Fourteen high school juniors throughout New York and New Jersey have committed to a Division 1 college hockey program since Aug. 1, the date they were first allowed to do so, per NCAA rules.
Players from the region have pledged to schools in Hockey East, ECAC Hockey and the Big Ten. Some commitments were expected while others were not. Many came from top prospects, but others were from under-the-radar recruits.
The region’s 2006 birth-year players to make USA Hockey’s NTDP U-17 team for the 2022-23 season were among the top players to commit. Goaltender Jack Parsons (Ithaca, N.Y.) and defenseman Cole Hutson (Alpine, N.J.) committed to Providence and Boston University, respectively. The region’s top ’06, and perhaps the most coveted player in the country at this birth year, James Hagens (Hauppauge, N.Y.), is still a sophomore and unable to commit at this time.
Two other players, forward Drew DellaSalla (Rye, N.Y.) and defenseman Alex Bales (East Amherst, N.Y.), committed to Harvard and Providence, following impressive summers at the USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp and a stint representing their country at the Five Nations Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colo.