There won’t be a Hlinka Gretzky Cup in 2020, but I thought it would be interesting to release what my roster would have looked like if I was picking USA Hockey’s Under-18 Men’s Select Team.
In a typical year, when things aren’t canceled due to the coronavirus, American players entering their draft year are chosen to compete in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup based on their performance at USA Hockey’s Select 17 Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y.
This year’s participants would have been players born in 2003. USA Hockey elects to bring a group of players from outside of its National Team Development Program (NTDP), while Hockey Canada and other countries usually bring their best prospects.
Last month, Hockey Canada unveiled what its 2020 National Men’s Summer Under-18 Selection Camp Roster would have looked like, if it weren’t canceled. Several players with ties to the New England region were chosen.
The most prominent name was Mount Saint Charles 16-U defenseman Guillaume Richard, a Maine commit. One of Richard’s former teammates at Mount Saint Charles, Rimouski Oceanic forward Zachary Bolduc, also was selected.
Vermont commit Dovar Tinling, a forward from Hawkesbury in the CCHL, was the only other local college commit to be invited. Former Boston College commit Peter Reynolds, former Boston University commit Danny Zhilkin, former Providence commit Chase Stillman, and former Quinnipiac commit Oscar Plandowski also would have been invited.
Below is a look at what USA Hockey’s roster would have looked like, if I were picking the team.
I value players with junior experience. They have chosen to challenge themselves and are more ready for international experience, for the most part.
In my mind, the goaltending duo were the easiest selections. The defensemen were pretty set in stone. There are a couple of good forwards to pick from, but that group as a whole would have fallen significantly short against the heavy hitters from Canada.
Forwards
Matt Argentina
Waterloo Black Hawks, 1/16/03, C, right shot, 5-10.25/180
NCAA commit: Notre Dame
Argentina had five goals and six assists in 45 games with Waterloo. The Philadelphia native is heavy on pucks and versatile up and down the lineup. I’d probably have him in a bottom-six role here, but he could be on the second line if there was a need.
Jackson Blake
Eden Prairie H.S., 8/3/03, RW, right shot, 5-8/135
NCAA commit: North Dakota
Blake brings a lot of skill to the table. He’s got great agility and his hands allow him to stickhandle and protect pucks from opposing defenders, despite being smaller than most. In a shortened season due to transfer rules, he had seven goals and three assists in seven games for Eden Prairie.
Davis Burnside
Tri-City Storm, 9/22/03, C, right shot, 5-9.75/167
NCAA commit: Ohio State
In 48 USHL games with Tri-City, Burnside had five goals and four assists. He’s heavy on pucks, which allows him to be a force below the dot, whether it’s winning puck battles and getting it to open teammates or finishing around the net. From La Grange, Ill., he’s a good middle-six option.
Kenny Connors
Mount Saint Charles 16-U, 3/10/03, C, left shot, 5-11.75/185
NCAA commit: UMass
Connors had a stellar season for Mount Saint Charles as his stock continued to rise. He got into two games as a call-up with the NTDP. From Glen Mills, Pa., he had 23 goals and 38 assists for 61 points in 51 games for Mount Saint Charles. He’s a big power forward who can be a solid middle-six center.
Tyler Haskins
Chicago Mission 16-U, 7/7/03, C, left shot, 6-0/153
NCAA commit: Michigan
I have really liked Haskins for a while. In 31 games for the Mission, he had 12 goals and 18 assists. He’s a power forward who can protect pucks and make plays while driving to the net. He got into three USHL games with Madison.
Shane Lachance
Tabor, 8/30/03, LW, left shot, 6-4/190
Lachance is still a couple of years away from truly reaching his potential, but I have him here because he’s a guy the pro scouts want to watch and he can score goals. He’s got a big frame, can protect pucks, and fire the puck into the back of the net. His game took a huge step in 2019-20. The Andover, Mass., native had 13 goals and nine assists 28 games for the Seawolves.
