Three non-local players skating for New England prep school and split-season teams are projected to be selected in the 2022 NHL Draft.
At New England Hockey Journal, we’ve extensively covered the locals who will be on 2022 draft boards. With full and split-season Midget hockey starting up next week, it’s a good time to look into players from outside the region who will likely be picked in the 2022 draft. NHL scouts will begin scouring local rinks next week with the River Rats Jamboree and Eastern Alliance Labor Day Kickoff dropping the puck.
Over the past few years, non-local players such as Lucas Mercuri (Salisbury), Peter DiLiberatore (Salisbury), Tomas Mazura (Kimball Union) and Owen McLaughlin (Mount Saint Charles) have been selected while skating for prep school or academy teams in New England. Below is a look at the top three players who could join that group of players in hearing their names called at the NHL draft.
Duncan Ramsay
Kimball Union/GBL Bruins 18-U, 2/8/04, D, left shot, 6-3/182, NCAA commit: Vermont
Ramsay is a big-time prospect who will have NHL scouts flocking to watch the GBL Bruins then up to Meriden, N.H., this winter. The big lefty is a smooth-skating, two-way defenseman. The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native has a good stick offensively and is able to make good first touches while getting pucks north on the breakout. Defensively, he uses his stick and reach to keep plays to the outside. He does a good job of taking away time and space. Ramsay played in a few scrimmages for KUA last season but didn’t get a ton of scouting attention, due to the coronavirus. That will change this season. There is a lot of upside for the Vermont commit. There’s a lot of hockey to be played between now and next summer, but Ramsay is who I project to be the first prep player selected in the 2022 draft.
Sam Court
Avon Old Farms/River Rats 18-U, 1/7/04, D, right shot, 5-10/180
Court’s size might keep some scouts away, but that would be a mistake. From Winnipeg, Manitoba, Court will bring junior experience to the River Rats and Avon Old Farms. He registered five assists in seven games for Steinbach in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League last winter. Court isn’t the most dynamic north-south skater, but he’s shifty and has a very good stick. It allows him to retrieve pucks, side-step oncoming forecheckers, and push the pace in transition. He likes to jump into the rush and activate into the offense. I’d expect Court to put up huge numbers this fall and continue that into the winter. There are already a handful of Hockey East and NCHC schools clamoring over the prep newcomer.
Brennan Ali
Avon Old Farms/Mid Fairfield 18-U, 2/9/04, C, left shot, 6-1/193
Ali probably won’t be around New England to start the season as he’s expected to start the 2021-22 campaign in the USHL with Lincoln. Ali is one of the rising stars in the '04 birth year. He was never a subpar player, but he certainly didn’t stand out to many in his Bantam or 15-U year with the Chicago Mission. The Glencoe, Ill., native has gotten bigger and far more explosive over the course of the last 12 months. He had a very good showing at USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp, which earned him a spot at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup. Looking ahead to the pro game, he probably projects as a middle-six center. When Ali finally makes his way to New England, there will be plenty of college coaches and NHL scouts looking to get eyes on the big center.
