Although this wasn't as good a year talent-wise as in the previous couple of NEPSIHA tournaments, there were enough NHL draft prospects competing to make the trip worthwhile.
The most visible 2011 prospect in both stature and on the Central and Red Line Report rankings was Kent School defenseman Mike McKee, a manchild at 6-5, 230 pounds, and those are legit vitals, not inflated; he is one big boy. Teammate Boo Nieves was also quite good in the competition, but he's a year away as a '94. Depending on where he plays next year, Nieves could very well land in the first round.
Another player who was pretty impressive as a solid, unspectacular defenseman with some upside was Milton's Robby O'Gara. He's lean but is about 6-2 or 6-3 and is extremely smart. He has a long, smooth skating stride and will jump up into the play on occasion. He doesn't have teammate Pat McNally's points or aggressive style, but we think O'Gara is going to be a better pro because he's much more disciplined.
Dexter School's Nick Bligh was excellent, racking up two goals and four assists in the semi-final and championship games of the Piatelli/Simmons small school tourney. The very bright, but physically slight centerman has the skills and production in his favor, but NHL scouts mark him down for the level of competition and the fact that he's lacking in strength right now. His plan to return to Dexter for his senior season will also work against him, but he's a quality kid who doesn't seem too bothered by that and is focused on the academics and getting ready for his next challenge at Dartmouth.
Belmont Hill winger Jimmy Vesey showed off the kinds of tools that will stand him in good stead as a collegian and might even get him an NHL look at the draft, but his game against Westminster in the semi-final contest was a disappointing one and didn't allow him to spread his wings. His impact and compete levels in the game wavered, but you could clearly see that he was 28-goal scorer during the season.
For more on Milton's win over Kent, you can follow this link.
Also, for the scoop on Dexter and Westminster victories in the small and large school tourneys, slide on over here.
Below are some scouting reports on two key players for Kent, McKee and Nieves, who unfortunately is not a member of the 2011 draft class.
Mike McKee, D Kent School
At 6-5, 230, tremendous size and physical maturity for a kid who won't turn 18 until August. Newmarket, Ontario native is an excellent skater for his size, with good first step and a powerful stride. Very good balance and lateral agility/edgework as well.
Has a big shot, but doesn't use it all that much, preferring to distribute the puck. Nice heavy wrist shot that he shoots low on net for deflections. Average passer; can make the basic plays and short-to-intermediate breakouts but doesn't stand out as an exceptional puck mover who can stretch defenses. Hockey sense and vision are questionable. Seems to take a while to process and misses open teammates and passing windows. Used by coach Matt Herr to set up the screen in front of the goaltender when Kent was on the power play, taking away the goaltender's sight lines. Powerful bodychecker who played with a nasty edge in both weekend tournament games. Was penalized at least twice for being a manchild who crushed kids about 100 pounds lighter with clean hits rather than playing dirty. In the championship game, crashed the Milton net, brushing goaltender Sean Dougherty. He then took on three Milton players who swarmed him, knocking all three to the ice at various times while not giving any ground. Got a 4-minute roughing penalty for his efforts, but the way he manhandled those guys sent a clear message. Whispers from NHL scouts at the tournament say that he might be best off converting back to forward (he is in his second full season on D after switching) because of the concerns about his instincts for the game and concerns with processing what goes on. One thing is for certain: after watching McKee, there is nothing more for him to do at the prep level. He needs to move on and up (Ottawa owns his OHL rights, Lincoln his USHL rights) for the sake of his development and viability as an NHL prospect going forward. He was only 113th on Central's mid-term list for North American skaters, but have to believe the size and physical tools will see him come off the board as high as the second round. If he develops an ability to fight, he could be an even more valuable commodity.
