Beantown NAPS: Prospect Report

The Beantown NAPS took place this past weekend, June 23-25, 2017, at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass.

The Boston Junior Bruins won at the 16U, 2004 and 2005 Divisions. A superbly talented East Coast Canadians squad won at the 15U Division and the Boston Junior Blues won the 2003 Division.

After taking in Sunday’s playoff action, here’s a report on a few of the prospects that stood out in the 16U and 15U divisions:

16U Division

Robbie Griffin, #10 Junior Bruins, 1/8/01, Forward, Shoots Right (Northeastern) - The second round pick of the Sioux Falls Stampede in the 2017 USHL Phase I Draft was able to show off his speed and 200-foot game here. He's a heady player who can find teammates after drawing defenders his way. He can make plays out of nothing.

Liam Connors, #5 Junior Bruins, 2/1/01, Forward, Shoots Right (Boston University) - His motor and speed are his top assets, but he showed off his hands on a few scoring plays as well. He's a Tri-City Storm draft pick from the 2017 USHL Phase I Draft. He'll be back at St. Sebastian's this winter.

Derek Mullahy, #30 Junior Bruins, 3/20/01, Goalie, Catches Left (Harvard) - He wasn't tested a lot in action this observer saw, but he made a couple of nice saves. He moves well and eats pucks quickly. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders draft pick is transferring from Shattuck St. Mary's to Dexter.

Sam Colangelo, #16 Junior Bruins, 12/26/01, Forward, Shoots Right - The Lawrence Academy sophomore-to-be keeps getting better. His skating is good and he is starting to gain confidence with the puck on his stick. He has a good shot and got off a lot of chances in the slot.

Christian Sarlo, #15 Longwood, 6/29/01, Forward, Shoots Left - The Chicago Steel draft pick is hard to knock off pucks. He's a strong skater who gets his chances. He works pucks low to high. He'll be with the North Jersey Avs 16U squad this winter.

Ian Pierce, #21 Longwood, 1/24/02, Defense, Shoots Left - He's smooth and not too flashy, but he has good feet and can turn pucks up ice, quickly transitioning from defense to offense. He's a Dubuque Fighting Saints draft choice.

Braden Doyle, #7 Junior Bruins, 8/24/01, Defense, Shoots Left (Boston University) - He played his usual game here. He's dynamic with the puck on his stick. His skating, vision and stick skills are all very good. He's property of the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Jacob Banks, #66 Junior Bruins, 3/27/01, Forward, Shoots Left - He never really caught my eye this past winter, but he's been great this month. He's fast, gets in on the forecheck and can explode out of the gates. He has good vision and can make plays from the walls and behind the net. He was passed over in the USHL Draft, but Cape Breton Screaming Eagles picked him up in the QMJHL Draft.

Colby Bailey, #6 Junior Bruins, 12/1/01, Defense, Shoots Right - He was often over-shadowed by classmate Henry Thrun (Harvard) this past winter, but he should get more time to shine this upcoming season. He's not as dynamic, but he skates well and makes simple yet effective outlet passes. He can quarterback a power play as well.

Frankie Ireland, #9 Junior Bruins, 2/6/01, Forward, Shoots Left - A selection of Baie-Commeau Drakkar in the QMJHL Draft, he's gotten better and appears to have bulked up some. He has good wheels and can make plays with his energy that he brings shift in and shift out.

Brandon Charbrier, #65 LI Gladiators, 7/19/02, Defense, Shoots Right - He was the only '02 to stand out in this division. While his team took one on the chin, the converted forward can skate well and contribute offensively from the blue line. He's a player to keep an eye on going forward. He should get better as he gets bigger.

15U Division

Josh Lawrence, #17 East Coast Canadians, 1/28/02, Forward, Shoots Right (Boston University) - He's just heads and shoulders above everyone else at this level. He can skate, he can pass, he can shoot and he can control pucks. If he's really committed to the NCAA route, he should easily be the top pick (or a tender) in the 2018 USHL Phase I Draft. He'll be back for a second year at Selects Academy this winter.

Christian Jimenez, #19 East Coast Canadians, 3/15/02, Defense, Shoots Left - He's a blue liner that likes to step up into the rush. He can skate and push the pace, but he gets back and defends. He could be a big time prospect down the line.

Jason Siedem, #92 East Coast Canadians, 10/17/02, Forward, Shoots Right (Boston College) - He's less consistent than Lawrence, but he has his moments where he can flat-out dominate with his size and skating. He has an explosive stride and can fire the puck. He's a late '02 who will be with the North Jersey Avalanche 16U squad this winter.

