USA Hockey: Jr. Warriors 10th Annual Classic

The Jr. Warriors Classic brought in teams from the EJHL, Empire and Jr. / Prep teams. It ended with a surprise champion, the Portland Jr. Pirates, who defeated the Jr. Bruins 3 – 1 and claimed their first title in tournament history. McKeen's correspondent Vincent Montalbano, has notes on several prospects from the event.

Bay State Breakers (EJHL)

Anthony Principato (2008), F

1988 DOB (Sept) .. decent size (5-10, 180) .. a smart player who finds the open areas in the neutral zone and seems to bury all of his chances .. moves the puck well in the neutral zone .. has decent 1-on-1 moves, but lacks that extra gear of speed .. has a short stride .. despite size, he played tough along the boards .. scored against Bridgewater Bandits with 5.6 seconds left when left opened on the far post and when the puck came to him, he made a quick shift to his backhand and put the puck over the goalie .. also made a nice tip-pass for the fifth goal .. looks to have Division 1 potential .. stats so far this year: (12 – 6 – 8 – 14).

Timothy Corcoran (2008), D

1988 DOB (Jun) with size (6-1, 190) .. committed to UMass Lowell for 2008 .. used in all situations (PP and PK) .. has ability to skate the puck out of zone or make a tape-to-tape pass .. plays solid in his own end and tough down low in the corners and in front of his own net .. will never be a top scoring defenseman at Lowell, but should be a solid addition .. stats so far this year: (17 – 0 – 5 – 5).

Nicholas DelRosso (FA), D

1987 DOB (Jun) with good size (6-2,190) .. along with Corcoran, he was used in all situations (PP and PK) and a real leader on the ice .. has ability to skate with the puck at this level, but his skating is just average .. in the offensive zone, he moves the puck well, but prone to a few mistakes .. has an above average shot that he keeps low for tips .. could land on a few Division 1 school radars .. stats so far this year: (17 – 2 – 3 – 5).

Boston Jr. Shamrocks

Scott Barchard (2008), G

1988 DOB (May) .. has size (6-0, 195) .. poor kid has a struggling team in front of him and he keeps battling to keep his team in games .. against the Jr. Monarchs, he came in relief with his team down 5-0 .. he is the usual No. 1 goalie for the Shamrocks .. challenges the shooters and very aggressive in his crease .. has a tendency of getting out of position when making sprawling saves .. average puck-handling ability .. will be the only reason the Jr. Shamrocks will steal any wins this year .. stats so far this year: (14 – 1 – 11 – 1) 5.62 GAA .882 SV%.

Bridgewater Bandits

Brian Yanovitch (2008), F

1988 DOB (Aug) with decent size (5-11, 180) .. committed to Union for 2008 .. showed good speed with the puck, especially coming through the neutral zone .. unlike last viewing, played a somewhat physical game, as he was banging bodies along the boards and battling for pucks .. has decent hands and a good shot that he needs to release quicker .. still needs to be more consistent on a shift-by-shift basis .. stats so far this year: (20 – 10 – 13 – 23).

Ross Gaudet (2008), F

1988 DOB (Aug) with size (6-0, 195) .. has a stocky build .. plays the point on the PP because of his strong, low, accurate shot .. has a quick release – the main reason for team's second goal .. looked to be strong in the faceoff circle .. despite build, does not play an overly aggressive style .. has decent speed, but plays a driving down the wing style and using his body to shield the puck, as he will never win a footrace .. playing with Bridgewater after a successful career with Austin Prep (MA - H.S.) .. should get some Division 1 looks .. stats so far this year: (15 – 4 – 6 – 10).

Brandon Nunn (2008), F

1988 DOB (May) .. lacks size (5-9, 180) .. plays hard in every zone and every shift .. not the best skater, but does have decent speed .. smart in the offensive zone with the puck and moves the puck well .. backchecks hard and is reliable defensively .. could play at a low-end Division 1 school .. stats so far this year: (18 – 4 – 11 – 15).

Chris Rooney (2008), F

1989 DOB (Jul) .. lacks size (5-8, 170) .. recently committed to Providence for 2008 .. has good speed and a nice stride .. gets in on the forecheck and forces defenseman to move the puck quickly .. against Baystate, he looked solid in the offensive zone and displayed decent hands .. scored on the PP when the rebound came out and he was standing right on the top of the crease and banged the puck home .. stats so far this year: (17 – 6 – 9 – 15).

