(D) ‘04 Olivier Chessler commits to Union for 2023
Chessler is from Watertown, Mass, and currently attends The Rivers School. He also plays AAA hockey for the NV River Rats and he came up through the East Coast Wizards.
Chessler was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 USHL Draft by Green Bay. In 2020 he took part in USA Hockey’s Select 15 camp and this past season he took part in USA Hockey’s Select 17 camp.
NZ Scouts: “Olivier is an athletic, fluid puck-moving defender that plays a high-risk game. Loves having the puck on his stick and constantly looks to push the pace up-ice and create chances. This leads to some turnovers and poor decisions at times. He is athletic and aggressive and takes ice whenever it is given to him. Retrieves pucks well and quickly escapes his zone.”
(F) ‘04 Michael Mesic commits to Northern Michigan for 2023
Mesic is in his first season in the NAHL with the North Iowa Bulls. The Plymouth, Mich. native has appeared in six games this season and has scored a pair of goals and added five assists. Last season he appeared in 35 games for Honeybaked’s 16U team where he scored 25 goals and added 26 assists for 51 points. Mesic also skated in four games for the U.S. NTDP last season.
Mesic skated in USA Hockey’s Select 17 camp this past summer. North Iowa selected Mesic in the third round of the NAHL Supplemental Draft this past summer.
NZ Scouts (from Select 17’s): “He’s a strong skater with sturdy edges which allows him to make plays in traffic areas, bounce off body checks and come out of corner scrums with possession. He has swift hands, he can walk defenders on the rush and in zone and has a quick, bullet release to score from beyond the dots. He had a nice score against Kelly where he blasted a snap shot in stride post and in but his best play was an assist where he gained the zone, changed speed, delayed and cross crease dish for a tap in goal.”
(F) ‘04 Jimmy Clark commits to Minnesota for 2023
Clark is from Edina, Minn. and is in his first USHL season with the Sioux City Musketeers after graduating from Edina High School last year. In 20 games with Edina last season Clark scored 15 goals and 11 assists. After his high school season, Clark skated in 10 games for the U.S. NTDP and posted a pair of assists.
Clark has appeared in Sioux City’s first two games this season.
The Musketeers selected Clark in the second round of the 2020 USHL Futures Draft.
NZ Scouts (from Select 17’s): “Clark is a sharp shooting forward out of Edina HS where he led the Hornets in goals and points. He has gotten taller this past year and developed other areas of his game so that he doesn’t just rely on his goal scoring anymore. He’s smart, he senses pressure well and knows where his teammates are at all times and when to attack the net and when to curl back and create space. He protects pucks well along the boards and can pick it off the wall and make a pass to the slot instantly in one motion. He has great puck touch and can accept hard passes on the backhand in stride or pucks behind him and he’s gotten a step faster and quicker this past season.”
(F) ‘03 Samuel Harris commits to Denver for 2023
Harris is a California native who is in his first USHL season after spending the last three seasons with Shattuck St. Mary’s. Prior to Shattuck, Harris skated locally for the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and San Diego Jr. Gulls.
Last season Harris appeared in 36 games for Shattuck’s 18U team where he scored 21 goals and 16 assists. In two games with the Stampede this season, Harris has an assist.
NZ Scouts (from U18 Nationals): “Harris led Shattuck in goals this week as he has a lighting quick release and can score in many different ways. He will go to the net-front to cause chaos and score off rebounds or use his quick, heavy shot from anywhere in the zone to beat the goaltender. Harris is a physical player and can hold off attackers with his frame and protect the puck very well. Samuel hunts for loose pucks and goes to battle to retrieve pucks then gets them on the net or creates a dangerous chance at the net.”
(D) ‘04 Trenton Powell commits to Long Island for 2023
Powell is one of LIU’s more prominent commitments. The Alaska native played for Team Alaska two years ago and moved over to the North Jersey Avalanche last season, where he put up five points in 11 games on the blue line.
Powell had 36 points in 42 games two years ago for Team Alaska as a 15U player.
NZ Scouts (from the Play Hockey U16): “Powell is a short stalky defender out of Alaska who is nimble on the breakout and can buy time and make the right pass and he’s detailed and disciplined in his coverage. He stays tight on his man, he shadows opponents away from the puck to take away the backdoor feed and has the quickness to step up at the blue lines and break plays up. He showed some puck skill on his saucer passes in the neutral zone and on the breakout but overall kept it safe and simple.”
