PLYMOUTH, MICH. –USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp was conducted March 23-27 at USA Hockey Arena with the goal of selecting the roster for the 2018-19 NTDP U-17 team.
The 2002s don’t have as many elite players nor does the age group have the depth of the 2001s, but there are several very good players and many more who will go on to have successful college careers.
St. Sebastian’s sophomore and Boston University recruit Drew Commesso (Norwell, Mass.) is the top goaltender in this age group. The other local who is an elite talent is Milton Academy freshman center Matt Beniers. The Hingham, Mass., native is uncommitted, but every top program in the region is pursuing him.
The top pro prospect in this age group is North Dakota recruit Tyler Kleven, a left-shot defenseman from Fargo, N.D. Ty Smilanic and Antonio Stranges are the top pro prospects among the forwards.
The following positional rankings are based on performance at camp on Monday and Tuesday along with future potential.
Forwards
1. Antonio Stranges
#19 Red, 2/5/02, Left Shot, Plymouth, Mich./Little Caesars 16U
NCAA: Michigan
Stranges was his usual self here. He’s an elite athlete who can open his hips, use his edges and wheel and deal all over the sheet. He scored a beauty backhand five-hole goal on a breakaway Monday morning. His creativity and ability to pull off the unexpected makes him a huge threat offensively.
2. Ty Smilanic
#20 Blue, 1/20/02, Left Shot, Elizabeth, Colo./Colorado T-Birds 16U
NCAA: Denver
Smilanic has pro size already and plays a strong, heavy game. He can protect pucks and control possession. He has a hard shot, as evidenced by a wrist shot he laser-rocketed into the back of the net in Monday night’s game. While his skating and offensive skill set is a little behind Stranges, his size and ceiling make him perhaps the most intriguing pro prospect among forwards in this age group.
3. Thomas Bordeleau
#12 Blue, 1/3/02, Left Shot, Houston, Texas/Esther-Blondin AAA
NCAA: Uncommitted
Bordeleau didn’t play at USA Hockey Select 15s last summer so the only previous viewing was at World Selects last May. He has really popped over the last year and his skill set and hockey sense offensively are tremendous. He has a sneaky release and extremely slick hands. He scored a tip-in goal Monday night and displayed his willingness to go into the dirty areas on several other occasions throughout. As should be expected, just about every major program in the country has expressed interest in the dual-citizen.
4. Matt Beniers
#14 Blue, 11/5/02, Left Shot, Hingham, Mass./Milton Academy
NCAA: Uncommitted
Beniers is another uncommitted prospect who stood out here. He’s a good skater who competes extremely hard. He wins a lot of battles for loose pucks and he starts plays because of it. He doesn’t have the elite offensive skill set as some others here, but his overall game and hockey sense make him a two-way threat. The Beanpot schools and Providence are the favorites to land him, but smart money is on Harvard.
5. Dylan Peterson
#18 Blue, 1/8/02, Right Shot, Roseville, Calif./CIHA White
NCAA: Boston University
Peterson was the clear standout in this age group coming out of USA Hockey Select 15s last summer. Another dual-citizen, he is still a top 10 player among the ‘02s, but it’s been a tough year for him with concussion issues. He took a few more big hits here in the camp, but his size and skill set still separate him from the pack.
6. Jackson Kunz
#12 Red, 8/13/02, Left Shot, Grand Forks, N.D./GF Red River HS
NCAA: North Dakota
Kunz still needs to work on his skating and overall pace that he plays at, but he will be one of the top forwards in this age group when it’s all said and done. He made several strong, power moves to the net during both Monday games. He scored a nice shorthanded goal Monday evening while driving to the net after picking off a puck in the neutral zone. Later in the game he added another goal while crashing the net for a rebound. He had an assist earlier in the game.
7. Landon Slaggert
#13 Red, 6/25/02, Left Shot, South Bend, Ind./Chicago Mission 16U
NCAA: Notre Dame
Slaggert is the younger brother of Notre Dame commit Graham Slaggert and son of Notre Dame coach Andy Slaggert. Simply put, he plays the game the right way. He’s not the best skater nor does he have the best skill set in the age group, but he’s a perfect third line center for the NTDP. He plays a complete, 200-foot game and will make those around him better.
