Last week, college hockey coaches were able to begin communicating with sophomores in high school.
There are quite a few uncommitted prep school hockey sophomores who certainly received phone calls or text messages on January 1, 2020. New NCAA legislation passed last year prevents college hockey programs from contacting prospective student-athletes prior to January 1 of their sophomore season.
Most top prospects have been viewed multiple times by college coaches, including at recent events such as the numerous holiday tournaments last month and at previous showcases during the fall and summer.
From talking with those around college hockey, I expect most programs began contacting about a dozen sophomores. Coaches varied on the significance of this due to not being able to offer these very players until August 1.
Below are the top uncommitted sophomores in prep school hockey. Keep in mind that players at the top of this list will receive significant interest. I’m not suggesting everyone on this list should have been or were contacted, but those towards the bottom are sophomores that I believe could generate interest from college coaches in the future.
Prep hockey: Top 35 uncommitted sophomores
1. Adam Fantilli
Kimball Union, 10/12/04, C, left shot, 6-2/180
There’s little that needs to be said in regards to Fantilli’s status as the top uncommitted sophomore in prep hockey. He’ll likely be the first player chosen in the OHL Priority Selection, if he opts for that route. Every major program in the country will offer him a full ride come August 1. Fantilli projects as a top five pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Why? He’s big, he can skate, he’s smart, he’s skilled, and he has will. There have been plenty of highlight reel plays so far, but I like that he’s willing to mix it up with older players. He sees the ice so well and his silky stride allows him to get up and down the ice sheet in a blink of an eye. Fantilli shoots it hard and drives the net. Simply put, he’s in a class by himself.
2. Andon Cerbone
Brunswick, 4/13/04, C, left shot, 5-7/137
Cerbone is on the slight side, but his offensive skill and instincts are elite at the prep level. He can make plays and finish with great hands, agility, and vision. He’s really good coming off the wall and he’s the leading scorer for the Bruins. Don’t be surprised if Cerbone gets a invite to NTDP Evaluation Camp due to his offensive skill set.
3. Jackson Dorrington
Cushing, 4/13/04, D, left shot, 6-0.75/171
Dorrington is a big defenseman with a lot of upside. He’s poised with the puck and has it on his stick a lot. He has a good stick, skates well, and can be a two-way defenseman going forward. There’s a lot to like here and he’ll certainly get a look to make NTDP Evaluation Camp.
4. Culin Wilson
Dexter, 3/12/03, C/LW, left shot, 5-11/180
Wilson is a smart, cerebral forward who can play center or the wing. He sees the ice well and makes a lot of good plays off the wall. Wilson can be heavy on pucks and is reliable in all three zones. The one thing he needs to do on a more consistent basis is keep his feet moving.
5. Brendan Fitzgerald
Governor’s, 3/6/03, D, left shot, 5-10.5/147
After a strong fall with the Boston Jr. Eagles, Fitzgerald has produced from the blue line for Governor’s in his first year of prep hockey. He can jump into the offense and make plays, but I really like how well he defends. He gaps well, has a good stick, and plays with some jam.
6. Declan Loughnane
Thayer, 11/22/03, D, right shot, 6-0/190
Loughnane was really good at retrievals and breaking pucks out in my two viewings of Thayer. He is remarkably poised and skilled with the puck when moving it up ice. Loughnane can also shoot it from the point and he has a physical element to his game.
7. Shane Lachance
Tabor, 8/30/03, LW, left shot, 6-2/180
Lachance is still very raw, but there’s a lot of upside. He’s trending in the right direction as he’s improved quite a bit over the past 12 months. With his size, length, and skill, keep a close eye on him as he moves up the ladder in prep hockey.
8. Jack Musa
Trinity-Pawling, 7/22/03, C, left shot, 5-8/150
Musa had two four-point games at the Avon Old Farms Christmas Tournament. Add to that his impressive fall with North Jersey Avalanche 16-U and there were a couple of Hockey East schools calling him last week. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s a bulldog who hunts pucks and makes plays. He plays with minimal fear, despite going up against older and bigger defenders.
