Liam Fournier, Myles Brosnan highlight standouts at the River Rats Jamboree and Eastern Alliance Kickoff
Every year in late August, the whole New England youth hockey circuit gets together for what feels like the first day of school, hockey-wise. Whether it’s players, scouts, coaches, or advisors, they’re in attendance at the rinks in Foxborough and Marlborough, MA, during the last week of August. It all starts with the River Rats Jamboree, which mainly takes place in Foxborough, and then, the following weekend, everyone is watching games at one of the eight rinks at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough for the EAK. Teams from all over the Northeast take part in both events, whether 15U or 18U, and there was no shortage of talent on the ice.
This is also the first time the two showcases have taken place in the wake of the CHL/NCAA ruling, which did have its effect going into the event. There were plenty of CHL scouts in attendance, and a couple of teams were also missing some players they would have had last year because those players were away at CHL or USHL camps.
Let’s dive into some of the top performers:
Liam Fournier, F, Woodbridge Wolfpack 15U AAA
It’s easy to like the whole package offensively, you get with Liam Fournier. He has a quick shot and loves to make smart plays with the puck. In his first game against the Cape Cod Whalers, Fournier set up a really nice back-door tap-in while under some pressure down low. Later on a 3-on-1 opportunity, he opted to use his strong wrist shot instead of passing, and it worked, as he found the back of the net. In the EAK later in the week, Fournier continued where he left off. Against Mid-Fairfield, Fournier was probably Woodbridge’s best player. He showed off more of his two-way game, along with his Hockey IQ and shot. He set up a really nice tic-tac-toe goal on the power play after entering the zone. There’s definitely some offensive upside with Fournier going forward.
Myles Brosnan, D, Brookline Whalers 18U AAA
Myles Brosnan was watched closely by quite a few NHL scouts during the week, and it’s easy to see why. He’s a smooth-skating defenseman who plays a seamless transition game. With a great first pass, Brosnan was the primary PPQB for the Whalers, along with his strong breakout ability. Brosnan plays in all situations; he really shows his value on the PK as well, with multiple play disruptions and lots of shot blocks. He even showed a little physicality when a forechecker came towards him; he laid out a nice reverse hit. The Harvard commit should see a little time in the USHL and will likely be back with Dexter Southfield all year in USHS-Prep.
T.J. Petropoulos, F, East Coast Militia 15U AAA
There are two ways to describe T.J. Petropoulos’ game: speed and explosiveness. He can absolutely fly, and if you’re not on your toes, he’s going to get by you up ice with ease. Petropoulos really stood out in the Militia’s comeback win vs. the NJ Avs, where he potted two goals and the overtime winner. His acceleration in his skating stride is definitely something, with the combination of that with his puck-handling ability, there’s definitely some offensive potential with this player.
Caiden Pellegrino, F, Providence Capitals 16U AAA
Caiden Pellegrino is bound to have a big season. You can easily see why, based on the type of offensive skillset he showed this past week. Pellegrino is mainly a playmaker, but don’t count out his shot. He quickly gets pucks off his stick with power and ease. The main play that “wowed” everyone was his behind-the-back, no-look, backhand pass for an easy goal in a game vs. East Coast Militia. It fooled everyone inside Rink 3 at the Foxboro Sports Center. It didn’t happen once either; it happened again a few days later in Marlborough in the Capitals game vs. the CT Jr. Rangers, where he pulled it off for another nice assist in a pass to the front of the net for a teammate who put it home. The Providence College commit will play with St. Mark's again this season.
Jack Queally, F, NV River Rats 15U AAA
Jack Queally is a fun player. He loves to try and be creative in the offensive zone no matter what. In the heavyweight EAK semifinal matchup against Woodbridge, Queally took charge, with two assists and a goal, including setting up the game-winner. What I appreciate most about Queally’s game is his confidence and willingness to find space. He really loves to make dangles to his advantage to find space and complete passes through pressure with ease. Queally will play with St. Sebastian’s next season.
Carter Felt, F, NV River Rats 15U AAA
It felt like every opening shift, Carter Felt made his presence known. In his first shift of the season, he made three big hits to set the tone. Along with the physicality of Felt, he plays a responsible game. Even as a forward, he loves to block shots, as he seems to have absolutely no issue getting in front of a booming one-timer and trying to turn it into offense going the other way. Of course, there’s lots of offensive potential to his game as well. Felt loves to crash the net and park himself in front. He had five goals and nine assists during the EAK. It’s easy to see a power-forward type of player in Felt going forward.
Ty Hymovitz, F, Boston Jr. Eagles 18U AAA
Ty Hymovitz was picked in both the QMJHL and USHL Drafts this past summer, so you knew going into this season he was going to push even harder. That was certainly the case, as he had five goals in the EAK for the Jr. Eagles. Against Mid-Fairfield, Hymovitz scored twice, including one on a very sharp-angle shot. Hymovitz will likely return to Thayer next season.
C.J. Sawyer, F, Minuteman Flames 15U AAA
C.J. Sawyer tends to do all the right things with the puck. He has a really smart passing ability that others don’t have. When moving the puck under pressure, he seems to succeed quite well at executing that task. He likes to try and make a quick cut to the middle to get a shot off, and it worked against the NJ Colonials, cutting to the slot off a defender, and potting home the opening goal. Sawyer plays a nice game on the PK as well. He put lots of pressure on the defenseman, preventing a pass, and even kept disrupting the Colonials' breakout as well.
Justin Lee, G, Boston Jr. Eagles 16U AAA
The big netminder was very sharp all week and had a big impact in the Jr. Eagles' matchup against the River Rats. Justin Lee is more of a calmer type of goalie compared to others in this circuit. He used his pads really well to stay with the play after making high-risk stops. Even during a crazy scramble, Lee stayed with it, making a few stops before covering the puck for a stoppage. The final ten seconds of the game were massive. Lee made three stops with the extra attacker on. Two with the pad, and the final one with his glove before the clock hit zero. It was a great start to the season for Lee. He is expected to return to Nobles this season.
Chase Schulberger, D, Woodbridge Wolfpack 15U AAA
Chase Schulberger was awesome all week. He has great hands and has some tremendous offensive upside to his game. In the first game of the season, Schulberger went end-to-end with ease for a nice goal. The physicality aspect of Schulberger’s game is underappreciated; he wins lots of battles and stands his ground well in the corners of the ice. His shot is a weapon too, as he loves to fire the puck from all points in the attacking zone, firing the puck with purpose. Schulberger remains poised on the breakout as well, as he made a lot of nice exits moving towards the offensive zone. He even played minutes on the PK, which provided a lot of value for his team.
Will Manchuso, F, NV River Rats 18U AAA
I loved William Manchuso all week. He put up an absurd amount of points for the Rats 18U team and was all over the ice. Manchuso tallied 18 points in 10 games to start the season. The Dartmouth commit has a strong future ahead of him and will look to make a big impact for St. Marks this coming season.