8. Jack Smith
#20 Red, 7/6/02, Left Shot, St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Cathedral HS
NCAA: Minnesota Duluth
Smith tore up the Minnesota high school circuit and it was easy to see why after just a few viewings here at camp. He’s a good skater – shifty and elusive – can gets to pucks to make plays.
9. Hunter Stand
#17 Red, 11/13/02, Left Shot, Anchorage, Alaska/Alaska Oilers 16U
NCAA: Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish commit is a speedster who can track down pucks and use his offensive skill set to set up plays or finish. He scored his team’s first goal in Monday night’s game. Due to his speed, he can play center on one of the bottom six lines for the NTDP.
10. Blake Biondi
#11 Red, 4/24/02, Right Shot, Hermantown, Minn./Hermantown HS
NCAA: Minnesota Duluth
Another UMD commit, he has a quick release and competes in all three zones. Projecting out, he has the ability to be a power forward with good size. He’ll work hard and create chances through his energy and grit while playing with an edge.
11. Hunter McKown
#16 Red, 8/18/02, Right Shot, St. Louis, Mo./St. Louis AAA Blues 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
McKown made a few really nice physical plays here and showed an ability to impact the game in a number of different ways. He’s likely destined for a bottom six role, but he had a nice assist on a power play goal in Monday morning’s game.
12. Tanner Latsch
#23 Red, 1/2/02, Right Shot, Twin Lake, Mich./Honeybaked 16U
NCAA: Wisconsin
Latsch was once considered one of the top players in this age group as he developed physically before many of his peers. A Wisconsin commit, he still has good size and can finish by using his body to get into scoring areas, protect pucks and shoot with authority.
13. Brett Berard
#22 Red, 9/9/02, Left Shot, East Greenwich, R.I./Bishop Hendricken HS
NCAA: Providence
This camp was probably an opportunity for Berard to surprise some observers. Having seen him quite a bit throughout New England and at last summer’s USA Hockey Select 15s, his play came as less of a surprise to this author. He’s small, but he’s extremely athletic, shifty, gritty and smart. He made a few nifty plays, but one that stood out was in Tuesday’s third period where he fed a nice pass down to a linemate for an easy finish. He’ll follow in the footsteps of his father, Holy Cross coach Dave Berard, by playing college hockey at Providence.
14. Zach Michaelis
#11 Blue, 5/30/02, Left Shot, Elk River, Minn./Elk River HS
NCAA: Nebraska-Omaha
Michaelis isn’t the tallest player, but he has shown the ability to explode with his skating and use his lower body strength to drive to the net. He didn’t have the best performances in the final days of camp, but he’s a player who projects well going forward.
15. Chase Yoder
#14 Red, 5/28/02, Left Shot, Fairview, Texas/Dallas Stars 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
Monday night was his best viewing here. He had two assists, including one where he chased down a loose puck and quickly got it to Antonio Stranges for a score. He’s fast and has an above average skill set which allows him to set up quite a few plays.
16. Wyatt Schingoethe
#15 Blue, 8/3/02, Left Shot, Algonquin, Ill./Chicago Mission 16U
NCAA: Notre Dame
Schingoethe has regressed some from when he was considered one of the top players in this age group, but he still has a lot of positive attributes that will make him a good college player down the road. He’s strong and hard to knock off pucks. He’s noticeable in all three zones and can skate well. He scored his team’s second goal on Tuesday morning.
17. Alex Gaffney
#13 Blue, 6/25/02, Left Shot, West Orange, N.J./North Jersey Avalanche 16U
NCAA: Harvard
On back-to-back shifts in Tuesday’s game, the Harvard recruit put on an absolute show. He scored a goal where he sniped a wrister between the goalie and the near post and also on a slick backhander right after. He’s small, but he’s quick and plays with an edge. He’s likely on the outside looking in as far as making the NTDP, but he’s a nice chip to have in the Crimson pipeline.
18. John Waldron
#18 Red, 11/13/02, Right Shot, Batavia, Ill./Chicago Fury 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
Waldron was perhaps the least known player at camp, having competed for the Chicago Fury this past season. A late ’02, his hockey sense and skill set make him an intriguing late bloomer. Several NCHC and ECAC Hockey schools are reportedly interested in Waldron’s services.
