At the end of March, RPI picked up a commitment from ‘06 Goaltender Ethan McCallum. Listed at 6’4” and 202 LBs, McCallum is a 3 year WHL veteran who played for both the Saskatoon Blades and the Penticton Vees this season. Between the two, he had an overall 0.907 SV%, which was tied for 5th in the league among qualified goalies.

McCallum is a big, athletic goalie with very quick lateral movement and the ability to make highlight reel saves. He does a good job staying square to shooters and controlling rebounds. His ability to see the puck through traffic is also impressive. The main thing for McCallum to improve is his angles; he can tend to be deeper in his crease because of his size, but that will be taken advantage of by more skilled players. He can also overcommit sometimes and could use some improvement with his reads. Overall though, McCallum is a high quality goalie due to his size, athleticism, and rebound control. He has all the physical tools needed, and the areas of growth are mental with his angles and reads, which can be developed with more reps.

McCallum will enroll at RPI this fall and add a quality goalie to tandem with Krawchuk. While Krawchuk has definitely earned the net to start the year, McCallum is good enough to push him and compete with him for the #1 spot during the season, especially since Krawchuk did struggle with back to backs at times. It will likely start out with Krawchuk as the 1A with the majority of the starts and McCallum as the 1B, but it’s not an open and shut case for the season by any means. It’s easy to envision the two of them locking down the net for years to come, and that is now a very stable position for the Engineers. I’m excited to see McCallum in net for RPI this fall! Congratulations to Ethan and his family!

Eric Lang’s transfer portal recipe is starting to feel pretty obvious to anyone paying attention: find highly skilled East Coast players who were just a step away from a major role on a successful team. Former Merrimack Warrior Ben Yurchuk fits this to a tee. Yurchuk played for the Chicago Steel prior to Merrimack and has been a high-skill, point producing type of player everywhere he’s gone. He found himself just on the outside of the Hockey East champ’s scoring lines and thus came available in the portal. Lang has been on a quest to find some natural skill to complement some of the tight-checking types he had in the locker room last year. Yurchuk has it, it’s just going to be about slowing the ECAC game down enough to utilize it.

Elite Hands and Natural Skill

After watching his tape from MC and the Steel, I left pretty convinced that he’d be playing at BC or BU if he were 5 inches taller. Yurchuk’s speed, hands, and IQ jump off the page immediately upon turning on the tape. He is so crafty maneuvering around defenders and has outstanding speed. The creativity in the offensive zone stands out to me too, he is just so patient and always seems to make the right pass. It looks as if he has the puck on a string while dangling through the neutral zone. He plays with an elusiveness as a forechecker and offensive player that is highly translatable and effective. Yurchuk’s dynamic game can truly drive offense and flip puck possession in his team’s favor.

Playmaking

As I alluded to before, his vision is simply top notch, and he is at his best with the puck on his stick. Some players simply don’t have that level of talent where the game slows down for them on the attack, but Yurchuk undoubtedly has it. He plays the game on the edge, but I found that more often than not he makes the right play.

So why didn’t it translate to college right away?

We’ve seen this happen with this archetype of player before. Highly skilled, often smaller players that were elite in prep and AAA, with high point production in the USHL that then struggle as Freshman in tough conferences. RPI has had a mixed bag recruiting this type of transfer, although I’d say it’s been more good than bad. TJ Walsh, Chase Zieky, and Brendan Budy are 3 that come to mind. The college game is clearly more physical, faster, and experienced than junior hockey, which can cause a slow adjustment for some guys. The ECAC is a heavier, tighter checking league than Hockey East, but it generally has less skill (although not always true). Yurchuk may struggle with the physicality of the league, but I also think his offensive ability will shine where it’s a bit of a dime a dozen in Hockey East. He is going to need his speed to be the difference maker and use it to find gaps in heavy ECAC defenses.

Intangibles

The biggest thing that holds Yurchuk back is his size and defensive ability. At 5’8, 170, he just doesn’t give you much in your own end and lacks the physicality you covet. That’s not to say that smaller forwards haven’t had success here, as quite a bit of his game calls Jacob Hayhurst to mind for me. I just think you know what you're getting with Yurchuk, and he’s likely not coming in to improve the defensive tenacity. He does have top-notch speed though, which when combined with his great stickhandling should help RPI possess and move the puck.

