Fresh Faces

A Look at This Season's Top Newcomers

by Greg Cameron/CHN Reporter (@gregdcam)

The 2019-20 college hockey season is upon us. Players are eager to take the ice for meaningful games again, none more so than the freshmen that will wear a school sweater for the first time. Among them will be many members of the U.S. National Team Development Program’s Under-18 team that made a splash in the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft, as well as most of Team USA’s gold medal-winning World Junior A Challenge squad and top scorers from across the Canadian junior leagues.

Here, alphabetically, are 10 freshmen you can expect to make an impact for their programs, along with two big winners from the recruiting trail and a ranking of the top 10 classes of 2019:

Ronnie Attard, D, Western Michigan — The Broncos only brought in four freshmen and, given the team’s experience, they won’t have to lean on them, but they should in the case of Attard. The 6-foot-4 right-shot point man lit up the USHL last season with Tri-City, tying for fifth in points among all players (30 goals, 35 assists in 48 games). He is aggressive in both ends but especially when it comes to joining the rush, which is one of the reasons for his statsheet-filling year. Another is the power play: Attard finished second in the league in power-play goals (13), and should find time to continue that production with Western Michigan. He captained Team USA to the gold medal in the 2018 World Junior A Challenge, and racked up league honors such as All-USHL First Team, USHL Defenseman of the Year and USHL Player of the Year to go along with USA Hockey’s Junior Player of the Year award. He was selected in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Matt Boldy, F, Boston College — A preseason contender for Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Boldy is the total package. The 6-foot-2 winger played up and down the U.S. NTDP lineup on the left side last season, showcasing his versatility. Boldy can score (33 goals, 48 assists in 64 games for the national team), but he can also play both ways. There is no one overwhelming weakness in his game, but his strengths include his stick handling/possession abilities, his positioning and his rifling shot. Boldy isn’t as explosive of a player as, say, Jack Hughes or Cole Caufield, but as he proved at the U18 World Championship, he’s very close, placing behind only those two in the points column with three goals and nine assists in seven games. His well-roundedness is why he’s college-ready, and it’s likely a reason why he was the 12th overall pick of the Minnesota Wild in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Bobby Brink, F, Denver — The Pioneers return a lot of their scoring from last year’s Frozen Four run, and add a sniper in Brink to top it off. The USHL Forward of the Year finished second in the league in goals (35) and fourth in points (68). His shot is lethal, but his passing is also very good, so he’s also something of a conventional playmaker. For all the talk around the NHL Draft about Brink’s less-than-great skating ability, the 5-foot-8 winger still moves around well and finds shooting lanes with ease. Brink represented Team USA twice this past season, tying for the scoring lead at the World Junior A Challenge (two goals, six assists) as well as accounting for three goals and three assists at March’s U18 World Championship. He was selected early in the second round by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Cole Caufield, F, Wisconsin — What’s left to write about Caufield at this point? He broke the NTDP single-season (72) and career (126) goal scoring records last season, and the Montreal Canadiens made him the 15th overall pick in this summer’s draft. His shot and scoring ability are electric, and they’ve already been brought out once in a Wisconsin uniform, as Caufield banged home four goals in two exhibition games last month. The 5-foot-7 Caufield is not only expected to contribute right away in Madison, but he will likely also challenge for the national goal scoring lead.

Max Crozier, D, Providence — Crozier is a right-shot, two-way blueliner who quarterbacked the first power play unit, killed penalties, and wore a letter for USHL Sioux Falls en route to a Clark Cup championship. He earned a nod on the All-USHL Third Team as he finished among the league’s top five defensemen in almost every offensive category, and he kept the momentum going into the postseason, leading all point men with four goals, 11 points, two power-play goals, three power-play assists, and a plus-13 rating. The 6-foot-2 Crozier’s game has matured significantly, and a good amount of his offensive output comes late in games, something Providence is going to need as a throng of their best producers have departed the program. Crozier was taken by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft. Mark November 30 on your calendars, when Max and the Friars will square off against Brown sophomore and brother Tristan in the 34th annual Mayor’s Cup.

Cameron Hebert, F, Robert Morris — Hebert’s versatility and competitiveness were put on full display as NAHL Johnstown entered the postseason, and he did not disappoint. After spending much of the regular season as a bottom six winger (and still being the fifth-highest scorer in the league), Johnstown head coach Mike Letizia tapped Hebert to center the top line in the playoffs, and the move paid off. Hebert led all playoff scorers with 11 assists and tied for first in postseason points (15). A big reason for Hebert’s production was the power play, one that made Johnstown an absolute force throughout the year. He’s good in his own zone too, and in terms of his potential, one opposing junior coach said he “[doesn’t] think he’s scratched the surface yet.” Hebert figures to be a factor for as long as he’s in the Robert Morris lineup.

