Sam Archibald, Peter Lyden lead standouts from East Coast Kings 2011 Showcase
BOSTON, Massachusetts – Even though most of the weekend was a scorching 95°F outside on the campus of Boston University, that wouldn’t stop top 2011 hockey talent from heading down Commonwealth Avenue to make themselves known at Walter Brown Arena for three consecutive days.
The East Coast Kings put on a great showcase over the first full weekend of August, so let’s dive right into the top standouts from over the weekend that top CHL, USHL, and NCAA teams should be watching closely during the upcoming 2026-27 scouting season.
Sam Archibald, RD, Team Red
Defencemen who can accelerate like Sam Archibald are hard to find. Despite the ice conditions, it wasn’t hard to see why Archibald is a sound skating defenceman. His cutbacks and edges are tremendous - combining those skating qualities with dynamic offensive tools, his shooting mechanics, and recognizing lanes makes him a true weapon and distributor from the blue line. One neat move that got the rink’s attention was when Archibald casually ripped one short side from a tough angle while flying down the left wing. He can defend well too when monitoring the rush with his gap and well-placed sweeps with his stick, and can stay afloat physically on every single shift. He outmatched many forecheckers on board battles below the dots and never seemed that much out of place physically.
Peter Lyden, C/LW, Team Black
After watching Peter Lyden all weekend, the size concerns for me started to dwindle fast. His confidence is more than sky-high, as he manipulates defenders like a piece of cake every game. Driving to the middle of the ice for Lyden started to become increasingly easy too - he challenges defenders, somehow outworks them on stick battles, and then becomes an instant threat off his shot or playmaking creation. Adding to that, he was able to find himself with the puck more than anyone, because he seems to come up with every turnover with his smart positioning and off-puck details while in the neutral zone. As the weekend went on, Lyden gained so much confidence that he didn’t seem to mind going into battles against much bigger opponents, not just on the forecheck, but even after his team turned the puck over to attempt to regain possession.
Alexander Bobrov, LD, Team Red
Every shift, Alexander Bobrov showed why he’s a smart defender on both sides of the puck. He’s able to find passing lanes in tight areas, which was a very valuable asset not just to his game, but his team's breakout. Showing some skill as well, Bobrov even likes to mix in some manipulation in transition, like dangling around an opponent in the neutral zone to create a give-and-go type of play. He shows smart defensive skills too - making smart and active pokes, and reading patterns off the rush to identify plays before they happen.
Jack Cross, C, Team Red
Want a centre with a high motor and insane handling in tight areas? Then Jack Cross might be your guy. Cross really shined off the rush, especially when alone on any breakaway. His hands are ridiculous - he can handle the puck like no other, go forehand to backhand so fast that the opposing goalie has zero chance. He even tried the one-handed shootout move going five-hole on one of his penalty shots that he barely missed. Despite not hitting on that one move, I believe every other breakaway or penalty shot he was automatic on with his high-end manipulation. Even with that skill, he’s quite responsible off-puck as well - he forechecks hard, loves to mix in some hard hits, and isn’t shy from any contact.
Jay Vivian, C/LW, Team Grey
There’s no doubt that Jay Vivian has the size to make an impact on the ice, and he utilizes it well. He’s already a physical menace - he shields off opponents with ease behind the net while possessing the puck, smoothing the cycle game. There was an occasional booming hit here and there, and you’d notice it every time because of how loud and impactful it was, and it seemed even more powerful when flying on the forecheck. His skating may need work, but the skill is quite evident - dangling right off a reception, cutting to the middle, ripping one off the pass in the slot going bar down, and occasionally flashing his vision after collecting pucks out of battles.
Jacob McDevitt, RD, Team Grey
One word to describe Jacob McDevitt would be responsible. All around the ice, he shows why. With smart shoulder checking on his retrievals, McDevitt always found the right outlet to exit the zone. He cuts off the inside angle very well, angling attackers into the boards with quick force using his frame. Even when facing pressure, he will at times calmly get the puck into space, whether that’s a wise dump or lead pass.
Tyler Wood, LD, Team Grey
One of the cleanest skaters at the showcase, Tyler Wood was noticeable on every shift, and for good reason. His lateral mobility is more than smooth - lots of crossover work and near-perfect posture in motion. Despite a couple of hockey sense hiccups, he utilizes his defence partner quite nicely, relying on him to advance the puck from his own end - like stepping up hard on a rush stop on a sequence, to then immediately feed his defensive partner to exit the zone quickly. There’s some skill here too - he tried a spin-o-rama to feed a trailer, opening up a lane off the entry.
Quinn Tazziz, C/LW, Team Grey
Just tremendous defensive execution for Quinn Tazziz in every viewing. He backchecks with awareness, blocks a ton of shots, and pushes out opponents that get near him below the dots. He started to get more aggressive from a physical standpoint as the weekend progressed - he mixed in some noticeable hard hits. He also made a nice bumper play to the slot that just missed, but got rewarded seconds later by recovering the puck and ripping one backhand high glove for a goal.