Yurchuk is a former top 10 pick in the USHL draft and was committed to Northeastern for a time, suggesting that the pedigree is absolutely there. I think the big question with this commitment is if the game slows down enough after another year and in a new conference. If Yurchuk’s possession and playmaking skills can shine through, then RPI just found a diamond in the rough.

Congrats to Ben and his family! Let’s go red.

Back in the beginning of February, we reported that RPI picked up a commitment from ‘06 LW Jordan Gavin. Listed at 5’11” and 180 LBs, Gavin was one of the top prospects in all of Canada for his birth year as a teenager. He’s had a long and winding path to get to where he is now, which we will get to in a bit. This year, he played for the Brandon Wheat Kings in the WHL where he had 16 goals, 42 assists, and 58 points in 68 games. Let’s take a look at his path given how unique it is.

Before the WHL

Gavin was a prolific scorer in U15 hockey with his high-end skill and elite hockey sense. He put up a whopping 24 points in only 6 games when the season was shortened due to COVID. This led to his selection as the #2 overall pick in the WHL draft following the season, behind Berkly Catton who just played out the full season with the Seattle Kraken in the NHL as a 19 and 20 year old. He also was selected ahead of Charlie Elick, a 2nd round pick for Columbus, and Roger McQueen, who was taken in the top 10 by Anaheim. That should give you an idea of the type of can’t miss prospect he was at age 14.

Since the WHL does its draft a year earlier than the other junior leagues, the players who are picked don’t join their team full time until a year later. Gavin played his age 14-15 year old season at the U17 level, where he again put up ridiculous numbers despite playing up an age group. He had 48 goals, 57 assists, and 105 points in 28 games! Players are still allowed to get a handful of WHL games as an affiliate player at that age, and Gavin played 9 games with the Tri-City Americans after turning 15 years old.

The 2022-23 Season

Gavin was able to join Tri-City full time in 2022 despite still only being 15 at the start of the season due to his late birthday in November. Despite his age, he was immediately a dynamic player in the league with 54 points in 62 games, which is extremely impressive for a 15-16 year old playing in junior. That was 3rd in the league in points for U17 players, and he was only 1 point behind Berkly Catton and Ryder Ritchie despite being younger than both.

He was as good as anyone in his age group, and that was evidenced by his selection to Team Canada Black for the World U17 Hockey Challenge. Joining him on the team were Macklin Celebrini, Sam Dickinson, Zayne Parekh, and Lynden Lakovic just to give a few names.

The 2023-24 Season

While most of the players in his age group were in their draft year this year, Gavin was not yet because of his November birthday. He started off the year playing for Team Canada in the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup as one of Canada’s best U18 players and as part of an absolutely loaded team that included 16 top 3 round picks, 10 first round picks, and 7 top 15 picks! He took a backseat to all of that talent, but the fact he was on that team shows he was in that conversation.

Gavin lit up the scoresheet again during the season although he didn’t take a huge jump in production. He went up to a point per game with 68 points in 68 games, which was 8th in the league among U18 players and still an elite mark for his age. Among players who were not yet draft eligible though, he was 2nd in the league only behind Gavin McKenna. He ended the year as a clear NHL draft prospect and one of the top prospects in western Canada.

The 2024-25 Season

Entering into his draft year, Gavin had a statistical profile in line with a clear first round pick. However, he wasn’t looked at as a first round pick and top NHL prospect anymore heading into the year due to questions about how his game would translate up levels. He was viewed as more of a top 3 round pick in the preseason. Scott Wheeler had him listed in his honorable mentions in his preseason top 32 rankings.

The NHL downgrades undersized players unless they have elite skating and compete level to go along with elite production. When Gavin’s production started stagnating during the year, his status as an NHL prospect fell alongside it. In the NHL Central Scouting October watch list, Gavin was rated as a C prospect, meaning projected for rounds 4-5.

In November, Scott Wheeler ranked him 59th in his rankings, but as the year went on, Gavin fell out of Wheeler’s rankings entirely and didn’t make his final top 100. In NHL Central Scouting’s midterm rankings in January, he came in at 123rd among North American skaters. In their final rankings in April, he was unranked and did not make the cut out of 224 skaters in North America. Obviously, he ended up going undrafted after finishing the season with 57 points in 68 games.

Scott Wheeler’s report in his November rankings do a very good job in explaining the slide and the question marks surrounding him, in my opinion.

Neutral Zone had an in-depth NHL scouting report on him last year as well, which also explains why scouts saw shortcomings in his projection.

