HUDSON, N.H. — The Boston Junior Blues won the 2004 division of the Blue Line Elite Prep Cup over the weekend in convincing fashion at Cyclones Arena in Hudson, N.H.
The team won all five games it played, including Sunday’s wins in the semifinals and finals against Boston Hockey Club and New England Freezers, respectively. The Junior Blues posted three shutouts and gave up only four goals total in the other two games.
The ’04 division of the Prep Cup had a couple of very talented prospects as well as several other good hockey players. It wasn’t as deep of a field as the ’05 or ’06 groups, but there were future college hockey players in the division.
Below is a look at the weekend’s top two standouts followed by some other notable players in alphabetical order. Outside the obvious top two, I tried to highlight some players who haven’t been discussed as much in this space.
Prep Cup ’04 Division - Top prospects
1. Chris Delaney
#12 Boston Junior Blues, Junior Bruins 16-U, 9/25/04, C/LW, left shot, 5-5/130
Delaney was all over the ice and seemingly made a positive impact each shift over the course of the four games I saw his team play. He’s quick and seems like he’s gotten a little bigger and added a step. The Hopkinton, Mass., native is shifty and is able to stickhandle and protect pucks from bigger defensemen in small areas. He produced a ton and even did a good job on the other side of the puck. I noted a few times where he forced turnovers and stole pucks right off the stick of an opposing player.
2. Cameron Lund
#19 New Hampshire Knights, Cushing, 6/7/04, C/RW, right shot, 6-1/165
Lund has a ton of upside with his size, skating and skill. He jumps right out at you when watching him play. He wasn’t as consistent in making an impact as Delaney, but he showed some flashes of being a big-time prospect. He’s got that length to protect pucks and he can rip the puck. From East Bridgewater, Mass., Lund sees the ice well. I believe it’s there, but I want to see even more and I want to see him play a more mature game.
Honorable mention (alphabetical order)
Matthew Babineau
#43 New England Freezers, Malden Catholic, 4/4/04, LW, left shot, 6-0/165
Babineau was the best prospect on the Freezers, a team that surprised many by advancing to Sunday’s final. He has good size and is an above-average skater. He’s still a little raw, but he showed an ability to drive the net and play a power game.
Michael Callow
#10 Boston Junior Blues, St. Sebastian’s, 1/15/04, RW, right shot, 6-2/170
Callow is a big power forward with a ton of upside. There are flashes where he really stands out. He had a couple of those moments here, whether it be driving the net, cashing in on rebounds, or protecting pucks below the dots to drive possession. With all those physical tools, I’d like to see him be even more of a consistent presence. In order to do that, Callow has to be engaged and play within the circles more often.
Olivier Chessler
#5 Boston Junior Blues, Rivers, 7/9/04, D, left shot, 5-9/135
Chessler is an offensive, puck-moving defender who I’ve always liked. However, he seems to have added some size and was even more dynamic here than he’s been in the past. He made good breakout passes, sidestepped opposing forwards and got some shots through from the point. His mobility and stick are attributes that will serve him well.
Jack Farrell
#6 New Hampshire Knights, Austin Prep, 6/10/04, D, left shot, 5-9/145
Farrell is somewhat of a throwback defender. He’s not overly big, but he plays with some jam and is tough to play against. He has a good stick when it comes to pokechecks and getting into shooting and passing lanes.
Austin Kaminaris
#13 Boston HC, Islanders HC 16-U, 1/4/04, LW, left shot, 5-7/140
Kaminaris scored a really nice goal in tight to get his team back to within one score in Sunday’s semifinal. There were a couple of other instances where he showed off his hands. I think the biggest thing he can work on is bulking up and being harder to knock off pucks.
Sean Keohane
#6 New Hampshire Knights, Dexter Southfield, 11/4/04, D, left shot, 5-10/145
Keohane was buried on the depth chart at Dexter Southfield so he fell a little off the radar, but he’s a good defenseman in this age group who people shouldn’t sleep on. He looks a little bigger and looks to have taken a step as a smart, efficient two-way defender.
Mason Kesselring
#11 New Hampshire Knights, Cushing, 3/15/04, LW, left shot, 6-0/170
Kesselring is a little bigger than when I last saw him and his game is a little more explosive. He has good size and shows flashes of being a power forward. His vision and awareness could get a little better in order for him to produce at a greater rate. He’ll be moving on from New Hampton and heading to Cushing.
Matt Kursonis
#9 Northeast Selects, St. George’s, 3/5/04, LW, left shot, 5-11/155
Kursonis is a power forward who drives the net and can score some nice goals from in tight. He’s able to protect pucks and has a low center of gravity, which helps him fend off opposing defenders. He was the best prospect on his team.
Jackson Kyrkostas
#9 Boston HC, Islanders HC 16-U, 8/19/04, C, right shot, 5-9/150
Kyrkostas always has been a skilled forward with good hands. That and his skating — straight line and agility — remained notable assets this weekend. One thing I liked in particular was his play away from the puck and his willingness to engage in the defensive zone. I thought both of those aspects of his game were significantly improved. I noted a couple of times where he broke up a play in his own end or recovered a puck in a dirty area where he might not have gone before.
Cole Lopilato
#10 New Hampshire Knights, Maine Nordiques 16-U, 2/28/04, LW, left shot, 5-10/165
I’ve been watching Lopilato for a couple of seasons now. He’s always able to be heavy on pucks and use his strength to his advantage. I noticed this weekend that his skating has improved. He’s definitely gained some lower-body strength and his stride is a little more explosive. In order for him to take that next step in his game, he’ll have to improve his hockey sense and be able to slow the game down and not just play at one pace.
Ben MacDonald
#19 Boston Junior Blues, Nobles, 2/24/04, C, left shot, 5-10/150
MacDonald is a smart, cerebral forward. Those types of players aren’t always able to show their true caliber in an event like this one. However, I noted his skating and attention to details with and without the puck.
Ben Muthersbaugh
#12 New Hampshire Knights, Tilton, 2/15/04, LW, left shot, 5-11/171
Muthersbaugh is a tall forward with good hands. He’s heavy on pucks and made some plays in the tough areas. His skating is a little awkward as he’s hunched over some, but there’s potential upside with him.
Joe O’Brien
#61 New England Freezers, Wakefield HS (Mass.), 1/1/04, RW, right shot, 6-0/150
O’Brien was noticeable a few times on Sunday, including on a beauty of a breakaway goal he scored to help propel his team to victory in the semifinals. He has good size and should be one of the better players in the Middlesex League this upcoming season.
Braden O’Hara
#10 New England Freezers, Xaverian HS (Mass.), 2/25/04, LW, left shot, 5-8/150
O’Hara had a couple of goals in the semifinals. One was a snipe to give his team the lead then he added an empty-net tally. He’s quick and showed some skill on several occasions Sunday, even outside of his goals.
Jordin Palmer
#16 Boston HC, Avon Old Farms, 1/6/04, D, left shot, 6-0/176
Palmer is a good-sized defender who keeps things simple. He’s able to use his body to make life difficult for opposing forwards. He delivered a couple of hip checks this weekend, but I’d like to see him be even more consistent when it comes to his physical play.
Connor Sutherland
#15 Boston Junior Blues, Dexter Southfield, 1/19/04, LW, left shot, 5-10/140
Sutherland is a power forward with a hard shot. He drives the net and is able to use his size and strength to get scoring chances. If he can continue improving his skating, he’ll be even more effective and able to create more time and space.
