The Massachusetts Hockey CCM High Performance Final 40 took place over the weekend at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro.
Players at the ‘04, ‘03, and ‘02 age group showcased their talents with the goal of making it to this summer’s USA Hockey Player Development Camps in Amherst, N.Y.
Evaluators consisting of current college coaches and NHL scouts got together over the course of the last two weekends, including the Mass. Hockey CCM High Performance Festival, to determine who will be the district’s selections for the national camp.
Below are the top performers from each age group, with special focus on the ‘04s, who will be making their first trek to national camp as part of the Select 15s. These rankings are mine and not indicative of how Mass. Hockey evaluators saw things.
Mass. Hockey Final 40 -- Select 15’s (‘04s)
Blue won, 4-2, on Saturday before Red earned revenge with a 6-2 triumph on Sunday. The following rankings are based on how players performed this past weekend while noting future potential.
* Indicates players who were selected to represent the district at USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp
Forwards
1. Cameron Lund *
#16 Blue, South Shore Kings, Right Shot
Lund is the smartest player in the Massachusetts district among this age group. He showed that once again this weekend. He had a nice look for a good chance on a two-on-one and sent out a nice feed to the slot from behind the goal line early in Saturday’s game. He added the empty net tally to make it 4-2. He is always on the right side of the puck and plays responsibly in all three zones. His deceptive release is a hidden asset. He’ll be heading to Cushing Academy in the fall.
2. Grayson Badger *
#8 Blue, South Shore Kings/Brookline HS, Right Shot
Badger showed more skill than this observer previously had thought while maintaining his terrific compete level. He’s around the puck a lot, brings energy each shift, and uses his quickness to create scoring chances, even if he can’t always bury them.
3. William Hughes *
#11 Red, River Rats/Phillips Andover, Right Shot
Hughes has good size, plays heavy, cycles it well, and goes to the net. He scored his team’s only two goals on Saturday. The first was a rebound goal and the second was him driving the far post and banging in a crossing pass. If he can improve his vision, there’s a ton of upside.
4. James Fisher *
#12 Blue, Junior Bruins 16U, Right Shot
Fisher had his team’s first goal on Sunday to tie the score, 1-1. It was a backhander coming from the right wing. While he didn’t produce other than that, he was consistently heavy on pucks, drove the net, and showed off some hands with a between the legs shot that went just wide from above the goal mouth.
5. Bobby Landry *
#15 Blue, Boston Advantage, Right Shot
This observer has high expectations of Landry from his success all season long with Boston Advantage. He wasn’t consistently as noticeable as he has been at times, but he came through where it matters most: the score sheet. He scored twice on Saturday and added another one Sunday. He hammered home a goal from the left wing circle on a rush play off a feed from the defenseman who had carried the puck into the zone down the right wing. He made it 3-1 shortly after by putting one home from the doorstep on the right post. On Sunday, he scored another goal from close to the blue paint.
6. Chris Delaney
#9 Red, Junior Bruins 16U, Left Shot
Delaney should have made it to national camp in my opinion. He’s on the smaller side and he doesn’t have elite speed, but he’s quick and can accelerate to get space. He made quite a few nice passes from below the dots in small areas. He made numerous good passes on the rush and in zone attacking sequences. He blew by a defender and beat the goalie low blocker for a breakaway goal on Sunday.
7. Shane Taddia *
#17 Red, River Rats/BB&N, Right Shot
Taddia was good here, but not quite as strong of a showing as he had the previous weekend at Mass. Festival. He’s a possession forward who protects pucks. He had a nice low to high look for a chance in Saturday’s game.
8. Michael Callow *
#9 Blue, South Shore Kings, Right Shot
Callow has a lot of upside as a tall power forward who is still filling out. He can be explosive and makes some power moves while using his length to protect pucks. He didn’t find the score sheet, but he has a lot of potential.
