2008 New England Pro-Am Jr. Chowder Cup: Part III

The Jr. Chowder Cup is a showcase of the top '92s and '93s from all over North America. McKeen's correspondent Vincent Montalbano continues his look at some of the players who participated in the tournament.

National Hockey Development (NHD)

Kyle Morrison (2010), C, Toronto Marlboros Midget

1992 DOB (Aug) .. good size (6-1, 185) .. surprised he did not get drafted in this years OHL Draft .. has a strong, quick release and had numerous scoring chances against the NJ Devils Alum .. shifty and quick with the puck .. scored against the Devils Alum when he beat the defender 1-on-1 putting the puck in between his legs and pulled it after sliding around him, he snapped one, top corner – blocker side .. smart in the offensive zone .. has talent with the puck .. did not play against the best team (won 12-0) and he ended the game with four goals (his only 4 of the tournament) and an assist. Stats: 3-4-2-6

Jason Kelly (2010), C, Markham Waxers Midget

1992 DOB (Feb) .. lacks size (5-8, 165) .. has very good puck skills and is dangerous in the offensive zone .. despite size, he has the speed and quick hands to protect the puck .. showed good vision and moves the puck well in the offensive zone .. had two goals against NJ Devils Alum .. one goal was a snapshot from the faceoff dot area .. has a quick release .. second goal he was just standing backdoor and banged home the puck after the rebound came right to him .. moves the puck well through the neutral zone. Stats: 3-3-0-3

New England Prep Futures

Anthony Fortugno (2010), D, Gatineau Intrepide

1992 DOB (Jan) .. decent size (5-10, 177) .. an offensive defenseman who stands strong at the blueline and has the speed to get back into position .. scored against Bluestreak while up 5-on-3 with a blast from the point glove side .. has a wide stride with good speed .. showed good puck control and poise in the neutral zone .. has a low shot that gets on net for tips and rebounds .. moves the puck well through the neutral zone. Stats: 3-1-3-4

New Jersey Colonials

Charles Orzetti (2010), W, Delbarton HS/ NJ Colonials

1992 DOB (Feb) .. great size (6-3, 200) .. has improved tremendously since last summer .. his skating is much better and he has a stronger stride now .. good defensive coverage .. dominant in the offensive zone with the puck .. can really fire the puck .. uses his size well in the corners and along the boards when battling for the puck .. had two goals against the New England Nordiques scoring his first goal on a breakaway with a nice move to the backhand .. second goal – he took the puck away from the defenseman and went to the net, he made a quick deke around the goalie and tucked it in .. dangerous around the net with his size and strength with the puck .. has a soft touch around the net too. Stats: 6-6-2-8

New York Jr. Coyotes

Mackenzie McAvoy (2010), C, Niagara Falls Thunder AAA

1992 DOB (May) .. size (5-11, 170) .. drafted by Oshawa (OHL) in the eighth round .. has very good speed with and without the puck .. has a quick outside move and speed to get a step on defenders .. willing to play a physical game and is strong .. showed good hands around the net .. moves the puck well in the offensive zone and showed poise with the puck. Stats: 3-6-2-8

Trevor Hunt (2011), F, Mississauga Senators AAA

1992 DOB (Oct) .. size (5-10, 170) .. drafted by London (OHL) in the 8th round .. plays a physical style and never misses a chance to lay a hit on an opponent .. tough to knock off the puck .. strong along the boards .. showed good poise with the puck in the neutral zone .. has quick hands and is shifty .. has decent speed with the puck, as he was caught from behind by a defender in the game against the Ontario Shamrocks. Stats: 3-1-0-1

Nick/ Bauer Selects 92s

Keevan Cutting (2011), D, North Central Predators

1992 DOB (Sept) .. recently drafted by Owen Sound in the fourth round .. very strong skater with the puck and has a long stride .. smart in every zone .. really dominated in the game against Metcalfe Jets .. has the ability to get up the ice with the puck and create lots of offensive scoring chances .. had a big open ice hit at the offensive blueline .. plays a tough and physical style in the defensive zone .. solid at the point and has lots of poise with the puck .. always involved in the play .. has a lot of upside. Stats: 6-0-2-2

T.J. Tynan (2010), W, Chicago Mission

1992 DOB (Feb) .. lacks size (5-9, 160) .. committed to Notre Dame for 2010 or 2011 .. rumored to be on the NTDP U-17 team for next year .. has a lot of talent with the puck .. showed good poise and hands .. has a strong shot off the rush and fired one off the crossbar against Metcalfe Jets .. has an explosive few strides with the puck .. good speed coming through the neutral zone up the wing .. creative with the puck .. a top 1992 prospect. Stats: 6-3-2-5