Cristoval "Boo" Nieves, RW Kent
A 2012-eligible, but excellent NHL prospect given his natural size, skating and offensive skills. At 6-3, 185 has the frame to be an attractive option in the pros when he fills out. Outstanding skater who accelerates quickly and is extremely agile and elusive. Explosive burst and separation gear; can turn defenders easily as he attacks with speed to the outside and isn't afraid to go into traffic. Excellent stickhandler; confident with the puck and wants it on his stick. Highly creative and just seems to have a knack for making plays all over the offensive zone. Scored a brilliant goal in the semi-final game when he gained the zone by himself, skated around the back of the net and then after being stuffed, found the rebound and subsequent clearing attempts by Salisbury out in the high slot, roofing a backhander that the sprawling Gabe Antoni had no chance on. After hearing the buzz on this guy for several years, you could see it all coming together for him at the right time. Could be a top-30 pick next year, even if he stays at Kent. Other forwards in recent years with the skills to be first-rounders have been picked (Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes), so as long as he produces, Nieves has a shot to do it. Has legitimate NHL upside. Was Kent's best player and if he returns to Kent, could really tear it up next season. OHL rights owned by Niagara IceDogs, but committed to University of Michigan in 2012.
*(Not affiliated with the Boston Bruins or the New England Hockey Journal)
Showing posts with label Nick Bligh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nick Bligh. Show all posts
Monday, March 7, 2011
Nick Bligh: A Guy You Should Know
Center Nick Bligh of Dexter School in Brookline was one of the 2011 NEPSIHA tournament's standout performers.
The junior from Milton, Massachusetts led Dexter in scoring this season in goals (27) and points (60) in just 28 games, averaging more than 2 points per contest. His point totals are up from the 17 goals, 48 points he put up last season, so Bligh has been highly productive and continues to take an upward developmental curve.
He saved some of his best hockey for when it counted most: in the Piatelli/Simmons tournament where he fired home two goals and six points in the final two contests in securing Dexter's first-ever small school championship trophy (including a four-assist performance in the championship game, an 8-1 drubbing of New Hampton School).
He's about 6-feet tall and pretty slight, with slender frame that will require some mass and strength at the next level. That said, Bligh is about as slick and skilled as they come. He's a good skater, though not overly explosive. However, he's extremely shifty and loves to take the puck into traffic, where he pulls defenders to him then dishes to wide open teammates. He has tremendous on-ice vision and offensive instincts and a soft touch with his stick. He's also willing to stick his nose in and initiate contact, though he doesn't have the strength yet to be able to throw his weight around in the more physical contests. He's also very good on faceoffs and plays a solid game in all three zones. All in all, from a hockey perspective, there are not many flaws in Bligh's body of work.
He is scheduled to return to Dexter for his senior season, and that will probably not play all that well with NHL scouts who would want to see him challenged at a tougher level. That said, Bligh is committed to the school and its excellent academics, and has made a verbal to attend Dartmouth in 2012.
His coach, Dan Donato, talked to Bruins 2011 Draft Watch about Bligh after the championship was in the books, and his comments pretty well jive with what we saw from the center, right down to the David Krejci reference. Here's what coach Donato (Harvard bench boss Ted Donato's brother) had to say about Bligh:
“You can’t say enough about him. He certainly makes coaches look good. I’m a lot better coach with Nick Bligh than without him. He’s great- Nick’s just got to get a little bigger and stronger, and if he does, he reminds me a lot of David Krejci. He just- the way he moves the puck, he finds the right guy he competes really hard and is just a very good player. I think his upside is great and I think Dartmouth a year from now is going to get a pretty good player.”
Bottom line: Bligh was right up there with Boo Nieves as one of the NEPSIHA tourney's most consistent and dangerous forwards. He doesn't have the flash and speed of Nieves, but he is one of the most cerebral players we saw in any of the games, period. His high-end hockey sense, soft hands and excellent work ethic should translate into him being a very good college hockey player. Even if Bligh isn't drafted in June, keep an eye on this outstanding young man in the future. In time, he could work his way into the pro mix with a free agent contract and make some noise. We just can't say enough about him as a player and person.
But, enough from us, here is some exclusive B2011DW video of Bligh from the tourney. He'll tell you who he is and what he brings to the table in his own words.
The junior from Milton, Massachusetts led Dexter in scoring this season in goals (27) and points (60) in just 28 games, averaging more than 2 points per contest. His point totals are up from the 17 goals, 48 points he put up last season, so Bligh has been highly productive and continues to take an upward developmental curve.
