College hockey season will be back before we know it, and New England Hockey Journal brings you a preview series of watch lists for some of the players expected to make a significant impact this season. First up, we take a closer look at some of the seniors and fifth-year graduate student-athletes who will make waves in Hockey East in 2021-22.
Leading the way is 2021 Frozen Four Most Outstanding Player Bobby Trivigno, who should build on his 34-point campaign a year ago in leading his team to the promised land.
College hockey fans will have a chance to see a few of the players listed here at the Icebreaker event hosted by Holy Cross at the DCU Center Oct. 8-9 in Worcester.
Forwards
Bobby Trivigno
UMass, 1/19/99, 5-8/162
First Team All-American, Walter Brown Award recipient and Frozen Four MVP in leading UMass to the school’s first NCAA title is back for one more tour in Hockey East. Whatever he lacks in size, he makes up for in pace, smarts, skills and competitiveness. A winner; won Tier 1 championship with Shattuck in 2016, and was on the Anderson Cup-winning Waterloo Black Hawks for best regular season in the USHL in 2018. The Empire State native is going to help the Minutemen win even more games in 2021-22.
Marc McLaughlin (North Billerica, Mass.)
Boston College, 7/26/99, 6-0/205Â
Undrafted Eagles captain could have turned pro, but returns for his senior season with unfinished business and a strong club. He participated in Boston Bruins development camp last month and showed very well with his effort and some intriguing hands/shot that we had not seen earlier in his collegiate career. He is primed for a big breakout offensively, and will likely have many options for NHL deals later in spring.
Jonny Evans
UConn, 5/1/97, 5-9/170
Scoring forward aged out of junior in the BCHL with the Powell River Kings and enjoyed a career season as a junior with the Huskies with 29 points in 23 games. He’s slippery, elusive and has a quick shot that he is able to get off with very little time and space to work with. Creative, and with pure offensive instincts that should translate to a major jump in points, he will be the catalyst for his team’s attack.
Ty Amonte (Norwell, Mass.)
Boston University, 1/11/98, 5-11/175
Son of former Terriers and NHL star Tony Amonte is ready for a big senior year after missing all of the 2019-20 season due to injury, and only playing two games in 2020-21. The Thayer Academy product played junior hockey in the BCHL with the Penticton Vees and plays hard. He’s a three-zone forward who has a deft touch with the puck and looks to set up his linemates with vision and the ability to get passes through traffic.
Jachym Kondelik
UConn, 12/21/99, 6-5/225
Czech Republic native and fourth-round pick of the Nashville Predators in 2018 has some of the best pro tools of any player in the conference. His skating isn’t quite what it needs to be to excel at the next level, especially with his first couple of steps and lateral agility. However, the massive power center can handle the puck in tight spaces and create offense. He needs to shoot it more, and this season should see Kondelik find the back of the net in double digits for the first time in his NCAA career.
Reid Stefanson
UMass Lowell, 2/20/97, 6-0/185
From Winnipeg, the experienced junior player came to the River Hawks as a 21-year-old freshman and posted a 20-point season out of the gate. He’s been a productive two-way forward at every level and should be one of the team’s top scorers in his senior season with his age and maturity.
Jackson Pierson
New Hampshire, 9/10/00, 5-9/170
Former Culver Military Academy Prep standout has been consistent and productive in his first three seasons at UNH, so is our candidate to put up the best numbers as a senior. Slick with the puck, the agile Indiana native is able to slip away from defenders to create space in the offensive zone.
Logan Drevitch (Middleboro, Mass.)
Merrimack, 4/14/98, 5-9/170
Left shot forward who played juniors in the USHL and NCDC had a strong junior season with 9 points in 12 games. At 23, he provides a lot of experience for the Warriors and will be counted upon to use his quickness and hands to lead the way for his club.
Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup
Maine, 1/14/98, 6-2/205
Denmark native helped Fargo win the 2018 Clark Cup championship with a superb season that showed off his superb shooting skills and ability to do a lot of damage on the power play. Along with Adam Dawe, he is expected to provide the bulk of the Black Bears’ offense.
Logan Cockerill
Boston University, 3/3/99, 5-9/175
Although small, the Michigander and U.S. NTDP grad can fly and is a sleeper pick to put up big points in Hockey East this year as a fifth-year player. He’s always brought energy and a high compete level, so watch for him to be engaged and noticeable.
Alex Esposito (West Haven, Conn.)
Providence, 6/3/96, 6-0/190
Grad student transfer after four years of Vermont is the oldest player on the watch list but is a sneaky add for the Friars, who will benefit from his age and experience in Hockey East. Although the numbers are nothing to write home about, the smart forward should make more of an impact on the score sheet with a better supporting cast.
Defensemen
Jordan Harris (Haverhill, Mass.)
Northeastern, 7/7/00, 5-11/185
Huskies captain and third-round pick by the Montreal Canadiens in 2000 is an early favorite for some of the top awards in college hockey. A complete two-way defenseman who is an outstanding skater who sees the ice and thinks the game at a high level, Harris will provide leadership and experience to his team.
Ty Farmer
UMass, 1/6/98, 5-11/175
A winner at every level, Farmer was Schmidt-Svejstrup’s teammate on the 2018 USHL title-winning squad and followed that up with a college championship three years later. The puck-mover gets up and down the ice rapidly and has the awareness/skill to impact the game positively at both ends of the sheet.
Ryan Verrier (Redding, Mass.)
New Hampshire, 11/19/98, 6-0/175
The former Austin Prep and Salisbury School standout who played in the USHL with Green Bay was at one time a top prospect in his birth year. His development hasn’t yet reached early projections, but with his fluid footwork and ability to gap up and contain speed off the rush, he will log a lot of minutes and play multiple roles as a senior. He played 35 scoreless games as a freshman in 2018-19 but is a candidate to be one of the better two-way defenders for the Wildcats.
Ben Mirageas (Newburyport, Mass.)
Providence, 5/8/99, 6-2/185
The third-round selection of the NY Islanders in 2017 has always been a terrific skater. He can burst to top speed in just a few powerful strides, and his footwork is superb. After helping the Chicago Steel win the 2017 Clark Cup, he’s been in Providence, though the offensive numbers have not yet materialized. Taking advantage of the fifth year of eligibility, he should be one of the club’s top minute-munchers.
Jakub Sirota
Maine, 12/20/98, 6-2/190
Tall, rangy Czech who played in the USHL and NAHL before Orono has improved his skating and gotten stronger since arriving in Hockey East halfway through the 2018-19 campaign. He plays with length and has some pro attributes; a strong senior year could land him in contention for a pro contract in the spring.
Slava Demin
UMass, 4/4/00, 6-2/190
The fourth-round selection of Vegas in 2018 is a transfer from the University of Denver but will bolster the Minutemen blueline with experience and depth. Native Californian played in the BCHL with Wenatchee and is more of an offense-minded blueliner who can skate and get pucks up the ice in transition.
Goaltenders
Eric Dop
Boston College, 8/23/98, 5-10/160
Grad transfer/fifth-year player from Ohio won 32 games for Bowling Green over the last two combined seasons. Although he lacks ideal height/size for the position, he’s been successful with his quickness and ability to see the puck and read the play. After the Eagles lost Spencer Knight to the NHL, Dop provides needed experience and production at the position.
Tyler Harmon
Vermont, 10/17/97, 6-2/205
Garden State product held the fort in a challenging year for the Catamounts, but expect a better campaign for the team in Todd Woodcroft's second season. He plays big in the net, stays with the play and brings important experience and continuity to a team that is on the road to becoming more competitive.
