Defense is one of the more talented and deeper positions among the 2003 birth year. That was evident at the 2018 USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp that was held at the end of July in Amherst, N.Y.
The ‘03s are entering their draft year for the USHL, OHL and QMJHL. They're also entering the age where they'll be selected for the National Team Development Program. At Select 15s, all the top players are in attendance, whereas Select 16s and Select 17s are without the high-end players who have made the NTDP.
An interesting trend to keep an eye on with NTDP selection about just eight months away is the abundance of left-shots at the top of the defensemen rankings.
On Tuesday, the top forwards from USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp were ranked. Today, the top 53 defensemen from USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp are evaluated. Included within are 11 players with direct ties to New England.
1. Aidan Hreschuk
#6 Kelly, LA Jr. Kings, 2/19/03, Left Shot, 5-10/170
NCAA Commit: Boston College
Hreschuk’s physical tools are off the chart. His ability to open his hips to pivot, receive passes and get out of the gate quickly are all elite. He has a good stick and moves the puck well. His hockey sense is a little inconsistent, but that should come in time.
2. Henry Nelson
#5 Red, Osseo Maple Grove, 3/25/03, Left Shot, 5-11/160
Nelson has a ton of upside. He’s tall and can skate well. He gets to pucks quickly on retrievals and makes smart, simple breakout passes. He can play mean and defends well.
3. Luke Hughes
#2 Kelly, Little Caesars, 9/9/03, Left Shot, 5-9/137
NCAA Commit: Michigan
Hughes, like his two older brothers who need no introduction, is a skating dynamo who glides all over the ice effortlessly. He does a great job of moving pucks and stepping into the offense, but his skating is so good that he always recovers to defend.
4. Roman Schmidt
#5 Forest, Mississauga Rebels, 2/27/03, Right Shot, 6-4/200
NCAA Commit: Boston University
Schmidt is raw, but he might have the most upside of any player in this age group. He’s huge and can skate fairly well. A dual-citizen, he’s obviously a flight risk for going major junior, but is still a big-time prospect in the BU cupboard.
5. Tyler Desrochers
#6 Columbia, New Jersey Colonials, 4/2/03, Right Shot, 6-0/160
NCAA Commit: Providence
For now, Desrochers is the group's best right-shot defenseman. He might not have the upside that Schmidt has, but he’s going to be a heck of a college defenseman for Nate Leaman’s program. He’s a great skater who covers a lot of ground defensively. He has a really good stick, gets shots through from the point, and is a one-man breakout machine.
6. Michael Bevilacqua
#2 White, Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 1/26/03, Left Shot, 6-2/205
Bevilacqua has a lot of up pro upside. He’s always been one of the best defenders in this age group, and he’s been very good over the last two months at World Selects and Select 15s. He’s big, hard to beat, plays mean, and gets in lanes. He has the ability to make good plays with the puck, but he has a tendency to make one too many plays on occasion.
7. Jack Peart
#6 Forest, Grand Rapids AA, 5/15/03, Left Shot, 5-10/165
NCAA Commit: St. Cloud
Peart had a huge week here and really improved his stock. He was good at World Selects Invite, but even better here. He moves the puck really well and with a lot of poise. He’s a smooth skater who activates well. He made the right play just about every time.
8. Carter Schade
#6 Purple, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 3/7/03, Left Shot, 5-11/180
NCAA Commit: Penn State
Schade is a big, athletic defenseman with mobility. He’s tough to play against and has a good stick. He jumps into the offense and pinches to keep pucks in the attacking zone. He can push possession and play physically in his own zone when needed.
9. Ethan Straky
#3 Forest, Little Caesars, 4/18/03, Right Shot, 5-10/157
NCAA Commit: Notre Dame
Straky is a skilled defenseman who can be a two-way player moving forward. He moves the puck up ice with ease, both skating it up and passing it to forwards. He can walk the blue and gets shots through traffic. He’s a great puck mover who did a better job being careful with the puck.