Clint Levens
Florida Alliance 16-U, 6/19/03, RW, right shot, 6-2/175
Levens is another player who is trending in the right direction. He has good size and plays a hard, north-south game. I have him as the team’s extra forward because he can set the tone with big hits, maybe provide net-front presence, and he can be an enforcer when needed. His offense is better than he’s given credit for. In 15 NAPHL games with Florida Alliance, the Windermere, Fla., native had eight goals and 14 assists.
Owen McLaughlin
Valley Forge Minutemen 16-U, 3/25/03, LW, left shot, 5-10.25/136
NCAA commit: Penn State
McLaughlin is probably the player I’d be most willing to take off the roster, but he’s here because of two factors. He’s progressing in the right direction and I think he could be really good in a couple of years. From Spring City, Pa., he had 10 goals and 17 assists in 25 games for Hill while putting up impressive numbers in split season with Valley Forge. McLaughlin also saw ice in three USHL contests.
Jack O’Brien
Portland Winterhawks, 5/14/03, C, left shot, 6-0/154
O’Brien, from Denver, had a good first year in the WHL with Portland. In 55 games, he had 14 goals and 16 assists. His speed is the first thing that stands out. He’s skilled, but his skating will take him a long way. Putting up over a half point per game in major junior as a 16-year-old is no small feat.
Connor Pelc
Buffalo Junior Sabres 16-U, 4/28/03, RW, right shot, 6-2/194
NCAA commit: Providence
Pelc, from Buffalo, is a tough-to-play-against power forward. In 50 Midget games, he had 22 goals and 23 assists. He also got into a couple of junior games with Buffalo in the OJHL and New Jersey Titans in the NAHL. Pelc is a player who has really taken major strides over the past 12 months.
Bennett Schimek
Gentry 16-U, 4/15/03, C, right shot, 5-10/170
NCAA commit: Providence
Schimek put up video-game-type numbers in 2019-20 with Gentry. The Mendota Heights, Minn., native had 29 goals and 43 assists in 20 recorded games in the NAPHL. He’s on the smaller side, but he’s extremely smart and quick.
J.P. Turner
Avon Old Farms, 1/31/03, C, right shot, 6-0/190
NCAA commit: New Hampshire
Turner scored 22 more points in his second season at AOF than he did in his first. The Falmouth, Mass., native had 19 goals and 16 assists in 27 games for the Winged Beavers. He’s a hard-nosed center who plays hard and brings it physically. Don’t let that fool you, though. He also can score with his hard, heavy shot and his willingness to go to the greasy areas. His feet have gotten a lot better as well.
Gleb Veremyev
New Jersey Rockets 16-U, 6/28/03, C, left shot, 6-2.75/190
NCAA commit: Penn State
I underestimated just how good Veremyev was until this fall. He’s a big-time power forward who can protect pucks and score some highlight-reel goals. In 81 games for the Rockets, he had 47 goals and 54 assists. The Sayreville, N.J., native also got into three USHL games with Lincoln.
Others under consideration: Matt Copponi (Dexter Southfield), Jack Harvey (Gentry 16-U), Ryan Humphrey (Hamilton Bulldogs), David Hymovitch (Phoenix Junior Coyotes 16-U), Griffin Jurecki (Little Caesars 16-U), Sam Lipkin (North Jersey Avalanche), Matt McGroarty (Quinnipiac), Shawn O’Donnell (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16-U), Jack Silich (Junior Bruins), Ean Somoza (L.A. Jr. Kings), Cully Wilson (Dexter Southfield)
I really struggled with leaving a couple of forwards off this projected team. I really like McGroarty, but not sure whose spot he’d take. He’s a complete player and a gamer. O’Donnell is another kid who always comes up big in big games. His skating was what I questioned. If Jurecki was definitely healthy, I’d probably have found a way to get him on the roster. Humphrey, Hymovitch and Silich are all viable possibilities after making the Five Nations roster last summer.
Defensemen
Tyler Dunbar
Muskegon Lumberjacks, 12/18/03, D, left shot, 6-0/181
Dunbar is a dual citizen who excelled in 26 USHL games with Muskegon. He had two goals and 10 assists. The Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., native is a big-time prospect for the 2022 NHL draft as a late ’03.
