Thursday, August 28, 2025

UPDATED More new arrivals. NHL Pipeline rankings


The introduction of newcomers continues. The first six were featured in Wednesday's post. Yesterday, we added four freshmen. Four more today, starting just below. Again, more information about each of the 14 is in the sidebar Transfers and Recruits section. 

 

A 6’4”, 194 lb. center from Hingham, Mass., Ben Merrill was Montreal’s sixth round pick in 2024.  He played three seasons at St. Sebastians before heading to the BCHL Penticton where he put up 15 goals and 28 points last season.

   

                      Photo credit Pierre Obendrauf, Montreal Gazette 

A fifth round Bruins pick in 2024, Toronto native Jonathan Morello is a 6’1” C/LW who bulked up to 192 pounds. He followed up a 57-point OJHL season with 28 points for USHL Dubuque last year. Black&Gold Hockey points out:

I was high on Morello after last year’s Development Camp, and I’m even higher after this one. There was a major increase in talent among this season’s invites (Hagens, Moore, Zellers, etc.) and when the 5v5 scrimmage came around, Morello was one of the standouts. He’s grown into his frame and is an excellent skater. He’s able to use his strength to win battles and hold onto pucks while also utilizing speed to win races and make defenders uncomfortable. I’m not sure where he’ll play in the lineup for a deep BU team, but he’s someone to keep an eye on as a sleeper prospect in this organization.      

6’1”, 185 lb., right wing Ryder Ritchie is BU’s first recruit from the CHL. The 2022-23 WHL Rookie of the Year rang up a 29-32-61 line for Medicine Hat this past season and then added nine goals and nine assists to help the Tigers reach the Memorial Cup final. Prior to the 2023-24 season, Ritchie helped Canada win gold in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Described as a “playmaker and sniper” with "really good instincts offensively," Ritchie was drafted by Minnesota at #45 overall in the 2024 draft. He's the son of NHL forward Byron Ritchie and has dual Canadian-Swedish citizenship. 

6'2", 194 lb., left-shot defenseman Malte Vass from Karlstad, Sweden, comes to BU with a reputation as a physical, shutdown defenseman. He's been playing in the Färjestad BK system, last season at the J20 level with two goals and nine assists in 40 games. He was drafted #76 overall by Columbus in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.

Vass, who represented Sweden in both the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and the World Junior A championship a year ago, has been described as "Big, mean, and strong. Eager to punish puck carriers skating down his side of the ice."

       

Jay Feldberg, 19, is a 6'0" 170 right-shot center from the OJHL Toronto Jr. Canadians where he generated 31 goals and 45 assists in 100 games over the past two seasons.   

The 20 year old Michigan native played in the Honeybaked organization and in the BCHL before spending two seasons with NAHL NJ Junior Titans, where BU All-American  Colby Cohen is an assistant coach. Kim, a 6'2" right-shot, was the Titans' top-scoring blueliner with 33 points in 50 games.

Colby tells us: "Incredibly gifted smooth-skating D man who can move the puck with ease. He was a pleasure to coach. Was the best player I saw in the league last season." 

Connecticut native Steven Luciano rounds out the Terrier goalie room. The 6'1" netminder prepped at Mt. St. Charles and then at Salisbury School the past two seasons. He had a .919 save percentage for the Crimson Knights as a senior.

A 5'10" left wing from Maryland, John McNelis produced 81 points, including 36 goals, in two USHL seasons. He represented Team USA in both the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup and the World Junior A Challenge.

 

►College Puck NXT posted its pre-season Hockey East power rankings based on a committee of sources that focus on the conference. Hockey East coaches and media polls will be revealed in September.

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                      Photo credit Joe Eachus

The Athletic’s Cory Pronman ranked the top 23-and under prospects in each NHL pipeline including many drafted Terriers. Rising sophomore Sascha Boumedienne, drafted at #28 by Winnipeg this past June, is listed as the Jets’ #1 prospect. Mikhail Yegorov, whose stock skyrocketed after he joined the Terriers last season is the #4 prospect of the Devils who also have Shane Lachance at #7. Future Blackhawks, whom Pronman says, have the 2nd best pipeline, include #7 Sacha Boisvert and #13 Ryan Greene. The Wild’s list has Ryder Ritchie at #7.

Not sure why Macklin Celebrini is still considered a prospect, but naturally he’s #1 for San Jose, while Simon “Haoxi” Wang slots in at #15. Montreal’s list has Lane Hutson at #3, while freshman Jack Murtagh is #9 for the Flyers


►While Head Coach Jay Pandolfo had his contract extended in July, USCHO is just getting around to reporting on it.  So, it's a great time to reiterate that Pandolfo has reached the Frozen Four every year as a player (1993-96) and a head coach (2023-25). Seven times in all.

An All-American, Hobey Baker Award finalist and team captain in his senior year, Pandolfo was a first-ballot inductee to the BU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001. He is ninth among the programs' all-time goal-scorers with 79 and 11th in points with 169. 

During a 15-year NHL career primarily with New Jersey, Pandolfo played on two Stanley Cup champions, 2000 and 2003. 

● USCHO.com After three successful seasons coaching Boston University men’s hockey team, Pandolfo signs multi-year contract extension

Looking ahead 

Flo Hockey's Chris Peters breaks down 13 prospects to watch in the OHL this season including 2026 recruit and San Jose draft pick Simon Haoxi Wang.

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Simon Wang, D, Oshawa Generals (SJS)

If there’s a player that should be viewed as a potential breakout candidate, it’s Wang. The 6-foot-6 blueliner born in Beijing appeared in 32 games with Oshawa last season after the NCAA changed its rules to allow CHL players. The Boston University commit had just two assists as he tried to find his legs in the league during the regular season. But the upside on the massive Chinese blueliner made him the first pick of the second round in June.

He was a much more offensive player in the OJHL before making the jump to Oshawa and my belief is he will find that game more this season. Watching where he takes things from here will be fascinating to watch.

Peters' picks also include one-time BU recruit Jack Pridham who opted instead to return to Kitchener. 

 

 

    
  
  

 

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