NEWINGTON, Conn. — Several NHL scouts came out to watch the draft-eligible prospects in the 18-U division of the Yale Junior Bulldogs Jamboree.
The pickings were slim as several of the top 2003s are either locked down at prep schools or injured. However, a few players of note from the Boston Imperials Split, Buffalo Junior Sabres, Neponset Valley River Rats, North Jersey Avalanche and Westchester Express were able to show off their abilities in front of scouts over the course of the three-day jamboree.
Games were spread out at five sheets among the two facilities, Newington Arena and Northford Ice Pavilion, making it impossible to see every game or every team. Further, there were far more players of note at the younger levels. That being said, I was able to check in on some key players and teams at the 18-U level.
Boston Imperials Split
The Imperials went 2-1-0 with wins over the Buffalo Junior Sabres and Cape Cod Whalers and a close loss against the River Rats. The team, owned by the organization behind the new full-season academy program at Matignon, is in its first year. It is coached by NHL scouts Scott Fitzgerald (Boston Bruins) and Frank Golden (Pittsburgh Penguins).
The team’s only Division 1 commit is Governor’s defenseman Brendan Fitzgerald, who is slated to become a New Hampshire Wildcat in a couple of seasons. He’s got the ability to scare opposing teams anytime the puck is on his stick. He scored the first goal against the River Rats on a nice shot from just above the circle. While he’s known for being an offensive-minded defenseman, there’s another part of his game that always sticks out to me. And it did so again earlier on in the shift that he scored on Saturday night. He made a great play to break up a rush attempt and quickly got the puck going north for his team. He gaps well, has a good stick and consistently shuts down the opposition’s rush.
Fitzgerald, hailing from North Reading, Mass., doesn’t have elite feet and skating ability, but he continues to get the job done. At the very least, he’ll be a good four-year college player and probably find his way into the AHL after that. I’d expect Fitzgerald, an ’03, to be selected in one of the final two rounds of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.
There were a couple of other players who stood out for me on the Boston Imperials. Left wing Brendan Fennell is a house out there. His skating is certainly funky, at best, but he’s strong, shoots it hard and is tough to get pucks away from. The ’02 has been a three-sport standout at Melrose (Mass.) High School. I’m not sure what his hockey future holds, but he’s a tough player to play against at this level. Tabor ’03 left wing Seth Bernard showed some potential as a power forward with length and a finishing ability. St. Sebastian’s ’03 left wing Jayden Grier stood out for his grit and energy, and he finished at least once.
Buffalo Junior Sabres
I caught only the tail end of two games for the Buffalo Junior Sabres, due to watching games at other rinks prior. One player I wanted to highlight was ’03 center Jak Vaarwerk. He’s not the biggest player on the ice, but his hockey sense more than makes up for it. His skating and skill are both above average. I think he could be a nice fit as a third line, two-way center for a middle-tiered Hockey East or ECAC Hockey program.
Neponset Valley River Rats
The River Rats went 2-1-0 with wins over the Boston Imperials Split and Yale Junior Bulldogs and a loss to the North Jersey Avalanche. Any discussion involving the River Rats, as currently constituted, starts and ends with Dexter Southfield center Matt Copponi. He had five goals on the weekend, including a hat trick against the Junior Bulldogs.
There are areas of his game to nitpick, but he produces. The Mansfield, Mass., native has skill and skates well, but the biggest factor for his production is his compete. He hunts pucks, goes to the dirty areas, and wins puck battles. He might not have the size or possess the high-end skill of a few of the New England ’03s on other teams who’ve been talked about for years, but he has the grit and that “it” factor. He can play in all situations and he keeps getting better.
There are a couple of things Copponi needs to continue working on in order to have a chance to be a NHL player, but he should be higher on draft boards than several other players in the region who don’t possess anywhere near the compete level that he does.
The Rats were bolstered this weekend with the return of forwards David Chen and Dante Polumbo and defenseman Nick Marciano. All three made the team better. Chen came back after thinking he’d play in the USHL for Cedar Rapids, which recently announced it would sit this season out. Polumbo and Marciano both were activated after being on lockdown at Kent. Both factored into wins with Polumbo scoring a couple of goals Saturday night and Marciano playing well against the Junior Bulldogs Saturday morning.
Another positive from the weekend was the performance of goaltender Jake Fillion, who kept the Junior Bulldogs off the scoreboard Sunday morning. He was a call-up from the organization’s showcase team, but he more than held his own between the pipes. He’s a little on the smaller side, but he’s got quick reflexes and made a couple of quality saves.
North Jersey Avalanche
The North Jersey Avalanche had a solid weekend, including a 4-1 win over the River Rats on Sunday afternoon. Mark Lotito’s team might not have the known commodities that it has had in the past, especially on defense, but there are some players worth watching.
The team’s top player is UMass commit Michael Emerson. The ’03 has taken a huge step over the past year and is a standout. He’s a player good enough to step in and play some games in the USHL this season.
Brown commit Tyler Kopff, an ’03, has come up from the 16-U team and made the jump nicely. It wasn’t his best weekend, but he’s a very good player who I have high expectations for. He’s gotten bigger over the past year. He’ll be a smart, power forward who can play both ways for Brendan Whittet’s program in a couple of years.
Another Brown commit, Matthew Brille, scored at least one goal. His skating is a work in progress, but he always seems to find rebounds and bury garbage goals. His tenaciousness below the dots, including on the forecheck and in front of the net, is always notable.
The team’s top uncommitted player is late ’03 Evan Brown, who previously played for the New Jersey Rockets. He’s not a big guy, but his motor is what stands out. He skates well and had a very nice weekend for the Avs.
A couple of other ’03 forwards worth keeping tabs on are Vitaly Levyy and Eric Kaczynski. ’02 forwards Michael Casey and Connor Sedlak are solid 18-U players who contributed to the success of the team over the weekend. With Brown commit Harry Meirowitz out with an injury and Brendan Kimball sidelined due to prep school lockdowns at Trinity-Pawling, the team’s top defenseman was ’02 William Fortescue.
Westchester Express
I caught the end of Westchester Express’ game vs. the Junior Bruins on Saturday in Northford. I want to watch more, but ’04 Tyler Wishart is a player playing up a division who stood out. He’s skilled, sees the ice well and is someone to keep tabs on. The entire Westchester Express organization is getting better under the guidance of Bob Thornton, who previously worked for the P.A.L. Islanders. ’03 defenseman Joey Calvarino, a Vermont recruit, is the only committed player in the program, but don’t expect that to be the case for long.