He saved some of his best hockey for when it counted most: in the Piatelli/Simmons tournament where he fired home two goals and six points in the final two contests in securing Dexter's first-ever small school championship trophy (including a four-assist performance in the championship game, an 8-1 drubbing of New Hampton School).
He's about 6-feet tall and pretty slight, with slender frame that will require some mass and strength at the next level. That said, Bligh is about as slick and skilled as they come. He's a good skater, though not overly explosive. However, he's extremely shifty and loves to take the puck into traffic, where he pulls defenders to him then dishes to wide open teammates. He has tremendous on-ice vision and offensive instincts and a soft touch with his stick. He's also willing to stick his nose in and initiate contact, though he doesn't have the strength yet to be able to throw his weight around in the more physical contests. He's also very good on faceoffs and plays a solid game in all three zones. All in all, from a hockey perspective, there are not many flaws in Bligh's body of work.
He is scheduled to return to Dexter for his senior season, and that will probably not play all that well with NHL scouts who would want to see him challenged at a tougher level. That said, Bligh is committed to the school and its excellent academics, and has made a verbal to attend Dartmouth in 2012.
His coach, Dan Donato, talked to Bruins 2011 Draft Watch about Bligh after the championship was in the books, and his comments pretty well jive with what we saw from the center, right down to the David Krejci reference. Here's what coach Donato (Harvard bench boss Ted Donato's brother) had to say about Bligh:
“You can’t say enough about him. He certainly makes coaches look good. I’m a lot better coach with Nick Bligh than without him. He’s great- Nick’s just got to get a little bigger and stronger, and if he does, he reminds me a lot of David Krejci. He just- the way he moves the puck, he finds the right guy he competes really hard and is just a very good player. I think his upside is great and I think Dartmouth a year from now is going to get a pretty good player.”
Bottom line: Bligh was right up there with Boo Nieves as one of the NEPSIHA tourney's most consistent and dangerous forwards. He doesn't have the flash and speed of Nieves, but he is one of the most cerebral players we saw in any of the games, period. His high-end hockey sense, soft hands and excellent work ethic should translate into him being a very good college hockey player. Even if Bligh isn't drafted in June, keep an eye on this outstanding young man in the future. In time, he could work his way into the pro mix with a free agent contract and make some noise. We just can't say enough about him as a player and person.
But, enough from us, here is some exclusive B2011DW video of Bligh from the tourney. He'll tell you who he is and what he brings to the table in his own words.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sunday's prep final matchups
The small and large school semifinals took place at the Salem Icenter on Saturday.
Didn't see New Hampton defeat the Gunnery or Dexter School win their match against Tilton. Dexter gets a chance to avenge their double-OT loss to KUA a year ago, and it's cool that goalie Kevin Green is still in net for them. He stood on his head a year ago in an epic goalie duel with Panthers prospect and University of Maine freshman Martin Ouellette. Someone had to lose that game, and it was Dexter, but if Green plays today the way he did in 2010, I like Dexter's chances to grab the small school crown. Dexter center Nick Bligh is a draft eligible so we'll check him out tomorrow.
Governor's also beat Albany Academy to advance to the large school final, where they will take on Westminster.
Got over in time to see the final match of the day: Belmont Hill against Westminster. It was a disappointing game for Belmont Hill, who lost by a 3-1 score after taking a 1-0 lead early. The guys looked like they were gripping their sticks pretty tight and failed to execute plays in close to the Westminster net, who got a very good game in net from Patrick Spano.
Belmont Hill had left winger Jimmy Vesey, son of former Boston Bruin and Merrimack College scoring legend Jim Vesey of Charlestown. Central Scouting has Vesey 84th on their mid-term list, and I could see why. He's got good size and is a better skater than he's been given credit for (his father told us that his own heavy feet from his playing days has often erroneously been linked to his son). The younger Vesey's first few steps are just average, but he's got fine top-end speed and is a pretty shifty player when he gets some open ice to work with. He should be able to pick up an extra step if he works at it, and by all accounts, he pushes himself pretty hard. Unfortunately for Vesey, who had 28 goals this season, today was just not his day. He hustled and had some chances, but just couldn't get the puck to settle down and wasn't able to get anything past Spano. You can see that he's a strong puckhandler and has some raw tools to work with, but nobody on Belmont Hill was able to get much of anything going on Saturday.
