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STX Minor Midget (15U) Showcase: Top 35

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone headed to South Bend, Indiana for the STX U15 Showcase January 6-8, 2017. Games were played on the campus of Notre Dame. Below is a list of the players that stood out on the weekend. Almost all of the players below are new to our player profiles. You can click each player’s name to view his profile. As they progress over the seasons/years, profiles will be updated with any new information and evaluations.

Barak Braslavski (L, 5-6/138, Detroit HoneyBaked, ’01) – Barak proved to be extremely slick and slippery with the puck. Between his smallish size and his exceptional feet and hands, he is very evasive and nearly impossible to catch. He rarely takes direct physical contact, but doesn’t shy away from hits and will take contact to make a play. His physical skills are well utilized in tight spaces and he can stick handle out of any jam. Very confident with the puck and is not afraid to try create plays on his own, which occasionally leads to turnovers but generally he was pretty smart about not doing it in the dangerous areas. Grade: A

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E.G. Watkins Cushing Tournament: Top 35

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

E.G. Watkins Tournament

The Watkins Tournament put a lot of higher end prep talent on display. Lawrence won the tournament in a shootout over Culver. The champions have been building for a few years now under Head Coach Rob Barker. Beyond being very skilled, they seemed to be playing as a complete unit and on the same page.  Culver displayed signs of a team that has been on the ice longer than the New England schools, as their structure proved to be on a different level.   Very good players, very good coaching, but they also showed more of the mid-season form that you don’t get from NE schools until January/February. Dexter looked strong as well, and of all the teams, Dan Donato’s squad seems to have the most upside with an incredible group of freshmen.   Gunnery, as well, boasts a young team with excellent potential. Lacking a pure point producing threat, the Highlanders will win a lot of games with depth should they overcome inconsistency. Thayer also has Elite Eight potential with their top end guys being as good as anyone else’s that we saw. Cushing, also in a bit of a rebuild after losing some guys early to the USHL, was trying to find their way during the tournament. Canterbury is an older team that lacks skill but will work hard. They need to keep games close in order to keep their mucky forwards engaged and believing that one shot/one goal can be the difference maker.   NMH finds itself searching for identity in the post Tom Pratt era. Under Pratt, they always had low numbers but a few high end skill kids who would play a very offensive style.   The current squad has a few skills guys on the top end, but the team, overall, needs to figure out who they want to be.

Below are players we felt stood out here. We listed them by teams in no particular order. Each player profile can be viewed by clicking on his name.

Dominic Vidoli, 11th grade, D:  Talk of the tournament and top uncommitted here. Incredibly smooth and fluid skater. Dominated in his game against Dexter with his feet leading the way. Possessed the puck and started the rush many times, but he also jumped into the rush for an odd man situation goal. Showed a quick, accurate release both off the rush (his goal) and from the blue line. Pro scouts were also showing interest in the Poti scout room. It cannot be long until he commits to a Division I program.

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USPHL Winter Showcase: Top 100

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone went to Marlboro for the USPHL Winter Showcase January 6-8, 2017. Our focus was the Premier Division. Below are the players that we feel stood out. Grades are for this weekend only and in relation to others at this showcase. Each team played three games over three days and league rules applied.

All the players below have profiles with Neutral Zone. All reports we have that mention that player will be linked to those profiles. There are about a dozen new additions here.

Lucas Michaud #74 (F, R; 5’11”, 190lbs, IHC, 1997)-Lucas showed why he and Lemieux make up the most dangerous duo in the USPHL. We have liked Lucas’ game in the past but he seems to have taken his play to another level. He is getting better. He was very good in transition and moved well laterally to create passing and shooting lanes. Where he was most impressive was along the wall. He was slippery with the puck and protected and distributed at a very high level. We cannot think of a time all weekend where he made a poor decision or play with the puck. His puck management was excellent and his patience showed his maturity and high IQ. He finished the weekend with a goal and four assists. After a disappointing season in the USHL, he’s returned home and showing signs of major improvement. Grade: A

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Flood Marr Holiday Tournament: Top 58

Articles, Feature Story, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone attended the Flood Marr tournament on December 16-18.  There were eight teams in the tournament and the play over the three days was very competitive. Deerfield edged Milton in the finals 4-3, while KUA took home third place after beating Westminster. Included are the records of each of the teams during the weekend: (Deerfield (3-1), Milton (2-1-1), KUA (3-1), Westminster (1-2-1), Andover (2-2), Nobles (1-3), Salisbury (2-2) and Hotchkiss (1-3)). Below is a listing of the top forwards and defensemen on the weekend.

