Beantown Fall Classic: USA U-17 Comes To Town

The Beantown Fall Classic had a strong buzz with some of the best teams from all over North America visiting New Hampshire. The USA U-17 team drew the biggest buzz, as they won a close game against the Jr. Bruins (EJHL) and suffered a tough loss against the Jr. Monarchs (EJHL). Other teams included LA Jr. Kings, Russell Stover and Dartmouth Subway.

BEANTOWN FALL CLASSIC (JUNIOR DIVISION)

Boston Jr. Bruins

Connor Knapp (2008), G

1990 DOB (May) with incredible size (6-5, 230) .. committed to Miami-Ohio for 2009 .. the main reason the Jr. Bruins remained in a close game with the NTDP U-17 team .. made two nice point-blank saves and looked strong down low .. controlled his rebounds well .. recently listed as a C-rated goalie on the NHL Central Scouting, but with a strong season he could easily move up in the rankings.

Joe Zarbo (2009), F

1991 DOB (Aug) with size (6-0, 170) .. committed to Clarkson for either 2009 or 2010 .. played a strong game and really created some scoring chances with his tough play down low and crashing the net .. a good skater with a long stride .. looked like he could have been on the NTDP U-17 team and would have been a solid player.

Steve Moses (2008), F

1989 DOB (Aug) .. committed to UNH for 2008 .. was his type of game that skating and speed were key in a real up-and-down game .. had a few scoring chances but NTDP goalie Adam Murray made a few tremendous saves .. has very good speed .. had a few quiet shifts mixed in with some dominating ones.

John Henrion (2009), F

1991 DOB (Jan) .. decent size (5-11, 195) .. played a very good game and another player who could have been on the other bench with the NTDP U-17 team .. has a heavy shot .. had a good chance when open in the slot and snapped one off quickly that just went past the post .. works hard down low and in the corners.

USA NTDP U-17

Jeremy Morin (2009), F

1991 DOB (Apr) .. decent size (5-11, 175) .. drafted by Kitchener (OHL) .. have the sense that Morin is a pure goal scorer with very good hands .. had a few rushes with the puck and displayed his offensive ability .. main concern is his skating and speed .. lacks that extra gear of speed to make him effective in the neutral zone, but once in the offensive zone, he finds the scoring areas .. overall, his game against the Jr. Bruins had mixed reviews with flashes of offensive intrigue and disappointment .. has yet to commit to a college, but should have a number of schools interested in his services.

A.J. Treais (2009), F

1991 DOB (Feb) .. lacks size and strength (5-6, 146) .. committed to Michigan for 2009 .. drafted by Mississauga (OHL) .. typical small player with shifty, quick moves .. has good hands and offensive creativity .. had a bad defensive pass when trying to clear the zone on the PK .. will need to get stronger because was easily knocked off the puck in the corners.

Drew Shore (2009), F

1991 DOB (Jan) .. good size (6-1, 173) .. recently committed to Denver for 2009 .. drafted by Chilliwack (WHL) .. besides linemate Kyle Palmieri, he was the best forward on the ice for both teams .. has quick hands and is very good in tight .. uses his size and strength to his advantage and protects the puck very well .. takes a few strides to get going, but does have good speed coming through the neutral zone .. aggressive down low, in the corners and solid in every zone .. a definite high draft pick for 2009.

Kyle Palmieri (2009), F

1991 DOB (Feb) .. decent size (5-9, 172) but makes his presence known every shift .. committed to Notre Dame for 2009 .. his skating is very good with a smooth stride and good speed .. has deceptive speed .. looks to have a high hockey IQ and really controls the pace of the game when he has the puck .. has ability to get up ice quickly with the puck or slow it down and set-up plays .. despite not being the biggest player on the ice, Palmieri is willing to battle in the corners and be aggressive on the forecheck .. has a very good shot .. scored the first goal of the game against the Jr. Bruins when he unleashed a quick snapshot in the slot area .. another definite high pick for 2009.

Steven Whitney (2009), F

1991 DOB (Feb) .. participated in the 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament and was a last minute roster addition for the weekend .. recently committed to play at BC with his older brother Joe in 2009 .. lacks size (5-6, 160) .. has all the intangibles to make him extremely dangerous with the puck (vision, speed, hands, smarts) .. can handle the puck at a fast pace and make quick plays or slow the play down and set-up plays .. vocal on the ice .. always ready to move the puck before he even gets it .. played very well with Ryan Bourque .. some scouts will not agree with his decision to return to Lawrence Academy instead of playing full time with the NTDP U-17 team .. has high draft potential for the 2009 NHL Draft.

