157
DiChiara was the best defenseman to not make the All-Star Game. From Fairfield, Conn., he has some intriguing physical tools, including his skating with his size. He’s bounced around the last couple of seasons. He’s reportedly heading to Kent to play for Dale Reinhardt’s Lions. If his name sounds familiar, that’s because his older brother, Lucas, plays for the Danbury Hat Tricks in the NAHL.
7. John Donohue
Notre Dame West Haven, 1/14/07, left shot, 5-10/190
Donohue is a big, strong, physical defenseman who plays with a mean streak. He’ll be heading to Avon Old Farms to skate for John Gardner while playing split season for the Yale Junior Bulldogs.
8. Jason Millett
Seacoast, 6/1/07, left shot, 5-9/160
Millett, from North Conway, N.H., did a good job keeping pucks in at the offensive blue line. He showed above-average sense with the puck on his stick. He’s moving up to play for the program’s 15 Only team in 2022-23.
9. James Odyniec
BK Selects, 1/2/07, 5-11/158
Odyniec is a good-sized blueliner who will need to accept his identity as a defensive defenseman over the coming years. From Danbury, Conn., he’ll be most successful if he keeps it simple with the puck and prides himself in being hard to play against. The former Connecticut Whaler will be back with BK Selects for a second season in 2022-23.
10. William Rob
Vermont Flames, 8/2/07, left shot
Rob’s skating is above average and was noticeable a few times over the weekend. He has a chance to keep getting better if he can improve his hockey sense as he continues to develop.
Goaltenders
1. Liam Joyce *
Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 2/23/07, catches left, 6-1/155
Joyce has good size and is a technical goaltender. After one season at Shattuck, the West Hartford, Conn., native is coming back to his home state to play for J.R. Zavisza at Loomis Chaffee.
2. Jack Fichthorn
Mid Fairfield, 5/10/07, catches left
Fichthorn, a longtime Mid Fairfield Ranger, has quickness and the reflexes to impress. He’s likely going to stay with Mid Fairfield for split season but is going to play prep at Westminster.
3. Phoenix Wells *
Bellows Falls Academy, 1/1/07, catches left
Wells is a goaltender I didn’t know much about heading into the weekend, but his size and athleticism were both strong points in my minimal viewing of goaltenders at a camp such as this one. He’s a multisport athlete who could make for a good prep candidate down the road.
4. Stephen Luciano
Mount Saint Charles, 3/1/07, catches left, 5-10/155
Luciano, from New Canaan, Conn., is leaving Mount after just one season. The former Connecticut Whaler is being pursued by a few full-season teams across the country and by prep schools in New England. He has above-average size and looks the part in the crease.