This Year

That all brings us to this year, where Gavin stayed at around the same production level with 58 points in 68 games with the Brandon Wheat Kings, and he will again go undrafted in the NHL draft this summer.

To be clear, this isn’t meant to have a negative slant whatsoever; it’s just adding context on how a former top prospect in all of Canada ended up going undrafted and is now slated to attend RPI this fall. To be quite frank, RPI basically never lands players of this stature and raw talent, and it was a huge recruiting win to beat out some big programs to land him!

From watching Gavin, he is clearly a dynamic player, especially with the puck on his stick. He has high-end skill with outstanding hands. The puck is practically on a string when it’s on his stick, and he can dangle defenders regularly. He also has a great shot and can finish his chances with an accurate wrister and a pretty good one-timer.

The main strength of his game though is his absolutely elite IQ level. He processes the game at a high level and always seems to find impossible seams and passing lanes (seriously, watch those highlight videos). He then executes those passes easily with his skill. Gavin also has excellent decision making with the puck and creates scoring chances frequently in the offensive zone with his reads.

Another example of his incredible hockey sense is his ability to stay out of the box. He went 3 YEARS without taking a penalty in the WHL. When taking his first penalty in 3 years, the WHL felt they had to record a video to make note of the incident, which was a delay of game penalty. In total, Gavin record 10 penalty minutes in his entire WHL career, which was 275 games!

Fit at RPI

Gavin will enroll this fall at RPI and will likely slide immediately into the top 6 at LW. He will be one of the most naturally gifted players to ever don the Cherry and White, and his skill and hockey sense will instantly boost RPI’s scoring ability at the top of the lineup. He has the ability to be one of the top freshmen in the league, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if he’s on the All-Rookie team at season’s end. He is going to come in with a chip on his shoulder to prove the NHL scouts wrong and show that he can add more strength, pace/speed and competitiveness, and he will have every opportunity to do that at RPI. I can’t wait to see him suit up for the Engineers. Congratulations to Jordan and his family on his commitment!

Simon Motew’s path to RPI has been an unconventional one, and one that college hockey fans 10 years ago wouldn’t have been able to fathom. Motew hails from Highland Park, IL, just like former RPI center Zach Dubinsky. He was a standout for the Chicago Mission in AAA, before moving up to Ontario to start a great career with the Kitchener Rangers. Motew played 4 seasons in the OHL and was highly successful, but aged out prior to the NCAA’s inclusion of the CHL. He spent 1 year at St. Francis Xavier in USports where he was very good, before transferring over the border after the rule change to Ben Barr’s Maine Black Bears. Motew fell out of the lineup for Maine and now comes to RPI in search of regular minutes. There is a lot to like about Simon’s game, and I think RPI is a great place for him to develop with his final 2 years of NCAA eligibility.

Dependable, 2-Way Game

Motew plays a very reliable 2-way game that is so coveted by Lang’s staff. He has good size at 6’1, 190lbs and even plays a bit bigger than that with his physicality. What intrigues me most about Simon’s play is his ability to defend attackers looking to gain zone entry, as his size, speed, and long reach make him very difficult to gain entry on. He uses this reach to keep attackers to the outside and then move play back towards the neutral zone. He has above average speed for a defenseman of his size and seems very comfortable with the puck on his stick in transition. There’s clearly some offense in the tank too given his offensive output in the OHL and at St. Francis Xavier.

Developing Offense

Motew has produced points at every level except for Maine, with most of his offense coming as a blue-line facilitator. He has good speed and passes it well, thus I expect him to benefit from a slightly slower pace of play in the ECAC. I’d like to see his processing and deceptiveness at the blue line improve to get to the next level. I don’t expect him to see a primary offensive role at RPI, as Sobieski, Klassek, and Burzynski figure to get the lion’s share of PP time on the back end. However, he is skilled enough as a 2-way that he can help out on both ends.

This pickup pretty effectively threads the risk-reward needle that makes sense for the program right now. What I mean by that is, the team is in transition and is looking for high upside players that can be pieces to build with. You just saw 4 defensemen leave for the portal in an effort to get younger and more skilled. Motew has the upside to fit this theme, and his OHL and Hockey East pedigree is attractive even if he hasn’t found a collegiate home to stick at thus far. However, the defensive unit is also going to be very young, and Motew is 23 with a lot of hockey under his belt. In some sense you are getting a safe bet to balance the youth, but there seems to be more upside here than with some of the other options that were on the table.

