The third player to give a verbal commitment to Northeastern on August 1st, Cameron Caron hails from Dracut, MA, and now has the honor of being the youngest player to commit to the Huskies, as he is a June 21, 2007 birth date. He posted his commitment on Instagram then subsequently on Twitter.
Although he just turned 16 years old, Caron already has pro hockey size, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at 190 pounds. The left shot forward played this last season at New Hampton Prep in New Hampshire, where he led all freshmen in prep hockey in scoring with 47 points (18 goals) in just 34 games. He centered the top line for the Huskies and also played with the Cape Cod Whalers program, one that Northeastern fans know very well thanks to their long pipeline of players from the Whalers. Former Huskies to come through the Cape Cod program include Aidan McDonough, Ryan Shea, Jayden Struble, and Lincoln Griffin, current Huskies Gunnarwolfe Fontaine, Anthony Messuri, and Kyle Furey, and current recruit Grayson Badger. In addition to these programs, Caron is an alumni of Team USA Selects 15 and Selects 16 camps.
Caron is a player who has seen his stock skyrocket in the last year since transferring from Dracut/Tyngsboro to New Hampton. A power forward who thrives below the dots and in a heavy cycle game, New England Hockey Journal named him one of the top standout players in all of New England prep hockey, thanks in part to an excellent 200-foot game, heavy wrist shot, and high hockey IQ. In fact, NEHJ went a step further in October 2022 calling him one of the top ’07 forwards in the entire region.
Neutral Zone scouting services have evaluated Caron many times in his development, including multiple times in the 2022-23 season. In their most recent evaluation in June, they said “used his body well here and when he was engaged physically: he was difficult to contain. He has a long reach and strong lower half which makes it tough to knock him off the puck. He drives the puck wide and is fast when he gets up to speed through the middle of the ice and down the wing.” They further go on saying that he is difficult to contain down low, and can play a physical game with an edge in that he isn’t afraid to lay the body and throw down a thunderous hit when needed. Previous scouting reports call him a “young leader who took hits to make plays,” “got low to block multiple shots,” and defensively aware in his own zone, indicating that he is not all flash and scoring- he truly has a well-rounded game with “obvious upside” that should continue to develop into a legitimate top end Division 1 prospect.
Further evaluation from Neutral Zone after the CCM Hockey High Performance Festival back in May 2022, while Caron played at Dracut/Tyngsboro, mentioned that he was one of the standouts in the showcase, often taking 2-3 players to cover him, and being a matchup problem all game long. They call him a really effective player, great on the faceoffs, and mentioned that he is a player who is just plain fun to watch.
A third evaluating service, Puck Preps, described Caron as having active feet and getting himself into good position for a pass and being able to execute on it with a quick shot release that he can get away in a crowd. They further called him a “relentless puck pursuer” with speed and tenacity, indicating that despite his size he still has quite good mobility. They also mentioned in their report his defensive abilities, getting in lanes and causing turnovers that form into counterattacks. Puck Preps rates Caron as a 3-star recruit with upside to grow.
Caron was drafted by Muskegon in the 4th round of the 2023 USHL Futures Draft, and we would expect him to likely play one more season of prep hockey before making the leap to the USHL. He also was selected in the first round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s American Draft by Sherbrooke, however very rarely do players taken in that draft ever go north of the border. Don’t let his first round status there fool you- he’s assuredly on the collegiate track to play at Matthews Arena.
If you want one more reason to be excited for Caron, he appears to be well-qualified to be the latest heir of the Elite Northeastern Goal Celly throne, currently occupied by Gunnarwolfe Fontaine and previously held by Tyler Madden, Adam Gaudette, and Kevin Roy. Take a look at the swim move he pulled after scoring this game winner that was picked up by the NHL’s social media:
A goal scorer, a leader, a power forward who can skate, and a player who can execute offensively and defensively- Cam Caron looks like the prototypical Jerry Keefe/Northeastern player. Caron is likely three seasons away from Northeastern, given that we currently expect him to play one more season of prep and then likely two seasons in the USHL. Most power forwards take a little while to get acclimated to their new level when they advance, so don’t be shocked to see Caron take a leap in his second year in the USHL ahead of enrollment. As such, we currently project him to enroll in Fall 2026. He is eligible for the 2025 NHL Draft.
Congratulations to Cameron on his commitment to Northeastern!
As always, go Huskies!