Capital District Selects

Denys Petrukhno (2008), D

1989 DOB (Sept) .. good size (6-3, 195) .. recently ranked by Central Scouting (B ranked) .. from Kiev, Ukraine .. his best asset would be his skating .. smooth skater forward and backwards .. plays solid on the PK and steps-up at the blue-line, except one goal-against, he did not get to the front of the net fast enough to cover the open man .. smart with the puck defensively and when in trouble, will go high, off the glass and make the safe play if needed .. good positioning defensively .. against the Jr. Bruins, his team did not have many scoring chances so nothing to report on his offensive game .. the B ranking might be a little high, but could be a late ranking by season end .. stats so far this year: (20 – 3 – 4 – 7).

Chance Lieb (2009), G

1990 DOB (Sept) .. size (6-0, 190) .. was under fire against the Jr. Bruins and gave his team a chance to stay in the game .. tendency to go down early, but has a quick glove .. quick reflexes and strong down low .. good post-to-post movement .. made several saves before the Jr. Bruins scored their first goal .. the second goal against would be one that he would want back .. faced many quality shots and played strong .. a very good prospect who should be an attractive Division 1 candidate for 2009 or 2010 .. stats so far this year: (10 – 3 – 6 – 1) 3.44 GAA .913 SV%.

Evan Story (2008), F

1988 DOB (Jul) .. small forward (5-9, 165) .. has quick strides and speed .. offensively, has a quick release that he unloads in mid-stride .. had a very quiet first half offensively, as Story and his linemates had a tough time sustaining pressure against the Jr. Bruins .. his size hurts him on the forecheck, as his pressure and checks are ineffective at times .. stats so far this year: (21 – 6 – 7 – 13).

Jacob Klancher (2008), F

1988 DOB (Apr) .. good size (6-3, 195) .. captain .. a good skater with decent strides and speed .. could try to extend his strides for more power .. backchecks hard and plays tough in every zone .. forechecks hard .. plays hard every shift, which makes him standout .. has decent skills with the puck .. strong on the PK and good positioning defensively .. stats so far this year: (21 – 6 – 19 – 25).

Boston Jr. Bruins

Connor Knapp (2008), G

1990 DOB (May) with incredible size (6-5, 230) .. committed to Miami-Ohio for 2009 .. recently listed as a "C rated" goalie by NHL Central Scouting and should move up in the rankings .. strong down low and covers a lot of the net .. did not face many shots against CD Selects, but did have a few flurries of shots and played strong when called upon .. stats this year so far are a bit surprising (2 – 4 – 1) 2.01 GAA .885 SV%.

Joe Zarbo (2009), F

1991 DOB (Aug) with size (6-0, 170) .. committed to Clarkson for either 2009 or 2010 .. plays tough down low and crashes the net .. a disappointing game, as he was not much of a factor as the last few viewings .. has been dropped to fourth line duty and may still be adapting to the EJHL level, but will need to pick-up his game and start establishing himself more on the ice to keep his status for the 2009 NHL Draft .. stats this year so far: (24 – 2 – 7 – 9).

Steve Moses (2008), F

1989 DOB (Aug) .. committed to UNH for 2008 .. lacks size (5-8, 155) .. usually plays an aggressive and chippy style, but did not against CD Selects .. has explosive speed and is so dangerous with the puck in the offensive zone .. very shifty and skilled .. quick hands and has an excellent outside move .. willing to shoot from anywhere and sometimes it is not the best option .. stats this year so far: (25 – 5 – 18 – 23, +4).

John Henrion (2009), F

1991 DOB (Jan) .. decent size (5-11, 195) .. has a quick and heavy shot .. another strong game that saw him dominate the boards and control the puck .. works hard down low and in the corners .. moves well with the puck, has the ability to battle through checks, and protect the puck .. very dangerous when open in the slot area .. smart with the puck .. very highly regarded prospect .. stats this year so far: (25 – 17 – 10 – 27, +9).

Edwin Shea (2008), D

1989 DOB (Sept) with size (6-0, 170) .. committed to Boston College for 2008 .. seems to be getting better every game .. moves the puck well from the backend .. his second half was a bit rough, as he could not seem to get a shot off with too big of a wind-up and a couple shots he did not get all of - fluttering to the net .. solid defensive positioning .. leads team in plus/minus .. stats this year so far: (25 – 2 – 13 – 15, +12)

Valley Jr. Warriors

Steve Bozek (2008), F

1989 DOB (Apr) .. decent size (5-11, 180) .. plays an aggressive style and willing to get in on the forecheck and battle for possession .. tough down low and in the corners .. has decent speed with long strides .. plays solid on the PK .. stats so far this year: (16 – 3 – 1 – 4).

