More than 300 youth players set for New England’s premier development camp

Originating in 2019, the “Sixty Camp” has put a main focus on creating an environment for players to test their skills among the best of their peers. The main focus of that first camp was the 2006 birth year. Since then, the event has grown exponentially to include multiple birth years. Players from the 2007-2011 age range will participate in this weekend’s showcase. Participants can expect a four-day event filled with on-ice drills, skills and competition. Between sessions, players are exposed to off-ice training and treated to informational presentations regarding college hockey, academics and nutrition, among other topics.

The camp’s professional coaching staff has included names in the past such as:

Jerry Keefe – Northeastern University

Paul Pearl – Cushing Academy 

Mike Souza – University of New Hampshire

Adam Nicholas – Director of Hockey Development, Montreal Canadiens 

Rod Braceful – Amateur Scout, Chicago Blackhawks

These esteemed coaches will be behind the benches, running practices, and conducting seminars for players and families. There will be no shortage of talent at this year’s camp. Some of the best youth players from this season include: 

2007’s

Van Martin – Lovell Academy 

Hugo Daniel – North Yarmouth Academy

Tyler Clouthier – Ice Mavericks Hockey 

Jason Millet – South Kent Selects 

Garret Glaser – Shattuck-St. Mary’s

Glaser was a consistent source of strong goaltending in net for Shattuck this past season. He went 20-10-2 while compiling a 2.52 goals-against average and .913 save percentage with three shutouts. His knack to come up in big games backstopped his club to a championship appearance at USA Hockey Nationals in April. Millet built up on a strong first season with the Selects by upping his point total from 28 to 43. The solid 5-foot-10 defenseman knows how to add offense from the blue line. With an imposing 170 lbs. frame as well, opponents have a tough task of finding any space on the ice against him.

2008’s

Danick St. Pierre – Seacoast Performance Academy 

Blake Cash – Seacoast Performance Academy 

Nick Sumner – Brooks School 

Ryan Poirier – New Hampshire Avalanche

Sully Wilmont – Idaho Junior Steelheads

Parker Sockseth – Seacoast Performance Academy 

St. Pierre finished the season second overall on SPA in total points with 86 (29G, 57A). Cash compiled seven goals and 21 points as well for the team. 

2009’s

Richie Janniello – Long Island Gulls 

Brice Glanz – Windy City Storm 

Connor Wright – Middlesex School 

Dante Kader – Islanders Hockey Club 

James Cappozi – New Jersey Rockets

2010’s

Enzo Levy – Seigneurs des Mille-Îles

Blake Ward – Boston Jr. Eagles

Mason Proulx – Seacoast Performance Academy

Roan Wilson – Top Gun 

Levy and Proulx both put up solid showings at the U13 World Selects Invitational in Chamonix, France. Levy recorded three goals and seven points for the Eastern U.S. Selects squad. He also averaged close to two points per game for Seigneurs des Mille-Îles, where he finished with 27 goals and 58 points in 30 games. Proulx joined Levy as a member of the Selects squad at the WSI, where he nabbed three goals and six points. 

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Four states compete for New England hockey bragging rights 

Last weekend, the third annual New England States Rivalry Challenge hosted 120 athletes from four different states. Teams at the 2010 and 2011 birth years battled it out for state supremacy in this uniquely designed summer tournament. Schedule format was a three-game round robin, with the top two teams battling in a championship final. With that, we’ve got winners and standouts from both age groups, and who reigned supreme at last weekend’s NESRC.

New Hampshire holds claim to 2010 division

Like at last year’s tournament, when the dust settled New Hampshire was once again standing atop the 2010 division. After kicking off its schedule with a win against Maine, New Hampshire dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to Vermont. In order for any chance to contend for the title, they needed a win against Massachusetts. Cam Casey and Michael Shook propelled the team to a 3-0 shutout win. The loss was Massachusetts’ first at the tournament. Goaltender Archie Wible stopped all 33 shots he faced. 