19. Jason Siedem
#23 Blue, 10/17/02, Right Shot, Madison, N.J./Avon Old Farms Prep
NCAA: Boston College
Siedem is another late ’02 who will likely be on the outside looking in when it comes to making the team. He’s a tall, lanky prospect who can be explosive, but didn’t have his best stuff here. He really turned his game on in the second half of the prep season at AOF.
20. Noah Tussey
#17 Blue, 6/18/02, Left Shot, Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS
NCAA: Minnesota
Tussey, a Golden Gopher commit, is undersized and seemed a little lost in the crowd of talented players here. He’s an offensively skilled forward, but didn’t do much during viewings Monday or Tuesday.
21. Dylan Robinson
#15 Red, 7/2/02, Left Shot, Saginaw, Mich./Toronto Jr. Canadians 15U
NCAA: Uncommitted
Robinson is another dual-citizen who is a good hockey player, but didn’t get much going here. He did slide a nice backhander through the wickets of the goaltender late in Tuesday’s game after receiving a pass from high in the attacking zone.
22. Cameron Berg
#19 Blue, 1/29/02, Left Shot, West Fargo, N.D./Omaha AAA 16U
NCAA: Nebraska-Omaha
Berg is an energy forward who plays hard, retrieves pucks, and can be a glue guy for a line. He’s committed to play college hockey for the UNO Mavericks.
23. Ryan Kirwan
#22 Blue, 2/27/02, Left Shot, DeWitt, N.Y./Avon Old Farms Prep
NCAA: Penn State
Kirwan struggled to adapt to the prep school game this winter, but he’s still a player with upside due to his release. He needs to round out his game, but he’ll be fine in time. He did score a goal here on Tuesday.
24. Carter Mazur
#21 Blue, 3/28/02, Right Shot, Jackson, Mich./Little Caesars 15U
NCAA: Michigan State
Mazur was a late add to NTDP Evaluation Camp due to injuries and he acquitted himself just fine. While he didn’t do enough to make the team, he’s a good skater and showed why the MSU staff is happy to have him in their pipeline.
25. Matt Samoskevich
#16 Blue, 11/5/02, Right Shot, Sandy Hook, Conn./Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
Samoskevich was the last New Englander to make the camp. His older sister Maddy Samoskevich is committed to play college hockey for Quinnipiac University.
** Luke Tuch, a Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16U forward and Boston University commit, did not participate in this portion of the NTDP Evaluation Camp, but is expected to make the team. He’s the younger brother of Las Vegas Knights forward and BC alum Alex Tuch.
Defensemen
1. Tyler Kleven
#5 Red, 1/10/02, Left Shot, Fargo, N.D./Fargo Davies HS
NCAA: North Dakota
Kleven separated himself from the field here. He’s big and can skate. He’s not known for his offensive abilities, but he scored a beauty of a goal Monday morning. He danced through a few defenders before sniping a shot into the far corner of the net. His size makes him very intriguing, but he’s the type of player who would still be terrific if he wasn’t as big.
2. Brock Faber
#6 Blue, 8/22/02, Right Shot, Maple Grove, Minn./Osseo-Maple Grove 14AA
NCAA: Notre Dame
Faber was the only Minnesota player who didn’t play high school hockey. His skating is so smooth and he handles the puck extremely well. He retrieves pucks and can break pucks out of the zone. He reminds this observer of ’00 Jordan Harris, a Northeastern commit who is projected to go in the third or fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
3. Connor Kelley
#9 Red, 1/30/02, Right Shot, Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove HS
NCAA: Minnesota Duluth
Kelley has always been a player this observer has liked, but his game continues to grow. He’s just smooth, skates well and doesn’t make mistakes. He can play on the power play, but he’ll be reliable and steady in all three zones.
4. Eamon Powell
#6 Red, 5/10/02, Right Shot, Marcellus, N.Y./Rochester Coalition 15U
NCAA: Boston College
Powell has four-way mobility. His skating and puck-moving skills are off the charts, but his lack of size concerns some scouts. He’ll be an asset for the NTDP when it comes to pushing possession and playing on the power play. At the midget level, he was able to control games by not having to defend. He virtually always had the puck on his stick.
5. Jacob Truscott
#3 Blue, 4/12/02, Left Shot, Fort Gratiot, Mich./Little Caesars 15U
NCAA: Michigan
Truscott has long been hyped as one of the more athletically gifted defensemen in this age group. He makes strong lead passes in transit and can jump into plays offensively.
