On Saturday 11/20/2021 Neutral Zone saw The Hill School travel to Dexter. In a well coached contest the game ended in a 3-3 tie and there was no shootout. On Sunday 11/21/2021 Neutral Zone traveled to Mount St. Charles to watch South Kent and St. Andrews play in an early morning game that was heavily attended by NCAA, Major Junior and NHL scouts. There were a number of NHL Draft eligible players competing in these games and we feel a few separated themselves from their peers.
Each of these schools have a number of other draft eligible players on their rosters. They were either out of the line up or did not show enough to warrant write-up. We will review these players in future viewings and report on progress.
2022 NHL Draft Eligible Players
| Luke Devlin | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | L | C | 6’3″ | 188 | Cornell | 2022 | Memphis, TN | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Devlin is a lanky but strong center who showed an excellent two-way game. He competed at both ends of the ice and we had multiple notes on how he used his long stride to backcheck through the middle of the ice to catch an opponent from behind and separate them from the puck. By our count he generated four neutral zone turnovers through pure backchecking determination and simply wanting the puck more than his opponent. Devlin played with enthusiasm and leadership. He was constantly cheering on his teammates and showed genuine excitement when they positively impacted the game. Devlin did not just fire shots hoping to pick a low percentage corner, instead he shot the puck with the purpose of generating a rebound or secondary scoring opportunity. It was obvious by how he carried himself from the moment he stepped on the ice for warm-ups that he was St. Andrew’s leader.
| Matt Fusco | Dexter School | NE Prep | R | D | 6’0″ | 185 | Harvard | 2022 | Westwood, MA | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Fusco had an impactful game and was all over the ice in positive way. When Hill dumped the puck in he used his speed to retrieve pucks with the purpose of generating transition and creating offense. He consistently beat the first forechecker by making a quick faking outside edge slide step or shoulder shake and then quickly dished the puck to an outlet. After the pass he kept his feet moving and wanted the puck back in the open ice seam that he had created. Offensively Fusco was an asset on line rushes, often times he looked like another forward while showing the ability to beat the opposing defenseman by driving wide or by cutting into the middle seam to take advantage of poor gap control for an open shot. As we’ve become accustomed to his release was quick and his shot was heavy. He fired a few quick snappers while his feet were moving that gave Hill’s goalie problems and his second period short side shelf goal was a well placed rocket that we’re not sure many goalies would have saved. As with most young offensive defensemen Fusco has a tendency to drift while in defensive zone, but in this game his offensive instincts allowed him to anticipate passes and pick them off creating instant offense. In a game where some of his 2022 NHL Draft eligible teammates looked disinterested, Fusco carried himself like a leader and it was very obvious that the score mattered to him.
| Matthew Morden | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | L | D | 6’5″ | 203 | Harvard | 2023 | Burlington, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Morden is a smart two-way defender. He definitely looked to take care of his end first, but he showed the game awareness to activate as a secondary option when the time was right. An example of that occurred on Pridham’s second goal where Morden scissored down the wall and used his long reach to protect the puck until he rounded the net to find Pridham in the soft area of the dot lane high slot. It’s not a play that will end up on his career highlights, but it is a play that showed a 6’5″ 205lbs defenseman protect the puck and not be happy to just fire a blind pass into the high slot. Defensively Morden was a rock. His stick was active while shutting down passing lanes and he showed good anticipation while jumping on rebounds or loose pucks in the corner; which also led to him ending the cycle very quickly. We noted that he looked smooth and confident while pinching off the line rushes early in the neutral zone and he did not need to crossover to move laterally while defending. The rare combination of Morden’s athleticism and size make him a very high end prospect who will be heading straight into Harvard next year.
| Mick Frechette | Dexter School | NE Prep | L | D | 6’2″ | 202 | Uncomm. | Weston, MA | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Physically Frechette was a one man wrecking crew in this one. In all honesty we’re not sure if he lost a 50/50 puck battle all game and when he threw his body around he sent opponents flying. Defensively he showed real core strength and leg drive by easily clearing shooting lanes and often times he ended the cycle before it even started. As a puck carrier Frechette showed the edge work and lateral mobility to make forecheckers miss and his powerful stride allowed him to be at top speed in an instant. In the past we’ve seen him over complicate passing situations in transition (especially in the neutral zone), but not in this game. We loved seeing him go with his first option and when he saw an open outlet he moved it quickly to his teammate’s tape. Frechette has a very hard shot that is difficult for opposing goalies to read, which led to him scoring two goals versus The Hill School. On the first he was coming down his off wing and fired a 16″ high back foot snapper from the dot lane that went through the defender’s legs and off the far post. It was a bullet with a very athletic quick release. The second was a power play goal where he snuck back door, handled a deflected bouncing pass and put it up under the bar on the short side. The late 2003 in his first year of draft eligibility, and although he may not have been on many NHL team’s radars when the Fall season started, we have no doubt that his combination of size, speed and grease will get on scout’s watch list and he will stay there.