10. Dylan Gratton
#3 Gray, North Jersey Avalanche, 2/25/03, Left Shot, 6-0/160
NCAA Commit: Penn State
Expectations can be high for Gratton, who has played up, and has been highly regarded for a few years now. He has vision and puck skills, but can try to do too much at times, which leads to turnovers. He has a good shot and can change the tone of a game in a flash with his skill.
11. Will Staring
#4 Black, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 2/28/03, Left Shot, 6-1/175
Staring has taken a step over the last few months and certainly has a high ceiling. He’s a big and strong defenseman with the ability to rip a one-timer. He plays tough and is difficult to play against.
12. Andrew Jeffers
#4 Royal, Compuware, 5/2/03, Right Shot, 6-4/200
Jeffers is a big, strong defender with decent skating ability. With his size and strength, if his skating continues to progress, he could be a big time prospect.
13. Sean Behrens
#4 Gray, Chicago Mission, 3/31/03, Left Shot, 5-7/140
NCAA Commit: Denver
Behrens is a smaller, two-way defenseman who can move pucks up ice. He’s a good skater and has a good stick. He’s smart and makes plays on a consistent basis.
14. Griffin Ludtke
#6 Red, Lakeville South HS, 2/1/03, Left Shot, 5-10/145
NCAA Commit: Nebraska-Omaha
Ludtke came on strong later in the camp after a little bit of a slow start. He’s an elite puck-moving defenseman with a silky-smooth stride. He has a very good shot from the point that gets around traffic with his feet and ability to walk the blue line. He committed to UNO following the camp.
15. Ryan Ufko
#3 Kelly, Mid-Fairfield, 5/7/03, Right Shot, 5-7/155
Ufko is a smaller defenseman who can play both ways. He’s smart, which allows him to read plays and see the ice. He’s poised and makes simple, effective breakout passes. You’ll rarely see him shoot for the home-run pass, but he almost always keeps plays going. He’s a good skater with a good stick who skates with his head up at all times.
16. Simon Motew
#6 Navy, Chicago Mission, 3/31/03, Right Shot, 6-0/168
Motew missed ample time last season due to injury, but was impressive here. He has length and made some nice physical plays, including a big hit in the neutral zone. He covers ground defensively and competes extremely hard. He also can move the puck up ice and has the mobility required to be a two-way defender.
17. Luke Mittelstadt
#6 Royal, Eden Prairie, 1/22/03, Left Shot, 5-10/172
NCAA Commit: Minnesota
Mittelstadt is the younger brother of Buffalo Sabres' prospect Casey Mittelstadt. Luke is a very good skater who can jump into the offense. He’s a top defenseman in this age group, but this week wasn’t his best showing. His skating allows him to cruise all over the ice and make some highlight-reel plays.
18. Drew Tsakounis
#5 Purple, New Jersey Colonials, 7/15/03, Left Shot, 5-10/150
NCAA Commit: Penn State
Tsakounis is a great skater who hops into the offense as a fourth forward. He walks the blue line, gets shots through, and can quickly turn defense into offense with his ability to do a shoulder check on retrievals. His defensive zone play and turnovers are a concern at time, but there’s a lot of upside in terms of being an elite, puck-moving defenseman at the collegiate level.
19. Tyler Procious
#5 Purple, Rochester Monarchs, 5/29/03, Right Shot, 5-9/162
Procious is a smooth defenseman who skates well and plays with poise. He makes good lead passes to start the rush and can move pucks as a quarterback on the power play.
20. Nicky Wallace
#7 Royal, New Jersey Colonials, 3/7/03, 5-10/160
Wallace was injured towards the end of the season, but he was good here. He’s very agile and can sidestep traffic to keep plays alive. His vision is very good and he can really push the pace in transition. He has the speed to recover and get back to defend.
21. Brendan Fitzgerald
#6 White, Malden Catholic, 3/6/03, Left Shot, 5-10/145
Fitzgerald is the younger brother of Boston College captain Casey Fitzgerald and Providence Bruins forward Ryan Fitzgerald, as well as the son of former NHLer and current New Jersey Devils assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald. Brendan spent a lot of the 2017-18 season recovering from injury, but he’s a prospect with upside. He might take longer to develop than Casey, but his athleticism and toughness stand out. He was better as the week went along, making some good plays with the puck.