6. Jake Sanderson
#5 Blue, 7/8/02, Left Shot, Whitefish, Mont./Edge School 15U
NCAA: North Dakota
Sanderson is another dual-citizen who is expected to make the NTDP. He has decent size, can skate and has a strong head for the game in the defensive zone. A fourth round WHL pick, he can chip in offensively.
7. Owen Gallatin
#7 Blue, 6/17/02, Left Shot, Hugo, Minn./White Bear Lake HS
NCAA: Minnesota Duluth
Gallatin is undersized, but he might make the best and smartest first pass of any defenseman here at camp. He’s smooth and offensive-minded. He’ll keep pucks in and move pucks north. His pro ceiling might be limited, but he’ll be a very nice pivot for UMD in a few years.
8. Brandon Chabrier
#4 Blue, 7/19/02, Right Shot, Bayville, N.Y./Long Island Gulls 16U
NCAA: Northeastern
Chabrier is raw, but he was better here than in past viewings. He floated less and made some nice plays with the puck as he gained confidence. He’s athletic and likes to play with the puck. He has a higher upside than a lot of other defensemen as he will grow even more and fill out into his frame.
9. Anthony Kehrer
#2 Red, 3/4/02, Right Shot, Kenmare, N.D./Rink Hockey Academy Midget Prep
NCAA: Wisconsin
Kehrer is a dual-citizen who came into the tournament with some buzz. He was good here, but not great. He’s committed to playing college hockey for Wisconsin.
10. Daniel Laatsch
#3 Red, 2/13/02, Left Shot, Altoona, Wis./Notre Dame Academy
NCAA: Wisconsin
Laatsch had high expectations coming into the camp, but wasn’t as good as in past viewings. He’s still a really good hockey player. He made a nice sauce pass that split two defenders and allowed a forward to skate in alone for a goal for his team.
11. Avery Winslow
#8 Blue, 8/24/02, Left Shot, St. Petersburg, Fla./Notre Dame Hounds AAA
NCAA: Uncommitted
A Floridian who plays midget hockey in Saskatchewan, Winslow impressed here. His skating and puck-handling skills are both very good. He’s still a little raw and is figuring out the game in some aspects, but there will be college programs with significant interest in the not too distant future.
12. John Opilka
#8 Red, 9/29/02, Left Shot, Effingham, Ill./St. Louis AAA Blues 15U
NCAA: Uncommitted
Opilka is a smooth, steady, reliable defenseman who doesn’t make mistakes. He’s not flashy, but he does a lot of things right. He’ll be a nice addition to the recruiting pipeline for a college program looking for a defenseman it can plug into the lineup on a consistent basis.
13. Jake Ratzlaff
#9 Blue, 6/23/02, Right Shot, Rosemount, Minn./Rosemount HS
NCAA: Minnesota
Ratzlaff had solid stick and body positioning in the defensive zone. While he didn’t do enough to stand out in terms of making the team here, it’s easy to see why the Gophers offered him a scholarship.
14. Victor Mancini
#2 Blue, 5/26/02, Right Shot, Saginaw, Mich./Compuware 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
15. Scott Morrow
#4 Red, 11/1/02, Right Shot, Darien, Conn./Shattuck-St. Mary’s 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
16. Spencer Evans
#7 Red, 4/19/02, Left Shot, Oyster Bay, N.Y./PAL Islanders 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
Goaltenders
1. Drew Commesso
7/19/02, Catches Left, Norwell, Mass./St. Sebastian’s Prep
NCAA: Boston University
Commesso is the best goaltender in this age group and has been for a long time. He was the only goaltender offered out of the camp. A future Terrier, he has decent size and can move well in net. His fundamentals are strong. The one tidbit that can be criticized is he goes down too quickly at times.
2. Noah Grannan
4/27/02, Catches Left, Germantown, Wis./Milwaukee Jr. Admirals 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
3. Grant Riley
8/28/02, Catches Left, Rochester, N.Y./Rochester Coalition 15U
NCAA: Uncommitted
4. Levi Gho
2/5/02, Catches Left, Fairbanks, Alaska/Culver Military Academy 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
5. Xavier Medina
1/20/02, Catches Left, Wayne, Mich./Honeybaked 16U
NCAA: Uncommitted
6. Colin Purcell
6/23/02, Catches Left, Shaker Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Barons 15U
NCAA: Uncommitted
