Many of the top minor midget (16U) teams in the United States converged on southern New Hampshire this past weekend for the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League New Hampshire Showcase.
Anaheim Jr. Ducks and Dallas Stars Elite were the two teams that stood out over the course of the three days at the Cyclones Arena in Hudson and the Tri-Town Arena in Hookset.
The host New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs and the Boston Advantage were the only two New England teams in the field. Center Aidan Curran and goaltender Kyle Chauvette, both of the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, were the top two New Englanders.
Many college coaches, NHL, USHL, OHL and QMJHL scouts were in attendance each day to watch some of top 2001 and 2002 born prospects compete.
Note: Following the top 10, players are listed in alphabetical order. There were several committed players and other higher-end players who didn’t have their best weekends. Only players who performed well are listed.
1. Joshua Groll
#52 Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 8/9/01, Center, Shoots Left, 5-11/155
College Commit: Michigan
The Wolverine commit is the total package. He’s not the tallest player, but he plays bigger than he is. He compares somewhat to Northeastern junior Adam Gaudette in that he’s not the best skater, but he competes, goes to the dirty areas and has a great shot. He scored a goal on a nice tip-in. He beat defenders to the outside. He retrieves pucks to start and keep plays alive. His vision is next level. He is physical and isn’t afraid to throw his weight around. He quarterbacked a power play from the top of the point as the fourth forward out there. Simply put, he was the best player here, and it wasn’t even close. He played in his first USHL game Wednesday night, scoring a goal for Omaha.
2. Ty Smilanic
#96 Colorado Thunderbirds, 1/20/02, Center, Shoots Left, 6-0/161
College Commit: Denver
The big center can take over a game with his ability to combine size, explosiveness and skill. He’s physical and he drives the net with the puck. He has that explosive burst that allows him to blow by defenders. He gets a ton of shots on net and generated the majority of his team’s chances.
3. Colby Ambrosio
#67 Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 8/7/02, Center, Shoots Right, 5-9/150
College Commit: Boston College
The Welland, Ont., native has elite skill and can really skate. He has a good burst of speed and can juke in and out of traffic. He’s dynamic, despite his size. He has a great shot and goes to the net. His vision and awareness in the offensive zone are above average. There was one shift where he skated circles around the opposing defense in overtime then just used his hands to get off a quick shot.
4. Nick Perna
#4 Dallas Stars Elite, 8/4/01, Defense, Shoots Left, 6-2/170
Perna is getting offers from a few big time programs, and after this weekend, there’s no doubt it’s deserved. He’s big and can skate. He has good body positioning and gets in lanes in the defensive end. He needs to think the game a little better, especially with the puck on his stick, but there is big time potential.
5. Cross Hanas
#71 Dallas Stars Elite, 1/5/02, Center/Left Wing, Shoots Left, 5-11/146
Hanas has good offensive skill set and retrieves a lot of pucks. He’s a good skater and made a few really nice plays with the puck. He should get even better as grows into his frame. Unfortunately for college fans, he’s already signed with Portland in the WHL.
6. Ryan Robinson
#97 Dallas Stars Elite, Center, 10/9/01, Center, Shoots Left, 6-0/161
The late ’01 is a promising prospect who hasn’t completely put it all together. While he’s not as offensively gifted as some of the above-mentioned forwards, he plays a complete game and has size. He plays all situations. He did a nice job killing penalties and drew a few as well. He goes to the net and makes some nice short passes to show off his hockey sense.
7. Chase Yoder
#8 Dallas Stars Elite, 5/28/02, Center/Left Wing, Shoots Left, 5-10/161
Yoder has a chance of getting an invite to the NTDP Evaluation Camp in March. He has good hands and agility. He’s inconsistent, but can show explosiveness and dynamic ability at times. He’s still filling out his frame. He plays with passion.
8. Jackson Nieuwendyk
#25 Dallas Stars Elite, 1/1/02, Center/Left Wing, Shoots Left, 5-8/140
He’s the son of former Cornell and NHL star Joe Nieuwendyk. He’s an extremely smart player who is still coming into his own as a prospect. He could be a nice 200-foot middle six forward down the road.