Tucker Long (2010), W, St. Louis Blues

1992 DOB (Feb) .. very good skater with long strides and good speed .. strong in the offensive zone and moves the puck very well .. has a quick release that is accurate .. very good shot off the rush coming down the wing .. takes the puck to the net and is dangerous around the net .. protects the puck well and it is hard to get the puck from him .. very good upside. Stats: 6-2-2-4

Michael Parks (2010), W, St. Louis Selects

1992 DOB (Feb) .. good size .. has a quick burst of speed with the puck .. strong on his skates and protects the puck well .. scored against Metcalfe Jets when he showed good poise with the puck and sent it down low to his linemate and went to the net, got a pass back and fired it five-hole .. has a long reach and is effective on the forecheck .. good hands and has ability to work his way through traffic with the puck .. a solid 1992 prospect with lots of upside. Stats: 6-5-4-9

Andrew Sinelli (2010), W, Detroit Honeybaked

1992 DOB (Mar) .. size (5-10, 160) .. committed to Michigan State for 2010 .. quick after the puck and aggressive on the forecheck .. backchecks hard .. has good vision with the puck .. quick release in the slot .. needs some work in the defensive zone with the puck .. will need to see again, as his offensive game did not standout as much as expected. Stats: 6-1-2-3

North Jersey Avalanche

Alexx Privitera (2011), D, North Jersey Avalanche Midget

1993 DOB (Feb) .. size (5-9, 162) .. an offensive defenseman who showed a lot of poise and offensive instincts .. he is solid at the point .. has ability to rush the puck and creates numerous scoring chances off his rushes .. good anticipation in the neutral zone .. handles the puck so well in the offensive zone, especially on the PP .. a definite name to remember. Stats: 3-1-1-2

Brian Helderman (2012), D, North Jersey Avalanche Midget

1993 DOB (Nov) .. size (5-11, 155) .. one word to describe him – consistent .. makes the simple plays and is solid in every zone .. smart defenseman .. strong in front of his own net .. solid skater .. not much offensively, but will move the puck up ice and make crisp passes. Stats: 3-0-0-0

Ontario Shamrocks

Michael Nishi (2012), G, Toronto Jr. Canadiens Midget

1993 DOB (Nov) .. size (6-0, 170) .. quick reflexes and strong down low .. follows the puck well – against NY Jr. Coyotes, one shot came quick off the back glass back to the front of the net, and Nishi grabbed it with his glove before any threat of a scoring chance .. does scramble a bit .. solid all-around .. strong post-to-post .. he bailed out his defense a few times .. against the East Coast Express, he made a tremendous pad save .. showed good recovery .. made another stop against East Coast Express to keep the score 3-2 and give his team a chance to tie it up with 30 seconds left .. he is a top prospect for the 2009 OHL Draft. Stats: 3-1-2-0

Justin Thomas (2011), C, Toronto Jr. Canadiens Midget

1993 DOB .. good size (6-2, 190) .. remember this name because he could be an early pick in the 2009 OHL Draft .. skates so well for his size and has a powerful stride .. looks like a prototypical OHL player with size, skating and skill .. showed very good speed with the puck .. protects the puck well and is tough to get the puck away from .. plays a physical game and finishes his checks .. had a big hit against East Coast Express .. has a quick release .. his hockey smarts also stood out .. aggressive in the defensive zone .. likes to take the puck wide and go hard to the net .. can dominate in the offensive zone with the puck. Stats: 3-2-2-4

David Friedmann (2011), C, Toronto Jr. Canadiens Midget

1993 DOB .. lacks size (5-9, 155) .. small and quick .. has very good hands and is creative with the puck .. so quick, shifty and dangerous around the net .. has short, quick strides .. when 1-on-1, he goes right after the defenseman .. against the NY Jr. Coyotes, he stole the puck and went in alone and made a nice move for the goal .. despite size, he could be a high draft pick in the 2009 OHL Draft. Stats: 3-1-4-5

Robert Polesello (2012), LW, Toronto Jr. Canadiens Midget

1994 DOB .. lacks size (5-8, 150) .. youngest member of his team .. has very good speed and can fly through the neutral zone with the puck .. has short, quick, wide strides .. shifty with the puck .. hard to contain around the net with his quickness and showed lots of skill with the puck .. despite size, he is very talented and reminds me of Tyler Toffoli (recently drafted by Ottawa) .. ability to thread passes in the offensive zone .. backchecks hard and was used while team was down 5-on-3 .. needs to finish his checks, even if he is not the biggest player, especially on the forecheck .. should be a highly touted prospect in the 2010 OHL Draft. Stats: 3-0-0-0