Ryan Bourque (2009), F

1991 DOB (Jan) .. similar to Whitney and other linemate Treais, Bourque .. lacks size (5-7, 155) .. committed to UNH for 2009 .. also similar to Whitney having explosive speed with the puck and quick hands .. plays in every zone on every shift at high speed and an extra effort .. despite size, he seems to be stronger and more physical than last year at Cushing .. defensively reliable and willing to sacrifice his body, as he blocked two shots .. smart with the puck and does not seem to over-handle the puck .. wore the "A" for the weekend .. also has high draft potential for the 2009 NHL Draft.

Kenny Ryan (2009), F

1991 DOB (July) .. size (5-11, 175) .. committed to BC for 2009 .. drafted by Windsor (OHL) .. played a strong game on a line with David Valek and Jeremy Morin .. showed willingness to battle down low, but it was his creative pass that caught a lot of "ooohs and aaahs" from the crowd .. he was taking the puck to the corner with pressure coming from behind and he quickly spun around on his backhand and sent a tape-to-tape pass to Valek waiting at the backdoor for the easy tap-in .. a solid player with high upside.

Cam Fowler (2010), D

1991 DOB (Dec) .. good size (6-1, 185) .. committed to Notre Dame for 2009 .. drafted by Kitchener (OHL) .. solid in every zone .. physical and strong, as he was battling players on the Jr. Bruins who were as much as four years older than him .. tough in front of his own net .. very good defensively .. started the rush that led to the first goal .. a tremendous talent who if he continues to develop there is no reason to say that he will not be a top pick in 2010.

Sam Calabrese (2009), D

1991 DOB (Mar) .. small defenseman (5-9, 164) .. committed to Notre Dame for 2009 .. drafted by Oshawa (OHL) .. a first-rate skater with a smooth stride and good speed .. has ability to rush the puck up ice and moves it at the right time .. does not seem to be an offensive threat but with his skating, he has the potential to be dangerous .. plays a solid game.

Richie Crowley (2009), D

1991 DOB (May) .. size (6-0, 176) .. tough defender who was playing within himself .. at last viewing, Crowley seemed to be trying to do too much by rushing the puck and jumping into the offense, but with the U-17 team, he played solid hockey and never tried to do too much .. strong down low defensively and in front of his own net .. wore the "C" since the tournament was held in his home state.

Adam Murray (2009), G

1991 DOB (Mar) .. size (6-0, 191) .. committed to Denver for 2009 .. drafted by Moose Jaw (WHL) .. a strong game against the Jr. Bruins .. technically sound and bailed his defense out a few times .. had a couple rebound control issues early but as the game went on, he got stronger .. looks solid down low and showed good poise when under fire.

Northwood School

Nik Pokulok (2008), D

1990 DOB (May) .. a junior .. very good size and strength (6-5, 220) .. brother of Washington Capitals first round draft pick Sasha Pokulok .. a decent skater who seems to be getting used to his body .. skates very well backwards .. plays tough in front of his own net .. has limited offensive ability .. should attract lots of Division 1 attention.

Alex Chiasson (2009), F

1990 DOB (May) .. a junior .. drafted by Val d'or (QMJHL) .. good size (6-3, 175) .. has good offensive ability with a combination of size and skill with the puck .. showed good vision .. should be Northwood's top offensive player during the year and a Division 1 candidate.

Julien Cayer (2008), F

1989 DOB (July) .. a senior .. committed to Clarkson for 2008 .. drafted by Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) .. very good size (6-4, 190) .. plays a tough game in every zone and every shift .. has a heavy shot that he needs to use more .. decent offensive ability.

BEANTOWN FALL CLASSIC (U-18)

Alliance Bulldogs

Chad Peterson (2008), F

1990 DOB .. has good size .. long, quick strides with good speed .. loves to play a physical game and bang bodies in the corners .. will need to get stronger on his skates to continue using his size to his advantage .. attacks the puck with speed .. a definite grinder with decent skill.

Joseph Purull (2008), F

1990 DOB .. Select-17 .. despite lack of size, he showed a willingness to battle for pucks and go into the corners .. has quick hands and displayed good offensive instincts.

Philly Jr. Flyers

Bill Latta (2008), F

1990 DOB (July) .. Select-17 .. small forward (5-7, 150) who plays a shifty game and relies on his speed every shift to create offense .. showed very good speed with the puck coming down the wing and ability to make a quick move to the outside around the defense .. will need to take his game to another level to prove he can handle playing against better players.

