Scouting Reports

Neutral Zone spent MLK Day 2017 at the O’Brien rink in Woburn, MA for the inaugural Middlesex League/Catholic Conference challenge. Ten teams played five games with the Catholic Conference going 3-0-2. It featured seven of Massachusetts’ top 15 teams by most rankings.

St. John’s Prep handled Woburn; Xaverian beat Reading and BC High blew out Winchester in the first three matchups. The last two games featured the best action of the night with two ties. Catholic Memorial and Arlington ended in a tie in a back and forth, fast game. In the night cap Burlington tied up defending Super Eight Champ Malden Catholic 1-1 in a gritty, hard fought battle.

In our opinion based on just these games we would rank the teams as follows:

1. BC High-Big, heavy, skilled team that can play a number of ways.
2. Malden Catholic-Lacked offensive creativity but made very few mistakes.
3. Arlington-Played the fastest of any team here. Aggressive and in straight lines. Have experience.
4. Catholic Memorial-Tough, gritty and good in all three zones. They will only get better.
5. St. John’s Prep-Good along the blue line. Skilled but light up front.
6. Xaverian-Not much depth and they seemed to wear down through stretches.
7. Burlington-The toughest team perhaps here. Very well coached. Patient and opportunistic.
8. Reading-Above average public team right now. Must find scoring from their second group.
9. Woburn-Solid public school team but overmatched here.
10. Winchester-Totally outclassed by a BC High team that could win it all.

Below are players we noticed throughout the day. Profiles below are linked to players’ names. Most players here are new to us at Neutral Zone. Profiles will be updated as we gain more information over time.

We placed each player in a grade category. That grade is for these games only and in no particular order. Grades are in relation to others on this list.

Thomas Kramer #27 (F, So. BC High; 2000)-Kramer is big and balanced. He played all 200 feet. He used his large frame and reach to protect pucks in all three zones. He scored a goal and went about his business. He was just OK in transition and on the rush but his game is built for success below the dots. He needs some work on his first step. We really liked his game and he has a high ceiling.  Grade: A

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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 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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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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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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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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Neutral Zone headed to Philadelphia on November 19-21, 2016 to see some U14 action. Below are players we noticed. We did not see much of TPH, Pittsburgh, Rampage and the Thunder Birds. It was…

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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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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 6^th Round NHL selection in last year’s draft by the Colorado Avalanche.  (NOTRE DAME)  Grade: A

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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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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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Dec 2nd, 2016 Kanata Lasers vs. Gloucester Rangers #11 Bennett Stockdale (RW, 5’10/170, Kanata, 99) – Bennett had a strong cycling game tonight in Gloucester zone, he created 3-4 chances…

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Below are reports from Midget AAA games on December 12, 2016. Carleton Place Midget AAA- December 12, 2016 Trent Harris #88 (L-Winger-5’11 190 lbs- Carleton Place Midget AAA- Feb. 27,…

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