Jordan Harris (KUA, 5-10/170, ‘00) Smart, poised defensemen who plays in all situations. Never out of position and controls the play with his strong vision and patient play. Has an active stick and closes gaps well. Does not allow forwards much time through the neutral zone. Does not hesitate to take chances on offense. Makes a strong first pass out of his zone, carries the puck well and has soft, swift hands. He can quarterback their powerplay, breaks pucks out quickly and effectively and is able to shake off forecheckers with his quick, agile feet. Grade: A

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Lawrenceville Holiday Tournament: Top 47

Articles, Feature Story, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone had scouts in New Jersey for the Lawrenceville Tournament and wrote up the top 47 players (including goalies). The tournament showed great parity and while there weren’t any serious NHL draft picks here, there were still a lot of quality players.

1-Taft: Taft had only one loss on the tournament which came in a shootout with Choate. They beat NMH 4-2, Canterbury 4-0 and beat Nichols 6-3 (the game was closer than the score). Andrew Farrier the Taft goalie and captain was awarded tournament MVP in a selection process that heavily weights  final game.

2-Nichols School: A bit of a surprise. They are not one of the older teams and at times had a tough time  finishing. They beat Lawrenceville 2-1 in 2OT, they upset Belmont Hill with a 6-1 pounding and toppled UCC 5-2. Graziano was the key to their success with consistent play in the net.

3-Choate: A hard earned third place finish. They started out slow losing to an older Canterbury team 3-1 then came back to beat NMH  3-2. The big game where Kramer got the shootout winner v Taft which was the turning point. They then whitewashed UCC 2-0. The scoring is not very deep here but they have some guys that make a difference.

4-UCC: They started out with a bang then cooled off in every game after that. They beat Belmont Hill with a workmanlike 2-1 effort, then shut out Lawrenceville 3-0. After that it was downhill…5-2 loss to Nichols and then a 2-0 loss to Choate. Muise played well in goal.

5-Belmont Hill: This was a disappointing tournament for Belmont Hill. They are a talented team but a combination of bad luck, poor discipline and inconsistent play hurt them. They started out with a flat 2-1 loss to UCC,. then lost to Nichols 6-1. After that they were able to handle Lawrenceville 7-1 and Canterbury 2-0. Not that a 2-2 record is a bad thing here, but they have the talent to win this event.

6-Canterbury: A veteran team who started off the tournament with a 3-0 win against Choate and looked poised to make a run but went on to only score 1 goal over the next 3 games and lose all three to NMH, Taft and Belmont Hill.

7-NMH: NMH is better than last year but still have a way to go before they’ll be competing for championships. They were never really beaten badly here, they lost 4-2 to Taft, 3-2 to Choate and beat Canterbury 2-1 and Lville 6-2. They don’t have a ton of firepower but defenseman Kennedy and goaltender Green are quality prospects.

8-Lawrenceville: The locals,were just out gunned.  Pito Walton had a strong showing and they have a few 01’s and 02’s worth watching, but not enough veteran talent.. After they gave Nichols a real scare with the 2OT loss they were manhandled…UCC 3-0, Belmont Hill 7-1 and NMH 6-2. A long weekend for them, but at least they got the moral victory of not going pointless. We give them credit, the team gives it all they have even in lopsided games.

 

Christian O’Neill (L, 5-11/175, Belmont Hill #19, ’98)

When Christian was on the ice, you knew he was there. O’Neill has a high skill level and just understands the game. He has quick feet, a great shot with a nice release and sees the ice well. He was used as a point man on the power play where everything seemed to go through him. For a skilled player, he is very involved and has a great work ethic, he has a nice second effort keeping the play alive. There is solid of upside here because he can play a lot of different roles and his skill set translates well at the next level. College: Princeton  Grade: A-

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St. Sebastian’s Holiday Tournament: Top 65

Articles, Feature Story, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

The St. Sebastian’s Holiday Tournament has always been a very high paced, well played tournament and this year was no exception. The eight-team field were all competitive and played hard and fast. Joining St. Sebastian’s was, Albany Academy, Winchendon, Thayer, St. Andrew’s, Rivers, Northwood and Williston. Many scouts were in attendance ranging from D1, D3 and NHL at the Henry T. Lane Rink over the weekend.

