Neutral Zone NHL was in attendance at the St. Sebastian’s Christmas Tournament and here are the players we feel NHL Organizations should be watching
2020 NHL Draft:
The 1st Paragraph is “NZ NHL’s Take” or evaluation and the second paragraph is from our Men’s Hockey site. Enjoy.
Jakub Teply (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
NZ NHL’s Take: Jakob is big and strong with power forward potential. At times he was a man among boys at this tourney. He is very strong below the goal line and was a force during the offensive zone cycle. He has a quick release and does not need a perfect pass to one time pucks with authority. He was very dangerous and creative with the puck on line rushes, but we feel he will have to create chaos in front of the net and be a shooter at higher levels. He is a player to watch long term.
Jakub Teply #26 (F, L, 6’0″, 175, Brunswick School, 06/19/2002)
Teply is a rangy forward with deceptive hands and a knack for the back of the net. The former NJ Avs product was a threat to score every time he had the puck on his stick as he gets to the right spots to score and constantly changes his shooting angles and fools goalies. Plays wall guy on the PP off the umbrella, scored a couple nice one timer goals this weekend. Hat trick against Winchendon on Friday and he potted a couple assists against St Sebs on Saturday. Whats impressive about Teply’s game is that he can create off of anything especially line rushes, he delays or can drop the shoulder and drive the net hard too. Very quick and dicey hands in tight that made him hard to handle down low as well. The Senior from Stamford is definitely the one who makes this Brunswick team go and brings a high talent level that makes players around him better. Tournament Grade: A
Mark Hillier (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
NZ NHL’s Take: Excellent vision and play making skills. High compete and does not get intimidated physically. Reads the fore-check very well by cutting the ice in half and using an active stick to shut down passing lanes. Can make plays at full speed and has the edge work to match his pace or tempo.
Mark Hillier #10 (F, L, 6’0″, 172, St. Andrew’s College, 03/18/2002, Merrimack)
The Merrimack commit had a nice weekend as his excellent play making ability was on full display in leading his team to the the winners circle on Sunday. The Newfoundland native is quick, athletic and has so much confidence with the puck. Hillier does everything with pace, he moves it, gets open and gets it back in tight or he can make the 20 foot high saucer pass for a breakaway chance as he did so against Rivers a few times. Just an elite puck distributor. Sharp on his edges, can turn on a dime, stops on pucks, throws weight around and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He was F1 on the fore-check on most occasions too. Very skilled but he works for every inch. Had a dozen helpers or so this weekend and was probably the best play maker in this tourney. Tournament Grade: A
Felix Trudeau (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — C) Forward
NZ NHL’s Take: Felix is very smooth and can make defenders miss in 1 on 1 situations. Excellent in the offensive zone creating mismatches through give and goes or by protecting the puck to attack the scoring area. Plays every situation and every role. Taking draws on the penalty kill, playing the off-wing during 5 on 5 and running the umbrella from up top on the power play.
Felix Trudeau #27 (F, L, 6’1″, 161, Northwood School, 10/24/2002)
The Quebec native was very intriguing to watch this weekend as he is super silky and elusive with the puck. Trudeau is smooth, light on his feet and gets around the ice quickly and is keene for finding the soft spots of the ice. Found the back of the net a few times this weekend as he picked up some garbage goals using his quick hands in tight. Needs to get a little stronger on the puck but has great edges and ability to swivel off of defenders. Electric off cycle and he runs the point on the PP. Very sneaky release. He scored in a couple games and seemed like the puck just found him out there this weekend. Tournament Grade: A
Liam Connors (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
NZ NHL’s Take: Liam may be undersized, but boy is he ever a hockey player. His motor is off the charts. He is incredibly quick in all directions and he can make plays at top speed. He has the ability to make defenders make poor decisions while trying to gap up on him. When they play tight, Liam uses his speed to blow past them. When they show respect and back off, Liam takes the ice and quickly moves into the soft areas. He puts his line mates in positions to succeed. Liam has an excellent first touch and backhand.