Motew seems like a solid pick-up to me with the chance to earn a major role. He has attended Senators and Canadiens development camps, and is clearly well regarded in hockey circles. What he needs right now is ice time to develop, and RPI has room to provide that for him. Sobieski will garner the most minutes on the right side, but it seems Motew, James Guo, and Landen Hilditch will be competing for the last 2 spots. Congrats to Simon and we look forward to watching him this coming fall! Let’s go red!

College Hockey’s black Monday is nearly complete, with 253 players headed to the transfer portal according to Gopher Puck Live. The portal gives as much as it takes, depending on where your favorite program’s resources stack up against the rest. The Engineers have actually fared okay in the portal with the exception of last year’s coaching change, and day 1 brought some much-expected turnover. 9 Engineers headed to the transfer portal as the clock struck midnight, most notably senior forward Tyler Wallace. Wallace’s departure is unfortunate, but most of the other changes were likely the choice of the coaching staff. RPI nabbed one commitment today from Providence forward Brendan Ross. Ross played sparingly for the Friars in 2025-26 but had a productive freshman season at Alaska before transferring to Providence. He will have 2 years of eligibility left and look to regain his freshman year form at RPI.

Game Breakdown

Ross has all the physical tools you can ask for and has a pedigree of scoring in junior hockey. He is 6’3, 200 lbs., and skates well with a long stride. His hands are above average, and he effectively dekes around defenders to gain space in the zone. The shot looks highly effective to me and resulted in 47 goals in his final junior season for the Blackfalds Bulldogs. Ross has the tenacity to fill bottom 6 minutes for the Engineers, but he has the type of game that could break out into a much bigger 2-way role.

He’s had an interesting and tumultuous path from Blackfalds to RPI. The Bulldogs were one of the teams that left the AJHL for the BCHL in 2024, and Ross remained very productive after the move. His freshman year in Alaska was productive (3-11-14) and clearly Providence saw something in him to pry him away from Fairbanks. The Friars earned a late commitment from Roger McQueen which pushed Ross out of the top 9, and Providence’s complete lack of injuries held him out of the lineup this year. Obviously, you would like to see him have made more of an impact for PC, but they had a very deep forward group and undoubtedly the best 4th line in college hockey. Ross was the odd man out, and heads to RPI looking for the chance to produce in the top 9. At the very worst, he should be able to provide something on the 4th line.

Departures

9 Engineers headed for the doorway this morning in search of a new opportunity.

Forwards: Tyler Wallace (35-9-9-18), Cole Gordon (34-1-2-3), Jack Gorton (12-2-0-2), Jackson Kyrkostas (12-0-2-2)

Defense: Lucas Lemieux (20-1-1-2), Matthew Jovanovic (2-0-0-0), Gunnar VanDamme (33-0-5-5), Gustavs Ozolins (34-1-2-3), Jimmy Goffredo (25-1-4-5)

First and foremost, we’d like to thank all these guys for their contributions to the program. With that being said though, Wallace is the only one I’d make anything of. I expect him to move up a level and try to play a similar top 6 role on a program that’s further alone. Lemieux was a good recruit and flashed some but clearly was recruited over in favor of Burzynski and Michael. Gordon, Gorton, and Kyrkostas will go looking for programs where they can play more. Lang alluded to Jovanovic moving on due to injury concerns on the podcast last week. Lastly, Ozolins and Goffredo have played a bunch the past 2 years but are likely being recruited over too.

If there are no more entries, RPI’s depth chart looks roughly as follows:

Gavin-Sitar-Buckley
Evaschesen-Rullers-Tapper
Hadland-Scherzer-Ross
Lindberg-Lodewyk-Bono
McNeil

Burzynski-Sobieski
Klassek-Guo
Michael-Hilditch

Krawchuk
McCallum
Bruveris
Dorfman

I would not expect Bruveris back and expect 2-3 more forwards and defenseman to come in. Players have 2 more weeks to enter, but I would expect the bulk of the entries will be done by tomorrow or Wednesday. Congrats to Brendan and let’s go red!

We haven’t done a piece like this in a while (2023), and it was pretty jarring to go back and look at what the pipeline was just 2.5 short years ago. Of the 19 commitments at the time, 8 went on to suit up at RPI and just 5 are on the current roster, which reflects the amount of turnover that’s happened in this program of late. Nonetheless, the coaching staff is solidified and seemingly has a plan for the type of recruit that they want to bring in. The 2026 freshman class looks pretty set to me, but there may be room for one more addition depending on roster changes in the coming weeks. Beyond that, only 2 of the remaining commits were brought here by Lang, so expect that to get turned over and filled out. Most junior leagues are nearing the end of their regular season and approaching their playoffs, so most of these stat lines are nearly final.