9. Matt Kursonis
#12 Red, St. George’s, Left Shot
Kursonis is a power forward with a low center of gravity. He drove the net several times on the weekend, including a few times that resulted in goals for his team. He banged away at a loose puck before a teammate eventually hammered it home for the 1-1 tying goal on Saturday. He assisted on Red’s second goal as well. Going down the right wing he passed it across to Hughes for a goal. He rang one off the crossbar on Sunday and assisted on the fourth and fifth goals.
10. Ben MacDonald *
#13 Red, EC Wizards, Left shot
MacDonald has size and plays a solid, two-way game from the left wing. He was a little snakebit this weekend in terms of finding the score sheet, but there’s plenty to like in his game.
11. Joseph Dable *
#8 Red, BB&N, Roxbury Latin, Right Shot
Dable has some size and heaviness to his game. He made a good look into the middle from the left wing on a transition opportunity. He scored the team’s fourth goal on Sunday.
12. Jake Murphy *
#17 Blue, Seacoast Academy, Right Shot
Murphy is a physical forward who goes to the dirty areas. He crashed the net for a rebound goal to make it 1-0 on Saturday. He set up a Landry goal later in the game on a pass he made from the left wing wall. His skating is an area of his game he can improve on to continue getting better as he moves up the development ladder.
13. Henry Wilson
#19 Red, Boston Advantage/Winchester HS, Left Shot
Wilson wasn’t as much of a factor on the score sheet as he was the previous weekend, but his size, length, ability to protect pucks, and shoot it will carry him.
14. Connor Sutherland
#19 Blue, Boston Jr. Eagles, Left Shot
Sutherland was impressive for his size and cycling ability. He was good down low, but he’s still a little wobbly on his skates. If he can fill out, there’s a lot to like in his potential upside.
15. Pavit Mehra
#14 Red, South Shore Kings, Right Shot
Mehra is always hustling and hunting pucks. He scored twice on Sunday, including a nice backhand finish on a shorthanded breakaway after stealing a puck at his defensive blue line.
16. Andrew Garzone
#13 Blue, South Shore Kings, Right Shot
Garzone played with pace and hunted pucks.
17. Caleb Patrick
#16 Red, Islanders HC, Right Shot
Patrick is a house down low. His ability to be heavy on pucks as the first man in on the forecheck created a couple of chances, including a really good one on Saturday for MacDonald. Skating is an area of his game that could continue to improve as he heads to midget hockey.
18. Donovan Frias
#10 Red, Minuteman Flames/Hillside, Left Shot
Frias did a nice job of being heavy on pucks and controlling puck battles down low. He made a great play to get a puck out front after winning a battle below the goal line on Saturday. He scored a rebound goal on Sunday to make it 5-2.
19. Brady O’Connor
#15 Red, Minuteman Flames, Left Shot
O’Connor has good size and scored a nice goal on Sunday. It was a snipe under the bar while coming down the left wing on a rush to make the score 6-2 in favor of Red.
20. Josh Iby
#14 Blue, Springfield Rifles, Right Shot
Iby didn’t find the score sheet, but he used his size and played physically, including making a couple of big hits, one of which resulted in a soft penalty call.
Defensemen
1. Brian Grant *
#5 Red, South Shore Kings/Mansfield HS, Right Shot
Grant is one of the best defensemen right now and also projects to be one of the best going forward in this age group. For the most part, he keeps things steady and simple. He’ll make a simple chip up the wall when nothing is open. He plays with an edge and closes quickly.
2. Kazimier Sobieski *
#7 Blue, Shattuck St. Mary’s, Right Shot
Sobieski has good feet, which allows him to walk the blue line and side-step oncoming forecheckers. He has a good stick and closes lanes. He’ll join the rush as well. He’s smart and has upside.
3. Jackson Dorrington *
#4 Blue, Cushing, Left Shot
Dorrington is extremely skilled and is very well regarded by me and other observers, but this wasn’t his best weekend. He turned a puck over at the attacking blue line which led to a shorthanded goal on Sunday. He was much better Saturday, using his skating, poise, and skill to make plays in transition and jumping into the play.
