The 2022 USHL Futures Draft will occur May 2, with the available 2006-born talent from around the world hoping to get a call from one of the league’s 15 teams in the 10-round online affair.
The USA’s only Tier 1 junior league uses the futures draft process to secure the rights of the top up-and-coming talent, even if many of the prospects chosen are a year or more away from earning a spot in the USHL. New England is expected to contribute its fair share of players in the Monday event, also called the phase I draft.
Projecting 15- and 16-year-olds is a tough challenge for the teams, and more than a year of dedicated viewings, interviews and interactions will come together to paint an early picture of what could be in about three years’ time. Unlike Canada's regional major-junior teams, ’06 prospects from all over the world are eligible to be chosen in the USHL futures lottery. The league will reconvene Tuesday for the phase 2/entry draft, where teams will select players from the 2002-05 birth years whose USHL rights are not already owned. Clubs are also allowed to choose ’06 players in the phase 2 draft, often taking late-round flyers on those not taken in phase 1.
With Teddy Stiga (Sudbury, Mass.) and Cole Eiserman (Newburyport, Mass.) making the U.S. National Team Development Program in March, they are no longer in play for the USHL draft, but will compete against the rest of the league's member teams for the U.S. NTDP under-17 squad.
New England Hockey Journal analyzes many of the region's '06 forwards and the names we think will take the first big step in a possible USHL future:
Overall assessment
The area forwards form a pretty deep and diverse group. There are several higher-end scorers who should be selected in the early rounds, along with plenty of other prospects who have the potential to round out the draft.
The group is led by Gavin Cornforth (Milton, Mass.), who attended the NTDP evaluation camp in March but was not offered a spot on Team USA. The Thayer Academy star had an outstanding individual first prep season with the Tigers. He’s fast, agile and highly skilled, capable of backing defenses up and has some impressive east-west wiggle in his skating. When it comes to dynamic offense and upside for juniors and Division 1 hockey, Cornforth is one of the area’s top talents. His USHL draft wait will not be a long one.
Redding, Conn., native Niko Tournas, is another USA camp attendee who stood out in the fall with a solid Yale Jr. Bulldogs 15-only team. He dominated Connecticut high school hockey by averaging nearly three goals per game against lower-end competition. The 6-foot-1, 181-pound right wing loves to shoot the puck from just about anywhere, and can generate a lot of power on his drive already, with a fast release. Skating is the one aspect of his game that needs to improve, especially his first several steps and lateral quickness.
Nate Porter did not get invited to NTDP camp, but had a solid first year of prep at Dexter Southfield. The Boston Jr. Eagles product from Hingham, Mass., is a top talent with the skating, skill and hockey sense to be an impact player at higher levels. That he was able to earn playing time as an ’06 on a veteran-heavy Dexter team says a lot about his high prep ceiling and what he could do down the road.
A couple of personal favorites who are solidly in play for the USHL draft are Arlington High (and Jr. Eagles 16-U) scorer Jack Sadowski and Nobles freshman (Cape Cod Whalers 15-only) Ben Nakata. The former has a natural nose for the net and great hands to finish off plays in tight, score from the outside or dish pucks to teammates for grade-A scoring chances. He’s not a dynamic skater, but does everything else well and competes hard. Despite the lack of pure speed and separation gear, Sadowski has the look of a solid USHL prospect who is more than the sum of his parts.
From West Barnstable, Mass., Nakata is a cerebral, playmaking forward who earned extended playing time for Nobles coach Brian Day’s team this season and put up some impressive production. A top split-season performer in 15-only play for the Whalers, the 6-foot, 155-pound left winger brings good size, hands, instincts plus a willingness to play heavy and get to the net.
Several other forwards who are rising because of their physical tools are Bishop Hendricken center Ryan Staples (Middletown, R.I.) and Boston Jr. Bruins center Cameron Cooke (Pelham, N.H.).
Staples helped the Neponset Valley River Rats reach the Mass. 15-only championship game in November, then was on the Rhode Island high school title-winning Hendricken squad. He’s big, can skate and has a sneaky-good skill set. You always know you’ll get an honest, competitive game even if he isn’t scoring, but he’s also proven that he can go end-to-end or make skill plays. Staples will play prep hockey at Loomis-Chaffee next season, and was one of the top players from the New England District chosen to participate in the Select 16 National Camp in Amherst, N.Y.
Cooke was a top prospect coming into the new season after an outstanding summer a year ago, and had an up-and-down couple of months in the fall. As the winter went on, he found a groove. He's a raw, but projectable power pivot who can skate and shoot the puck. Cooke’s motor and effort are always there. As he adds mass and strength to his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame, he will attract a lot more attention from colleges.
Other ‘06 forwards to keep an eye on for phase 1 are: Boston Advantage center Ryan Shea (Norwell, Mass.), a well-rounded 200-foot player who is on pace to keep improving as he matures; J.J. Monteiro (Hudson, Mass.), a productive member of the highly successful Mount St. Charles 15-only team; Blake Burke (Trumbull, Conn.), a rising forward for Mid Fairfield who has been trending upward all year; and James Marshall (Weymouth, Mass.), is a highly skilled and productive performer at BC High.
Sleepers/Day 2 options
Willem Dumais, C/LW; Winchendon/Cape Cod Whalers 15O, 6-2/190 (Lunenburg, Mass.)
Big and raw, but showed well in the fall with the Whalers, and then broke in as a role player at Winchendon. He plays a north-south power style, and could be worth a project pick for a team looking for some stealthy upside.
James Chase, LW; BK Selects 15O, 5-9/175 (Williston, Vt.)
Selected to attend this July’s Select 16 National Development Camp, he was often overshadowed by some flashier names on Chris Collins’ BK Selects team, but looks the part of an impactful future forward in juniors.
Ronnie Hill, C; Seacoast Performance Academy 15O, 5-8/135 (Saco, Me.)
A human buzzsaw who constantly moves his feet and competes, Hill has been on the radar for more than a year with the Spartans. He isn’t the prettiest skater, but he gets there, and consistently goes to the net. That will all add up to make him an asset in junior hockey one day.
Will Doherty, LW; Marshfield HS/Cape Cod Whalers 15O, 5-11/150 (Marshfield, Mass.)
With good size, skating and a responsible north-south playing style, the South Shore product will need time to develop, but shows a lot of promising attributes.
From outside New England:
Here are some players who aren't from the area but played here and will likely be drafted:
Matthew Frost, C/LW; South Kent Selects Academy, 5-10/155- Canadian import living in the USA has elite scoring instincts, hands and the ability to make an array of plays.
Theo Kiss, RW; Mount St. Charles Academy, 5-9/155- Slovakian import is a pure passer/playmaker from his off side, but has unheralded finishing skills as well.
Drew DellaSalla, C; Brunswick Academy/Mid Fairfield 15O, 5-10/145- New York native has all the tools to play at the highest levels with his scoring chops, needs more consistency and development of an all-around game.
Callum Hughes, LW; Mount St. Charles Academy, 6-0/166-Â From Basking Ridge, N.J., showed well at NTDP camp and steadily got better on a team loaded with top '06 talent.