| Ryan Kearney | Hill School | NE Prep | R | RW | 5’11” | 175 | Uncomm. | Kings Park, NY | 2004 | Not yet rated |
Kearney is a long and lanky right wing who grew up playing for the Long Island Gulls and Royals. We liked that he played an honest straight forward game consistently choosing to make the smart hockey play rather than looking to get on Instagram. On line rushes he made smart decisions at the lines and after soft chips he took direct routes through contact to get to the puck. In the offensive zone Kearney looked very comfortable as the net front presence. His ability to mirror the puck taking away the goalie’s eyes was an asset all game for Hill. He also showed a quick step when anticipating which direction rebounds would bounce and his stick was always prepared to make the simple smart decision. In the defensive zone his head was constantly on a swivel with his heels towards the weakside corner allowing him to be prepared for Dexter’s defensemen when they tried to activate back door. Kearney has grown quite a bit since our last viewing and we feel that although he might not be a candidate for the 2022 NHL Draft, he is player who is going to develop more strength and power while training at The Hill School. One thing to note, his Father looks to be about 6’3″ and we do not feel Kearney is done growing. If Kearney continues to play his straight forward no-nonsense abrasive game and approaches his Father’s size we have no doubt that scouts will be talking about him in 16-20 months.
| Marian Mosko | Selects Academy 18U | T1EHL 18U | L | D | 5’11” | 174 | Cornell | 2023 | Zilina, SVK | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Mosko is a smooth skating offensive minded right shot defender who gets better and more confident every time we see him play. Offensively he showed the ability to manage the pace of South Kent’s transition game. He was very effective at moving his feet while under pressure and spinning off contact with his eyes up looking to make a play. There were times he showed quick bursts of speed to beat forecheckers and there other times that he lulled the forecheck into a false sense of security feeling that he had the passing lane covered, only to have a gapping section of open ice exposed behind them. Mosko walked the offensive blueline with his eyes up while his hands subtly changed the angle of his blade so he had clear puck lanes. To be effective defensive player at higher levels we feel Mosko will need to add weight, but we also feel his skating posture will allow him to carry 10-12 additional pounds very easily. He has an easy shoulder width skating base with low hips and deep knee bend that will allow him to remain agile and quick at heavier weights. We also feel that Mosko naturally stays in a position of power through body contact and this will also help him to consistently win battles at higher levels. Of note, although he logged a ton of minutes versus St. Andrew’s we feel that his pace of play never changed and he appeared to be physically ready for a forth period if there was ever the need.
| Daniel Salmivuori | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | L | G | 6’4″ | 183 | Uncomm. | Helsinki, FIN | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
At 6’4″ Salmivuori has a National League net presence right now, but he also showed athleticism and very strong edges. He easily moved laterally and showed nice explosiveness when moving post to post on royal road one timers. We liked his ability to get out of the crease so he could play the puck and we really liked his awareness to leave dump-ins in easy to handle places for his defensemen. Salmivuori was not tested as often as his counter part, but he remained focused and his massive presence at the top of the crease seemed to force the shooters into trying to pick corners rather than shoot for rebounds and secondary opportunities. He is a player we had not seen before, but we are very interested in tracking his development.
| Eli Sebastian | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | L | F | 5’11” | 179 | Northeastern | 2023 | Burlington, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Sebastian was very noticeable versus South Kent simply because he was constantly around the puck. During breakouts he was a constant strongside option who showed the game awareness to use the activating weakside defenseman and then he would use his powerful stride to accelerate into the play. When his linemates were forced to use a chip and chase, most often times Sebastian was the first St. Andrew’s player to the loose puck. He was tough to contain while cycling as his feet were in constant motion and he displayed a very unpredictable stutter step. On point shots he regularly out worked his man to win the 50/50 puck and keep the offense alive. Again, Sebastian was constantly around the action looking to make a positive impact.