St. Andrew’s proved to be too much for the rest of the field as they defeated Thayer to win the Championship. The following skaters are who we feel had themselves a good tournament. These grades are based on the overall performance of the skater throughout the weekend. Kudos to Providence who have commitments from 4 of the Top 7 performers in the tournament (Dugan, O’Brien, Hillis, Mulera).

Cameron Hillis (R, St. Andrew’s #10, ’00) A year ago this time of year we saw Hillis at the Toronto Marlies tournament as he led a York Simcoe Express team and was one of the top prospects for the OHL Draft. He ended up going being taken in the 2nd round but decided to go the NCAA route and committed to Providence. He’s a talented forward with excellent instincts and elusive stick skill. He’s able to go into traffic areas with the puck and stickhandle his way out of jams. He has a quick release and accurate shot and scored a beauty against Rivers on Saturday. He’s on the small side but really dynamic and has the rare ability to create offense from any situation; the rush, in zone, off broken plays, turnovers, etc. He was inconsistent here but when he’s on, he’s a lot for defenders to handle with his speed and puck skill.  College: Providence   Grade: A-

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Lawrence-Groton Holiday Tournament: Top 57

Articles, Feature Story, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone attended the Lawrence/Groton tournament on Thursday and Friday December 15-16th. The tournament was cut short due to the snow on Saturday, however, our scouts wer able to see each team play at least once.

There were eight teams in the tournament. Included are the records of each teams after 3 games played: (Culver 3-0, Cushing 0-3, Holderness 1-2, Lawrence 2-1, Dexter 2-1, Pomfret 2-1, Groton 1-2 and Proctor 1-2). Below is a listing of the top forwards and defensemen on the weekend.

Santeri Hartikainen (Groton, 6’1/185, 1/5/99) – Long, powerful skating forward who doesn’t have breakaway speed but has hockey sense and great touch. Plays a very controlled game and uses his long body and reach to protect the puck from defenders. Doesn’t hesitate to shoot the puck and has an above average snap shot. Thinks the game well and is always looking to create offense. Have seen him take shifts off in the past, however this weekend his compete level was high. Plays with an edge and although he does not go out of his way to be physical, he doesn’t shy away from contact. He was listed on NHL Central Scouting as a C rated prospect but will likely need to improve his quickness and speed before he gets serious attention from the NHL brass.  Grade: A

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EHL Simsbury Showcase: Top 63

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone headed to Simsbury, CT for the EHL Showcase in mid December, 2016. We did not see the entire event. We were able to watch almost every team at least once and about half the games overall. We did not evaluate the Boston Bandits or Hartford Wolfpack. Below are the players we noticed. Players’ grades are for this showcase only and relative to others on this report.

In our previous report from the Cyclones’ Showcase, we evaluated 125 players. Considering here in CT, we saw about half the number of games we did at the NH showcase, 63 players is about right. We will continue to evaluate the EHL this season and post reports. Players’ profiles can be seen by clicking on their names. All scouting reports on those players will be linked to their profiles. Thirteen players below are new additions to our player profiles.

Adam Papayoanou #9 (F, Jr. Flyers, 5’10”, 170lbs, 1996)-Adam was excellent here. The 1996 is a water bug type that was previously with the Nighthawks. We noted back at the Cyclone showcase that he was fast but had some trouble accessing his skills at full speed. Here, he was better. He made plays with speed and showed very good stick skills. He scored on a nice deak at full speed on a breakaway. The puck seemed to find him and size did not limit. Grade: A

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T1EHL U15 Showcase: Top 28

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone headed to catch some Tier 1 U15 action December 9-11, 2016. As is the case with many U15 games, there was a wide range of talent and quality of teams. The games ran the gamut from a great battle between Buffalo and the Avs to some really bad “running time” affairs. The players below stood out and grades are relative to others on this report. Almost every player listed is a new addition to our player profiles. Click on players’ names to view their profiles.

