2019 NHL Draft: NJ’s Farinucci tops the list of prep hockey prospects

John Farinacci (Chatham, N.J.) is the top NHL prospect among prep hockey players. (Dave Arnold/New England Hockey Journal)

Scouts will be scouring the prep school rinks this winter in hopes of finding prospects worthy of being selected in the 2019 NHL Draft.

Six prep school players were selected in Dallas at the 2018 NHL Draft, including Thayer center Jay O’Brien, who went in the first round, 19th overall, to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Kimball Union defenseman Jordan Harris, Salisbury defenseman Peter Diliberatore, New Hampton defenseman Michael Kesselring, St. Sebastian’s center Liam Gorman and St. Sebastian’s right wing Riley Hughes followed later in the proceedings.

While quite a few New England natives could be selected in the upcoming draft, held June 21-22 in Vancouver, it might be slim pickings among the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association circuit. There are certainly some good players, but most of them have flaws in their game that NHL organizations will pick apart as the season progresses.