9. William Hughes
Phillips Andover, 1/4/04, C, right shot, 6-2/200
Hughes is the leading scorer for Andover as the team’s top center. A big, physically mature power forward, Hughes was good on the power play in a game against Thayer. He had a relatively quiet Flood Marr, but it’s imperative to remember he’s still an ’04 and he has less to work with around him than many of the other players on this list.
10. Brendan Gorman
St. Sebastian’s, 2/17/03, C, right shot, 5-9/134
Gorman is coming into his own thanks to a year’s worth of physical growth and more ice time in his second season with the Arrows. Gorman doesn’t have the skill or skating ability of his linemate, BC commit Timmy Delay, but he does a lot of the little things. He hunts pucks and goes to the greasy areas. Gorman has more skill than he’s given credit for, but I think he’s a versatile middle six forward at the college level.
11. Michael Callow
St. Sebastian’s, 1/15/04, RW, right shot, 6-1.5/169
Callow is a big power forward who can show flashes of brilliance as he did in one prep game I saw him in this winter. He has skill, length and the skating ability. He just needs to put it all together on a more consistent basis. Regardless, he’s a physical specimen who should be watched closely by Hockey East programs.
12. Matt Fusco
Dexter, 3/7/03, D, right shot, 5-8/170
Fusco is an athletic defenseman who is in his third season of prep hockey after playing as an eighth grader. After scoring five points last season, he already has 13 this year while playing on the top pairing with his brother, ’01 John Fusco, a Harvard commit. Matt has gotten a lot better and has offensive upside from the backend.
13. Connor Welsh
Brunswick, 1/2/04, C, right shot, 5-9/145
Welsh is still very much a work in progress, but he has that second gear in his skating and can get going quickly out of the gate. There’s a lot of upside as he still has room to grow. While he doesn’t have the skill of Cerbone, his Brunswick teammate, he plays a more complete game.
14. Cooper Flinton
St. Paul’s, 8/16/03, LW, left shot, 6-2/202
Flinton is a big power forward from the left wing. He shoots it hard and is heavy on pucks. He could be a legit second or third line winger depending on which school he chooses. His skating needs some work, but it’s coming on strong. He’s a player with some potential to get better.
15. Conner Chalmers
Kimball Union, 8/30/03, D, right shot, 5-11/170
Chalmers’ feet are his best attribute. His skating ability is very intriguing. He’s starting to play with more jam and his defensive positioning is getting better. Hockey sense is the biggest concern when evaluating Chalmers’ upside.
16. Aiden Lyons
Nobles, 2/26/03, D, left shot, 5-9/163
Lyons is an offensive defenseman who is capable of putting together a monster game when it comes to moving pucks up ice and jumping into the offensive attack. He makes some very good plays offensively, but his hockey sense is an issue. He’ll need to learn to reel it in and not make smarter puck touches on a consistent basis.
17. Karsen Dorwart
Hotchkiss, 9/17/02, C, left shot, 6-1/178
Dorwart has size, skates well, and can shoot it hard. In his first year of prep hockey out of the San Jose Sharks youth program, he’s been impressive. He had a very good performance at the Flood Marr, which raised some eyebrows in a positive way.
18. Will Elias
St. Sebastian’s, 1/28/03, D, right shot, 5-10.75/164
I’ve liked Elias for a while. When he’s on top of his game, he’s playing a steady brand of hockey from the blue line. Elias can make good outlet passes and has a good stick. He skates well, but isn’t overly flashy. Elias might not have the upside of some others on this list, but I believe he’s a Division I hockey player.
19. Ziv Deener-Chodirker
Rivers, 1/4/03, C, right shot, 5-10/160
Deener-Chodirker put together a very good fall with the Boston Jr. Eagles 16-U and has had a couple of strong games with Shawn McEachern’s Red Wings. His compete level is his best attribute. He kills penalties, blocks shots, and can chip in somewhat offensively by his tenacity.
20. Mack Oliphant
Lawrence Academy, 12/28/02, D, right shot, 6-3/190
Oliphant has intrigued scouts and college coaches with his size and potential upside. His skating has improved drastically over the past 12 months. He’s still a ways away, but keep close tabs on this monster blue liner.