Stephen Davis, #19 Boston Generals, 1/9/02, Defense, Shoots Right (Boston College) - This was a really good viewing for him. He skates well and was good positionally in his own zone. He played with an edge, pushed pucks north and showed poise.

Eamon Powell, #2 Little Rhody HC, 5/10/02, Defense, Shoots Right - An offensive-minded defenseman who can really skate, he has poise with the puck. He has slick hands and scored a beauty of a goal in the shootout. He has good feet, walks the blue line well and gets shots on net. He has a good stick and can defend with his feet, but this observer needs to see more to be convinced of his play in his own zone. He played for the Syracuse Nats last year.

Carson Whitman, #66 Junior Bruins, 5/28/02, Forward, Shoots Right - He has an explosive burst and good vision to go with it. He can make plays.

Thomas Messineo, #7 Boston Generals, 5/2/02, Defense, Shoots Left - The St. Seb's freshman-to-be is a good, athletic blue liner.

Victor Czerneckianair, #15 East Coast Canadians, 2/17/02, Forward, Shoots Left (Quinnipiac) - He has good speed and hands. He made a couple of nice plays here, but he also does some of the little things that are typical of Rand Pecknold recruits. He gets to pucks and plays a cerebral game.

Tommy Aitken, #30 East Coast Canadians, 8/30/02, Goalie, Catches Right - He's a little on the small side and he wasn't tested much, but he's very good. He'll be heading to Selects Academy from Westchester Express.

Kyle Furey, #77 Junior Bruins, 2/5/02, Defense, Shoots Right - He's a two-way defenseman who exudes athleticism. He skates well. He'll be back at Malden Catholic this year.

Jack Williams, #91 East Coast Canadians, 3/2/02, Forward, Shoots Right - He scored an absolute snipe right under the bar for the first goal of the game against LRHC in the finals. He plays hard and bigger than he is. He skates with authority and can control the puck. He's transferring from Berwick to Selects Academy.

Zander Lizotte, #88 East Coast Canadians, 2/20/02, Defense, Shoots Left - He did a nice job in all three zones and scored a goal from the point. He's athletic and there's potential. He'll be back at Berwick in the fall.

David Ma, #6 Boston Generals, 6/22/02, Defense, Shoots Left - He made some really good passes in transition, skates well and made a couple of nice hits to prevent plays from developing.

Tucker Hartmann, #7 Junior Bruins, 4/4/02, Defense, Shoots Right - The more you see, the more you like. He's not flashy, but he just gets the job done. He competes hard and skates well. He's an athletic, physical defenseman. He'll be a sophomore at St. Mark's.

Matt MacDonald, #28 Boston Generals, 1/1/02, Forward, Shoots Right - Once you get past his stride, he grows on you as a player. He's big and plays with a purpose. He gets in on the forecheck. He wins battles for loose pucks. He's all over the place and has a high motor.

Alex Drover, #77 East Coast Canadians, 7/4/02, Forward, Shoots Right - A Nova Scotia kid, he played some with the Junior Bruins last year and will be back with them this year. He's a good offensive player and thinks the game well.

Cam Lowe, #27 Boston Generals, 2/28/02, Forward, Shoots Right - The way he played here is what you usually get from him. He has good speed, made nice passes and has high hockey IQ. One highlight of his was a nice pass up the right wing to spring a teammate for a breakaway.

Will Holland, #14 Boston Generals, 1/1/02, Defense, Shoots Right - He made a couple of nice hits and appeared to have the ability to step into the offense from the backend.

Michael Herrera, #62 Little Rhody HC, 6/2/02, Forward, Shoots Left - He's played some defense in the past, but he was LRHC's best forward. He scored two really pretty breakaway goals, showing off his hands. Another Syracuse Nats player on his team here, he has good speed as well.

Mason Kucenski, #30 Junior Bruins, 1/1/02, Goalie, Catches Left - He made some really good saves in the game against Little Rhody. He has good size and moved well in the crease.

Chris Branch, #31 Longwood, 3/1/01, Goalie, Catches Left - He made some nice saves in the finals vs. Junior Bruins, including a few breakaways.

Will Rinaldi, #83 East Coast Canadians, 1/14/02, Forward, Shoots Right - He's transferring from Lynnfield High to Selects Academy. He's a good skater and scored a goal in the semifinals. He has good offensive instincts overall.

Aidan Cobb, #97 East Coast Canadians, 3/5/02, Forward, Shoots Left - He scored a rebound goal in the finals. He's a good skater and does some things well, but he was overshadowed here by all the big-time talent on his team. He'll be joining his brother at Kent in the fall.

Ryan Gordon, #26 Boston Generals, 1/1/02, Forward, Shoots Right - He made a couple of nice moves, including one where he split some defenders with a toe-drag before ringing the post.