| Cameron O’Neill | Mount St. Charles U18 | Independent Prep | R | F | 6’1″ | 194 | UMass Amherst | 2023 | Odenton, MD | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
U18: USA Hockey Nationals, May 3, 2022: O’Neill and his line featuring Stefanek and Berger were the best in the tournament. Their chemistry and ability to convert at the most opportunistic timers was clutch to say the least and led their team to the Championship. O’Neill skates with the puck at a level above the rest and can circle the zone with it, lead a rush and dish it out, or rip a nice snap shot right into a corner. He was good for six goals and seven assists for 13 points in the tournament, including two goals and an assist in the Championship game against the Blues. He can put away the scraps in front of the net on loose puck goals and takes care of business in his own zone. His skating is top notch and he weaves with ease through the neutral zone. He knew where to be on the powerplay and was typically ready to shoot with one swift motion in receiving the biscuit. He backchecked hard and was able to stay with the fastest player on Shattuck-St. Mary’s on a rush up the ice. He seems to have built upon his already dynamic skill set that we have seen several times this season, and he is primed for the next challenges that he will face. Grade: A
U18: True Cup (Salem, NH), January 27, 2022: O’Neill is a big time player who rises to the occasion for his team when it matters most. He plays with deception when skating with the puck when his head is up. He is not a fancy player but he doesn’t need to be; he is composed. He drives the net hard with explosive speed. He had two key goals in the championship game, one of which was a breakaway goal and the other he drove to the outside hard, got a shot off then followed up by slamming the rebound home for a huge goal that got his team fired up. He is also an adept passer. Grade: A
U18: Overspeed Classic, January 3, 2022: Fast, smooth and dangerous winger with a wicked release. O’Neill plays with that swagger you hate to play against but love if he’s on your team because its infectious. Very silky hands and aware of his options when making plays off the rush or out of the corner. Has a great ability to sneak behind defenders, get free and loose from coverage for scoring chances. Cant remember the last time I’ve watched O’Neill play where he didn’t create a breakaway opportunity for himself. He has a fluid and deceptive long stride that’s comparable to Jack Eichel in the way he moves. It might not look like he’s trying to move that fast but he’s already down the other end of the ice and behind your defenseman before you know it. The UMASS commit is a smart, highly skilled and consistent goal scorer that is just dominating this level. Grade: A
U18: Prep Hockey Conference played at Mount St. Charles, November 20 – 22, 2021: Mount St. Charles played St. Andrew’s College on Saturday, Shattuck St. Mary’s on Sunday and Culver Academy on Monday. Cameron had a strong showing this weekend lending a helping hand collecting 5 assists. He is a powerful skater who utilizes strong edges to cut and accelerate quickly. He’s a weapon in the offensive zone with a heavy shot and while not scoring on the weekend is a danger at all times with the puck on his stick in scoring areas. He plays hard on pucks and showed good strength making it difficult for defenders to knock him off the puck. O’Neil showed a high IQ moving pucks to the right areas at the right time and without it moving to open areas to make himself an option. He competes in the dirty areas and plays a well-rounded two-way game. We love the upside and progression for the UMass commit. Grade: B+
U18: Mount St. Charles vs Cushing Academy, November 17, 2021: In the 2-1 loss to Cushing O’Neil earned 18:04 in total ice time including 5:41 while on the power play. Statistically he finished with 1 goal, an even plus / minus, 3 shots on goal (3PP), 2 grade “A” scoring opportunities, won 1 of 4 face-offs, had 1 hit and 0 blocked shots. Throughout this game O’Neil was a presence. He was very strong on the puck, using his edges and wide frame to protect it from the Cushing defenders all game. We loved how confident he was when heading into the corner for a 50/50 battle. He played like he knew the puck was his. We loved how he shot for rebounds and then attacked the net looking to score. O’Neil may have only scored one goal, but in our opinion he was very impactful.
U18: Northeast Pack Showcase, October 21, 21: O’Neil was limited this weekend only playing in 2 of the 3 games. A somewhat pedestrian performance overall there is still no doubting his overall skill set. He showed great skating with good balance and edgework. He can motor his way around the ice and used it effectively on forechecks creating turnovers in the offensive zone. He can rip the puck and gets it to the net whether it’s shooting for corners or rebounds. He plays hard in all 3 zones and showed good ability in his own end with strong board work and controlling the puck on exits. He provides an excellent combination of skill and power and has a plus upside.
U18: Mount St. Charles vs Boston Hockey Academy, September 5, 2021: In the 4-0 win O’Neill was constantly involved in the action. He finished checks, yapped and dug for rebounds long after the whistle blew, In our opinion this is exactly how he needs to play and he seems to enjoy it. In the offensive zone he battled for rebounds, won 50-50 pucks to extend offensive zone time and was a physical presence on the forecheck. We liked his ability to initiate contact as a net front presence and then push off the defender to create more space. This is an offensive zone tactic we have seen O’Neill use for a few years now and he is very good at using it to create space. This was our first time seeing him play since USA Hockey’s National Camp in July and it was obvious that he spent time working on his explosiveness and agility. We feel O’Neill is a straight forward honest player who will have college eyes on him early in the 21-22 season.
