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NCAA Recruiting: An Early Look at the ‘03s

By Jeff Cox
The ‘03 Crimson Combine at Bright-Landry Hockey Center

As absurd as it might be, prospects born in 2003 have begun visiting colleges and talking with NCAA hockey programs in regards to potentially committing to play for that school.

Just last week, Belle Tire forward Red Savage became the first 2003-born prospect to commit to a college hockey program. Savage announced his commitment via Twitter shortly after the conclusion of the prestigious STX 68. Red is the younger brother of ‘00 Ryan Savage, who is also slated to play for the RedHawks.

The following is a list of top 2003-born prospects who could one day find themselves on a college hockey roster. Viewings include 2016 USHL Fall Classic East, 2017 Total Pro Evaluation Spring Showcase, 2017 World Selects Invitational (15U), Hockey Essentials Northeastern College Showcase, BU Prep Showcase and Crimson Combine. The majority of the players on this list hail from the Northeastern United States with a few sprinkled in from Michigan, Illinois, California and New Brunswick. If a prospect did not attend one of the camps or showcases listed above, his name will not appear on this list. Please note that players are listed in alphabetical order within their grade.

2003s

Player DOB Pos. S/C Hometown Team NCAA Commit Viewing #1 Viewing #2 Viewing #3 Grade
Player DOB Pos. S/C Hometown Team NCAA Commit Viewing #1 Viewing #2 Viewing #3 Grade
Agostinelli, Anthony 1/7/03 F L Rochester, N.Y. Rochester Monarchs TPE: He had good size and was tough to knock off pucks. He had slick hands for a player of his size and was able to create offense as a set-up guy and as a finisher. BU Prep Showcase: He has a very good offensive skill set. He has a quick release and made quite a few good passes from down low and along the wall. He’s the type of player who looks like he’s not even close to hitting his ceiling. A
Boucher, Tyler 1/16/03 F R Haddonfield, N.J. Virtua TPE: He has a quick stick and was a good skater. His speed into the zone down the left wing started a scoring play. He also made a really nice pass to spring a teammate on a partial breakaway. He had a heavy shot as well. Crimson Combine: He just plain finishes, notching a hat trick. Two of his goals were from right above the goal mouth while another was off a hard wrist shot from the top of the slot. He has length and protects the puck. A
Duke, Dylan 3/4/03 F L Northville, Mich. Belle Tire Duke has the makings of a really good possession forward who can create offense from anywhere. He has elite feet and hands, puck skills were very good. He made a nifty centering feed on his team's second goal on Sunday. He also made a nice low to high pass from down below his attacking goal line (TPE) A
Gratton, Dylan 2/25/03 D L Pottstown, Pa. NJ Avalanche TPE: He was the best prospect here. His composure in all three zones was truly impressive. He moved the puck with precision. He skated well. He had his head up and made good passes. He had a good stick and was able to process the game. He made some nifty plays with the puck, both with his stick and skating it. WSI: Even playing up an age here, he was stellar. He skates well and has his head up at all times. He joins the rush and activates while getting back to defend. Hockey Essentials Showcase: This wasn’t his best showing, but he still showed flashes of why he’s the best prospect long-term here. He has a good stick, activates into the rush and can skate with any opposing player. A
Hreschuk, Aiden 2/19/03 D L Long Beach, Calif. LA Jr. Kings TPE: He was very, very good. His skating and how he thought the game were both absolutely tremendous. He stepped up and made plays. He knew when to pick his spots. He created goals from his play on the blue line. He had good gaps and a good stick. A
Huckins, Cole 5/14/03 F L Fredericton, N.B. Stanstead College Prep Crimson Combine: Huckins had good size and explosiveness to his stride. He blew by a defender down the left side before cutting in on net. Huckins had a heavy shot and was confident with the puck on his stick. He assisted on a goal late in the game where he made a nice drop pass before driving the net to provide a screen. A