Zach Bell (2011), D, Toronto Jr. Canadiens Midget

1993 DOB .. good size (6-1, 180) .. strong at the offensive blueline with smart pinches .. strong and physical .. has ability to rush the puck and get into the offensive zone and set-up the offense .. scored against NY Jr. Coyotes when he showed good poise and waited as the defenseman dived and he fired it top corner, blocker side .. very offensive, but needs to come back to defense quicker .. at times, he got beat in the defensive zone .. still should be an early pick in the 2009 OHL Draft. Stats: 3-3-1-4

Michael Greenberg (2011), D, Toronto Jr. Canadiens Midget

1993 DOB .. good size (6-2, 185) .. another offensive defenseman .. a very good skater with a strong stride .. solid at the point and has the ability to rush the puck and create scoring chances .. scored against East Coast Express when he blasted one on the PP, top corner and exploded the water bottle on top of the net .. has an excellent shot with a quick release .. physical at times and strong .. solid defensively .. moves the puck well in the defensive zone with crisp, tape-to-tape passes .. when he pinches, he comes back to position quickly .. not many holes in his game .. should be a high pick in the 2009 OHL Draft. Stats: 3-2-1-3

Reid Jackman (2011), LW, Mississauga Senators Midget

1993 DOB .. good size (6-2, 170) .. showed good hands in tight .. has poise and a quick release .. showed good 1-on-1 ability and hands .. protects the puck very well .. physical every shift and is feisty .. never stops moving his feet in the offensive zone .. quickly attacks the puckcarrier, but skating is an issue .. has a wide stride with decent speed .. aggressive and non-stop work along the boards .. took a bad penalty that led to East Coast Express scoring and taking a 3-2 lead .. another player that should be an early pick in 2009 OHL Draft. Stats: 3-1-2-3

Pro-Skills Hockey

Christopher Chiste (2011), LW, York Simcoe Midget

1992 DOB (Dec) .. decent size (5-10, 180) .. recently drafted by Barrie (OHL) in the 13th round .. every shift against North Coast Hockey Development (NCHD), he threw a hit .. very feisty and uses his speed to get in on the forecheck .. has good outside speed and protects the puck well .. when he is skating up the wing, it is difficult to get the puck away from him .. as stated, his best asset is his physical ability, as he had a few big hits in the game. Stats: 7-3-3-6

Domenic Alberga (2010), LW, Villanova Knights (OPJHL)

1992 DOB (July) .. good size (6-2, 170) .. very talented with the puck and displayed good vision .. smart with the puck in the offensive and neutral zone .. uses his size well and protects the puck .. has a hard, quick shot .. goes to the net hard and willing to go through anyone in his way .. surprised he was not drafted by an OHL team – maybe a potential college player. Stats: 7-6-7-13

Tyler Sikura (2010), C, Undecided

1992 DOB (May) .. good size (6-1, 150) .. has quick hands and skates well with the puck .. showed good poise and is dangerous around the net .. ability to get in and out of traffic with the puck .. moves the puck well in the offensive zone .. willing to shoot from anywhere .. creative with the puck. Stats: 7-2-3-5

South Shore Dynamos - Due to a team dropping out, SS Dynamos played more games

Kevin Hayes (2010), C, Nobles

1992 DOB (May) .. good size (6-2, 175) .. seems to be getting taller every time I see him .. was dynamic all weekend and not just judging by his stats alone, as his all-around game has improved so much .. has short, strong strides .. strong in the faceoff circle .. great hands in traffic and very good vision in every zone .. was handling the puck so well throughout the tournament and every time he seemed to be trapped or stopped, he would make a play and set-up a goal or a scoring chance .. against Rapid RBK, he had a goal when he took a pass off the boards and beat the defenseman to the puck and went in on a breakaway – backhand deke .. what has improved the most is his defensive game, which was non-existent a summer ago .. his skating has also improved .. so dangerous in the offensive zone with the puck on his stick .. although his team beat up on the competition in the tournament play, they fell short in the playoffs. Stats: 5-12-10-22

Charlie Coyle (2010), RW, Thayer Academy

1992 DOB (Mar) .. good size (6-1, 185) .. coming off a very good Select 16 festival, Coyle looks ready to move up with the other high profile '92s from New England .. has a wide stride with good speed .. he has really found his scoring touch, which leads me to believe he is going to have a breakout year with Thayer in 2008-09 .. strong around the net and willing to take the puck to the net .. poised with the puck .. showed good hands in tight .. has good positioning in the offensive zone and willing to go to the scoring areas .. gets in on the forecheck .. protects the puck well with his big frame .. scored against Manchester Monarchs with quick hands alongside the net when the rebound came to him, he made one quick deke and tucked it in .. had two goals against the New England Moose .. one goal came on a breakaway with the defenseman all over him and he faked backhand to forehand for the goal. Stats: 5-7-6-13