Quaid Iannitti, RD, Team White
If you like classic stay-at-home defencemen that show some bite, then Quaid Iannitti might be your match. Below the goal line, you’re not going to have a fun time as a forechecker - he outworks them and leaves them angry with hard checks and near-perfect contact engagement. As well as around the net, he’s tough to play against, always pushing out opposing forwards trying to get body position in front of the crease. His shooting mechanics popped a bit too, including once hitting the crossbar off a slick release off the front foot.
Noah Prairie, RD, Team White
Whether it was a big hit or a thunderous one-timer, Noah Prairie made himself known on the ice. He possesses a booming one-timer from the point and isn’t afraid to use it when it seems wise. In his own end, he’s quite aware - he angles passes off the boards to exit the zone, tries to erase opponents with his physical ability, and rotates in support to stay with play and use an active stick to regain possession.
Carter Watson, RW, Team Black
While playing at his own pace with crafty hands, Carter Watson always kept the defence alert when entering the offensive zone. His skill is his key trait - hard and accurate shots off the pass, starts and finishes lots of give-and-go plays, and can manipulate through stick-checking pressure with ease. His main advantage is the playmaking on no-look type passes - he can create high-octane offence when flying in off the rush to then make a stylish no-look pass to his wing for a one-timer - that opens up much more net for his teammate. One of his penalty shots was a skilled play, waiting for the perfect time for the five-hole to open before sliding it by the netminder.
Tyler Kyle, RD, Team Black
More defencemen should keep their game simple like the way Tyler Kyle does. Even though Kyle showed more from the puck-moving standpoint, he flashes some smart skill, like catching pucks mid-air or mixing in a toe-drag to open lanes. He shows smart cutbacks with a strong lateral stride, supports his defensive partner well, pinches intelligently, and doesn't force passes that weren’t necessary.
Cody Paul, C/LW, Team Black
A big two-way centre, Cody Paul stands out. He’s got swagger on fun routes off entries and loves to support on the backcheck. There’s no shortage of his motor either, always noticeable on every shift, and he had a goal flying down to the backdoor to have the forehand ready for the tap-in. Tap-ins around the net seemed his routine too - he’s always well staged around the net fighting for body position and potential deflections.
David Kolaj, LD, Team Grey
I’ll cut right to the chase, David Kolaj must be an annoying player to play against after watching him. He’s very aggressive when gapping up at the blue line, getting his stick out forcibly to knock the puck away from any entry. He’s a force tying up sticks, making it frustrating for opposing forwards trying to get the best of puck battles in all areas, but especially along the walls.
Robbie McCann, C, Team Red
The pure offence that Robbie McCann brings to the table is no joke. His hands are legit - he catches pucks on both his forehand and backhand in motion with ease, and isn’t afraid to manipulate to then threaten as a finisher with his dangerous shot. He has real compete too, as he backchecks hard and is a massive threat on the forecheck, always finishing his checks below the goal line when barreling down. He had multiple goals, but the one that stood out was his one backhander off an Archibald pass from the point - pulling the puck in on his backhand to then quickly rip one, catching the goalie by surprise for a neat goal.
Niko Arvanitidis, G, Team Grey
I definitely noticed the athleticism that Niko Arvanitidis displayed throughout the weekend. He had some stops on odd-man rushes, including a big glove save off a 2-on-1 rush. He seemed calmer as the event went on too, quickly poking out loose pucks on scrambles, and seeking them out quite well when there was traffic around him. On one penalty shot, he used a desperation move to stick out his pad to deny a goal to keep Team Grey in it.
Gavin Gu, C/RW, Team White
There was no shortage of high-motor forwards, and Gavin Gu was another reason why. The effort is always there - Gu actually had a diving poke or two to maintain possession on both the cycle and off a bad passing play. He ends his shifts well, always making a smart pass for a teammate before heading to the bench for a change. He loves to get active in his own zone too, intercepting passes and chasing after puck carriers to seal them up on the wall.
Brayden Campanale, RW, Team Black
I thought Brayden Campanale had the biggest moment all weekend in the championship game. He flew in on the forecheck for a big hit on a defender, kept battling for the puck to gain it, then drew a penalty, then flew in on the penalty shot with a nifty backhand to extend Team Black’s lead. His vision is top tier too, as he always scans while rotating in the attacking zone, and angles pucks very cleanly to his teammates using the side boards.
Nicholas Best, C/RW, Team White
Nicholas Best always made himself known in all three zones. He pounced on turnovers in the attacking zone, won lots of hard board battles, and even showed a nice motor on his shifts. His best sequence was his goal on day two: flying into the zone as the trailer, completely outmuscling the defender trying to hold him back, and getting his stick in position for an easy tap-in.
D’Angelo Fluhme, C/LW, Team Red
A combination of size, skill, sense, and swagger? That equals D'Angelo Fluhme. Besides his insane physical ability, Fluhme also adds that with some skill - like when he retrieved a puck that ricocheted rimming around the boards, then somehow immediately fired one glove side for a goal. That wasn’t his only noticeable goal either - he had another off a smart angled deflection and one sneaky one off the pass while parked in the slot, wiring one by the goaltender. He forechecks extremely hard too, and always tries to set up or initiate the cycle. His best moment, however, was a backhanded stretch pass while falling, leading Archibald on a breakaway for a goal, the best primary assist I saw all week.