St. Louis, Ryan 6/13/03 F L Riverside, Conn. Mid-Fairfield TPE: He's an elite skater with tremendous speed and hands. He makes plays. He has a nose for the puck. He made a great move for a breakaway goal, accelerating past the defense and shielding the puck with his body. He made another slick move down the right wing, turning to feed a open teammate while still on the move. He was the best forward here. He's the son of UVM legend and retired NHL star Marty St. Louis. Crimson Combine: There was little doubt he was the best player here, and he’s one of the top ‘03s in the country. St. Louis competes hard each shift. He scored the first goal of the game, sneaking in alone and tucking a shot into the top corner of the net. On the second goal, his quick stick helped him be the first on the rebound. He won battles along the wall. He was the first player back on the backcheck on several occasions. He was around the puck and went to the dirty areas. A
Tsakounis, Drew 7/15/03 D L Arlington, Va. NJ Colonials BU Prep Showcase: Tsakounis was the youngest player here and it showed at times, but he did a good job of recovering more than once. His gaps and how he read plays defensively were just average, but his skating ability and his stick more than made up for it. He was at his best with the puck on his stick. He skated with his head up in transition and kept pucks going north. He looks to be a very promising prospect. A
Bevilacqua, Michael 1/26/03 D L Hamburg, N.Y. Buffalo Jr. Sabres USHL Fall Classic East:€” He had good poise with the puck and skated well. He's a power play quarterback-type defenseman. WSI: He didn’t separate himself from the field too much here playing up an age, but he’s a smooth skater who can move the puck. He looks to be a strong candidate to make the NTDP in 2019. B
Burnside, Davis 9/22/03 F R LaGrange, Ill. Chicago Mission TPE: He was the best player on his team here. He protected the puck, was a strong skater and had good vision. His agility and straight line speed were both impressive. He made a few nice plays where he was able to pull up, stop and find an open line mate. B
Callaghan, Connor 3/2/03 G L Upper Saddle River, N.J. Mid-Fairfield TPE: He's a competitor in the crease and does a good job on his rebound control and covering up loose pucks. Crimson Combine: Callaghan challenges shooters on top of the crease, has poise and moves well. B
Cleaves, Brett 1/4/03 G L Summit, N.J. NJ Devils TPE: He moved well in net and made a couple good post-to-post saves. B
Delay, Tim F R Jr. Eagles TPE: He's a very good skater who had great agility. He created a lot of chances in transition by using his speed. He scored a nice backhand goal off a deke where he had the goalie leaning the wrong way. Crimson Combine: Delay was probably the best skater at the combine. He can move and make plays in tight spaces. He has good edge work and retrieves pucks to keep the play moving in the attacking zone. B
Elias, William 1/28/03 D R Southborough, Mass. Jr. Eagles TPE: He was a good skater who liked to join the rush. He had good recovery speed and could close. He was good on breakouts. Crimson Combine: Elias is an elite skater with good feet, and can move pucks up ice. B
Fleming, Joe D R Jr. Eagles TPE: He's a mobile, puck-mover. He has a good stick going back and was the best defender on his team. Crimson Combine: Fleming was a good skater who played with toughness. He prevented a breakaway after his partner pinched. His positioning and stick was solid in shooting and passing lanes. B
Heaney, Thomas 2/2/03 G L NJ Colonials TPE: He had good size, moved well and possessed solid fundamentals. Crimson Combine: Heaney made several big saves, including one on a penalty shot. He was consistently in good position and made saves look easy. He kicked pucks to the corners and pounces on rebounds. B
O'Donnell, Shawn 6/21/03 F L Crescent, Pa. Pittsburgh Penguins TPE: He had good hands around the net. He scored on a tip-in goal and then finishing off a play with a quick shot on top of the crease. He finds seams in the opposition's defense. He's around the puck and in good position more times than not. He has that extra gear, competed hard and was physical for his size. B
Wallace, Nick 5/7/03 D L Atlantic Highlands, N.J. NJ Colonials TPE: He had above average mobility and was physical for his size. Crimson Combine: Wallace is an offensive-minded defenseman who likes to jump into the rush, but he has the speed and sense to recover and get back on defense. His stock went way up here. B
