Seven new commitments so far this week, and they were all forwards. Teams adding players include AIC, Merrimack, Michigan State, Michigan, Dartmouth, UNH, and Bowling Green.
Note — Arrival years are Neutral Zone projects, and should not be considered official.
’02 (F) Hunter Jones (★★★½) commits to AIC for 2023
Jones (pictured above) has had a nice start to the season with the Oklahoma Warriors in the NAHL. In 13 games he has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points. Last season he split between two teams and appeared in 17 games with the Waterloo Blackhawks before finishing the year with the Warriors, where he had 14 points (5g, 9a) in 29 games.
Jones is a Minnesota native who played at Andover High prior to his junior career. In total, he has 21 goals and 35 assists for 56 points in 88 NAHL games.
NZ Scouts (NAHL Showcase): “He scored on an excellent tip goal as he established position at the net front and although the puck was waist high he had the hand-eye to tip it down into the net. He got the puck on a breakaway in alone and made a poised deke for a five-hole score. Hunter added three assists in that first game as well. He played with a slick clever stick and superb body control. He showed athletic intelligence as he twisted turned and created with smart plays combined with the innate ability of his body to react without thinking. He could react and just make play after play. Jones He pumped one-time shots and drove the net. He scored a goal against Maine by beating everyone to the net for a rebound goal. He added another in that game as he came off the bench and entered the rush as the late option got a pass waited and held froze the goalie and snapped the puck top corner. He was great on the power play but also tenacious on the forecheck.”
’05 (F) Chris Battaini (★★★¾) commits to Merrimack for 2025
Merrimack received a commitment from 2005-born forward Chris Battaini, who is currently playing for the Selects Academy at the South Kent School.
Battaini has appeared in 21 games this season and has 26 points (12g, 14a) for the Selects Academy 18U AAA team. Last season for the Selects Academy 16U team Battaini had 87 points (36g, 51a) in 55 games. He played 15U and 14U for Shattuck St. Mary’s in Minnesota. As a 15U he had 31 points (13g, 18a) in 43 games and as a 14U he had 21 points (13g, 18a) in 56 games.
NZ Scouts (SKS vs. Jr. Sabres): “Battaini played on the top line with BC commit #14 Frost and #21 Pechar. He scored the game’s 1st goal as he slid down the slot and received #14 Frost’s pass from below the goal line and just quickly snapped his shot to the far side over the pad. Battaini took a check on the 1st shift of the 2nd period that stopped play and took him off the ice for trainer assistance yet he returned to play the next shift. He then set up the 2nd goal in the 2nd period off the 3v2 rush down the off wing with a saucer pass across the high slot finding #14 for the goal. Battaini did a good job possessing the puck and leading offensive chances.”
’04 (F) Nathan Mackie (★★★½) commits to Michigan State for 2023 or 2024
Mackie has 11 points, including nine goals, in 15 games so far this season for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in the BCHL. Last season he had 17 points in 45 games for the Silverbacks.
Originally from Prince George, Mackie was ranked No. 280 in our Top 300 2004 National Rankings and he was ranked No. 18 in our 2004 League Rankings.
’06 Aidan Park (F) (★★★¾) commits to Michigan for 2024 or 2025
Park, a California native, has had a strong start to the season for Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U prep team. In 19 games he has 27 points (8g, 19a). Last season he had 118 points (50g, 68a) in 54 games for Shattuck’s 16U team.
Park played on USA Hockey’s U17 team this summer at the Five Nations after he participated in the Select 16 camp. Park moved to Shattuck after spending his younger days with the Los Angeles Jr. Kings AAA organization.
NZ Scouts (Five Nations): “He has excellent hands and can pull the puck into his body in-tight. He likes to swivel on his edges with the puck to create time and space but also keep his head-up to survey his options. His strong edges help him turn/spin away from pressure. He showed good awareness and vision in his ability to quickly find open teammates. He also showed a slick stick with his ability to pick the pockets of the opposing puck carrier. He scored vs Germany attacking the net on the R side, holding off two defenders, and neatly pulling the puck in-tight to his backhand and around the goalie.”
’05 (F) Ben Buckley (★★★½) commits to Dartmouth for 2024
Buckley played this fall for the Cape Cod Whalers, where he had 14 points in 23 games. Buckley has been a standout at St. George’s School, where last season he had 21 points (7g, 14a) in 24 games.
Buckley is from Rhode Island and came up through the Minuteman Flames organization before he enrolled at St. George’s.
NZ Scouts (MA Select 16): “He is a player who is difficult to play against both because of his size and strength at both ends of the ice. He is keenly aware both with and without the puck and used that to his advantage all weekend long. When he gains access to the puck? Good luck taking it away from him because he uses his body effectively to guard against opposing poke checks. He also remains heavy on his stick which created a number of turnovers here in the defensive and neutral zones.”
’02 (F) Jason Siedem (★★★¾) commits to New Hampshire for 2023
Originally from New Jersey, Siedem has been playing juniors in Western Canada for the last two seasons. Last year he began the year with Cowichan Valley in the BCHL and then moved to the AJHL where he had 43 points in 45 games for the Blackfalds Bulldogs. This season he has 25 points in 19 games for Blackfalds.
Our scouts have seen Siedem plenty of times, with a total of 27 scouting reports on his player profile. Before juniors, Siedem played at Avon Old Farms and the North Jersey Avalanche.
NZ Scouts (AJHL Opening Night): “Jason is a good size forward with a heavy shot. He played the R flank on the PP where he moved the puck well with the PP QB, down to the R post, or with cross-ice seem passes. He had several hard wrist shots on goal from the R flank position on the PP. He assisted on their lone goal early on when he backed off the Dman down the R side and laid a drop pass at the top of the R circle for his teammate to skate into.”
’02 (F) Brody Waters (★★★¾) commits to Bowling Green for 2023
Waters is an Ontario native who has been with the Nanaimo Clippers in the BCHL for the last three seasons. This season he has 24 points in 15 games for the Clippers (9g, 15a). In total over the last three seasons, Waters has appeared in 84 games and he has 25 goals and 35 assists for 60 points.
NZ Scouts (GOJHL Showcase): “Waters is a big body winger who has good feet and speed when he has open space. He does not have breakaway speed but he does have the ability to keep up with the play at this level. He possesses an OHL shot; scored a goal in the first game. He uses his long reach to coral loose pucks and force takeaways. He used his big frame in the offensive zone to protect the puck and contribute on the cycle.”