21. Michael Cataldo
St. Sebastian’s, 5/4/03, RW, right shot, 5-11/165
Cataldo wasn’t getting a lot of ice time in most St. Sebastian’s games that I’ve seen, but he had a solid fall with the Cape Cod Whalers 16-U. He’s heavy on pucks, shoots it hard, and has some upside as a middle six winger.
22. Charlie Andriole
Loomis Chaffee, 4/19/03, D, left shot, 5-8/153
Andriole is a mobile, offensive defenseman who can move pucks north. His hockey sense is an area of his game that could use improvement.
23. Charlie McGurrin
Exeter, 12/5/03, LW, left shot, 6-3/175
McGurrin is a newcomer to Exeter after playing last season at Marblehead High School. He’s a big, athletic winger who drove the net and impressed in a few viewings of the Big Red.
24. Joseph Dable
Roxbury Latin, 4/13/04, RW, right shot, 5-10/170
Don’t sleep on Dable, who won’t get as many viewings by being at Roxbury Latin. However, he’s a power forward with a good shot. Dable is a player that has the potential to find a spot on a Division I roster or be a very good NESCAC candidate down the line.
25. Jayden Grier
St. Sebastian’s, 12/12/03, LW, left shot, 5-10/160
Grier didn’t get much ice time in my viewings of St. Sebastian’s, but he had a solid fall for the East Coast Wizards 16-U. He’s a late ’03 and he looks to be maturing physically. I think there’s a lot of upside here as he already has athleticism, compete, and some skill.
26. Kurt Gurkan
Exeter, 2/13/04, C, left shot, 5-7/162
Gurkan is centering Exeter’s second line. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s quick and can produce some offense. If he learns to slow things down, see the ice a little better, and use his teammates better, his stock will continue to move in the right direction.
27. Michael Murtagh
Albany Academy, 9/11/04, RW, right shot, 5-10/154
Murtagh is still figuring out how to play the game, but his skating is elite. He can get up and down the wing and has some flashes. If he can figure out the rest, watch out.
28. Coleman Jenkins
Tabor, 5/11/03, C/RW, right shot, 6-2/170
Jenkins is a big forward who can control the dot and he competes hard in all three zones. Going forward, he’s probably a bottom six forward, but there’s plenty to like in his work ethic and physical stature.
29. Roman Tacelli
Nobles, 8/20/02, LW, left shot, 5-9/140
Tacelli is the oldest player by birthdate on this list, but he has earned his way on here by his play in the early going. He’s produced some, but he’s been heavy on pucks and played a physical brand of hockey from the wing on the second line.
30. Mason Kesselring
New Hampton, 3/5/04, LW, left shot, 6-0/160
Kesselring is a player who has taken some strides in his game over the past few months. He looks to have a little more explosiveness and he recently scored his first prep goal. His brother is at Northeastern and his dad was a star at Merrimack. That doesn’t guarantee him a spot on a Division I roster, but it’s good bloodlines.
31. Liam Verdoni
Avon Old Farms, 10/22/02, LW, left shot, 5-10/170
I’ve only seen Verdoni once as he’s a newcomer to prep hockey and he didn’t play fall hockey. However, his skating stood out. He’s quick and he’s produced in a few games for the Winged Beavers.
32. Conor Sullivan
Rivers, 10/3/03, G, catches left, 6-2.5/164
It’s been a tough start to the season for Sullivan, who has lost his grip on the starting position. Nonetheless, he’s a big goaltender with some upside. College coaches will remember that he made the 2019 NTDP Evaluation Camp.
33. CJ Beals
Brooks, 1/31/04, D, right shot, 5-5/150
Beals is on the small side, but he’s a clear standout on Dave Ries’ team at Brooks. Beals does a good job moving pucks up ice and can chip in offensively.
34. Dom Murphy
St. Mark’s, 11/13/03, RW, right shot, 5-11/170
Murphy is a rugged winger who goes to the net. He’s off to a hot start offensively with the Lions.
35. Greyson Pane
Westminster, 8/2/03, G, catches left, 6-3/165
Pane has struggled some this fall and winter, but I still like his upside. He’s a big goaltender who moves well.