Paul Dimitruk (2008), D

1990 DOB (May) .. size (6-1, 185) .. best asset is his skating but overall, after coming back from Moncton (QMJHL), his confidence looks a bit shaky .. makes strong outlet passes and played decent overall defensively, but when pressured and handling the puck, he is prone to turnovers and bad plays .. splits between the Empire League and the EJHL, which someone who was ranked as a B player by Central Scouting should not be doing .. hope that he can turn it around and gain more confidence with the puck .. stats so far this year: (16 – 1 – 0 – 1).

NE Jr. Huskies

Trevor Lawler (2008), F

1989 DOB (Aug) .. small (5-7, 175) and shifty forward .. good offensive skills with the puck and a quick release .. scored against the Valley Warriors to help team take the lead with four minutes left .. has a quick outside move .. should attract a few Division 1 schools with his offensive ability .. stats so far this year: (19 – 9 – 8 – 17).

NE Jr. Falcons

Josh Watson (2008), G

1990 DOB (Aug) .. good size (6-2, 175) .. recently ranked by Central Scouting (C ranked) .. showed quick reflexes, but has tendency to go down a bit early .. beat on the second goal glove side .. has quick recovery after initial save .. will need to view again to get a better report .. stats so far this year: (10 – 4 – 5 – 1) 3.01 GAA .919 Sv%.

NH Jr. Monarchs

Greg Burke (2008), F

1990 DOB (May) .. good size (6-2, 190) .. committed to UNH for 2008 .. really buzzing with linemates in the offensive zone .. constantly moving around and finding the open areas .. scored when drifted away from the scrum and the rebound came right out to him and he fired it back into the open net .. has lots of offensive skill and handles the puck well .. because the Shamrocks were a weak team, will need to see him again .. recently ranked by Central Scouting (B ranked) .. should continue to move up in the rankings if he plays like he did .. stats so far this year: (13 – 5 – 4 – 9).

Connor Moore (2008), F

1989 DOB (Oct) .. good size (6-2, 200) .. committed to Providence for 2009 .. recently ranked by Central Scouting (C ranked) .. plays very well with linemates Flynn and Burke .. has good speed with and without the puck .. uses his speed in the offensive zone to pressure the defense and battle for loose pucks, while Burke and Flynn find open lanes for passes .. solid game but the Jr. Shamrocks are not a strong team defensively, so tough to evaluate overall .. stats so far this year: (12 – 2 – 1 – 3).

Brian Flynn (2008), F

1988 DOB (Jul) .. size (6-0, 175) .. had a very strong game against a weak Jr. Shamrocks .. scored with a quick shot that he sent far post when he received a nice pass from linemate Greg Burke .. strong in the faceoff circle .. moves the puck well in the offensive zone and made cycling look easy with linemates .. should be a Division 1 candidate .. stats so far this year: (18 – 9 – 8 – 17).

Jeff Velleca (FA), F

1987 DOB (Apr) .. size (6-0, 175) .. had a tremendous game with a hat trick and really deflated any momentum that the Shamrocks may have had with a couple of chances - a few before his goals .. first goal came off a one-timer .. second goal was a rebound that left him with an easy tap-in .. third goal was another rebound opportunity that found him standing alone by the far post and started whacking away and the puck just slid by the goalie .. committed to Union for 2008 .. stats so far this year: (12 – 6 – 5 – 11).

Jersey Hitmen

Kevin Clare (2010), D

1992 DOB (Mar) .. size (6-1, 190) .. a very good prospect to keep track of .. a combination of size and mobility .. his skating is very good, as he has a smooth, long stride and very good backwards mobility .. looks to be the complete package, as he is tough defensively and willing to join the rush offensively .. strong in the corners and in front of net .. early in the game, he was playing a conservative defensive game, but during the second half, he was jumping into the offense and coming in from the point .. an intriguing prospect that will only get better playing against players up to five-years older than him .. stats so far this year: (18 – 0 – 4 – 4).

