Kimball Union star brothers Adam and Luca Fantilli have signed with the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel for the 2020-21 season, the team announced on Wednesday. Adam Fantilli, 15, is a highly regarded prospect who is expected to be a top pick at this summer's Ontario Hockey League draft. His older brother Luca, 17,...
Kimball Union star brothers Adam and Luca Fantilli have signed with the United States Hockey League's Chicago Steel for the 2020-21 season, the team announced on Wednesday.
Adam Fantilli, 15, is a highly regarded prospect who is expected to be a top pick at this summer's Ontario Hockey League draft. His older brother Luca, 17, has committed to the University of Michigan for 2021-22.
“I’m really excited to be able to be able to join such a great organization,” Adam said in the release sent out by the Steel. “I can’t wait to get started and play with my brother. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Adam, a 6-foot-2, 181-pound center, scored 18 goals and added 18 assists while playing mostly on the second line in 25 games for Kimball Union and coach Tim Whitehead. Adam had his season cut short by nine games because of injuries.
Adam has been described by New England Hockey Journal's Jeff Cox as having "all the tools to indicate he’ll one day be in the NHL. He’s big, he skates well and he has the skill set to match."
Luca, a 5-foot-11, 160-pound defenseman, scored 13 goals and added 29 assists in 35 games this season with KUA. Luca also cited the idea of playing with his brother as a reason for committing to the team that drafted him in the 19th round (285th overall) in the 2019 USHL Phase II Draft, adding in the same team release, "This is a great opportunity on an amazing team with amazing coaches and I’m super-excited to be a part of the Steel.”
Luca has been described by New England Hockey Journal's Jeff Cox as "a puck-moving defenseman. While he’s not flashy, he does a good job of using his feet and stick to make good breakout passes and keep pucks moving north. He’s an adequate defender who uses his mobility to be in position and get in shooting and passing lanes."
The depature of the Fantilli brothers, who hail from the Toronto area, means Kimball Union has now lost all eight of its top scorers from the 2019-20 season.
KUA, the three-time NEPSAC boys' Elite 8 champs, lost to Salisbury in the quarterfinals of this year's playoffs.
Paul Grant is an editor and a writer for HockeyJournal.com and Seamans Media. He previously oversaw hockey content at ESPN.com and Sporting News. You can connect with him at pgrant@hockeyjournal.com.
