Eight Locals Make USA Hockey NTDP Evaluation Camp Roster

Eight players from New York and New Jersey have been invited to the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp.

The top 46 players born in 2002 from around the United States will be evaluated over the course of four days later this month at the USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich. From there, USA Hockey brass will select the players that will make up the 2018-19 U.S. NTDP U-17 Team.

Forwards Alexandros Gaffney (North Jersey Avalanche 16U/West Orange, N.J.), Ryan Kirwan (Avon Old Farms/DeWitt, N.Y.), Jason Siedem (Avon Old Farms/Madison, N.J.), and Luke Tuch (Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16U/Syracuse, N.Y.), defensemen Brandon Chabrier (Long Island Gulls/Bayville, N.Y.), Spencer Evans (PAL Islanders 16U/Long Island, N.Y.), and Eamon Powell (Rochester Coalition 15U/Marcellus, N.Y.), and goaltender Grant Riley (Rochester Coalition 15U/Rochester, N.Y.) are the eight New York and New Jersey residents who will compete for a spot on the prestigious USA Hockey program.

Gaffney is a smaller forward, but he can really skate. His speed allows him to maneuver around defenders and helps him get time and space. He thinks the game well from an offensive standpoint and has an above average skill set. He’s committed to playing college hockey at Harvard.

Kirwan comes from a hockey family. His older brothers Luke and Matt both play. Luke, a ’97, has spent time in the OHL and QMJHL after spending his U17 year with the NTDP. Ryan is committed to playing college hockey at Penn State.

Siedem is another product of the North Jersey Avalanche who spent his freshman season at Avon Old Farms. His older brother, Jason, is already at the NTDP and both are slated to play college hockey at Boston College. Siedem is a tall, lanky forward who can pull away from opposing defenders. He took a while to adjust to the prep game, but his game really improved down the stretch.

Tuch is the younger brother of former BC star and current Vegas Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch. He’s a tall, power forward who likes to play physical. He has a hard shot and is more advanced than his brother at the same age. Luke is committed to playing for BC’s archrival, Boston University.

Chabrier is an offensive-minded defenseman with a high ceiling. He has good size already and is expected to grow more. He skates well, has great feet and can move pucks north. A converted forward, the Northeastern commit is still somewhat of a work in progress, but there is a ton of upside.

Evans is a big, hulking defender with above average feet for his size. He projects as more of a stay-at-home defender, but he was able to chip in offensively at the midget level. He was one of the better defensemen in the USPHL 16U Division and excelled at January’s USPHL All-Star Game at Merrimack College.

Powell is the only lock to make the NTDP from this region. The Boston College commit has incredible puck-possession skills from the blue line. His feet, skating and puck skills are all elite for this age group. He was able to dominate 15U play all fall, competing for the Coalition in the BEAST Series.

Riley, a midget teammate of Powell, has good size and will compete for one of two goaltending spots at the camp. He does a good job of cutting down on angles and not giving shooters much room to shoot towards. His positioning and movement in the crease are both improving.

USA Hockey is expected to release the full roster for the NTDP Evaluation Camp in the coming days.