Brille, Matthew 1/2/03 F R NJ Colonials TPE: He was strong, absorbed a hit to make a play and played the game the right way. Crimson Combine: Brille was around the puck a lot and scored the game-winner in overtime by just hanging around the net. His speed and quick hands were both notable. He played a complete game, evidenced by one shift where he rode off a player in transition then turned it into offense the other way. C
Buium, Shai D L LA Jr. Kings TPE: He has good size and played some forward here as well. He was active, liked to join the rush and had reach. C
Cafarelli, Anthony F R Valley Warriors Crimson Combine: Cafarelli had above average speed, good hockey sense and rung the post on a shot from the left circle. C
Callow, Mike F R Jr. Eagles Crimson Combine: He scored a goal on a breakaway down the left wing where he used his speed to create space between himself and the defenseman. C
Chen, David 4/1/03 F R Livingston, N.J. NJ Colonials TPE: He was small, but quick and crafty with a good stick. Crimson Combine: Undersized, he flies around the ice, but did little to stand out here. C
Cooke, Sterling 2/7/03 F L Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Belle Tire TPE: C
Connors, Kenny 3/10/03 F L Glen Mills, Pa. Virtua TPE: He had a great motor and his puck pursuit was notable. He has good feet and creates chances with his energy. Crimson Combine: Connors has a powerful stride. It allows him to control pucks down low and make plays from the wall and below the goal line. He has the speed to get back on the forecheck as evidenced on a shift where he made a nice play behind the attacking goal line, but was also the first guy back on the backcheck. C
Cuoto, Jackson F R Minuteman Flames TPE: He consistently used his speed and high motor to make plays and impact the game. C
Davey, Paul F Crimson Combine:
Donaldson, Nick D R Mid-Fairfield TPE: He was very good in his own end, riding a few opposing forwards into the wall. He was good positionally in his own zone. Crimson Combine: He made consistently good decisions on the breakout. C
Donato, Will F R NJ Colonials Crimson Combine: He plays hard, but is a little too reckless. His compete level is infectious. C
Duke, Tyler 3/4/03 D L Northville, Mich. Belle Tire TPE: He was a little on the smaller side, but he was a good skater from the back end. C
Fitzgerald, Brendan D L Islanders HC TPE: He read plays well, stepping up and intercepting passes and knowing when to pinch. He showed off his vision with a nice pass to the backdoor from the left point. C
Fusco, Matthew D R Jr. Eagles Crimson Combine: An undersized defender, he skates well. C
Geraci, Jake D R Mid-Fairfield TPE: He wasn't flashy, but he was efficient. He made a solid play defensively on another team's top player. Crimson Combine: His vision up ice was solid and he made several nice breakout passes. His puck skills were just slightly below the two players ranked above him. C
Gilmartin, Liam 1/7/03 F L Washington Little Caps TPE: He was good down low and had a heavy shot. Crimson Combine: Gilmartin has good size and split two defenders on his team’s first goal. He has a little bit of power to his game. He had a quick release, drove the net and scored another goal by doing both of those things. C
Gould, Vincent F R Jr. Terriers TPE: He's a big strong kid who had good hands around the net, especially for someone his size. Crimson Combine: Gould is a bull who uses his size and strength to barrel into the slot and get off hard shots on net. C
Grier, Jayden F L Jr. Terriers TPE: He's small, but fast and played with a lot of energy. C
Hughes, Jack 11/2/03 F L Westwood, Mass. Jr. Eagles TPE: He had good hands and vision. He made a couple of really nice looks from the wall to find open teammates. He skates well and has some signs of becoming a good player. Crimson Combine: He has good hands and likes to stickhandle. With his size and physical tools, he has upside. C
Hurst, Michael F R Pittsburgh Penguins TPE: His speed and quickness were his two biggest strengths and the reason he was able to generate offense. C
Joyce, Nolan 9/25/03 D R Dedham, Mass. Jr. Eagles TPE: He was a mobile defender who competed and grinded when retrieving pucks. He had a really good one-timer and had good footwork overall. Crimson Combine: An offensive-minded defender, he skates well, had a good one-timer and saw the ice well. C
