With the boys prep hockey season starting, it's time for our preseason top 10 rankings.
This one was hard. While the top five teams were clear and not very different from past seasons, determining Nos. 6-10 was difficult. There were numerous teams with legitimate cases that didn't quite make the cut.
Fortunately for them, those teams will have an entire season to prove their worth. There will be a subsequent story done on those under-the-radar teams.
As for these 10, all are ranked for different reasons. I would expect lots of movement throughout the season and I'll be here to track all of it, coming out with fresh rankings every week.
For the first time, let's dive in.
1. St. Sebastian's
Head coach: Sean McCann
Last season: 13-9-5, lost to Tabor in quarterfinals of Large School Tournament
This one might shock some people, but it shouldn't be much of a surprise once the roster is considered. McCann's team didn't lose a single member from last year's group, which means the Arrows return 15 seniors. Their stacked offense is highlighted by Brown commit Matt Cataldo (Norfolk, Mass.), Boston College commit Teddy Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.), Harvard commit Ben Merrill (Hingham, Mass.), Sacred Heart commit Nolan Flynn (Natick, Mass.) and Isaac Mitchell (Harvard, Mass.). That's five right there. Then there's Casey Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.), Colin Gorman (Westwood, Mass.), Brendan Keaveney (Westwood, Mass.) and Rian Chudzinski (Needham, Mass.). All of those players would be on almost every other team's top line.
The Arrows have a strong defensive core and a great goalie in Pelle Russo (West Newton, Mass.). This team has had a spotty history of getting it done in the postseason but if anyone is to finally get over the hump, it's this group.
2. Cushing
Head coach: Paul Pearl
Last season: 25-3-4, lost to Avon Old Farms in championship of Elite 8 TournamentÂ
This Penguins team is almost unrecognizable from the one that left the St. Anselm ice back in March. Gone are core pieces like Landan Resendes (Marlboro, Mass.), Ethan Gardula (Princeton, Mass.), Ryan Philbrick (Concord, N.H.), Zach Rizzo and Cooper Rautenstrauch. In their place are forwards Bronson Hunt, Tanner Hunt, New Hampshire commit Kole Hyles, Merrimack commit Luke Goukler and Arizona State commit Marko Bilic in net. Fortunately for Pearl, key players from last year's team like Emerson Marshall (Gloucester, Mass.), AJ Sacco (Middleton, Mass.) and Minnesota State commit Tyler Russo (Hamilton, Mass.) look poised to take the next step.
In any other case, Cushing would rank lower since it's a bunch of new players. But they're a high-end group who played together all fall with the Central Mass. Penguins and made it to the Massachusetts state final.
3. Avon Old Farms
Head coach: John Gardner
Last season: 22-2-4, beat Cushing in championship of Elite 8 TournamentÂ
Avon Old Farms is fresh off winning the Elite 8. Gardner's team is also fresh off losing its top three scorers, top two defensemen and Stephen Peck — one of the best netminders in the region last season. Still, there are a number of players who were depth pieces last season ready to make the jump into catalysts this winter. Forwards Charles Blanchard (West Hartford, Conn.), Alex Pelletier (West Hartford, Conn.), Ryan Flaherty (Milton, Mass.), Lefty Markonidis (Hudson, Mass.) and Michael Munroe (Hanover, Mass.) fit that mold. On defense, there is Blake Jones, Hudson Miller and Drew Pitts. Anthony Palmer (Winthrop, Mass.), a transfer from St. Mary's in the MIAA, projects to play strong in net.
This doesn't look to be a star-studded group, but it's a deep one and should have no trouble staying near the top of Elite 8 contention all season.
4. Kimball Union
Head coach: Tim Whitehead
Last season: 22-11-1, lost to Cushing in quarterfinals of Elite 8 TournamentÂ
While the Wildcats lost star forward Jackson Kyrkostas to graduation, they have depth, which is more important in prep. Sam LeDrew and Jack Sadowski (Arlington, Mass.) headline the group up front, along with a plethora of supporting pieces looking to take big steps forward this winter. This group is stacked on defense, too, with Andrew O'Sullivan (Scituate, Mass.), Jack McMinn, Ian Ramsay, Luke Clarner (East Burke, Vt.) and Morris Schneider (Newton, Mass.) all returning. Even with Colby Boyce (White River Junction, Vt.) now shouldering all the load in net, Whitehead's squad looks fully equipped for a dominant season.