2026 Arrivals

Jordan Gavin - F, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
2026 Stats: 68GP-16-42-58

Gavin is by far the highest pedigree recruit of RPI’s and one that was expected to be a draft pick a few years back. His production in the WHL has flatlined a bit, settling around a point-per-game the past 4-5 years. His commitment was a big deal for RPI and sent a message that Lang & Schneider were not afraid to go after the top talent in western Canada. Gavin is a very talented player with some of the best hockey IQ you’ll find in juniors. Expect him to immediately plug into the middle or top 6 this fall.

Josh Evaschesen - F, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
2026 Stats: 67GP-33-40-73

Evaschesen is the complete opposite of Gavin, who has been scouted and widely covered since he was 14 years old. Evaschesen played for Trail in the BCHL with Lucas Lemieux and former RPI commit Dylan Lariviere last year, where he put up very modest numbers. He wasn’t on many radars before breaking out in the WHL this year, which is historically a much, much tougher league. Next thing he knew, top programs in the country were calling him and RPI worked very hard to nab his commitment. He finished in the top 25 of WHL scoring, where most players above him have an NHL logo next to their name. If Evaschesen continues on this trajectory, he will make a significant impact at RPI.

Harrison Lodewyk - F, Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
2026 Stats: 54GP-18-22-40

Lodewyk is another recruit who found his stride in his last year of junior. Harrison missed some time due to a midseason injury but has produced around a point-per-game besides that stretch where he was banged up. He was traded early in the year from Prince Albert to Calgary and carved out a nice role for himself near the top of the lineup. Lodewyk comes in to play a different role than the prior two, one where he will use his blazing speed and tenacity to improve the 4th line. I think he has enough skill to play a bigger role than that, but as a freshman he can plug right into the bottom 6 and be an upgrade.

Caleb Hadland - F, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
2026 Stats: 56GP-15-29-44

Hadland has captained the Wheat Kings this year and is putting together his best WHL season despite a recent injury. He was a pretty coveted recruit at the time of his commitment and has been one of the better ‘06 forwards in the league. Similar to Gavin, his hockey sense is outstanding, and he plays the game with a lot of tenacity. Brandon has a very balanced attack which has held back his output a bit but make no mistake: Hadland will make an immediate impact at RPI and get opportunities to produce right away.

James Guo - D, Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
2026 Stats: 63GP-8-31-39

There is a lot of discourse, rightfully so, about what the top junior league is to feed the NCAA now that the CHL is allowed. Most will tell you that the OHL is the best, and Guo is one of the best ‘05 defenseman in the league. He has grown into a big role on the top pair in his final year in Saginaw and is known as an athletic, puck-moving D. He has good size at 6’1, 200lbs, and could contribute on the 2nd pair right away if he’s asked to do so. He won an academic award in Saginaw and figures to be the exact type of recruit Lang wants, with a high priority on education, experience, and hard skill.

Grayson Burzynski - D, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
2026 Stats: 59GP-11-47-58

After being traded from Swift Current to Brandon in the offseason, Burzynski put together his best season of junior hockey this year. We’ve spoken at length about Burzynski’s offensive prowess and his comfortability running an offensive attack from the blue line. He is a 4.25-star recruit at Neutral Zone and a point-per-game recruit out of the WHL as a defenseman. Those recruits don’t grow on trees and RPI supposedly beat out some very high-end programs to get him here. I don’t have any doubt that he can contribute offense at a high-level, the question will be how much of the defensive load can he shoulder?

Ryan Michael - D, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
2026 Stats: 67GP-3-30-33

We highlighted Michael last week and are pretty excited for the two-way game he will bring to the Engineer blue line. Michael is uber steady and the type of leader you want in your locker room. He has played 5 seasons with the Blazers, worn a letter for 3, and put together his best season this year as their Captain. He might not have the flash and offensive upside to run a powerplay like Burzynski and Guo, but he is as reliable as they come. I expect Michael to start on the 3rd pair and get time on the PK next fall.

