Recruiting: Commitments galore as August 1 sweepstakes unfold

Drew Fortescue (Nyack, N.Y.) is one of several local players to announce his commitment since August 1. (Al Aleman/USA Hockey)

College hockey commitments were aplenty on Sunday, as August 1 marked the first day that NCAA programs could begin verbally committing rising high school juniors.

Numerous local players from the 2005 birth year announced their future collegiate plans throughout the day on social media, including four players that skated for Mid Fairfield 15 Only this past season — three of whom will be spending the next two seasons with the NTDP.

Boston College received several big-time commitments as soon as the recruiting window opened, including Mid Fairfield defensemen Aram Minnetian and Drew Fortescue. 

Minnetian, a highly skilled defenseman from Woodcliff Lake, N.J., is set to play for the NTDP this coming season after a solid showing at Evaluation Camp in May. In addition to his tenure with Mid Fairfield, Minnetian also played at Bergen Catholic High (Oradell, N.J.), where he recorded 15 points on seven goals and eight assists this past season.

The 6-foot, 170-pound righty is one of the top-ranked U.S. players in the 2005 birth year. An athletic two-way defenseman with good size, elite skating and notable offensive abilities, his skill set could lead him to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. It all depends on his next two seasons with the NTDP, as he continues to develop his game before matriculating to BC.

Fortescue, a 6-foot-3, 170-pound defenseman from Nyack, N.Y., will join Minnetian on the NTDP blue line this coming season. In addition to his time with Mid Fairfield, he also played at Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.).

While he doesn’t have the same athleticism as Minnetian, Fortescue, too, boasts the smarts, skating and overall puck skills that give him the potential to be a high-round pick once he becomes eligible for the draft in 2023. He was drafted No. 222 overall by the Kitchener Rangers in the 12th round of the 2021 OHL Priority Selection.

Pope Francis standout forward Ryan Leonard (Amherst, Mass.), a fellow top-ranked ’05 who, like Minnetian and Fortescue, is joining the NTDP this coming season, also announced his commitment to Jerry York and the Eagles on Sunday.

Crimson nab Mid Fairfield forwards

In addition to Minnetian and Fortescue, two other Mid Fairfield 15O players announced their commitment to Bay State colleges, as forwards Sal Guzzo and Logan Renkowski both pledged to Harvard.

Guzzo, who will join his BC-bound teammates with the NTDP this coming season, is a hard-nosed forward from Old Tappan, N.J., who has good size, notable physical instincts and a knack for scoring goals. The 6-foot-2, 170-pounder also played for Don Bosco Prep in 2020-21.

Renkowski, from Nesconset, N.Y., skates well, has good hockey sense and competes hard. He was one of nine local players chosen for the 2021 U.S. Under-17 Men’s Select Team that will compete at the Five Nations Tournament later this month.

The 5-foot-8, 165-pound lefty forward had a dominant showing at the weeklong USA Hockey Boys Select 16 Player Development Camp that decided the selection of the Five Nations roster, as he paced the camp in both points (11) and goals (7). Renkowski was drafted No. 30 overall by the Cedar Rapid RoughRiders in the second round of the 2021 USHL Futures Draft and is slated to play the 2021-22 season with Long Island Gulls.

UConn adds Rockets forward

New Jersey Rockets 15U forward Thomas Klochkov announced his commitment to UConn. The 5-foot-11, 141-pound forward from Fort Lee, N.J., split time between the Rockets and Seton Hall Prep (West Orange, N.J.) this past season. Before that, he spent time with New Jersey Devils Youth and North Jersey Avalanche.

Klochkov will head to the USPHL to play with the Rockets 16U club this coming season. He was drafted No. 116 overall by the Green Bay Gamblers in the eighth round of the 2021 USHL Futures Draft.

Yale adds BCHL forward

Greenwich, Conn., native Beanie Richter announced his commitment to Yale. The 6-foot, 161-pound forward, son of former NHL and Wisconsin goaltender Mike Richter, played for the BCHL’s Penticton Vees in 2020-21. A Mid Fairfield product, Richter played prep hockey at Brunswick in 2019-20, where he totaled 19 points in 31 games.