Teammate Brandon McNally, a '92 who was on Central's list last year but was not drafted is a big winger, but he's lacking in speed and agility. You could see today why the 30 NHL clubs passed on him last June. He's got a big frame and can do some honest work in front of the net, but he just couldn't keep up with the play as effectively as he needed to. Maybe it was just the one game, but McNally was underwhelming to say the least.
So there we have it- each category will have new champions in 2011, with only Dexter returning to the finals from a year ago. KUA, Choate-Rosemary and Avon did not even make the semis.
Piatelli Simmons (small school)
New Hampton vs. Dexter
Martin-Earl (large school)
Governor's vs. Westminster
Stuart Corkery (Elite 8- open)
Kent vs. Milton
Getting on a plane immediately after the final game, so updates will be a little slow in coming, but if you follow @kluedeke29 on Twitter, will try to tweet some of the game action as it occurs and will follow up on the blog here Monday and Tuesday.
Didn't see New Hampton defeat the Gunnery or Dexter School win their match against Tilton. Dexter gets a chance to avenge their double-OT loss to KUA a year ago, and it's cool that goalie Kevin Green is still in net for them. He stood on his head a year ago in an epic goalie duel with Panthers prospect and University of Maine freshman Martin Ouellette. Someone had to lose that game, and it was Dexter, but if Green plays today the way he did in 2010, I like Dexter's chances to grab the small school crown. Dexter center Nick Bligh is a draft eligible so we'll check him out tomorrow.
Governor's also beat Albany Academy to advance to the large school final, where they will take on Westminster.
Got over in time to see the final match of the day: Belmont Hill against Westminster. It was a disappointing game for Belmont Hill, who lost by a 3-1 score after taking a 1-0 lead early. The guys looked like they were gripping their sticks pretty tight and failed to execute plays in close to the Westminster net, who got a very good game in net from Patrick Spano.
Belmont Hill had left winger Jimmy Vesey, son of former Boston Bruin and Merrimack College scoring legend Jim Vesey of Charlestown. Central Scouting has Vesey 84th on their mid-term list, and I could see why. He's got good size and is a better skater than he's been given credit for (his father told us that his own heavy feet from his playing days has often erroneously been linked to his son). The younger Vesey's first few steps are just average, but he's got fine top-end speed and is a pretty shifty player when he gets some open ice to work with. He should be able to pick up an extra step if he works at it, and by all accounts, he pushes himself pretty hard. Unfortunately for Vesey, who had 28 goals this season, today was just not his day. He hustled and had some chances, but just couldn't get the puck to settle down and wasn't able to get anything past Spano. You can see that he's a strong puckhandler and has some raw tools to work with, but nobody on Belmont Hill was able to get much of anything going on Saturday.
Teammate Brandon McNally, a '92 who was on Central's list last year but was not drafted is a big winger, but he's lacking in speed and agility. You could see today why the 30 NHL clubs passed on him last June. He's got a big frame and can do some honest work in front of the net, but he just couldn't keep up with the play as effectively as he needed to. Maybe it was just the one game, but McNally was underwhelming to say the least.
So there we have it- each category will have new champions in 2011, with only Dexter returning to the finals from a year ago. KUA, Choate-Rosemary and Avon did not even make the semis.
Piatelli Simmons (small school)
New Hampton vs. Dexter
Martin-Earl (large school)
Governor's vs. Westminster
Stuart Corkery (Elite 8- open)
Kent vs. Milton
Getting on a plane immediately after the final game, so updates will be a little slow in coming, but if you follow @kluedeke29 on Twitter, will try to tweet some of the game action as it occurs and will follow up on the blog here Monday and Tuesday.
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