9. Ryan Johnson
#6 Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 7/24/01, Defense, Shoots Left, 5-9/141
Johnson was more of a factor as the weekend went along. He’s a smaller defenseman who moves the puck well. He has good feet to sidestep forecheckers and walk the blue line. He doesn’t consistently make the right play with the puck, but the skill set is there. The question for college recruiters is can he be dynamic enough?
10. John Driscoll
#8 Colorado Thunderbirds, 8/19/01, Defense, Shoots Left, 6-3/174
Driscoll is a big defender who keeps things simple. He has a good stick defensively, gets shots on net from the point, and makes some good outlet passes. His body positioning is solid and he closes well.
Honorable Mention
Dawson Bradford
#17 Dallas Stars Elite, 3/13/01, Right Wing, Shoots Right, 5-8/152
He scored a few points here and generates offensive chances because of his speed and compete level. He’s a kid whose motor is always going. He might not project as well as some of his teammates, but he’s a fun player to watch at this level.
Jacob Buerger
#51 Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 4/15/01, Defense, Shoots Left, 5-9/168
Buerger competes and gives it his all each shift. He’s fun to watch. The Wheatfield, N.Y., native has a good stick in the defensive zone. His stride and skating need work, but there’s no doubt about his effort.
Michael Cameron
#16 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 7/24/02, Center, Shoots Left, 5-9/155
College Commit: RPI
Cameron can explode into the offensive zone and has a hard shot. He’s the younger brother of fellow RPI commit Matt Cameron.
Paul Cartone
#91 Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 5/3/01, Right Wing, Shoots Right, 5-10/161
Cartone made some nice hockey plays, and scored a beauty of a goal in overtime against the Colorado Thunderbirds. He sniped one right under the bar without breaking stride on the zone entry.
Kyle Chauvette
#31 New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, 10/15/01, Goaltender, Catches Left, 5-8/150
The Goffstown, N.H., native is small, and is continually doubted. His team was overmatched here, but he made a few nice saves. He squares up to shooters and uses his quick reflexes.
Alec Cicero
#4 Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 3/9/01, Center, Shoots Right, 5-8/181
Cicero had a four-goal game here and was all over the sheet. He played a complete 200-foot game centering the second line. He made a couple of nice passes and was responsible and competed hard throughout.
Brandon Cimino
#44 North Jersey Avalanche, 5/18/01, Defense, Shoots Right, 5-11/175
Cimino, a New Rochelle, N.Y., native, is solid. He’s athletic and does a lot of good things on the ice. He has a good stick going back and is active.
Michael Citara
#22 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 4/22/02, Right Wing Shoots Right, 5-8/145
Citara scored a nice goal on a snipe going left to right through the slot. He has a nose for the puck and is an above average skater. He needs to add strength as he matures over the next few years.
Jarod Crespo
#4 North Jersey Avalanche, 4/30/02, Defense, Shoots Right, 5-11/183
College Commit: Penn State
Admittedly, this observer caught a bad game to view the Avalanche this weekend, so it wasn’t a good showing for many of the top players on the team. However, Crespo played well, had tight gaps, a good stick and kept pucks going north. The Easthampton, N.J., native is really starting to come into his own.
Aidan Curran
#44 New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs, 1/22/01, Center, Shoots Right, 5-10/170
Curran is the best forward for the Monarchs. He’s a very good skater who makes some nice passes to start plays. One such pass was from below the goal line where he set up a teammate in the slot. He protects pucks and drew a couple of penalties against the LA Jr. Kings.
Dane Dowiak
#19 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 3/27/02, Center, Shoots Left, 5-10/165
Commit Commit: Penn State
Dowiak is a complete player who has a good head for the game. He retrieves pucks even in the defensive zone. He makes a lot of good passes and made a nice hit on an opposing Dallas forward.
Joseph Harguindeguy
#13 Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 10/30/01, Center, Shoots Right, 5-6/150
Harguindeguy is on the smaller side, but he had a great weekend in New Hampshire. He scored a highlight reel breakaway goal on Sunday, protecting the puck then lifting the puck right under the bar. He’s gritty and has quick hands.