Connor Brogan (2008), G

1989 DOB (Oct) .. good size (6-1, 170) .. displayed a quick glove against Chicago Mission .. used his quick reflexes to make a second and third save when the team was under attack .. decent at handling the puck .. let in a goal five-hole that he probably wanted back, but the other goal came from a scramble in front and the puck made its way out the slot area before a Mission player snapped a quick shot off.

Chicago Mission

Joey Tullis (2009), F

1991 DOB (Mar) .. very good size and strength (6-3, 203) .. protects the puck very well with his body in the corners and along the boards .. lacks speed, but does have a strong stride .. scored when a scramble ensued in front, he waited in the slot and the puck came out, he skated to the puck and snapped a shot off - top corner .. would like to see him more physical in the corners .. has good upside and should move to a stronger team/ league soon.

Alex Bearson (2009), F

1991 DOB (Apr) .. decent size (5-11, 175) .. a good skater with a strong stride and speed .. handles the puck well, but needs to work on his hands in traffic and in tight .. showed good vision in the offensive zone .. needs to get stronger on his skates, as he was being knocked off the puck too much down low.

Sam Fatigato (2008), F,br>

1989 DOB (Aug) .. lacks size (5-7, 172) but makes up for it with determination and persistent effort .. assistant captain .. was quick after loose pucks and willing to battle in the corners and in front of the net .. showed good support on the PP by getting open and being vocal on the ice .. proved to be valuable on both the PP and PK .. on the PK, puts lots of pressure on the puckcarrier .. while on the PP, he moves the puck well and possesses a decent shot.

Nick Gualano (2008), F

1989 DOB (Nov) .. decent size (5-10, 188) .. captain .. displayed decent hands in traffic and moves the puck well in the offensive zone, especially on the PP .. strong effort down low.

Junior Bruins

Clay Witt (2009), G

1991 DOB (Aug) .. good size (6-2, 190) .. has long legs and covers the bottom of the net well .. good glove .. not tested much against the Alliance Bulldogs .. does have a solid group of defenseman in front of him, but his talent does shine through .. a definite Division 1 prospect.

Nick Foy (2008), F

1990 DOB (Feb) .. very good size and strength (6-4, 210) .. the issue with his game is consistency and wanting to see him use his size more .. against the Alliance Bulldogs, he was playing very hard and using his speed to attack loose pucks and banging bodies all over the ice – the type of game you expect to see from him every game .. definitely, the best game I have seen him play .. effective every shift .. does possess speed but takes a few strides to get going .. a definite player to continue watching his progress.

Frankie Vatrano (2012), F

1994 DOB (Mar) .. amazing to see a 1994-born skate with players as much as five-to-six years older than him .. despite his size (5-3, 135), he is willing to go after pucks and take a hit .. smart with the puck and draws a defender before dishing the puck off to a teammate .. his game will only get better by playing with older players.

Tommy Monteiro (2008), D

1989 DOB (Feb) .. size (6-1, 200) .. his best asset is his play on the PP .. the team plays an umbrella PP with Monteiro at the point and the job is to get him open for a one-timer .. has a very hard and accurate shot that comes off his stick with some zip to it .. a dangerous threat every PP .. average in the defensive zone and his positioning needs work.

Russell Stover

Scott Winkler (2008), F

1990 DOB (Feb) .. recently listed on CS Preliminary List .. good size (6-2, 185) .. from Norway .. received a lot of icetime against the Jr. Eagles .. has very good hands .. on the PP, stays on the wall, moves the puck around, and is a good set-up man .. technical skater with decent speed .. starts with a small stride but extends it out after a few strides .. plays too much on the perimeter and never seems to go after and battle for pucks – just sits back and lets his linemates do all the dirty work .. has a long reach that he effectively uses .. has good skills, but will need to get his nose dirty if he wants to continue being recognized as a potential draft pick.

Mike Slowikowski (2008), D

1989 DOB (Apr) .. tremendous size and strength (6-5, 220) .. showed good speed for a big kid .. could have asserted himself more in the physical department, but does play tough in the corners and in front of his own net, but not as dominant as would expect .. has ability to skate the puck .. has good potential and will need to jump up a level to continue developing.

Cam Stowers (2008), F

1990 DOB (Apr) .. Select-17 .. good size (6-2, 195) .. has a strong shot and a quick release .. uses his size well, but most effective in getting to the open areas .. had two goals against the Jr. Eagles .. one goal came on the PP when he took a quick shot from the faceoff dot that went top corner .. second goal came off a one-timer, as he found some open ice to get into position .. good offensive skills and hands .. a definite player to watch.