Recruit Roundup

With the Huskies on their much-deserved winter break, I wanted to take a look and see how the numerous NU recruits are doing in their respective leagues. In total, Northeastern has 26 players in their pipeline- 16 forwards, 10 defensemen, and 0 goalies. We’ll take a look at their production this year, how their teams are faring, and give other commentary as it fits.

*Disclaimer*- we do not have access to stats and information about every player on this list. Some sites, particularly ones tied to prep school stats, have paywalls that are not within our budget at this time. So we will give as best a recap as we can.

United States Hockey League

Jamie Armstrong– 6’2”, 190lbs, Left Wing. Central Illinois Flying Aces
-Starting off with the forward who has been committed to Northeastern the longest, the path of Jamie Armstrong has been peculiar for Huskies fans to watch. Considered a legit NHL prospect while at Avon Old Farms, Armstrong went undrafted after his play fell off once he left Patrick Harper’s wing put up underwhelming numbers in both the USHL and BCHL last season. Currently, he is injured and not expected back until after the USHL holiday break is complete. We are expecting Jamie to enroll next season to Northeastern.

Stat Line: 10 games, 2 goals, 4 assists, 8 PIM

Jeremie Bucheler– 6’4”, 181lbs, Right Defenseman. Chicago Steel
– A product of the Lac St. Louis Lions program in Quebec, Bucheler is a prospect who was initially drafted in the first round of the QMJHL Draft, but then fell to a 12th rounder after committing to Northeastern. He was a 3rd round pick by Chicago. When he committed, it was considered a major win for Coach Madigan and his staff. Multiple outlets called Bucheler raw, with incredible physical tools, but with incredible upside. So far this season he has been in and out of the lineup in Chicago, not abnormal for a 17-year-old defenseman playing against players multiple years older than him. We expect Bucheler to play at least one more year in the USHL, and arrive either in Fall 2019.

Stat Line: 10 games, 2 assists, 2 PIM

Julian Kislin– 6’2”, 170 lbs, Right Defenseman. Youngstown Phantoms
– Another tall offensive defenseman, Kislin is part of the class that we expect to matriculate next season to replace three (now two) senior defenseman on the team. Kislin is another candidate to be pushed back a year in the USHL, considering that this year is his first playing above the Tier 1 Elite league in New Jersey. We do not expect him to be pushed back, however.

Stat Line: 20 games, 3 goals, 5 assists, 2 PIM

Tyler Madden- 5’10”, 152 lbs, right shot, forward. Tri-City Storm
– Likely the crown jewel of the 2018 incoming class, Madden was recently traded from Central Illinois to Tri-City. He was rated as a “C” prospect by NHL Central Scouting, putting expectations for him to be drafted in Rounds 4-7. He was also named to the USHL Top Prospects Game. After acquiring him, Tri-City called him “an elite player who possess the ability to open up games offensively,” and he is someone who could step in right away next season to be a contributor for the Huskies.

Stat Line: 18 games, 6 goals, 8 assists, 63 shots

Ross Mitton– 5’11”, 181lbs. Right Wing. Fargo Force
– A 2000-born forward likely two years away from Northeastern, Mitton has only gotten into five games for Fargo to this point. A power forward who is tough to play against, he will fit the mold of what Coach Madigan wants in his forward corps.

Stats Line: 5 games, 0 points. 

Tyler Spott- 5’11’, 175 lbs. Left Defenseman. Green Bay Gamblers.
– Considered a smaller offensive defenseman when he committed, Spott has grown a bit and is maturing into a smart, efficient defenseman. There was some concern that he would jump to the CHL after being taken in the OHL Draft, but his commitment to Northeastern and play with Green Bay has mostly stopped those worries. Projected to arrive in 2019.

Stat Line: 22 games, 1 goal, 3 assists

Matt Thomson- 6’1”, 194 lbs. Left Wing. Youngstown Phantoms
– Teammate to Julian Kislin, Thomson is a local product (Reading, MA) that has been productive every level of play he has reached. After putting up 53 points last season while winning a USPHL Championship, he is doing well in his first USHL season. A 1998 birth year, he is one of the older Huskies recruits in the pipeline, so we would expect him to matriculate next season.

Stat Line: 21 games, 7 goals, 2 assists, 19 PIM

AJ Villella– 5’10”, 150lbs, Left Defenseman. Sioux Falls Stampede
– While Downie wanted Villella accelerated to fill Garret Cockerill’s spot, he is doing quite well for himself in his second season in Sioux Falls. He’s played just over half the amount of games he did last year with Sioux Falls, and he has just one fewer point (12) than he did last year with them (13). Putting up 25 points in total last year, he has shown an offensive flair that will be valuable to Northeastern next season.

