A number of New England’s top 2002-born players are entering their sophomore year as the 2021-22 college hockey season gets underway later this week.
Matty Beniers, Brett Berard and Drew Commesso are already playing key roles at Michigan, Providence and Boston University, respectively. Other '02s will be getting their feet wet as freshmen in NCAA hockey this winter.
However, there is still a slew of '02s from New England who are playing junior hockey. This birth year has two years of junior hockey eligibility left. As has been said countless times, everyone’s path is different. There is no right or wrong answer.
For the most part, the group of '02s who remain uncommitted aren’t high-end. Most of these players will end up in Atlantic Hockey, low-end ECAC Hockey or at the Division 3 level. But, there is one uncommitted '02 from New England who could be classified as a late bloomer and is starting to generate significant buzz among college coaches from Big Ten, WCHA, and Hockey East.
After a look at the uncommitted '01s on Monday, below is my look at the top 12 uncommitted ’02s in New England.
1. Mason Kucenski
Omaha Lancers, 4/8/02, G, catches left, 6-3/161
Kucenski is off to a 3-0 start, including two preseason games, with the Omaha Lancers in the USHL. It’s been a long and trying journey for the Gill, Mass., native to finally earn some recognition at the national level. He’s played for the Junior Bruins 16-U, Vermont Academy, Springfield Rifles 18-U and Neponset Valley River Rats Showcase 18-U. Kucenski has size, cuts down on shooters’ angles, and plays the puck well. If he continues playing well in the USHL, a commitment to a Hockey East program should be in order in the not too distant future.
2. Jake Black
Johnstown Tomahawks, 3/5/02, RW, right shot, 5-11/181
At some point, you just have to give Black credit for producing everywhere he goes. Whether it be at Winchendon in 2019-20, Islanders Hockey Club in 2020-21, or now with the NAHL’s Johnstown Tomahawks, Black finds his way onto the score sheet. The Pomfret, Conn., native has four goals and two assists through his first six games in the NAHL. Black’s top asset is his speed. He can create on the rush and get separation between himself and opposing defenders.
3. Jake Percival
Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, 2/11/02, LW, left shot, 5-9/174
Percival made the Cedar Rapids roster out of camp as an undrafted invite. The Avon, Conn., native and Millbrook product impressed scouts at last year’s USA Hockey Nationals as he was one of the offensive leaders for the title-winning Rochester Coalition 18-U. Percival skates well, keeps his feet moving and plays with a lot of tenacity. He’ll earn some recognition playing in the top junior league in the country in 2021-22.
4. Ryan Corcoran
Northeast Generals, 4/4/02, C, left shot, 6-0/175
Corcoran has always been one of my favorite players in this birth year. The Duxbury, Mass., native and longtime Boston Advantage standout is leaving that organization to play in the NAHL with Northeast in 2021-22. He has a goal and an assist in four games. Corcoran doesn’t have that one elite attribute you look for in a player. However, he’s good at everything. He skates well and has high hockey sense, especially away from the puck. There has been some interest from a few Ivy League schools over the years. He’s never been able to convince one to pull the trigger. If he plays another two years of junior, I’d expect a program looking for a smart, defensive forward who can kill penalties to give him a shot.
5. Brendan Dumas
New Jersey Titans, 8/28/02, RW, right shot, 5-11/170
Dumas graduated from St. Sebastian’s last spring and is in his first full season of playing junior hockey. Through eight games with the New Jersey Titans, he has two goals and four assists. Dumas, who got some attention through the years while playing split season for the Cape Cod Whalers, is not your typical St. Sebastian’s product. The North Attleboro, Mass., native isn’t the flashiest player and won’t jump off the ice at scouts for his skating or skill. However, he’s a relentlessly hard worker. He hunts pucks, plays with an edge, and brings jam to each shift.
6. Jonathan Horn
El Paso Rhinos, 2/16/02, LW, left shot, 5-11/174
The Elite Hockey Academy and Hotchkiss product was a late bloomer who was never really on anyone’s radar until he made USA Hockey Select 17s in 2019. He has decent size, skates well, and can make plays. He has three goals and two assists in six games to start the 2021-22 campaign in the NAHL. He’s a player to keep an eye on over the course of the next season or two.
7. James Tepper
Maryland Black Bears, 2/20/02, RW, right shot, 6-0/165
Tepper is committed to playing Division 3 in the NESCAC with Colby but wants to pursue the Division 1 dream. The Shrewsbury, Mass., native is another player I’ve enjoyed watching over the years. He plays hard and brings energy and physicality to each shift. He’s racked up 49 penalty minutes through his first five NAHL games with Maryland. When he gets time and space, he has above-average hands for a good shot. His skating and hockey sense are areas of his game that could prohibit him from producing at the junior or Division 1 level. Hopefully, he gets to Colby because it would be a great spot for him where he could produce and get a great education.
8. Jakub Teply
South Shore Kings, 6/19/02, LW, left shot, 6-0/190
Teply is a big, heavy left winger from Stamford, Conn. He’s bounced around a little over the years between Brunswick, North Jersey Avalanche, Westchester Express and P.A.L. Islanders. In the first game of the NCDC season, he found the back of the net and spent 12 minutes in the penalty box. His feet will hold him back, but he’s a goal scorer who is hard to knock off pucks.
9. Trevor O’Brien
Penticton Vees, 4/29/02, C, right shot, 5-10/176
O’Brien is spending the 2021-22 season up in the BCHL with Penticton, a perennial power in Canada’s top Junior ‘A’ league. The Hingham, Mass., native is most well known for being the younger brother of Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick and Boston University center Jay O’Brien. The younger O’Brien is a St. Mark’s product who has good vision and could make plays at the prep and midget levels. He’ll likely find a home in the NESCAC as a top-six center.
10. Brendan Gibbons
Maine Nordiques, 6/15/02, RW, right shot, 6-1/205
Gibbons, from Wakefield, R.I., has a hard shot and can control puck possession below the dots with his heavy game. Another St. Mark’s alum, Gibbons split last season between the Junior Bruins and P.A.L. Islanders in the NCDC. He’s injured to start the 2021-22 season, but he’s expected to contribute offensively for the Maine Nordiques in the NAHL. His skating will hurt his chances at Division 1, but he should be a productive player in the NESCAC.
11. Donovan O’Neil
South Shore Kings, 6/7/02, LW, left shot, 5-11/194
O’Neil made the initial protected list in Cedar Rapids but is now back in New England playing for South Shore in the NCDC. The Duxbury, Mass., native had a breakout campaign in 2020-21 with Dexter Southfield. Formerly of the Boston Advantage, O’Neil plays a hard, north-south game and was around the puck and net-front a lot for Danny Donato’s team in exhibition games. O’Neil is reportedly committed to Colby in the NESCAC but was hoping to give the dream of Division 1 a chance.
12. Ryan O’Halloran
New Hampshire Junior Monarchs, 5/2/02, C/LW, left shot, 5-9/165
O’Halloran was a four-year standout for Bob Conceison’s program at Burlington High School. Now in his second year of playing in the NCDC, O’Halloran is hoping to make a jump. He scored just eight points in 33 games last year, but already has three in two this campaign. He was a three-sport athlete in high school and never focused solely on hockey. While he could get away with a lack of hockey sense in the MIAA level, even playing in all situations, it caught up to him some last season. He’s an athlete who just seems to make plays and contribute. A Division 3 program will be fortunate to have him.
