ROCKLAND, Mass. – Many of the best 2007-born players from across the state took part in the Mass. Hockey Festival Final 40 last weekend at Lovell Arena.
Only missing among the top players was Teddy Mutryn (Norwell, Mass.), who received a free pass to national camp by virtue of being selected to attend USA Hockey’s NTDP Evaluation Camp in March.
College coaches were assigned as evaluators by Mass. Hockey for each age group, including the '07s. The group of coaches watched each stage from the first tryout through last weekend’s festival and the Final 40. They were tasked with selecting the top seven forwards, four defensemen and one goaltender to send to USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp in Amherst, N.Y., next month.
I had some real issues with the selections on the blue line, but the forward group picked was strong. This isn’t meant as an attack on any of the evaluators or the process, but it’s intended to show a different viewpoint. Nick Evans (Malden Catholic), Evan Jones (Arlington), Anthony Pellitteri (Catholic Memorial) and Collin Rowe (Pingree) were all more deserving than the final two selections who made it to national camp on defense in my opinion.