| Just Sopotnik | Selects Academy 18U | T1EHL 18U | L | LW | 6’4″ | 191 | Uncomm. | Ljubljana, SLO | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
At 6’4″ and looking well over 200lbs Sopotnik is very interesting long term prospect. He is very raw, but there are a lot of things to draw you to his effort versus St. Andrew’s. First off he stopped on pucks. Often times young kids go for a skate or do a fly by rather than stopping on pucks, but time and again we saw Sopotnik stopping on pucks and generally not letting his opponents make an easy play. We also noted that he played with his stick on the ice which made him even more difficult to make passing plays on. We also loved that he made smart puck decisions at the lines by not making grey area turnovers and he got the puck deep rather than make neutral zone turnovers. During Sopotnik’s shifts he was not a passenger. He hustled to be an effective F1 at either end of the ice and when he made body contact people bounced off him like he was a sledge hammer. Yes he is very big and raw, but he did so many of the little things that matter in professional hockey correctly that we feel he is a prospect to watch develop over the long haul.
| Callum Arnott | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | R | C | 6’0″ | 166 | Uncomm. | Toronto, ON | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
We were really impressed with Arnott’s attention to detail on both sides of the puck. In the defensive zone he naturally maintained defensive side positioning and showed high game awareness by creating loose pucks through subtle crosschecks to the hips that made his opponents uncomfortable. He has powerful stride and an exceptional glide that made it look effortless as he jumped past back checkers into the rush. Arnott had a smooth first touch that allowed him to position his body so that he protected the puck as soon as he received the pass. Arnott also showed the grit to protect his teammates and we noticed a few well placed kidney shots that generated space. This was our first viewing in a few years for Arnott and we are excited to see him again in December.
| Charlie Lieberman | Selects Academy 18U | T1EHL 18U | R | D | 6’4″ | 220 | Uncomm. | Naperville, IL | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Lieberman is a hulking 6’4″ 220lbs right shot defender for South Kent. Early in the game he made smart decisions with the puck and really stayed within himself. His passes were hard, easy to handle and hit his target in stride. He used his natural strength to clear shooting lanes and protect his goalie from secondary scoring opportunities. South Kent only had four healthy defensemen so as the game wore on Lieberman got tired his decision making became effected, but from our point of view we loved seeing a 6’4′ mountain of a kid playing in every situation and logging huge minutes.
2023 NHL Draft Eligible Players
| Sean Keohane | Dexter School | NE Prep | L | D | 6’3″ | 195 | Uncomm. | Milton, MA | 2004 | 2022-2023: C+ |
Keohane is an athletic 6’3″ 200lbs late 2004 left shot defenseman who may not eligible until the 2023 NHL Draft, but we have no doubt that NHL teams are watching him closely over the next 18 months. He showed a nice fluid powerful stride that does not get lost in length with a knee bend that will allow him to maintain his agility as he gains strength. Offensively he stayed out of trouble by going with his first instinct and making hard flat passes. We’ve been watching Keohane for a long time and noted an improved first touch has allowed him to become an effective prep powerplay option. We liked how he presented his forehand as a target and how he did not need to stickhandle to make a quick cross box pass. We also noted that he generates an incredible amount of whip on his one-timer and that he consistently hit the net. Defensively Keohane has all of the makings of a true shut down defender. When heading into the corner we feel he exceled at playing stick on puck and he did an excellent job of keeping his weight centered and staying over his hips. Keohane is a player we are genuinely we are excited to watch compete and develop this year. He will not be uncommitted for long.
| Francesco Dell’Elce | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | L | D | 6’0″ | 157 | UMass Amherst | 2024 | Kleinburg, ON | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
Dell’Elce is a left shot defenseman who showed poise while under pressure with the confidence in his skating ability to create transition when a forechecker was on his back. An example occurred early in the game as he was forced to retrieve a bouncing puck that had traveled through the neutral zone to his defensive blueline. South Kent’s forward was tight on his back, but Dell’Elce showed awareness and poise by “selling” a pass to his partner that made the forward reach thinking he was going to pick off the pass. Just as that happened he quickly escaped to the wall using a powerful cross-under to create space and fired a rocket pass up the strong side wall for an easy zone entry. Dell’Elce made these types of plays all game and he made them look easy. He played the right point on the first power play unit and appeared to be able fire one-timers off of passes that are not placed perfectly. Defensively he used his skating ability to jump South Kent passes through the neutral zone and to be an aggressive defender all over the ice. It was very obvious that he he believes his anticipation and quickness are his best defensive asset. Offensively, Dell’Elce showed the awareness of when to jump into the play or when to be patient and not force things. In our opinion the UMass-Amherst commit is trending towards being a strong two-way defender with the size, puck poise and skating ability to warrant NHL eyes. ** Francesco Dell’Elce was included after the original release due to an editing error **
| Ryan Sanborn | Hill School | NE Prep | L | G | 6’2″ | 190 | RPI | 2024 | Brookfield, CT | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
The 6’2″ athletic goaltender comes to The Hill School after having a very highly touted youth career that almost ended with him being with the 2005 United States NTDP and it is easy to see why. He was very composed while under pressure and was not fazed when Dexter’s forwards accidentally ran into him. There were stretches when Dexter was all over Hill, but when it came right down to it Sanborn was the player who was in total control. His hands were very quick and pucks styed in his glove so there were limited rebounds. While Dexter was cycling below the goal line we loved his awareness to look over his shoulders seeing if the opponent was on his forehand or backhand while also having the brains to see if the shooter in the slot was a one-time option. Sanborn had a great stick and a sneaky poke check that resulted in bobbled pucks and turnovers. We did not see him leave the net to make any quick up passes, but we did notice a steady stream of pucks that were left so his defensemen could start transition. Sanborn composure under pressure is an invaluable trait to have as a young goaltender.
