| Michael Bevilacqua | Des Moines Buccaneers | USHL | L | D | 6’3″ | 208 | Northeastern | Hamburg, NY | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
USHL: Des Moines Buccaneers vs Tri-City Storm, January 23, 2022: Bevilacqua is good size defenseman who tallied 2 assists in this game. He isn’t a flashy D-man by any means but is solid, steady, and can contribute in all three zones. He showed good gap control in the offensive and neutral zone by keeping pucks in at the blueline and from crossing center-ice. He showed a quick, hard shot from the point. He did well at shielding the forward from establishing a net-front presence. He picked up an assist on the Bucs’ 2nd goal by winning the puck battle in the defensive zone and allowing his forward to pick the puck up and eventually finish at the other end. Grade: B
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, December 2020: Well there’s no doubt that what we’re seeing right now is not what Michael is going to be in a 3 to 5 years. Yes he’s 6’3′ and 200 pounds, but it doesn’t matter how big you are because it’s tough to be an ’03 in the USHL and I still think Michael is improving on a week to week basis. I’m seeing him use his length to defend to take away time and space. There were times early in the season when his stick was parallel to the ice while defending, where as now I’m seeing his stick on the ice more consistently. He’s taking away passing lanes, shooting lanes and his stick is strong so when he leads with it Michael breaks up plays. I like how he’s keeping it simple offensively and choosing to hit the first man in transition. His passes are hard, flat and easy to handle. I really like how he’s working to be an outlet for his partner in in the defensive zone and he’s starting to jump into the rush as the late attacker with confidence. Michael has always been a steady point producer at lower levels, but lets be honest. He is going to make his money as an athletic defender who is hard to play against with the foot work to play against the other team’s top guys. If that’s the case, Michael is developing very nicely.
Northeast Pack U16 Showcase, November 2019: Emerged out the weekend as one of the top 3 defensemen in Showcase. Very good weekend on the offensive blueline as he continuously shot with his head up and got pucks to the net. In particular an extra attacker wrist shot goal that exploded off his stick. A two way defenseman that played strong in his defensive zone. Really good at boxing out net front and was a beast patrolling and protecting that area. (6’2’, 207lb.)Very good passer with powerful yet precise accuracy. Thought he had good range and exceptional reach. Missed a game on a questionable call but did enough to make Neutral Zone take notice in a positive way. College: Northeastern. Grade A
WNY Regional Qualifier U16, November 2019: Very good shot and release with head up from point. His touches were soft an consistent. Intelligent player who can play his offside which shows his versatility. Good size, athleticism and high potential is there. College: Northeastern Grade B+
Select 16’s USA Hockey National Camp, July 2019: Michael started slow and picked it up towards the end. He looked sluggish and perhaps was not completely prepared for this event. He is big and talented, however and seemed to settle in as the week moved along.. He is strong and defends with physicality and a long stick. His skating is decent but he must get his feet under him more as his base is too wide. That will help him acquire even more balance which will help him as he moves up in levels. At times he puck watched but seemed to be able to recover as his length and mobility cog lanes quickly. His outlets were firm and he fired pucks to the stretch man. He showed some flair and a real ability to make plays up the ice. He drew players through him as he skated with the puck and attacked the wall and then dished to the wall. Smart approach. He was under control and played through contact. The puck exploded off his stick when he shot and he scored a pretty goal where he snuck into the slot and fired a puck off the crossbar and in. Along the offensive blue line he was able to create. Moved laterally and used his stick length to create shooting lanes. Did hit a few shin pads and that was usually when he was stationary. He looked at the net on one play and whipped a puck D to D, no look on the tape to Schade. Finished with only that one goal here and he projects as a pro-style two-way defenseman. He is really athletic and although he was not his best here, he is a legit DI prospect with a really high ceiling. College: Northeastern Grade: B
U16 USA Hockey Nationals, May 2019: Bevilacqua is strong, tall, long and athletic. He came to this after a strong performance at NTDP Camp but was quiet here. He has a heavy shot, great zip on his passes and improved mobility. He skates better forward than backwards and needs to improve his backward acceleration; however, he has great athleticism and uses his stick well both defensively to break up passes and offensively to carry the puck out of a jam and make passes up ice. Great upside at the next level who has the versatility to be a two-way defender like he is at this level or be a physical, mean, tough defenseman with size and strength. College: Northeastern
NTDP Evaluation Camp Report, March 2019: Bevilacqua is a big bodied, fairly mobile defender who can play a physical, hard style or he can play a puck possession game. He has good hands for his size, he can handle forecheck pressure and deliver passes on the tape under duress. He has a crisp first pass, he doesn’t force it and has heavy shot from the point. He showed some power play ability as well as both a passer and shooter, but didn’t get a ton of ice here. He played several half only games and didn’t dress the first game so he was hard to evaluate but when he was out there, he was noticeable at both ends of the ice. Solid upside with a wide range skill set from being tough to making plays. College: Northeastern
USHL Fall Classic U16, October 2018: Michael is not your typical new aged offensive defenseman. He is a big strong defender who is not fun to play against. He can lay the hammer down on opponents and separate them from the puck with ease. For his size and age, he skates well and shows mobility for his size. Offensively he can fire the puck with velocity from the point and support the offense. He is the type of defender with size and physical play that any team would love to have on their blue line. USNTDP Top 40 Candidate. College: Northeastern
U14 Nationals, April 2018: Michael has great size at 6’1”+ and used his strength to hit to defend. Tossed a few played to the ice. Smothered opponents below the dots and stayed square to defend in space. Hid his stick check well and deflected lots of pucks. He played in every situation as he and Ballotin formed one of the best D pairs in the tournament. Bevilacqua is a balanced skater and can pass or carry from his end. In space, he looked smooth, confident and can create shots up ice. Used a hard shot on the power play. He has an excellent size/skating combination with a heavy shot and well placed defensive stick. High ceiling prospect.