Stat Line: 24 goals, 2 goals, 10 assists, 26 PIM

 

North American Hockey League

Matt DeMelis– 6’0”, 185 lbs. Left Wing. Northeast Generals.
– Another Massachusetts product (Hingham, MA), Demelis is a possession forward who put up big points for the Boston Advantage Juniors team before jumping to a higher level of competition. A 7th round pick of Cedar Rapids of the USHL, it is very possible that after this year in the NAHL he jumps to the top junior league in America.

Stat Line: 26 games, 6 goals, 14 assists, 10 PIM, 

Alex Mella– 6’0”, 187 lbs. Left Wing. Austin Bruins
– After spending a handful of games with Cedar Rapids, Mella is finding his groove returning to the NAHL. Mella was the Central Division Star of the Week for November 12-19, and has been rated as a C skater in the NHL Central Scouting rankings. He is someone that could matriculate next season and be looked at to fill the scoring losses for the team next fall.

Stat Line: 22 games total, 5 goals, 7 assists (5-5-10 with Austin)

Dan Petrick– 5’10”, 175 lbs. Right Defenseman. Austin Bruins
– Currently the player who has been committed to Northeastern the longest, Petrick spent some time with Omaha in the USHL before going back to Austin, where he is teammates with Mella. When he committed in 2014, Petrick was an undersized offensive defenseman, and he has grown a bit since that time. Still a tad undersized, he has become a more well-rounded prospect that would fit in the Huskies’ bottom 4.

Stat Line: 23 games total, 4 goals, 3 assists, 10 PIM (4-2-6 with Austin)

 

Prep

Jordan Harris– 5’11’, 175 lbs. Left Defenseman. Kimball Union Academy (Maine)
– One of the most talked about recruits in the Huskies’ pipeline, Harris has drawn rave reviews from seemingly every person that lays eyes on him. Coming off two 20+ point seasons at KUA, he just came off an impressive showing in the Flood-Marr tournament. Harris is almost guaranteed to hear his name called before the end of the third round in this year’s NHL Draft, and has the profile of a bonafide powerplay quarterback and points producer from the blue line. Get excited, Huskies fans. Jordan Harris arrives most likely in Fall 2019.

Statistics Unavailable

Riley Hughes– 6’1”, 170 lbs. Right Wing. St. Sebastien’s School (Massachusetts)
– The most recent forward to commit to the Huskies, Hughes is another possible late-round pick in the NHL Draft this year. Scouts have commented on his excellent shot, vision, and skating abilities, and he has the makeup of a future offensive driver for the Huskies up front.

Statistics Unavailable

Aidan McDonough– 6’2”, 180 lbs. Left Shot Forward. Thayer Academy (Massachusetts)
– Hoping to continue the Huskies’ lineage with Thayer Academy products (Adam Gaudette, Lincoln Griffin, Jon Barry), McDonough was a high-profile commit when he gave his verbal pledge to the program. Characterized as “Aston-Reese but bigger,” McDonough fits the power forward mold that Coach Madigan likes in his wingers. He was fighting for a roster spot with Cedar Rapids in the USHL, but chose to return to Thayer to finish his senior season. We expect McDonough to enroll next season, but it remains possible that Coach may want him to get a year of USHL seasoning under his belt before making the jump. The last player for NU to jump to NCAA competition straight from the prep ranks was Lincoln Griffin.

Stat Line: 8 games, 6 goals, 2 assists (Cape Cod Whalers U18). Thayer stats unavailable

Neil Shea– 6’1”, 183 lbs. Left Wing. Lawrence Academy (Massachusetts)
– A former Maine commit and brother of Maine forward Patrick Shea, Neil is another Husky that was drafted by Cedar Rapids and had a chance to win a spot on the main roster, but chose to return to Massachusetts to play for Lawrence Academy. Shea has been called a “well-rounded forward” and a playmaker, making him appear to be a good fit for the Huskies’ middle six forwards. We expect Shea to arrive next season, but similar to McDonough, he may require a year of seasoning in the USHL before arrival.

Stats Line: 10 games, 2 goals, 1 assist (Cedar Rapids, USHL)

Jayden Struble– 6’0”, 180 lbs. Left Defenseman. St. Sebastian’s (Massachusetts)
– Gaining notoriety for playing both baseball and hockey at a high level, Struble has chosen to follow the icy path to the next level and is one of the NU recruits with the highest upside. He is an elite skater who is an excellent passer, and will likely be one of the top defensive prospects in the NHL Draft in 2019. Struble transferred to St. Sebastien’s School earlier this academic year.