Liam Connors #12 (F, R, 5’8″, 160, St. Sebastian’s, 02/01/2001, Boston University)
Liam was a lightning bolt with the puck every time he had it. Very powerful skater with a great stride and he has the ability to weave and make plays at top speed. Supports the puck to transition with speed, has insane stick skills and does a great job of give and going the puck in the offensive zone. Always keeps his feet moving and hounds pucks, skating ability allows him to turn pucks over and pick pockets on the back check. Showed a more well balanced game this weekend and was solid in all 3 zones. Has a smooth release, just needs to be a little more accurate at times but Connors is a slick passer and makes very good decisions on both sides of the puck. Poses as an energy type winger that can play up and down your lineup at the collegiate level. Tournament Grade: A-
Frankie Carogioiello (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
NZ NHL’s Take: Frankie has the ability to play in all situations. He has a very high hockey IQ making the the correct play and does not force poor decisions. We feel he has a chance to be a special teams player in professional hockey. His stick is always ready. He has a smooth first touch on both his backhand and forehand. He can make plays in tight areas and with defenders on his back. Very Strong on the puck.
Frankie Carogioiello #21 (F, L, 5’10”, 164, St. Andrew’s College, 06/21/2002, Miami (Ohio))
Carogioiello is just a work horse. This kid pushes the pace every shift he is out there and brings an impressive skill set to match as well. Short stride but Frankie never stops moving his feet and flies around players with his great speed and puck protecting ability. Very shifty and was difficult for defenders to hit all weekend. Head is always up and he knows when to shift into that next gear or slow down and delay to wait for support. Tough to contain, reads plays well and can receive passes with great skill. Pulled a few pucks quickly from skate to stick off bad passes and created chances off of it. Picked up several assists this weekend as he was the setup man. Exciting player to watch. Tournament Grade: B+
Philip Tresca (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C+) Forward
NZ NHL’s Take: Very smart player. Has an incredibly high skill set. Philip has excellent balance, edge work and skating ability. He can make plays in tight areas and shows body control / strength while protecting the puck. Has a very quick release and high end accuracy. At times he can try to do too much, but has the hockey IQ to know this won’t work at higher levels. Philip is a player we feel will excel in NCAA hockey and beyond.
Philip Tresca #7 (F, R, 5’11”, 175, Rivers School, 04/10/2002, Yale)
Tresca didn’t have his best weekend but definitely showed why he’s an NHL talent as he displayed his elite skating ability and skill set that separates him from the rest. Needs to work on his play away from the puck but he can really create when he has it as he’s slippery, he can jab step and make guys miss. Very powerful in his legs, low center of gravity and he’s very hard to knock off the puck. Smooth when crossing over and he covers and shields pucks from defenders off drops and switches very well. Positions and swivels his body in right ways to protect puck. Took the puck to the middle a lot and ran out of space or was double teamed at times. Can move it quicker at times so he can get it back. Tournament Grade: B
Jack Schlifke (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
NZ NHL’s Take: We’ve seen Jack a handful of times over the past few weeks and he remains a player we would really enjoy working with. He has NHL size and will only get stronger. We truly enjoy the fact that he initiates contact to create space for himself. Jack has soft hands and a quick release. NHL Organizations need to be watching this kid regularly and really get to know him because he has a chance to impact games on a consistent basis in professional hockey.
Jack Schlifke #4 (F, R, 6’4″, 205, Northwood School, 01/13/2001)
The 6’4 PG forward from Penfield showcased a unique skill set, decent stride, athletic feet and soft hands in front in this tourney. Schlifke has great size and lots of room to fill out still as he’s a little raw but so intriguing because he thinks the game very well. He doesn’t over complicate things, uses his body to his advantage and has a deceptive release. He potted a couple goals this weekend and caused havoc out in front of the net on the PP. Schlifke is such an easy player to play with as he always supports the puck and is excellent along the walls protecting but he made a couple guys miss too. Big man is very deceptive overall, players don’t expect him to have such good hands and he can capitalize on his chances. Needs to lengthen out his stride a bit but Schlifke is definitely a player junior teams and D1 schools should be getting out to see. Tournament Grade: B
Kienan Draper (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Forward
NZ NHL’s Take: Kienan plays a pro style game and is comfortable making the decisions professional coaching staffs expect. He finishes his checks and is strong. He wins battles. Physically he has very strong hands and does not get pushed around. We like his angles away from the puck through both a neutral zone fore-check and when being an F1. He has a good stride, but will need to work on his quickness. Although it may take some time, we feel Kienan has the make up to be a good pro.
