Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Freshman Orientation in Plymouth

Some of the nation’s top incoming college players will be on display at U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp.

Freshman Orientation in Plymouth
Adam Fox will bring an offensive dimension to the Harvard blue line this fall (Photo by Rena Laverty).

In recent years the U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp has become a launching pad for freshman NCAA stars – a chance to shine against the best players in an age group before taking on even bigger and stronger competition at the NCAA level.

The event – which moves to USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich., this year from July 30 through Aug. 6 – will showcase several incoming freshmen who could become stars in college rinks this winter.

USA Hockey Camp Site | Tickets

The last two national scoring leaders – Kyle Connor and Jack Eichel – each took part in the camp before arriving on campus. Here’s a look at nine players who will be worth watching in advance of their freshman seasons:

Keiffer Bellows & Clayton Keller, Boston University

Linemates last year with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, Bellows and Keller are seemingly inseparable – expect them to be skating together on Team White at the start of camp and with the Terriers this fall.

The two first-round NHL Draft picks are dynamic offensive players with terrific chemistry – Keller a creative center and slick skater, Bellows a gifted goal scorer off the left wing. This camp will give Terrier fans – and opponents – another look at a combination that could terrorize college foes this winter.

Adam Fox, Harvard

Joining Bellows and Keller on Team White, Fox is a skilled offensive defenseman whose size – 5-foot-10, 183 pounds – was likely the only reason he lasted until the third round of the draft. His arrival in Cambridge should give the Crimson a defensive weapon they lacked last season.

Trent Frederic, Wisconsin

Among the many new faces in Madison this fall is Frederic, one of five St. Louis natives and 11 NCAA players who went in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft. He will join fellow first-rounder Luke Kunin with the Badgers to give new head coach Tony Granato a dangerous one-two combination at center.

Ryan Lindgren, Minnesota

The captain of the U.S. Under-18 team that featured most of the players on this list last season, Lindgren is a two-way defenseman whose brother, Charlie, starred in goal at St. Cloud State last season. As a ’98 birthdate, making this year’s junior team will be a challenge, but he will have the opportunity to contribute at Minnesota this season.

Luke Martin, Michigan

A rare 2017 NHL Draft prospect in this year’s NCAA ranks, Martin was born five days too late to be eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft. He is a defensive defenseman who will be counted on to help Michigan offset the loss of Zach Werenski and Michael Downing to NHL contracts.

Jake Oettinger, Boston University, and Joseph Woll, Boston College

The goaltending tandem for two years at USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program will be competing at opposite ends of the Comm. Ave. rivalry this winter. They could also be battling for a spot on the U.S. National Junior Team, and will be on opposing teams this week – Oettinger on Blue, Woll on White.

Riley Tufte, Minnesota Duluth

One of the bigger players in camp, the 6-foot-4, 205-pound Tufte is on Team Blue along with fellow UMD freshman Joey Anderson. Blessed with that size, mobility and hockey sense, Tufte should make an instant impact on a Bulldog team that lost its top two scorers to graduation.