Logan Jenuwine, F, Arizona State — Last year was Jenuwine’s only junior season spent with one team, and he sure made it count. The 6-foot-2 winger broke the NAHL’s single-season goal scoring record, potting 60 goals in 59 games for Amarillo while also leading the league in points (104). His shot looks effortless, his accuracy is a strength, and since he arrived on ASU’s campus, his skating and conditioning appear to have already improved. A former Western Michigan commit, Jenuwine will bolster a deep Sun Devils forward group and should find his way onto a power play unit in no time.

Isaiah Saville, G, Omaha — The Mavericks will lean heavily on their excellent freshman class, particularly in net. Three newcomers will man the crease, but both head coach Mike Gabinet and captain Dean Stewart sung Saville’s praises at NCHC Media Day. Despite splitting the net in USHL Tri-City last season, he finished among the top five in wins (25), goals against average (1.90) and save percentage (0.925), earning the league’s Goaltender of the Year award. On top of that, he backstopped Team USA to the gold medal in the 2018 World Junior A Challenge, which helped him win USA Hockey’s Goaltender of the Year award. Saville was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Henry Thrun, D, Harvard — The fourth member of the memorable 2018-19 NTDP team on this list, Thrun will help to fill some Adam Fox-sized skates on the Crimson back end. His speed and acceleration are great both ways, he plays on both sides of special teams, and he made big improvements in his ability to defend off the rush over the course of the year. The left-shot Thrun checks in at 6-foot-1 and seemed to play almost exclusively on the right side last season. He was taken by the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth round of the 2019 NHL Draft.

Trevor Zegras, F, Boston University — One of the centers Boldy played alongside is Zegras, who will now suit up against his former linemate and battle for Commonwealth Avenue bragging rights. The 6-foot Zegras is a gifted playmaker who covers well on the defensive side and often makes you believe he has eyes in the back of his head. He totaled 26 goals and 61 assists in 60 games for the national team, and arrives with a bevy of success in international play. While Zegras can also play the wing, nearly all of the Terriers’ depth up the middle is gone, meaning he has a great chance of starting the season as the top line center. The Anaheim Ducks made Zegras the ninth overall pick in the draft this summer.

Honorable Mentions

Johnny Beecher, F, Michigan

Spencer Kersten, F, Princeton

T.J. Lloyd, D, Bowling Green

Matt Vernon, G, Colorado College

Dalton Weigel, D, Air Force

Winners

Wisconsin — The hype surrounding the Badgers’ freshman class is real. Wisconsin welcomes seven new faces to the program, highlighted by 2019 first round draft choices Caufield and Alex Turcotte. Also joining the fray are their NTDP teammate Owen Lindmark, AJHL MVP Dylan Holloway, and Minnesota state high school champion Mike Vorlicky. This team will score a lot, particularly on the man advantage. Despite an undisciplined showing in their Vancouver exhibitions, the Badgers had plenty of time to practice the expectedly lethal power play, which converted on six of its 11 tries.

Wisconsin has more than enough talent to win the wide-open Big Ten; it is now up to head coach Tony Granato to piece this immediate-impact freshman class together with the rest of the roster and guide the Badgers to their first tournament appearance since 2014.

Omaha — Beyond Saville, the Mavericks’ recruiting class is legit. On the blue line, Kirby Proctor and Brandon Scanlin will become two players that opponents have to factor into their game plans, as both are lock-down defensemen with plenty of offensive upside. At the forward position, the main attraction is Ryan Brushett, the BCHL’s leader in goals last season (41) and the only player to sniff Alex Newhook’s triple-digit point total (84). In net, Saville is competing with Austin Roden, a top ten finisher in goals against average and save percentage each of the last two BCHL seasons, and Jacob Zab, a late commit out of the USPHL Premier League.

For the second straight year, Gabinet and staff have shown that they can recruit with the best of them. The 2019 class will serve as a major building block for the immediate future, as Omaha begins to claw its way back into the NCHC picture.

Greg Cameron’s Top 10 recruiting classes of 2019

Wisconsin

Boston College

Michigan

Boston University

Northeastern

Minnesota

North Dakota

Omaha

Providence

Colorado College

Best of the Rest: Connecticut, Denver, Harvard, St. Cloud State