In the rematch with Massachusetts, it was once again the dynamic duo of Casey and Shook doing the heavy lifting. Shook assisted on two opening-period goals from Casey to help New Hampshire take a 3-2 lead into the intermission. In the second, Casey completed his hat trick. Massachusetts’ Michael Buscaino cut the lead to 4-3 on the power play close to four minutes later. Shortly after, Casey and Snook combined with Brayden Guerin for a goal to double the lead once more. Nicholas Cabana notched the sixth and final goal of the game to secure the victory for New Hampshire. Wible was stellar in net once again, as he finished with 27 saves on 30 shots. Casey and Shook ended up as the top two scorers in the 2010 division. Casey scored two goals and seven points. Shook managed to put home four goals and six points. 

Rhys Del Giacco’s invaluable points from the blue line

After finishing as runners-up in the 2010 division last year, Vermont reached the top of the mountain at this year’s tournament among 2011 teams. Despite opening up a 2-0 lead on Massachusetts in the first game, the defense could not hold the line in the second period. The team was outscored 4-1 en route to an eventual 5-3 loss. Regrouping, Vermont won its next two round-robin games to set up a rematch with Massachusetts in the finale. Defenseman Rhys Del Giacco’s solid two-way play was a crucial part of Vermont’s strategy. He brought one goal and two assists with him into the championship game.

In the final contest, Jackson Abbott opened the scoring for Vermont at 15:34 of the first period. Just over a minute later, Patrick Taylor equalized the score. Special teams took over for the next stretch. Vermont tallied a short-handed goal and later received insurance on a power-play goal from Abbott. Taylor struck for his second goal of the game to bring the score to 3-2 late in the first period. He would end up as the leading scorer across both divisions at tournament’s end with nine goals and 11 points. 

Del Giacco all but put the game away with his heroics in the second period. The smooth skating defender managed to score two short-handed goals in just over two minutes for a commanding 5-2 Vermont lead. Devon Priestley would salvage one more score for Massachusetts for a 5-3 final. Del Giacco and Abbott finished as leading scorers for Vermont, with six and five points, respectively. 

Still in the young stages of its history, the New England States Rivalry Challenge is a unique summer hockey tournament experience. Players can register individually to represent their respective home states or, gather a team of friends and compete as a group. The 2023 event featured teams from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, but applicants from all 50 states are welcome. As long as there are enough participants to field a 15-player AAA-level roster, you’re good to go! 

Want more info on next year’s NESRC and how you can represent your home state at the event? Click HERE!

Bobby Spang, Brody Antignani, Oliver Ozogany put up huge numbers at tournament

The World Youth Championships wrapped up in Prague on Sunday, with three teams securing titles. West Can Prime, East Coast Prime and Pro Selects Slovakia emerged victorious in the 2011, 2010 and 2009 divisions, respectively. All entered the playoff round as the respective No. 1-seeds of their birth year. 

Three tournament champions from three different countries hoisted the WYC trophy. American 2010-born Bobby Spang, Canadian ‘11 Brody Antignani and ‘09 Oliver Ozogany from Slovakia were key contributors in their respective divisions. All helped their squads claim gold in Europe over the weekend.

Antignani, Van Kemenade propel ‘11 West Can’s perfect run

A large reason why West Can was able to find itself with a perfect 5-0-0 record heading out of pool play was the team’s dynamic offense. The biggest contributors of that attack were Brody Antignani (15G, 13A) and Beck Van Kemenade (7G, 21A). Picking up where they left off, West Can shut out Europe Hockey Selects in the quarterfinals, 5-0. Van Kemenade’s incredible play-making ability was on display, helping him record a goal and three assists. In the championship, the duo combined for another seven points in a 6-2 victory over Midwest Prime. 

The two forwards ended as the second and third leading scorers across the entire tournament. They were second only to Max Prudovsky, who finished with 18 goals and 29 points for East Coast Prime. 

East Coast Prime completes sweep of West Can for ‘10 trophy

In the preliminary round, East Coast Prime bested West Can Prime by a score of 7-2. In that game, Matthew Lynn had his best game of the tournament for East Coast by scoring three goals and two assists. Helping Lynn propel East Coast into the championship game was Bobby Spang. Spang entered the playoffs as co-leader of the team with Lynn 12 points. Over the next two playoff contests, Lynn added three points (1G, 2A) and Spang nabbed six (4G, 2A). A solid showing that allowed Spang to end up as the second overall scorer among the 2010 division behind West Can’s Liam Pue. Pue was the best goal scorer of any 2010-born skater, putting up 19 goals. 

