Hockey East Recruiting Update: ‘01s and ‘02s Going Quickly

In the crazy world of college hockey recruiting, prospects are committing at a younger age than ever before. In Hockey East, ‘01s and ‘02s are going off the board quickly.

There are plenty of examples of prospects developing later, and teams capitalizing on those that fell through the cracks initially. Few programs can match the success UMass Lowell has had over the past several years and Norm Bazin and his staff have stayed away from the young recruits.

However, it’s interesting to note that most of the New England players born in 2001 who are considered “elite” at this moment are now off the board.

A major pitfall in prospects committing at an earlier age is that it forces the hands of both schools and the recruits. Programs will offer a player they might not be totally sure on because they don’t want to lose out on said player if another school offers before. Players see many of their counterparts announcing on social media and feel pressure to commit when they might not be ready or before a better offer is on the table.