Many of the top American goaltenders converged on the Northtown Center in Amherst, N.Y., earlier this month for a chance to showcase their talent at the 2019 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp.
Two of those goaltenders, Hobie Hedquist and Will Fox, earned roster spots on the 2019 U.S. Under-17 Men's Select Team that will compete in the Five Nations Tournament this August in Germany.
Most scouts consider the '03 goaltending class to be lacking in top talent compared to other age groups. Hedquist is the only '03 goaltender committed to a college hockey program.
Below is a look at 15 of the top goaltenders from the 2019 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp:
1. Hobie Hedquist
#1 Black, Sioux Falls Power 16U, 2/14/03, Catches Left, 6-1.5/177
NCAA Commit: Colorado College
Hedquist was the only committed goaltender in the event and rightfully earned a spot on the roster of the 2019 U.S. Under-17 Men’s Select Team. Hedquist has good size and takes up a lot of net. He pitched a perfect shutout on 15 saves during the All-Star Game.
2. Will Fox
#30 Navy, Undecided, 2/3/03, Catches Left, 5-9.25/167
Fox doesn’t have prototypical size, but was very good throughout the week. He made a couple of big time saves during the All-Star Game. During Thursday’s game, he made a nice pokecheck and a kick save during the shootout. He’s athletic, but also has good poise and composure, especially for a smaller goaltender.
3. Ewan McDevitt
#30 Royal, Milwaukee Jr. Admirals 16U, 4/3/03, Catches Left, 6-0.5/177
McDevitt was one of the biggest snubs from the All-Star Game. He has good size and had the second best save percentage during the camp. He made a nice kick save in one game and was quiet and composed. His consistency is one area of his game that needs the most work.
4. Nicholas von Kaufmann
#1 Red, New Jersey Rockets 16U, 4/30/03, Catches Left, 6-6.25/219
Von Kaufmann struggled statistically here as he’s still growing into his huge frame. He had one of his best performances in the last game of camp, a shutout in Friday’s first half. There’s a lot of potential in the dual citizen who has previously played north of the border. He’ll spend the 2019-20 season with Noel Rubin’s New Jersey Rockets.
5. Anton Castro
#30 Columbia, North Jersey Avalanche 16U, 1/23/03, Catches Left, 5-11.5/176
Castro has good size and fundamentals in the crease. He spent the 2018-19 season with the talented Gentry Academy team, but is heading east to play for Vinny Smith’s North Jersey Avalanche.
6. Marino Ramirez
#30 Kelly, Shattuck St. Mary’s, 8/20/03, Catches Left, 5-11.75/175
Ramirez is a very athletic goaltender, who moves well laterally. He has good size and made a couple of highlight reel saves, including one with the blocker and one with the stick during Thursday’s action.
7. Connor Sullivan
#1 White, Rivers, 10/3/03, Catches Left, 6-2.5/164
Sullivan has good size, which intrigues a lot of scouts. He earned an invite to March’s USA Hockey NTDP Evaluation Camp. He’ll have to shore up a few parts of his game, including his focus and eliminating soft goals. However, he’s another player with potential.
8. Braden Holt
#1 Black, Little Caesars 16U, 6/30/03, Catches Left, 6-0/144
Holt made notable saves during both of the final two days of camp while showing good skating ability in the crease.
9. Zakari Brice
#30 White, Kimball Union, 1/25/03, Catches Left, 5-9.25/149
Brice had some good outings during the camp. He made a glove save of note and did a good job competing to see pucks in traffic. A tough All-Star game held him back in the rankings, but he’s a small goaltender to watch. He’s heading to Kimball Union.
10. Haydn Gould
#30 Forest, Ohio AAA Bluejackets 16U, 12/27/03, Catches Left, 6-0.25/167
Gould is a late ‘03 who fared well during the camp. A little under the radar coming into camp, he has good size and is a goaltender to watch moving forward.
11. Conor Callaghan
#1 Grey, Avon Old Farms, 3/2/03, Catches Left, 5-10/178
Callaghan didn’t put up the best numbers during camp, but having seen a lot of him over the past few years, it’s too early to write him off. He competes and plays the position with technical precision. If he were a few inches taller, there’d be a lot more buzz.
12. Brett Cleaves
#1 Kelly, NJ Devils 16U, 4/4/03, Catches Left, 5-8/149
Cleaves is a solid goaltender, despite being undersized. He had a very good week, which earned him a spot in the All-Star Game.
13. Ansel Holt
#30 Red, Honeybaked 16U, 2/21/03, Catches Left, 6-1.25/205
Holt had somewhat of an up-and-down week for a highly regarded goaltender. He has good size and positioning, made some really nice saves, but also let in a few he’d probably like to have back. Still, there’s upside here. He was a NTDP Evaluation Camp invite back in March.
14. Colin Ronan
#1 Royal, Cushing, 6/6/03, Catches Left, 6-1.5/169
Ronan wasn’t at his best during this camp. He has good size and athleticism, but needs to improve on the technical part of the position. He comes from a family with a long history of producing college and pro players.
15. Landon Brdey
#1 Gold, Long Island Gulls 16U, 5/13/03, Catches Left, 5-11.5/138
Brdey made a nice glove save on a breakaway during Friday’s action.