Adam Varga (Washington, 5-1-6) Adam has dynamite acceleration good hands and can flat out shoot. He plays a lot like a European though he is from the states. A pure natural sniper, he is great in tight can shoot off forehand and backhand. He does not distribute a lot off the rush, he is a pure shooter. In the zone he likes to carry around the net at speed to look for openings. Grade: A

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Brooks/Pingree Holiday Tournament; Top 25

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

On December 16 and 18, 2016 we were able to catch games across both Divisions and put together a list of the tournament players who we felt showed best. For scouts and hockey professionals please keep in mind that our rankings are in order as we saw fit, but not numbered because we feel their letter grade was more important than their numerical grade. Most importantly, the letter grade is NOT a reflection of the player’s overall ability or upside; it is simply based on how that player performed at this particular tournament.

Editor’s note: due to inclement weather we were not able to secure viewings of Pingree and Hebron on Saturday. In addition, we noticed that four rostered players did not see game action for New Hampton, hence why they have not been included in the listing below.

00 F Michael Kane (L, 6′, 185, New Hampton #9) was an offensive threat the same way he showed in midget hockey down in CT. Uses his big frame to guard the puck and punish anyone in his way. Throws hits on nearly every shift and finds ways to take the puck away along the boards as a result. It took him a few prep games to really get in rhythm but he is firing on all cylinders now. His wrist shot is dangerous if you don’t close down his space: ripped one off the left post from the RW. Willing to take a hit to make a play in the offensive zone because his frame can absorb it. Grade: A-

 

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Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep Showcase: Top 25

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

The December Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep Showcase was filled with a lot of top players that are competing at the U18 Tier 1 Level. The games were fast and physical throughout the weekend and didn’t disappoint.  There were many players here that will be fixtures in the next couple seasons in Junior hockey and at the Division 1 Collegiate level in the near future.

Nathan Clurman (D) (R, 6-2/190, CULVER, 98) – A great frame with good strength and athleticism.  He can skate and cover a lot of ice.  Was a danger offensively as he can bring it from the point.  Tough to play against defensively with his size and skating ability.  Had an impact on every game.  Was a 6th Round NHL selection in last year’s draft by the Colorado Avalanche.  (NOTRE DAME)  Grade: A

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Avon Old Farms Christmas Classic: Top 60

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Avon Old Farms held its 43rd annual Christmas Classic from December 15-17, 2016. Neutral Zone headed down to check in on what is always an excellent tournament full of quality prep teams and players. Each school played one game the first day, two games the second day and Saturday was the championships.

Avon edged Loomis for their second straight title in a matchup of what we thought were the two best teams here.

Below is a list of the top 60 players that we evaluated during the weekend. We saw each team at least twice. Grades are for this weekend and in relation to others on this report. Ten players are new additions to our prospect profiles

Trevor Zegras #11 (So. F, 5’11”, 160lbs, Avon Old Farms)-Trevor only added a couple of points here but his ability was obvious. The 2001 was the best prospect in the tournament. His skating is as elite as it gets at any level and for any age. He is very fast and seemed to jump on pucks or to space twice as fast as others. His edges and balance are superb and his skating style allows him to see the ice at an elite level. He can access all his stick skills at full speed. The BU commit worked hard, stuck his nose in on the wall and in front of the net. He created and facilitated. Trevor was excellent and his effort was superb. College: Boston University.    Grade: A

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Chatham vs. Leamington: GOJHL

Articles, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Information is based on the game between Chatham and Leamington on December 15th, 2016 in Leamington.  Chatham won the game 2-1 in overtime. Grades are for this game only. Several players are new additions to our player profiles.

Lucas Patton # 31 (Catches Left, 6-1/185, 1999)-Patton stopped 24 of 25 shots and was steady in net as usual. He had no chance on the goal that was scored and made quite a few big saves in the first and second to give his team a chance when they were flat.  He was out of his net quickly to play the puck but needs to work on his shot and make quicker decisions with the puck.  He tracked the puck well and controlled his rebounds well giving Leamington few chances for second chance goals.  His angles were off a bit in the second period coming down on his glove side as Leamington rang two off the post to his blocker side.  Grade: B+

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Top 600 NCAA Eligible Prospects Born in 1997

Articles, Commits, Education/Analytics, Feature Story, Game/Tournament Reviews, Prospects, Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone is pleased to announce our Top 600 list for 1997 born NCAA Eligible prospects throughout North America. Each player on this list has been evaluated by regional scouts in their area and also cross referenced by other scouts on staff as well as the Director of Scouting. The players are evaluated from August-December and given a star rating. The Top 600 players are selected from a pool of over 1,000 NCAA prospects in a grueling process and evaluated against one another to come up with a 1-600 list. The star ratings are more indicative of future success than the difference between #205 and #250, but the rankings are used in the calculus of the NCAA Recruiting Class Rankings.