4. Liam Bard
#2 Blue, Jr. Bruins 16U, Right Shot
I’ll admit I missed on Bard the previous weekend. I didn’t mention him in my report, but he was quietly solid this weekend. He plays hard and physically, despite not having great size. He stepped up to keep a puck in play before leveling an oncoming forward on Saturday. He started the rush and got a shot on goal that led to a rebound goal as well as assisting on the empty net tally.
5. Oliver Chessler *
#4 Red, EC Wizards, Left Shot
Chesler can move pucks with his feet and skill. His skating ability was consistently a positive attribute over the course of the weekend. He’s aggressive and pinches a lot. If he can continue to improve his poise and pick his spots, it will be beneficial.
6. Ryan Healey
#5 Blue, Boston Advantage, Right Shot
Healey has the puck skills and smarts to make plays offensively. He assisted on the team’s second goal on Saturday. His feet and defensive zone play is likely what cost him a bid at making national camp out of Mass. Final 40. It wouldn’t be a shock if he got an at-large bid.
7. Chris Romaine
#6 Red, South Shore Kings/BC High, Right Shot
It’s undeniable that Romaine has terrific feet. His feet and skill with the puck are elite. He has touch on his passes and got the secondary assist on Saturday’s second goal by walking the blue line and getting a shot through. Turnovers and defensive zone play are areas he can work on as he makes the move from BC High to Milton. Don’t be surprised if he gets an at-large bid to national camp as well.
8. Matthew Biotti *
#3 Blue, EC Wizards, Right Shot
Biotti quietly goes about his business, using his size, length and gaps to close and be solid defensively. He’s yet to find an offensive touch, but he’s one of the better, defensive defensemen in this age group.
9. Luke Santilli
#7 Red, NH Jr. Monarchs 16U, Right Shot
Santilli is another player who stood out to me this weekend. He likes to step into the offense and is smooth. He is light on his feet, and had a good stick in the defensive zone. He has a hard slap shot and gets shots through from the point. His gaps and defending the rush are two areas to work on moving forward.
10. CJ Beals
#2 Red, BB&N/River Rats, Right Shot
Beals is small, but he has good feet to side-step forecheckers, which allows him to retrieve pucks and quickly move things north. He gets shots through from the point as well and has a good stick. His hockey sense and lack of elite speed for his size are what kept him out of an invite to national camp.
11. Shaun McEwen
#6 Blue, Seacoast Academy, Left Shot
McEwen played in place of Pope Francis eighth grader Jack Kennedy, who is out with injury. He’s a little in and out. There were moments where he shined, but turnovers were an issue at times. His ability to escape trouble, skate it up ice before dishing it off to the winger led to the first goal on Sunday.
12. Finnegan Burke
#3 Red, Boston Jr. Eagles, Left Shot
Burke has above average feet and showed the ability to escape trouble at times.
Goaltenders
1. Dylan Silverstein *
#2 White, Islanders HC 16U, Catches Left
Silverstein blanked the opposing team in his first half of action on Saturday. He moves really well and can make post-to-post saves with an explosive push-off. He’s a very talented goaltender in the age group so this is only nitpicking, but he was off on an angle which resulted in a goal given up Sunday. Projecting forward, there’s a good chance he ends up at the USA Hockey NTDP Evaluation Camp next March.
2. Jackson Irving *
#3 White, Northern Cyclones/St. John’s Prep, Catches Left
Irving pitched a shutout in both halves of work this weekend. While he might not be as big as some other goaltenders in this age group, he competes hard in net and just makes saves.
Full list of players selected for USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp: Defensemen Matthew Biotti (Jr. Eagles), Oliver Chessler (EC Wizards), Jackson Dorrington (Cushing), Brian Grant (South Shore Kings/Mansfield HS), Kazimier Sobieski (Shattuck St. Mary’s), Forwards Grayson Badger (South Shore Kings/Braintree HS), Michael Callow (South Shore Kings), Joseph Dable (River Rats/BB&N), James Fisher (Junior Bruins 16U), William Hughes (Phillips Andover/River Rats), Bobby Landry (Boston Advantage), Cameron Lund (South Shore Kings), Ben MacDonald (EC Wizards), Jake Murphy (Seacoast Academy), Shane Taddia (River Rats/BB&N), and goaltenders Jackson Irving (St. John’s Prep/Northern Cyclones) and Dylan Silverstein (Islanders HC 16U)
Mass. Hockey Final 40 -- Select 16’s (‘03s)
There were a few surprising omissions from the ‘03 group when it came to selecting who would be moving onto national camp. A few players who made it to Select 15s in 2018 won’t be representing the district at Select 15s, barring an at-large bid through USA Hockey.