22. Ty Murchison
#2 Orange, LA Jr. Kings, 2/2/03, Left Shot, 6-0/160
Murchison is a steady, reliable defenseman who makes simple, strong hockey plays. He skates well enough to retrieve pucks and then has the sense to know what to do next. He’s athletic and has upside with his size.
23. Patrick Morrissey
#4 Orange, Roxbury Latin, 1/7/03, Right Shot, 6-0/155
Morrissey will have his pick of Boston University and Harvard, according to numerous sources. He’s a good skater who should get better once he bulks up. He made a couple of really nice passes up ice to transition from defense to offense.
24. Grayden Daul
#2 Red, Chicago Mission, 1/31/01, Right Shot, 5-9/155
Daul is a smaller, puck-moving defender who grows on you the more you watch him. He has good feet to sidestep forecheckers on the breakout and walk the blue line in the attacking zone. He’s mobile and can defend with his feet.
25. Mitch Simmons
#7 Gray, Carolina Jr. Hurricanes, 3/8/03, Right Shot, 6-2/200
Simmons isn’t there yet, but there’s a ton of upside. He’s big and strong, and has relatively good mobility. He defends with his long reach and stick.
26. Shai Buium
#4 Columbia, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 3/26/03, Left Shot, 6-2/210
Buium is a big defenseman with averaging skating ability. He has good hands and reach. There’s certainly some upside with his physical tools.
27. Landon Cato
#7 Purple, North York Rangers, 3/31/03, Right Shot, 6-2/193
Cato is a dual-citizen who was relatively unknown to most observers prior to the week. He’s a big, pro-style defenseman who will likely land in the OHL. He’s big, rangy, and has good instincts. His pivots need work, but there's upside.
28. Sam Volturo
#3 Red, Compuware, 4/12/03, Right Shot, 5-9/165
Volturo is a good skater with some defensive upside. His puck skills are average, but he’s a promising prospect as a stay-at-home defenseman.
29. Joe Palodichuk
#3 Navy, Hill Murray HS, 2/26/03, Left Shot, 5-11/150
Palodichuk had a good stick to defend. He made numerous strong plays defensively, not giving opposing forwards much room and keeping plays away from the middle.
30. Tyler Dunbar
#3 Purple, Soo Greyhounds, 12/18/03, Left Shot, 6-0/160
Dunbar is another dual-citizen who was under the radar for most. He was a good, smart defensive player and has the feet to spin out of trouble and break pucks out of his own zone. His father was an assistant coach at Lake Superior in the ‘90s.
31. Aidan Lyons
#3 Gold, Boston Jr. Terriers, 2/26/03, Left Shot, 5-9/155
Lyons has a ton of skill. His feet and hands are both really good, which allows him to make plays with the puck on his stick. He can join the offense and has the skating to get back. His hockey sense needs improvement to make the most of his ability.
32. Colin Doherty
#6 Black, Chicago Young Americans, 7/7/03, Left Shot, 5-11/175
Doherty is a good skater who can walk the blue line, get shots through to the net and defend with his feet.
33. Teddy Sawyer
#3 White, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 12/12/03, Left Shot, 6-0/178
Sawyer is a big defenseman who skates well and has some strength.
34. Brent Johnson
#2 Black, Dallas Stars Elite, 3/20/03, Right Shot, 5-10/145
Johnson makes some really good looks and has the feet to escape trouble while breaking pucks out of his own zone. He’s poised and has vision, but his defensive play needs work.
35. Joseph Sciabarra
#5 Gray, Long Island Gulls, 10/11/03, Left Shot, 5-6/145
Sciabarra has a lot of skill and the skating ability to go with it. He has a good stick in the defensive zone, but sometimes gets caught on the wrong side of the puck. His vision, ability to create scoring chances, and propensity to activate into the offense are all valuable assets.
36. Maximus Smolinski
#2 Columbia, Little Caesars, 4/2/03, Right Shot, 5-10/145
Smolinski is the son of former NHL center Bryan Smolinski, who played for the Bruins from 1992-1995. He has skill and can rip a one-timer.