As part of our mission statement to use analytics to educate coaches, scouts, players and parents we have broken down our Top 600 rankings and provided viewers with several interesting statistics.

League Breakdown

League # of Players %
NAHL 139 23.2%
USHL 129 21.5%
BCHL 104 17.3%
AJHL 63 10.5%
OJHL 46 7.6%
CCHL 29 4.8%
USPHL 29 4.8%
SJHL 21 3.5%
MJHL 14 2.3%
GOJHL 11 1.8%
Other 6 1.0%
NE Prep 5 0.8%
EHL 4 0.6%

The purpose of showing the league breakdown is not to rank the strengh of the leagues, rather to show where these 600 players are coming from. With that being said we see that the double digit percentages are in the four top junior leagues in North America. Keep in mind that some leagues above only have 12 teams in them while other leagues have over 20 so it is not fair to say for example that the OJHL is a better league than the CCHL because it has 17 more players on the list because it has nearly double the amount of teams.

Position Breakdown

Position # of Players %
Forwards 369 61.5%
Defense 180 30.0%
Goalies 51 8.5%

Here we breakdown the 600 players on the list by position. Our list is consistent with the 60/30/10 percentage breakdown between forwards, defense and goaltenders on most NCAA teams.

Commitments

Status # of Players %
D1 Committed 177 29.5%
Uncommitted 423 70.5%

In look at the 1997 list we see that nearly 1/3 of the players are already committed to D1 programs. Some of these players have signed their letter of intent and are expected to matriculate next fall, others will play another year of junior hockey.

Top 600 Star Ratings

Rating # of Players %
4.75 1 0.2%
4.5 4 0.7%
4.25 6 1.0%
4 18 3.0%
3.75 87 14.5%
3.5 143 23.8%
3.25 111 18.5%
3 123 20.5%
2.75 107 17.8%

The Top 600 ranges in star ratings from 4.75-2.75. This chart looks at all 600 prospects and what star rating they have. The first thing that jumps out is how 4.0-4.75 star players only make up 5% of the total list. Then the list goes up to 14.5% for 3.75 star prospects and up again to 23.8% for 3.5 star prospects. The reason there are so few 4.0 stars is the mainly the age factor. Top prospects are typically playing college hockey at 18 or 19 so there are not a ton of 4 stars left in junior hockey at the older ages. Keep in mind Connor McDavid is a 1997 birth year…

NZ Historical Star Rating Breakdown

Rating D1 % D3 % CIS/Other %
5.0 100 0 0
4.75 100 0 0
4.5 100 0 0
4.25 100 0 0
4.0 98.8 0 1.2
3.75 97.7 0 2.3
3.5 95.5 0.4 4.1
3.25 13.3 74.4 12.3
3.0 4.5 85.6 9.9
2.75 0 96.7 3.3
2.5 0 97.4 2.6
2.25 0 91.2 8.8
2.0 0 67.8 22.2

This chart tracks the 2015-2016 Star Rating’s for 1998-1995’s. As you can see 3.5 star prospects and above have over 97% chance of playing D1 college hockey. This chart is made to give context to the star ratings in the Top 600. There are reasons for CIS/Other as some players we ranked last year had played CHL and were not NCAA eligible. We have now taken them out of the National Rankings to reduce that number. Also, with the US/CAN dollar exchange rate some of the Canadian prospects will not be able to afford D3 institutions. In the US, particularly in the midwest, some players simply stop playing or go the club route if they are not offered at a Division 1 school.

Top 600 NCAA Eligible 1997 Born Prospects in North America

Rank               Name               Team    Pos         Commit   Star
   1         Nick Swaney         Waterloo (USHL)      F     Minnesota Duluth 4.75
   2         Jordan Kawaguchi         Chilliwack (BCHL)      F      North Dakota 4.5
   3         Christian Evers         Lincoln (USHL)      D      North Dakota 4.5
   4         Blake Lizotte         Fargo (USHL)      F      St. Cloud 4.5
   5         Philip Nyberg         Madison (USHL)      D         UConn 4.5

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