USA Hockey Selects 17’s, July 14, 2021: O’Neill is a strong skating forward out of Mount St. Charles where he led the team in scoring with 24 goals in 26 games and 57 points. He is strong on the puck and makes it hard for defenders to take it away; he’s sturdy on his edges and can play through contact and in traffic and has a bullet release. He has a balanced stride, he’s strong along the wall and wins a high percentage of 50/50 pucks. He hustles in all three-zones on puck pursuits, he shoots the puck with authority and follows it up at the net. O’Neill drove the net with and without the puck, he got to the net front for tips and screens and was excellent on the cycle using his puck protection ability and skill to walk defenders out of the corner. He worked give and go’s, he moved pucks to his teammates in the slot area for catch and shoot opportunities and proved he can generate scoring chances both on the rush and in-zone off broken plays. He didn’t have the best weekend from a stats perspective but he was always around the puck, he took defenders hands away on the forecheck, he played with balance and purpose at both ends and displayed a mature power and skill combo that will translate at the next level. He was drafted in the middle of the 2021 USHL Draft by Tri City and wouldn’t be surprised if he’s in the league sooner rather than later. Grade: B
U16: USA Hockey Nationals, May 12, 2021: Cameron was effective all weekend for Mount. He is a bigger, stronger player that uses his body well. The strong first step lets him separate and gains the edge on defenders. He gets to the outside and uses his reach and strength to power the net. He has good hands and can make skill plays in tight. He gets to the puck to the net and looks for rebounds. Scored a few goals in our viewings by being active around the net and getting to the dirty areas. He made a few nice reads backdoor to teammates. Good on the cycle and below the dots in the offensive zone. A strong player that plays the right way. Grade: B+
U16: Mount St. Charles vs Dallas Stars Elite, April 28, 2021: O’Neill earned 19:20 in total ice time including 2:20 while on the power play and 1:41 while short handed. Statistically he finished with 6 shots on goal, 5 quality scoring chances including 1 while on the power play and a plus/minus rating of -3. In all three zone he used his quickness and anticipation to win races for loose pucks and he forechecked with the purpose of taking away time and space quickly. In the defensive zone O’Neill maintains line-ups and shows a willingness to block shots. He played with his head on a swivel and understands that getting the puck out of the D-zone can change a game’s momentum. In neutral zone defensive transition he understands that protecting the lines leads to icings and turnovers. In the offensive zone O’Neill extended cycling with his puck protection abilities and willingness to use his frame rather than exposing the puck. He showed a quick stick while in the scoring areas battling for rebounds and had a grade A scoring opportunity on a set face-off play. O’Neill has a powerful frame that with stands contact. We feel he is an effective give and go player who should be a USHL draft pick this year.
U16: Super Series Youngstown, February 24, 2021: O’Neill is a smooth and fluid skater that plays a strong perimeter style game and can generate offensive chances from many different areas of the ice. He is a very creative player that was able to dance around defenders and get the puck to high danger areas. Cam was a threat off the wall and especially off the rush. He is a highly skilled playmaker that was finding the tape of his linemates in any situation as he had 5 assists this weekend. His vision is off the charts and he has a nice touch with the puck. O’Neill did tend to cheat on the offensive side of the puck a little bit and was caught puck watching a few times but his offensive part of the game was dangerous all weekend. GRADE: B+
U16: JGG Showcase, February 20, 2021: O’Neill is a big, long, rangy power forward with a fluid stride and some wiggle. Cameron is very smooth, has good hands and he does a great job of putting himself in a good position to receive the puck. Gets a little lost in the defensive zone and needs to support the puck better. O’Neill scored a great breakaway goal after breaking free for a loose puck, coming down the strong side and firing one over the goalies blocker for the finish. Has to round out his game in other areas but he’s a strong skating, smooth, polished winger with a nice release. Grade: B
Mount vs Mount Showcase, December 4, 2020: Cameron played like a power forward and was very good at creating space for himself. In the offensive zone he would consistently create incidental contact to break a defender’s stride and then use that space to generate scoring opportunities and quality space. During a net front scrum, Cameron was very good at pushing the defenseman covering him into the chaos, quickly pulling the puck from masses and firing rebounds on net that the goalie did not expect. He consistently trapped defenders along the walls and beat them to the front of the net. There is a lot to like about Cameron’s game and his aggressiveness is one key factor.
U15: USA Hockey Select 15 Development Camp, August 24, 2019: Cameron big strong forward who excelled along the wall. He understands how to use body positioning to create space for himself. Example, he would consistently push the defenseman into the scrum on the wall so that he could win the 50/50 battle and attack the net. He delayed on line rushes and found the second wave of attackers. He was very smart at the bluelines and had the ability to put the puck into areas where only his linemates could retrieve it. Cameron has a quick release and has the ability to fire the puck while receiving bad passes. Grade: B-
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
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