37. Landon Peterson
#6 Gold, New Prague HS, 1/16/03, Left Shot, 6-3/185
Peterson is a huge defenseman who projects as a shutdown defender with a mean streak. His puck skills are lacking, so he needs to do a better job at making quick, precise plays to avoid over-handling.
38. Ty Gallagher
#7 Gold, Compuware, 3/6/03, Right Shot, 6-1/175
Gallagher is a good-sized defenseman who defends with his stick and by being on the right side of the puck. He’s not afraid to jump into the rush.
39. Charlie Larsen
#7 Forest, Minot Wolves, 1/24/03, Right Shot, 6-2/165
Larsen has good size, a good stick, and puck skills. He sometimes tries to be a little too fancy instead of just making the smart, simple play. The physical tools are there if he can round out his game some over the coming years.
40. Joseph Greniuk
#7 White, Elk River HS, 1/4/03, Left Shot, 6-1/185
Greniuk has good size and a good stick to defend. His puck skills hold him back some, but he’s a promising defender.
41. Conner Chalmers
#7 Navy, Top Gun, 8/30/03, Right Shot, 5-10/160
Chalmers will move to prep hockey this winter to play for Tim Whitehead at KUA. He’s a very good skater who made some good looks with the puck on his stick. One pass to the backdoor for a tap-in goal stood out. He has tight gaps and has a good stick defending the rush.
42. Ryan Mast
#4 Kelly, Compuware, 1/14/03, Right Shot, 6-2/185
Mast has good size, made a couple of nice looks after joining the rush, and can defend with his length in the defensive zone.
43. Will Elias
#2 Royal, Boston Jr. Eagles, 1/28/03, Right Shot, 5-10/150
Elias is a defenseman who you don’t notice a lot because he just plays a steady game.
44. Jake Geraci
#5 Kelly, Mid Fairfield, 4/9/03, Right Shot, 5-10/172
Geraci isn’t as dynamic as some the other players here, but he’s a smooth-skating, puck-moving defenseman with good athleticism.
45. Michael Rubin
#7 Red, NJ Colonials, 5/5/03, 6-0/175
Rubin has a solid stick and can push the pace, transitioning from defense to offense. He needs to be more assertive on a consistent basis.
46. Matthew Despirt
#6 Orange, Buffalo Jr. Sabres, 8/20/03, Left Shot, 5-8/152
DeSpirt is a small, offensive-minded defenseman. He moves the puck well and has good vision, but his play in his own zone needs work.
47. Riley Rosenthal
#4 White, South Florida Hockey Academy, 12/10/03, Right Shot, 6-1/215
Rosenthal is a big, shutdown defender who will be more coveted once he plays more assertively and uses his size to his advantage.
48. Zachary Wolverton
#4 Forest, Team Wisconsin, 10/17/03, Right Shot, 6-1/155
Wolverton is a big defenseman who's solid in his own zone.
49. Logan Heroux
#5 Orange, NJ Devils, 5/30/03, Right Shot, 6-1/185
Heroux has good size, can skate well, and has some raw ability. He was kind of lost playing AA hockey last season, but he’s a player to watch. His father, Yves Heroux, played in the NHL.
50. Austin Oravetz
#3 Columbia, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 9/26/03, Right Shot, 5-8/165
Oravetz made some good breakouts and kept things simple.
51. Joseph Blackley
#7 Columbia, Buffalo Regals, 9/8/03, Left Shot, 5-9/155
Blackley showed some skill with the puck on his stick. He projects as a mobile, power-play specialist on the blue line.
52. Justin Gibson
#2 Gray, Pittsburgh Penguins Elite, 5/29/03, Left Shot, 6-0/170
Gibson has size and scored a goal from the point. There’s some upside here.
53. Declan Loughnane
#7 Black, 95 Giants, 11/22/03, Right Shot, 5-11/183
Loughnane will move to the MIAA to play for John Flaherty at BC High in the fall. There’s some upside with him and he could be a nice college defenseman down the road. He does a good job getting in the way of shots and passes in lanes. His stride is above average.