Connor Hasley
#1 Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 2/27/01, Goaltender, Catches Right, 6-0/183
The North Tonawanda, N.Y., native made some good saves. He’s got size and covered a lot of the net.
Alexander Hodges
#20 Colorado Thunderbirds, 8/24/01, Left Wing, Shoots Left, 6-0/165
He did a nice job on the wing with Smilanic. He was quick, kept plays alive, and made a few nice moves.
Garrett Kesler
#33 Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 3/15/01, Defense, Shoots Left, 6-4/190
The West Seneca, N.Y., native is a big defender who is athletic, but he needs to work on his skating and stick skills. He did a few nice things here though.
Josh Langford
#35 Dallas Stars Elite, 7/27/01, Goaltender, Catches Left, 6-3/152
Langford was a NTDP Evaluation Camp Invite last March. His size and athleticism in net is intriguing. He’s not as quiet as most would like, but he makes a lot of saves and is quick to pounce on pucks. He needs to move around a little less and be better with rebounds, but he has a lot of upside.
Jackson Niedermayer
#11 Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 3/11/01, Left Wing, Shoots Left, 5-10/195
Playing left wing on a line centered by Groll can look easy, but there is plenty to like about Niedermayer’s game. He’s not overly skilled, but he’s big, strong and tough to knock off pucks. He bulls his way to the net for rebounds and can be tough to contend with down low.
Jerrett Overland
#7 Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 4/5/01, Defense, Shoots Right, 5-10/146
Overland isn’t quite in the class of Johnson, but he has a similar skill set in that he’s mobile and offensive-minded. He’s a player to keep an eye on as a possible late bloomer. He’d be a nice get for a prep school coach to get out east.
Jonathan Panisa
#16 Anaheim Jr. Ducks, 7/11/01, Shoots Right, 5-9/140
Panisa is quick, makes good passes and gets shots on goal. He created a good amount of offense, centering the third line. He was also moved up to the first power play unit for much of the weekend.
Tristan Rand
#44 LA Jr. Kings, 1/8/02, Left Wing, Shoots Left, 5-11/160
Rand was a little snakebitten in a game against NH Jr. Monarchs, but he showed off good hands and vision to make plays in the offensive zone. He’s an above average skater who had a good, hard shot.
Kenny Riddett
#26 North Jersey Avalanche, 3/26/01, Left Wing, Shoots Left, 5-5/155
Riddett is small, but he’s quick and feisty out on the ice. He needs to become more dynamic in order to be taken seriously among college coaches, but he’s a fun player to watch at the midget level.
Cal Sandquist
#33 Colorado Thunderbirds, 8/18/01, Goaltender, Catches Left, 6-2/155
A big goalie, he made a nice post-to-post saves. He is athletic for his size and has solid fundamentals. He needs to track pucks better, but there’s a lot to like. High ceiling.
Christian Sarlo
#15 North Jersey Avalanche, 1/29/01, Center, Shoots Left, 6-0/194
The Lynbrook, N.Y., native has a heavy shot that was on display a few times. His feet are getting better. He does a good job along the wall and winning puck battles. He’s not there yet, but he’s definitely a Division I player down the road.
Alexander Servagno
#8 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 6/16/02, Left Wing, Shoots Left, 5-7/154
College Commit: Ohio State
Servagno showed off his good hands and was around the puck a lot. He’s quick, gritty and plays with an edge for a smaller forward.
Luke Tuch
#37 Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 3/7/02, Left Wing, Shoots Left, 6-0/181
The Baldwinsville, N.Y., native is the brother of current NHL and former BC forward Alex Tuch. He scored a goal from the left wing circle in a game against Colorado. He’s inconsistent, but he has good hands and plays with an edge. He likes to be physical.
Brock Weimer
#39 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, 7/27/01, Right Wing, Shoots Right, 5-9/146
Weimer had good speed and got to some loose pucks. He needs to attack the scoring areas and be more aggressive out there.
