Northeastern secured the verbal commitment of its second defenseman this month. After Jack Henry committed to the Huskies just two weeks ago, the Huskies added another blue liner in Noah Jones, currently playing for the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League, where he plays with 2024 Northeastern commit Ethan Fredericks. Fellow commit Ben Miller also has played for Omaha this year.
Jones is a right-shot defenseman who also has spent some time playing left defense for Omaha, a versatile trait that Coach Keefe and his team have long valued. He stands 6-foot-4, weighs 212 points per Elite Prospects, making him one of the bigger prospects in the pipeline and in the same body mold as current defenseman Hunter McDonald and former defenseman Jeremie Bucheler. Jones has six points (two goals) in 30 games for Omaha this year, his first year in the USHL, including three points in his last four games leading up to his commitment. Last year he played in the British Columbia Hockey League for the Wenatchee Wild where he also put up six points (one goal) in 31 games, so the fact that he is producing at a better rate in a tougher, more defensive league is a great sign as he develops his game more. Prior to juniors he played for the New Jersey Rockets program, one that has produced many former Huskies, and played New Jersey high school hockey.
Described as a smooth and calm defender who can skate well and is still growing into his game, there is a lot of raw ability in Jones that evaluators project to continue to improve as he advances through juniors and into college. An athletic defender with a mean streak, he also has the length to help shut down opposing players in the defensive zone. On an Omaha team that’s had some struggles this year, Jones has had to play the lion’s share of minutes in all situations, which will only serve to benefit him in the long run. It’s not apples to apples, but a lot of the traits used to describe his game also remind me of what people said about Hunter McDonald when he committed to Northeastern.
Jones is someone that we project to enroll in 2025 after a second year of seasoning in the USHL as he continues to grow his game. However he’s old enough that if someone were to unexpectedly sign a pro contract or transfer from Northeastern, he could matriculate in 2024.
Congratulations to Noah on his commitment! We look forward to watching his game continue to improve.
As always, go Huskies!