Statistics Unavailable

 

OJHL

Dylan Jackson- 5’9”, 157 lbs. Right Wing. St. Michael’s Buzzers.

Ty Jackson– 5’7”, 147 lbs, Left Center. St. Michael’s Buzzers.
-Putting the twins in one blurb (because how else would you write about this pair?), the Jackson twins have continued their scoring ways for St. Michael’s this season. When they committed they were each around 5-foot-2, 110 lbs, so they have had quite the growth spurt over the last year, putting on height and weight. Dylan continues to be the scorer, Ty continues to be the playmaker. Both twins were drafted in the USHL and OHL Drafts; Dylan to Fargo and Guelph, Ty to Dubuque and Guelph. Their penchant for playing together will be an interesting storyline to monitor, as they may desire to continue doing so in the OHL. However if they choose to go the USHL route, that will indicate good prospects for them attending Northeastern.

Dylan Stat Line: 35 games, 20 goals, 14 assists

Ty Stat Line: 35 games, 7 goals, 21 assists

 

Other

Chase Bradley- 5’11’, 170 lbs. Left Shot Forward. New Jersey Colonials Program
– Hailing from St. Louis and currently spending his time playing for both the U18 and U16 programs for the Colonials, Bradley has been discussed as a potential candidate for the United States National Team Development Program. He’s a power forward with good skating ability and good 200-foot ability, and we expect him to fit in well with the mindset the coaches have for their forwards.

Stat Line: Full Season Unavailable

Brandon Chabrier– 5’11’, 150 lbs. Right Defenseman. Long Island Gulls U16
– Chabrier is a mobile, puck-moving right shot defensemen, the likes of which are always desired by hockey teams. Like many of the Huskies’ recruits, he is lauded for his offensive skills and his immense, pro-level upside. He is another candidate for the USNTDP.

Stat Line: 17 games, 9 assists

Sam Colangelo– 5’10”, 160 lbs. Right Shot Forward. Lawrence Academy/Neponset Valley U16
– Another forward with high offensive upside, Colangelo was one of the top uncommitted players in prep hockey when he gave his pledge to Northeastern. Possessing a quality shot and good offensive vision, he has offensive producer written all over him.

Statistics Unavailable

Stanley Cooley– 5’9”, 165 lbs. Right Shot Center. Notre Dame Hounds Midget AAA (Canada)
– One of the purest scorers in the pipeline, Cooley was a huge commitment when he announced it in September. A quick, accurate shot, protecting the puck well, and stickhandling abilities all make Cooley an excellent prospect for Coach Madigan. Cooley was taken in the 3rd round of the WHL Draft, there will be some competition for the Huskies to get Cooley to campus. 

Stat Line: 22 games, 8 goals, 11 assists, 34 PIM

Charlie DesRoches– 5’11’, 161 lbs. Right Defenseman. Selects Hockey Academy U15 (CT)
– The most recent commitment to the future of the Huskies, DesRoches is an elite defensive talent with the capability to push the offense from the blue line as well as defend his own net. He is another talent from Canada that is going to be targeted by the CHL- DesRoches is eligible for the 2018 QMJHL Draft, and is considered one of the top overall prospects available. If the staff can get him to campus, it will be a major feat and indicate the elevating stock of the NU hockey program.

Stat Line: 35 games, 8 goals, 17 assists

Robby Griffin– 6’0”, 170 lbs. Right Wing. Boston Junior Bruins (USPHL)
– One of my personal favorites to have been watching develop since we started covering the Huskies, Griffin is another candidate for the NTDP, and one who has been lauded as an elite skater. His speed is considered top-tier, and that is a skill the Huskies have lacked for some time. He was a 2nd round pick of Sioux Falls in the USHL Draft, so we expect him to make the jump to that league sooner rather than later to hone his skills before taking them to Matthews Arena.

Stats Line: 29 games, 4 goals, 11 assists. 

Jack Williams– 5’10”, 146 lbs. Right Shot Forward. Selects Hockey Academy U15 (CT)
– Current teammate of Charlie DesRoches at Selects Academy, Williams hails from Maine and is one of the more talented possession prodigies in the Huskies pipeline. Considered an excellent two-way forward who is good at managing the puck, Williams combined scoring ability with puck smarts to keep the puck in his teams possession.

Stat Line: 35 games, 22 goals, 29 assists.

For all ETAs and projected future rosters of the Northeastern Huskies check out our projection page HERE.