5. Salisbury
Head coach: Andrew Will
Last season: 16-7-5, lost to Taft in championship of Large School TournamentÂ
Ah, yes. Here lies Salisbury. The Elite 8 regulars missed it last season, but still got hot at the end of the season and made it all the way to the Large School title game. Will's team lost 14 players off of last year's roster but, like Kimball Union, the Crimson Knights are deep. A perfect blend of returning (Seamus Latta, Jared Rothman and Nicholas Petrut) and new forwards (Connor Davis, Brud Delaney and Oliver Morris) will power the offense. Will's teams always play disciplined defense and the bench boss has the cast to do it in front of goalies Cooper Flemming and newcomer Steven Luciano (New Canaan, Conn.).
6. Nobles
Head coach: Brian Day
Last season: 17-5-5, lost to Brunswick in quarterfinals of Elite 8Â
Now things get even more interesting. Nobles is the opposite of what it was last year. In 2022-23, the experience lied on defense and they had a stud goalie in Thatcher Bernstein, but were young and inexperienced offensively. Those defensemen graduated, Bernstein left for the USHL and the younger forwards stepped up. This year, juniors Dennis Davidson (Newton, Mass.), Teddy MacAusland (Westwood, Mass.) and Ethan Cox (Westboro, Mass.) give this team a clear advantage offensively. Younger players will be forced to step up on defense, while Tyler Bloomfield (Hudson, Mass.) finally has the net all to himself.
7. Brunswick
Head coach: Mike Kennedy
Last season: 21-10-1, lost to Cushing in semifinals of Elite 8Â
Yes, Brunswick lost Drew DellaSalla and James Shannon up front. But the Bruins have a plethora of returners who will power this team into Elite 8 contention. Seniors Luke Drury (the captain and a Brown commit), Ryan Wachtel (Princeton commit) and Brendan Giles (Ridgefield, Conn.) can be relied upon for lots of offense. Dartmouth commit Cooper Cleaves (Riverside, Conn.) will lead the defense and is supported by senior Will Baker (Norwalk, Conn.) in net. Kennedy's team is dynamic and plays a tough schedule, which will only benefit them come March.
8. Holderness
Head coach: Alan Thompson
Last season: 19-7-3, lost to Frederick Gunn in semifinals of Small School TournamentÂ
Holderness will be one of the teams NHL scouts have on their destinations this winter, as they flock to watch defenseman and Vermont commit Caeden Herrington (Manchester, Vt.). That is not why Holderness sits at No. 8. Thompson's team is deep up front with returners Caden Wells and Jacob Duval (Andover, Mass.), alongside strong recruits in Eli Chilicki (North Berwick, Maine) and Aaron Van Wie. Ryan Nolan (Hampton, N.H.) looks poised to take over the net. Holderness' biggest tests will come against Kimball Union in early February.
9. St. Mark's
Head coach: Carl Corazzini
Last season: 22-6-1, lost to New Hampton in quarterfinals of Small School TournamentÂ
Corazzini always has his team scoring quite a bit, so losing Sebbie Johnson, Jimmy Lyver (Grafton, Mass.) and Richard Gallant (Concord, Mass.) will hurt. But Andrew Gibbons (South Kingstown, R.I.), Jonathan Balzarini (Milford, Mass.) and Austin Borggaard (Worcester, Mass.) look poised to replace that production. Evan Nee (Arlington, Mass.), now a sophomore, is a breakout forward candidate for this season. Calvin Beard's (Southboro, Mass.) production will lead the defense and Justin BriseBois should be able to shoulder most of the load in net. Are they an Elite 8 team? That remains to be seen.
10. St. George's
Head coach: Allie Skelley
Last season: 15-13-0Â
The phrase "Boom or Bust" is big in fantasy football. It highlights the likelihood a player either puts up a lot of points (boom) or fails to produce to expectations (bust). St. George's is the most "Boom or Bust" team in prep this winter, but the talent on paper is too much to leave off the top 10. There's a lot of potential with every part of this roster and in Skelley's first season, a solid batch of recruits has arrived. It's senior goalie and Maine commit Ryder Shea's (Framingham, Mass.) net. The Dragons will go as far as Shea takes them.