In the championship game, East Coast’s defense and goaltending held Pue off the scoresheet. Without production from its leading scorer, West Can struggled to put up offense. However,  Spang and Lynn continued their production, combining for four points. With the 5-1 win, East Coast secured the 2010 division. 

Slovakia’s fearsome offense continued into ‘09 playoff rounds

No other team in the 2009 division was able to produce quite like Pro Selects Slovakia. Across seven games, the team produced a tournament-best goal differential of plus-34. Heading the charge were Oliver Ozogany and Elias Matousek, who finished their runs with 20 and 16 points, respectively. The two ended as the top point-getters for ‘09 players. The next three following them in the Top 10 also hailed from Slovakia. 

In the final meeting, East Coast Prime had the daunting task of trying to halt Slovakia’s potent firepower. But armed with some of the most gifted players at the tournament, Slovakia secured a 10-1 win. Ozogany and Matousek alone combined for eight points. Slovakian forward Michal Lazovsky totaled the most goals among 2009-born skaters with 10. 

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‘11 forward leads tournament in points, goals heading into playoff round

With pool play wrapping up today at the World Youth Championships in Prague, a clearer picture is beginning to emerge as to playoff matchups heading into the weekend. The top two teams from the ‘09,’10, and ‘11 divisions have already locked up spots. The remaining four teams in each birth year will face off in play-in games to determine the third and fourth seeds for playoff positioning. One player who led East Coast Prime to secure one of those top seeds was 2011-born forward Max Prudovsky. After pool play, Prudovsky leads all skaters across all birth years with 17 goals and 27 points in just five games. He has also scored at an incredible pace of 5.40 points per game. Here’s a look at who else has stood out thus far and which teams have the best chances to compete for the championship…

Dynamic offenses on display among ‘11s

A main reason why West Can Prime and East Coast Prime were able to finish as the top two teams in the 2011 division was scoring depth. Matching the incredible output by Prudovsky was West Can’s Brody Antignani (11G, 11A) and Beck Van Kemenade (6G, 15A). Carter Watson has been a dependable secondary source of offense behind Prudovsky, collecting 11 goals and 24 points. In the lone matchup between the two teams in the preliminary round, Antignani notched a hat trick and Van Kemenade added a goal as well. Prudvosky was held to two assists. West Can will attempt to keep their perfect 5-0-0 record alive in the playoffs, and don’t be surprised if it’s these two squads battling it out for the 2011 championship on Saturday. 

The Ice Bears Selects will take on Midwest Prime and Top Speed will clash with Europe Hockey Selects in the play-in games later today to determine the fourth and fifth seeds.

Liam Pue propels West Can Prime in ‘10 group 

There has been no better goal scorer among 2010 players at this year’s tournament than Liam Pue. Averaging close to three goals per game, Pue was only held off the scoresheet once in five pool play contests. He amassed 16 goals in those games. The next closest skater to that total is teammate Reid Nicol, who currently sits with nine. Across all divisions, Pue’s goal total is second only to Prudovsky. With a 4-1-0 record, West Can Prime will enter the playoff round in second behind East Coast Prime. 

It comes as no surprise that East Coast has been helped by the dynamic play of  forward Matthew Lynn. Lynn, who skated with the No. 1 Philadelphia Jr. Flyers this season, was a constant source of leadership and production for the team. He has carried that momentum into the WYC, tied for first in team points with Bobby Spang. The forward duo has each collected 12 points. Lynn’s best game came against West Can, where he put up three goals and two assists. The lone blemish on East Coast’s run was a 7-6 shootout loss to Midwest Prime. Following that, the team rebounded with a 7-0 shutout of Pro Selects Slovakia. Given the skill on each roster, it’s shaping up to be a rematch between East Coast and West Can for the ‘10 title. 

Pro Selects Slovakia is set to take on STASA Hockey, while the North Wind Selects will attempt to defeat Midwest Prime in the play-in games later today. 

Ozogany, Matousek getting it done for ‘09 Slovakia

Pro Selects Slovakia have been able to handle each team they have squared off with thus far. The offense that Oliver Ozogany and Elias Matousek have provided has been a spark to an undefeated run. Each forward has recorded 14 points and a combined credit on three game-winning goals. Armed with one of the more daunting attacks among the ‘09s, Slovakia has scored at least seven goals in four of its five pool play games. 