Kienan Draper #33 (F, R, 6’1″, 187, St. Andrew’s College, 02/19/2002, Miami (Ohio))
The Little Caesar’s product has a big frame, he’s strong on the puck, bangs and has quick hands in tight around the net. Draper’s a hard passer and makes good puck decisions but needs to be a little more urgent at times. Received a lot of passes on the wall and then just didn’t move his feet and waited. Draper has a fairly decent stride but just needs to work on hi first three steps. The Miami Ohio commit gets his work down in the dirty areas as he finishes checks, makes space for his line mates and he gets to the scoring areas to pick up loose pucks and rebounds. Not flashy but effective. Draper has some serious Pro potential if he can improve his foot speed and really buy into that power forward role. Tournament Grade: B-
Thomas Messineo (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
NZ NHL’s Take: Thomas is a smart player who continually improves. He is incredibly strong and powerful. He has the footwork and agility to contain smaller quicker players as well as the physicality to take on power forwards. He reads the ice well and makes quick tape to tape passes without forcing this issue. Not a professional power play guy, but has the intestinal fortitude to kill penalties at a high level. Maintains shooting lanes while having an active stick. He is willing to block shots and is aggressive. Is willing to intimidate and has a mean streak.
Thomas Messineo #24 (D, L, 5’11”, 198, St. Sebastian’s, 05/02/2002)
Messineo is a smooth, strong skating defenseman who was a breakout machine all weekend. Excellent passer as he went tape to tape numerous times and was very quick in transition. Messineo has a solid frame as he’s strong on his edges and stays tight to his guy at all times. Finishes checks, takes sticks, gives cross checks, clears the front of the net and has that nastiness to him. Also is super composed and strong o the puck as he was hard to knock off and was smart in getting pucks thru traffic. Two way defenseman with great vision and a mean streak. Tournament Grade: A-
Ryan MacDermott (3.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
NZ NHL’s Take: Heading into the tournament Ryan is not someone we would have expected to be on this list, but his strong play earned the recognition. He is listed at 6’0, but he certainly looks bigger and stronger than that. He has very good acceleration and lateral movement. In the defensive zone Ryan maintains defensive side positioning and is strong while clearing shooting lanes. He makes quick decisions with the puck making tape to tape passes when appropriate or using the glass to relieve pressure. He works to be an option for his partner in the neutral zone and during heavy fore-checks. We’re looking forward to seeing his play develop over the second half of the prep season.
Ryan MacDermott #2 (D, R, 6’0″, 185, St. Sebastian’s, 01/27/2002)
MacDermott has great feet, he’s active in the play and he’s a very crisp passer. Paired with Messineo at most times these two play off each other effortlessly but both bring different elements. MacDermott provides you with that athletic Dman who can activate and join the play, create and dance players but he can also lock it down defensively as he has good gaps and a great stick. In the game against Albany, MacDermot got a stick on just about everything in his area when Albany hemmed St Sebs for 5-7 minutes. Not overly physical but is very sound positionally, he takes sticks and does a good job of intercepting passes and transitioning quickly. Tournament Grade: A-
Liam Cavan (3.5 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — C) Defense
NZ NHL’s Take: Liam is a hard nosed defender. He has excellent timing and gap control through the neutral zone making opposing forwards very uneasy. He makes quick decisions during breakouts and is very good at clearing shooting lanes. He is confident on the offensive blue line and has a hard snap shot that is on net. Plays on the edge.
Liam Cavan #7 (D, L, 5’11”, 180, St. Andrew’s College, 05/09/2002)
The Gloucester Ontario native plays a hard nosed, simple game but is very effective as he seals guys off, jump starts the breakout and can provide an offensive touch from the blue line. The Ottawa 67s 2018 draft pick is very smooth and mobile along the line as he is poised with the puck and keeps his head up to look for re directs out front. Would drop down the back side as well at the right times. Doesn’t force offensive steps and he takes care of the puck, never throws it away. Cavan was very physical and delivered several hard hits in open ice. Also got a couple questionable roughing penalties out front for being too physical with players. Had a goal against Williston and picked up an assist as well. Tournament Grade: A-
Young Names to Know:
Justin Ertel (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — B-) Forward
Luke Vardy (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — C) Defense
Jack Bar (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — B) Defense
Michael Salandra (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — C) Forward
Timmy Delay (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — C+) Forward
Jacob Guevin (4 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — B-) Defense
Brendan Gorman (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — C) Forward
Matt McGroarty (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, 2021 NHL Grade — C) Forward
Nolan Joyce (3.75 Star Amateur Rating, 2022 NHL Grade — C+) Defense
Michael Murtagh (4 Star Amateur Rating, 2022 NHL Grade — C) Forward
Connor Welsh (4 Star Amateur Rating, 2022 NHL Grade — C) Forward
Andon Cerbone (4 Star Amateur Rating, 2022 NHL Grade — C+) Forward
Ollie Chessler (4 Star Amateur Rating, 2022 NHL Grade — C+) Defense
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images