The following players aren’t necessarily the best from the weekend, but they’re underappreciated at times and deserving of recognition.
C.J. Monturio
#17 Red, Thayer, RW, Right Shot
Monturio is wildly underrated. While his hockey sense needs to continue improving, he can skate with just about anyone. He competes hard and showed he can finish with a nice shot right under the bar on Saturday.
Michael Cataldo
#11 Blue, South Shore Kings 16U, RW, Right Shot
Cataldo scored a nice goal from the slot after receiving a feed from the F1 forechecker. He has a hard shot and decent wheels. He’s a little under the radar due to playing in the USPHL 16U for a lesser known team.
Drew Blackwell
#9 Red, Belmont Hill, LW, Left Shot
Blackwell didn’t necessarily deserve to make national camp, but he showed well. He had a good low to high look, hunted pucks, and fed Copponi for a good scoring chance. On a rush, he made a nice pass over to the right wing from the left wing wall. He should take another step this upcoming season for Jeremiah McCarthy’s team.
Full list of players selected for USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp: Defensemen Will Elias (St. Sebastian’s), Brendan Fitzgerald (Islanders HC 16U), Nolan Joyce (St. Sebastian’s JV), and Declan Loughnane (BC High), Forwards Matt Copponi (Mansfield HS), Timmy Delay (St. Sebastian’s), CJ Monturio (Thayer), Billy Norcross (Cushing), Nicholas Ring (Boston Advantage 16U), JP Turner (Avon Old Farms), and Culin Wilson (Dexter), and Goaltender Nick Bevilacqua
Mass. Hockey Final 40 -- Select 17’s (‘02s)
This will be an unpopular opinion, but the ‘02 class in Massachusetts isn’t as strong as other birth years in recent memory. That sentiment was shared by a few respected NHL scouts who have followed the age group. Here are a few players who had notable performances:
Timmy Lovell
#5 Blue, Boston Advantage, Defense, Left Shot
NCAA Commit: Ohio State
Lovell is an extremely gifted, puck-moving defenseman. The Hingham, Mass., native does a great job retrieving pucks and quickly breaking it up ice. He was the best defenseman, by far, at the Mass. Final 40. If he was a few inches bigger, he’d be getting all sorts of buzz ahead of the 2020 NHL Draft. As it is, he’s an elite defenseman in this age group who will represent the district well at national camp.
David Sacco
#17 Blue, Lawrence, Center, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: New Hampshire
Sacco is a big, power forward who can play a hard, heavy game on the third line, looking ahead to how he projects as a college or pro player. He hits and can drive the net. With a little bit of improvement on his vision, he could be one of the highest draft picks among the region’s players at the 2020 NHL Draft.
Ian Moore
#7 Blue, St. Mark’s, Defense, Right Shot
NCAA Commit: Princeton
Moore is the most highly regarded defenseman for the 2020 NHL Draft, among the region’s prospects. He has good size, skates well, and can shoot it. He has an active stick and will likely be closely watched by NHL scouts, starting with the USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp.
Full list of players selected for USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp: Defensemen Tucker Hartmann (St. Mark’s), Timmy Lovell (Boston Advantage), Thomas Messineo (St. Sebastian’s), Ian Moore (St. Mark’s), Brendan Murphy (Belmont Hill JV), Forwards Riley Duran (Lawrence), Owen Fowler (Governor’s), Peter Kramer (BC High), Matt MacDonald (Boston Advantage), David Sacco (Lawrence), Alexander Teleguine (Thayer), Philip Tresca (Rivers), and Goaltender Gavin Fitzpatrick (Thayer)