Tommy O'Regan (2010), LW, St. Sebastian's

1992 DOB (Mar) .. decent size (5-11, 180) .. another '92 from New England who seems to be coming into his own .. has good speed with the puck coming up the wing .. skates upright a bit .. tough along the boards and protects the puck well .. moves the puck well in the offensive zone .. has a strong, accurate shot and a quick release in the slot .. always seems to be around the net .. scored against New England Moose when he got around the defenseman and fired a shot five-hole .. had a goal against Manchester Monarchs when he drove for the back post and got a nice pass for an easy tip-in. Stats: 5-5-1-6

Robbie Davis (2010), C, South Shore Kings (EJHL)

1992 DOB (Apr) .. lacks size (5-9, 170) .. was really skating well and the best I have seen him play to date .. his best asset is his skating .. was skating hard after pucks and using his speed well .. moves the puck well in the neutral and offensive zone .. seems to be more of a playmaker – despite his stats .. do not know about his finish around the net .. despite his size, he does not look afraid of the physical play .. needs to protect the puck better, especially in the corners .. scored both of his goal against Rapid RBK .. his first goal came off an easy backdoor goal, set-up by Mark Meads .. his second goal came while shorthanded and he fired it glove side. Stats: 5-1-2-3

Michael Reardon (2010), D, Nobles

1992 DOB (May) .. good size (6-2, 175) .. invited to the NTDP tryout .. his play has really taken off recently and he seems to be getting better every time I see time .. his skating is top notch .. has a smooth stride and ability to get back into position after pinching-in .. has a solid, all-around game, which includes offensive upside and strong defensive play .. smart and poised with the puck .. has a strong shot with a quick release .. vocal on the ice .. has ability to take puck end-to-end .. controls the play in the offensive zone when he has the puck and settles things down .. showed good character when he stuck-up for his teammates in the corner .. scored against Manchester Monarchs when he pinched-in from point and was wide open – he had all day to shoot and fired one top corner .. expecting big things next year at Nobles. Stats: 5-2-7-9

Derek Henderson (2010), D, Tabor Academy

1992 DOB (Jun) .. size (6-0, 170) .. opposite of Reardon, Henderson plays a tough, physical, in-your-face-style-of hockey .. a true defensive defenseman .. physical in front, in the corners and along the boards .. has ability to skate the puck, but lacks the offensive instincts when he gets into the zone .. moves the puck well out of the defensive zone .. overall, he plays a solid game and will keep other teams off the board. Stats: 5-0-2-2

Toronto Black Knights

Ben Thomson (2011), C, Mississauga Reps

1993 DOB (Jan) .. great size (6-2, 187) .. remember this name because he should be a top prospect for the 2009 OHL Draft .. has the size, skating, poise with the puck, hard shot and hands that make him a complete package in the offensive zone .. on the PK, he does an excellent job blocking shots and getting into the shooting lanes and killing time by skating the puck to open ice in the neutral zone .. was dominant in the game against the Manchester Monarchs .. strong in the faceoff circle .. quick hands and poised with the puck .. good positioning on the PP and getting into the scoring areas .. has a strong shot that comes off his stick so quick and accurate .. a strong skater with a powerful stride .. had a breakaway and rang it off two posts but never crossed the line .. scored against the Monarchs when he used his quick hands to make a move to the middle and snapped a quick shot off – blocker side .. an excellent prospect to keep an eye on for the future. Stats: 4-6-2-8

Tri-State Stars

Andrew Pascal (2010), W, NJ Devils U16 AAA

1992 DOB (Feb) .. size (6-0, 165) .. has very good speed but hops around a bit to get going .. pressures the puckcarrier hard, but not very physical – would like to see him hit more on the forecheck .. against the Jr. Bruins, he was not dominant with the puck like last summer .. was not getting many scoring chances .. looking forward to seeing him again. Stats: 3-0-0-0

Craig Wyszomirski (2011), D, NJ Hitmen (Jr. B)

1992 DOB (Sept) .. great size (6-3, 195) .. has improved so much in every part of his game over the last year .. moves the puck well out of his zone and makes crisp passes in all the zones .. physical and strong .. showed the ability if given some ice to skate the puck and start-up the offense .. has a decent shot that he seems more interested in getting it to the net then taking the big wind-up .. overall, he played a strong and steady game and looks ready for the next level of junior hockey. Stats: 3-0-1-1