Killoran, Will D R Islanders HC TPE: His size and reach were intriguing. Crimson Combine: He's a little awkward on his feet, but he has good size and has some potential. C
Kinne, Davis D R Islanders HC TPE: He had good size and skated well. He was able to hop into the offense and move the puck in transition with his feet. C
Lavdas, Andrew 1/29/03 G L Marlton, N.J. Virtua Crimson Combine: Lavdas kicked pucks to the corner and had good size in net. He made a nice save on a penalty shot attempt. C
McGroarty, Matthew 1/30/03 F R Mid-Fairfield TPE: He had a powerful stride and good size. Crimson Combine: McGroarty has good size and strength and showed his separation ability late in the game. C
Monturio, C.J. F R Jr. Terriers TPE: He showed good speed and an ability to create offense. C
Moriello, Jayden F R Islanders HC TPE: He had a knack for being around the puck and getting to positions to get chances. C
Morehouse, Jackson 4/1/03 F R Sewickly, Pa. Pittsburgh Penguins TPE: He went to the net and scored on a rebound and a pass by driving the far post. Crimson Combine: C
Morrisey, Patrick D R Jr. Terriers TPE: He had vision, size and feet that were noticeable. Crimson Combine: Morrisey skated well and did some nice things here. His vision was good. C
Murphy, Will 5/13/03 D R Franklin, Mass. South Shore Kings TPE: Crimson Combine: He gapped well and had a good stick. Murphy skated well and has some upside. C
Norcross, Billy F R Cushing Academy Crimson Combine: C
Procious, Tyler 5/29/03 D R Pittsford, N.Y. Rochester Monarchs TPE: He took good angles and made nice breakout passes. C
Ramsay, Chase 6/10/03 D R Granite Springs, N.Y. Westchester Express TPE: He made a good pokecheck to push the puck out of his defensive zone and was an above average skater. Crimson Combine: Ramsay stepped into the offense and made a couple of solid plays defensively on transitional plays. C
Riley-Slayton, Jack F R NJ Colonials TPE: He made a beauty of a finish on a two-on-one odd man rush. C
Roukounakis, Nick 9/8/03 F L Pembroke, Mass. Jr. Eagles TPE: He's a rugged defender who kept the possession going forward and did a nice job pinching. Crimson Combine: He was listed as a F here after previously being a D. He has good size. C
Saganiuk, Colby 2/5/03 F R Plainfield, Ill. Chicago Mission TPE: He had quick hands and good speed. C
Schade, Carter 3/7/03 D L Mars, Pa. Pittsburgh Penguins TPE: He was very good with the puck on his stick, making plays in transit and in his attacking zone. His footwork was above average and he had good vision. C
Sison, Jayden 1/27/03 F R Virtua TPE: He had good vision and decent hands. He made a nice pass out front for a scoring chance from in back of his attacking net. Crimson Combine: Sison has a quick stick and isn’t afraid to go into the dirty areas. C
Spitznagel, Gregory 3/1/03 F R NJ Colonials Crimson Combine: C
Turner, J.P. 1/31/03 F R East Falmouth, Mass. Jr. Terriers TPE: He had good size and showed signs of blossoming into a solid north-south type forward. Crimson Combine: Turner has good size and made a couple of nice plays with the puck. C
Ufko, Ryan D R Mid-Fairfield Crimson Combine: Ufko was a player who you noticed a lot. He had a good stick and competed hard despite his small frame. C
Wilmer, Jeremy 8/16/03 F L Rockville Center, N.Y. LI Gulls TPE: He's a small, crafty forward who had a few really good shifts. Hockey Essentials Showcase: Wilmer might have been the smartest player at the camp in terms of hockey sense. He’s extremely small, but he makes up for it with his superb hockey IQ. He has a good jump to his step and makes smart and creative plays with the puck. Wilmer has above average agility and skating ability. One of his highlight reel plays of the camp came from below the goal line when he sent out a nifty backhand to the slot for a wide open teammate. C
Wilson, Cully 3/12/03 F L Hingham, Mass. Boston Advantage TPE: He thinks the game well and was a strong skater. C
Zocco, Nicholas 6/19/03 F R NJ Avalanche Hockey Essentials Showcase: He had a hat trick in Tuesday’s game, his strongest showing of the week. Zocco showed he has good hands and he can finish. On his first goal that day he made a nice move at the blue line to juke around a defender. On his second goal he sniped one right under the bar. Zocco, who will play NJ Avalanche Bantam, forced a couple of turnovers and his speed down low drew a penalty. C
Savage, Red 5/15/03 F L Troy, Mich. Belle Tire Miami LV