| Dan Harkimo | Selects Academy 18U | T1EHL 18U | R | RW | 6’0″ | 160 | Sipoo, FIN | 2004 | 2022-2023: C |
Harkimo is a crafty right wing who has the puck skills and quick hands to make players miss in open ice as well as having the edge control and agility to roll off contact in the corner. We loved that he was always around the net looking for loose pucka and jumping on rebounds while he used his hips to position himself for easy puck protection once he retrieved the puck. Harkimo has a smooth first touch on both his forehand and backhand which allowed him keep his eyes up while receiving passes in traffic. We also liked his willingness to shoot the puck at the far pad from poor angles so his linemates would have indirect passes in the slot. Harkimo was most effective creating offense from below the goal line while cycling and protecting the puck rather than trying to toe drag defenders. We liked his willingness to mid-wall scissor and use the weakside point to create offense and loved how he sprinted to the net looking for rebounds. Harkimo is a year away and needs to continue developing strength, but his love for being around the net makes him a very interesting player to watch over the next 18 months.
| Lukas Zimovcak | Hill School | NE Prep | L | LW | 5’10” | 165 | Uncomm. | Cedar Grove, NJ | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
Zimovcak was a bolt of adrenaline during The Hill School’s game against Dexter. He came out for warm-ups flying, never looking back as he scored all three goals for Hill. He definitely cheats in the defensive zone and often times would wander below the goal line looking for loose pucks, but it came time to create offense Zimovcak was ready to paint. He was the type of player who dis not need the puck to be dangerous. In transition he pushed the pace to create poor gaps for Dexter’s defensemen or he delayed to create better passing angles for his defensemen. As a puck carrier he changed speeds, he changed angles and in general was very unpredictable. Like we said, he is going to have to clean up his end to be considered for the 2023 NHL Draft, but you have to think the last under-ager we saw controlling the tempo of a game for The Hill School was Owen McLaughlin back in the Fall of 2019.
| Jax Wismer | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | L | D | 5’10” | 168 | Connecticut | 2023 | Utopia, ON | 2005 | 2022-2023: C |
Wismer is a smooth skating offensive defenseman who provided quick transition and scoring opportunities versus South Kent. While retrieving dump-ins he looked over both shoulders and was quick to locate both the F2 and F3 in the forecheck. He did an excellent job of drawing the forecheckers to him and showing deception before passing to his partner or looking up ice. We loved his ability to smoothly pick pucks up off the wall while keeping his feet moving so he could wheel the net with his up scanning the ice for his next zone exit. He worked to be an outlet for his partner in both the defensive zone and in the neutral zone showing an understanding of when to look for a reverse or call for a wide “D to D”. In the offensive zone he walked the blue line with the sole purpose of finding an open teammate or firing a snap shot that would generate rebounds. He worked the mid-wall scissor very well and had excellent timing when activating into the soft area of the high slot. There is a lot to like about this fleet footed young defender’s game.
2024 NHL Draft Eligible Players to keep an eye on
| Jack Pridham | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | R | RW | 6’0″ | 166 | Uncomm. | Stouffville, ON | 2005 |
The late 2005 right wing played on St. Andrew’s top line scoring 2 goals versus South Kent. He has a long fluid stride, a powerful quick first step and played with a nice combination of passion and emotion.
| Matthew Virgilio | St. Andrew’s College | CISAA | L | D | 5’11” | 180 | Michigan | 2024 | Vaughan, ON | 2006 |
As a 2006 he played on the top defensive pairing with Morden. He was quick, aggressive and often times looked like he was the most polished player on the ice. We also liked his mean.
Each of these schools have a number of other draft eligible players on their rosters. They were either out of the line up or did not show enough in this game to warrant write-up. We will review these players in future viewings and report on progress.
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images