Andrew Himelson (2008), D

1990 DOB (Feb) .. small defenseman (generously listed as 5-foot-10 and 172 pounds) .. has good poise with the puck defensively and moves the puck up ice well .. has a decent shot from the point that he gets on net for rebounds and tips .. likes to sneak in from the point and move into the slot area for a shot .. size is a factor in the defensive zone and battling in the corners .. showed good speed with the puck .. could be a solid Division 1 candidate .. stats so far this year: (19 – 7 – 12 – 19).

Northwood School

Nik Pokulok (2008), D

1990 DOB (May) .. a junior .. very good size and strength (6-5, 220) .. received a lot of playing time against the Jr. Flyers and Brewster .. strong on the PK .. plays on the PP, but would not be considered a PP player on a stronger team .. moves the puck well from the backend .. issue remains with his skating – it is average with decent speed .. skates very well backwards .. scored the game-winner against Brewster when he pinched-in and stayed down around the net, his teammate found him at the bottom of the circle and shot the puck five-hole .. had a few big hits along the boards against Brewster .. 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) .. when he is willing to play physical, he is tough to knock around and difficult to get the puck from .. has a strong upper body .. has a wide, smooth stride .. lacks explosive speed but fast to be effective and dangerous with the puck .. decent on the PK but is caught out of position at times .. solid in the faceoff circle .. plays well on a line with Julien Cayer and Matt Firman .. a Division 1 candidate.

Julien Cayer (2008), F

1989 DOB (July) .. a senior and assistant captain .. committed to Clarkson for 2008 .. drafted by Baie-Comeau (QMJHL) .. very good size (6-4, 190) .. has a heavy shot but looks to pass to Chiasson most of the time .. has a long stride with good speed coming down the wing .. moves the puck around well in the offensive zone with Chiasson and Firman.

Zac Fulton (2008), D

1989 DOB (Jul) .. a senior and captain .. good size (6-2, 190) .. possesses a quick, strong shot from point .. has ability to rush the puck .. decent skater with a strong stride .. received a lot of playing time and was paired with Nik Pokulok .. decent on the PK and strong on the PP in the offensive zone, but needs work on breakout passes on the PP, as he was off the mark a few times .. had a bad turnover against the Jr. Flyers at the blueline .. should be a Division I candidate.

Jacob Morley (2008), F

1988 DOB .. a senior and assistant captain .. good size and strength (6-2, 205) .. overall, a solid player who does a little bit of everything well .. solid on the PP and moves the puck well .. made himself noticeable every shift against the Jr. Flyers and asserted himself physically .. had many chances around the net .. willing to bang along the boards and in the corners .. should be a strong candidate for many Division I schools.

National Sports Academy

Geoff Matzel (2008), F

1989 DOB (Sept) .. a senior .. lacks size and strength (5-7, 145) .. typical small and shifty forward .. has quick moves .. his lack of size makes him ineffective in the corners and on the forecheck .. he uses his speed to get into the corners, but ends up reaching for the puck .. has good offensive ability and a quick release .. the only real threat on his team.

Philadelphia Jr. Flyers

Eric Knodel (2008), D

1990 DOB (Jun) .. very good size (6-4, 180) .. plays a tough defensive game and is strong 1-on-1 .. has a long stride, but only average speed .. offensive game needs work .. in the defensive zone, Knodal plays tough and aggressive.

Billy Latta (2008), F

1990 DOB (Jul) .. lacks size (5-7, 150) .. has a quick stride and good speed .. very slippery in the offensive zone .. his quick burst of speed and outside move make it hard to defend against him .. has a decent shot .. needs to be more effective in the defensive zone and have better positioning.

Portland Jr. Pirates

Ryan Boucher (2008), D

1989 DOB .. size (6-0, 175) .. showed good poise in the offensive zone, especially on the PP .. makes solid transition passes out of the defensive and neutral zone .. not overly physical, but effective in the defensive zone .. another year at a stronger junior level and Boucher might garner attention from some Division I schools.

Zac Carriveau (2008), D

1990 DOB .. size (6-0, 175) .. similar to Boucher in that he has strong poise in the offensive zone and moves the puck well on the PP .. has a strong shot from the point .. good outlet passes .. will also need to move up to a stronger junior level to get more attention from Division I schools.

Cody Carlson (2008), F

1988 DOB .. decent size (5-11, 175) .. has decent hands .. main asset is his speed with the puck .. had a strong game against National Sports Academy and scored to help the Pirates to a 5 – 0 win.