Austen May
Youngstown Phantoms, 5/19/03, D, right shot, 5-10.25/149
NCAA commit: Providence
The Woodhaven, Mich., native played in 25 games for Youngstown in the USHL while skating some with Honeybaked. May is a good skater who plays a smart, efficient game. He also has a good stick and plays with jam defensively.
Luke Mittelstadt
Eden Prairie H.S., 1/22/03, D, left shot, 5-10.5/180
NCAA commit: Minnesota
Mittelstadt is a dynamic offensive defenseman who ideally would quarterback the top power-play unit. His feet, skating and skill are all elite. The Eden Prairie, Minn., native is probably not the first defenseman you’d want out holding a one-goal lead late in the game, but he’s a potential game-changer with the puck on his stick.
Simon Motew
Saginaw Spirit, 3/31/03, D, right shot, 5-11/172
I really liked Motew at last summer’s Select 16 camp, and he had a solid year in the OHL with Saginaw. He had a goal and 10 assists in 34 games. From Highland Park, N.Y., Motew moves well, has a good stick and pushes the pace.
Jack Peart
Grand Rapids H.S., 5/15/03, D, left shot, 5-10/177
NCAA commit: St. Cloud
Peart captained his high school team as a junior while putting up over a point per game from the blue line. He also appeared in five games for Fargo in the USHL, dishing out two assists.
Carter Schade
Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16-U, 3/7/03, D, left shot, 5-9.75/192
NCAA commit: Penn State
Schade put up a point per game in Midget hockey and scored a pair of goals and added an assist in five USHL games with Lincoln. His height is sometimes questioned, but he’s a strong, rugged defender who plays hard and competes his tail off every shift. From Mars, Pa., Schade is as tough as any kid in this age group, especially pound for pound.
Ryan Ufko
Chicago Steel, 5/7/03, D, right shot, 5-9/170
NCAA commit: UMass
Ufko, from Smithtown, N.Y., had a great first season in the USHL with Chicago. In 43 games, he had two goals and seven assists while keeping a plus-17 plus/minus. Ufko has great vision and is really good breaking pucks out of his own zone.
Others under consideration: Tyler DesRochers (Providence), Declan Loughnane (Thayer), Dylan Gratton (Muskegon Lumberjacks), Ryan Mast (Sarnia Sting), Henry Nelson (Maple Grove H.S.), Joe Palodichuk (Hill-Murray H.S.), Tyler Procious (Buffalo Junior Sabres 16-U), Drew Tsakounis (Avon Old Farms)
Gratton was the most difficult player to leave off the roster. I grappled with him taking Motew’s spot, and he’d likely have been more than capable if making the roster. Loughnane is a player whose stock is soaring. Mast had a good season in the OHL and should be considered.
Goaltenders
Hobie Hedquist
Sioux Falls Power 16-U, 2/14/03, G, catches left, 6-3/158
NCAA commit: North Dakota
Hedquist, from Heron Lake, Minn., long has been considered one of the top goaltenders in this age group. He’s a big kid who has played the past three seasons with Sioux Falls Power, a team coached by Toronto Maple Leafs scout Noelle Needham. Last season, Hedquist played one game in the USHL with the Dubuque Fighting, posting a .931 save percentage.
Owen Millward
Fox Motors 16-U, 5/1/03, G, catches left, 6-3/190
Millward took a huge step in his development this past season. The Davis, Calif., native was very good in his first season with Fox Motors after previously playing for Anaheim Jr. Ducks.
Others under consideration: Andrew Pichora (Pittsburgh Penguins Elite 16-U), Luca DiPasquo (Honeybaked 16-U), Anton Castro (North Jersey Avalanche), Zakari Brice (Kimball Union) and Will Fox (Compuware 16-U)
The toughest omission was Pichora, who has played in USHL games for Cedar Rapids and is committed to Minnesota. DiPasquo stood out a few times to me this past season. Castro and Brice are committed to Boston University and Arizona State, respectively. Fox had a strong showing at last year’s USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp.