Holding down second place, Midwest Prime, is the favored team to be able to contend with Slovakia for the championship. However, in their preliminary round meeting, Slovakia bested Midwest 7-2. Ozogany and Matousek each impressed in that game with three points each. In order for Midwest to have any chance in a rematch, team depth will need to be stronger. The trio of Dominic Slevin, Grady Anaka and Gianfranco D’Agata have supplied most of the points for Midwest. If anyone has a chance to slow down Slovakia, it’s them. 

TSH Selects drops the puck against East Coast Prime to settle positioning in the first play-in game. Following that tilt, Top Speed will drop the puck with Crazy Hockey to see who moves on to the playoffs. 

You can catch all the playoff action this weekend with live streams of the games HERE

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More than 300 players from Ontario and USA set to participate in 20-team event

Some of the best 2008 and 2009-born youth hockey players will travel to Ontario this week for Play Hockey’s All-Star Prospects Showcase. Each birth year will consist of 10 teams, with participants taking part in on and off-ice combine testing as well as competitive games. Of the 300-plus players that will be attending, 114 played on world-ranked teams during the 2022-23 season. The exclusive, invite-only event is a perfect opportunity for players to test their skills against the best of their peers. 

Jr. Greyhounds well represented among ‘08s

Among the ‘08s will be 10 players from No. 9 Soo. Jr. Greyhounds, who make up a large portion of Team Northern Ontario. That includes top scorer Nik Rossetto, who finished the ‘22-23 season with 88 points for the Jr. Greyhounds. Several players from the No. 8 Peterborough Petes will be split between Prospects ETA and Prospects East. Teammates during the regular season, Colin Fitzgerald, Ryan Chamberlain, Matt Souter and Kale Mace will look to score on their fellow Petes goaltender Morgan Hyndman. They won’t be the only teammates competing against one another. Five players from the No. 1 Vaughan Kings will be split between Prospects GTA and Prospects East. That includes the team’s most prolific offensive talent Ben Bowen on one end, going against Kings goaltender Joseph D’Angelo

Three of the five skaters from No. 4 York Simcoe Express are set to fill out the roster for Prospects East. Two others were placed on Prospects ETA. Ten attendees from No. 5 Oakville Rangers will be split among the 10 showcase teams. Six of them have been placed onto Team SCTA. A pair of top players from the No. 3 Pittsburgh Penguins Elite will skate for The Ottawa District. Canadians Kent Greer and Alexander McLean look to continue strong off-season campaigns.

Jr. Canadiens, Marlboros, Sun County top lists of ‘09 players

No. 1 Toronto Jr. Canadiens will have nine representatives among the ‘09 group of players. Four of them will play for Prospects ETA, including Jax Pereira and Keaton Ardagh. That tandem topped the list of performers at the U14 OHL Cup two months ago. Four of Prospect East’s roster spots were given to invitees from No. 8 Toronto Marlboros. In total, 10 players from the Marlboros will compete in the ‘09 group. Seven skaters from No. 9 Huron-Perth Lakers will be divided among Prospects East and Prospects West. 

Fellow Toronto-based No. 4 Titans and No. 7 Red Wings will also have representation. Five players from No. 2 Don Mills Flyers were divided across four different teams. No. 5 Sun County Panthers and its nine invitees were placed on two teams. Seven of them found will play for Prospects West. Five of six participants from No. 10 Ottawa Myers Automotive will play for the Ottawa District. 

Chicago, Pittsburgh bring U.S. names to showcase

Since 2018, the All-Star Prospects Showcase has included one team of players from the United States. This year’s prospects include top talent from some of the best programs south of the border. Dominic Pajkic of No. 1 Shattuck-St. Mary’s will patrol the blue line for Prospects USA. The No. 6 Los Angeles Jr. Kings will be represented by two players in Ontario as well. No. 1 Chicago Reapers and No. 5 Chicago Mission will bring three and two skaters, respectively, for the ‘09s. No. 4 Pens Elite’s Nolan Snyder will join them. High-profile forward Trevor Daley from Florida Alliance earned an invite as well. 

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