Ethan McCallum - G, Penticton Vees (WHL)
2026 Stats: 34GP-2.63-.907%

RPI’s most recent commitment is Penticton goalie Ethan McCallum. McCallum comes to the Engineers from the Western Hockey League and has split time between Saskatoon and Penticton this year. He started his WHL career in Medicine Hat, where he teamed up with presumptive #1 overall pick Gavin McKenna. We will have a piece out on McCallum soon and how his journey to Penticton has culminated in his best junior season. His .907 Sv% is T-6th in the WHL and he has great size to go with the improving numbers. McCallum will come in next year and presumptively start as the backup to Nate Krawchuk.

Future Arrivals

Ryan Hecker - D, Avon Old Farms (USHS-Prep)
2026 Stats: 28GP-2-6-8

Hecker committed to the Engineers in the fall, as he wraps up his final season at Avon Old Farms before heading off to junior hockey. It’s hard to glean much from high school hockey box scores, but Hecker is well regarded as a good skater with high IQ. His numbers dropped off a bit from last season, going from 14 points to 8. Hecker’s USHL rights were traded from Waterloo to Dubuque during the season, and I’d expect him to go to their camp this summer with the hopes of making the team. He’s still 2-3 years away from college, but making a USHL roster next year would be big for his development.

Leo-Gabriel Gosselin - F, SSFB (QM18AAA) & Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
2026 Stats: 37GP-21-30-51 (QM18AAA) ; 8GP-0-2-2 (QMJHL)

Gosselin had a great year for Seminaire St-Francois Blizzard, finishing around 10th in scoring in their league. His point total from last year swelled from 21 to 51 on less games, which resulted in a number of QMJHL callups. He was a 2nd round pick of Chicoutimi but saw his rights traded this winter to a much worse Baie-Comeau team. This will likely be a good thing for his development and allow him to play in a scoring role when he goes to the QMJHL full time next year. Gosselin also is multiple years away but he has the look of a prospect whose stock is rising.

Smith Recruits

This group of players was originally recruited by Dave Smith’s staff and still seems to be committed to RPI. I would put a pretty low probability of any of them arriving in Troy, but I will briefly highlight each of their years here as they remain in the pipeline for now.

Kamyl Chemrouk - F, Powell River Kings (BCHL)
2026 Stats: 46GP-14-15-29

Chemrouk came out guns blazing when he started the season with the Brooks Bandits, producing well above a point-per-game. He cooled off quite a bit and was traded from Brooks to Coquitlam, and then again to Powell River. He has some work to do next year to be in line for a roster spot in ‘27-28.

Ryan Dwyer - F, Newfoundland Regiment (QMJHL)
2026 Stats: 45GP-5-4-9

Like Chemrouk, Dwyer committed last winter under Smith while they played in Canadian prep. Dwyer made his QMJHL team this summer and mostly played a bottom 6 role for Baie-Comeau and Newfoundland. He may have a chance to make it as a checking forward, but his offense likely needs to develop to make the D1 level.

Carter Matthews - D, Portland Winterhawks (WHL)
2026 Stats: 18GP-0-2-2

Matthews started the year with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL, where he had played his prior 2 seasons. He signed into the WHL halfway through the season and has been fairly quiet since moving up. As an ‘06 birth year, Matthews has one more year of junior hockey left. Given RPI’s surplus of LD’s right now, he seems like a long shot to make it to RPI.

Tafari Chingwaru - D, Lloydminster Bobcats (AJHL)
2026 Stats: 36GP-1-6-7

Chingwaru has had stints in the BCHL, WHL, and the AJHL and struggled to stick in each spot. He is still very young and has more time to develop over the next several years.

I expect those 8 recruits and maybe 1 late addition to head to Troy this fall. Lang has completely turned over the pipeline, and he still has quite a bit of work to do to fill it out for years to come. I can’t wait to see these guys suit up for RPI soon. Let’s go red!

Back in early February, RPI picked up another commitment from the WHL. This time it was Brandon Wheat Kings captain Caleb Hadland. Hadland is an ‘06 wing listed at 5’10” and 190 LBs. He finished the regular season with 15 goals, 29 assists and 44 points in 56 games after missing some time due to injury. He has played for Brandon all 4 years of his WHL career and totaled 227 games for them. Hadland was the 8th ranked ‘06 player in the entire WHL per Neutral Zone and is a big time get for RPI.

Hadland is a very smart and skilled forward. Neutral Zone describes him as having “high end hockey sense” and “the intelligence to play at the NHL level.” He consistently makes subtle plays, and he has impressive details, playing the game the “right way.” His competitiveness is noteworthy with those details and intelligence. EliteProspects said, “If there’s a battle on the ice, chances are Hadland is involved – and winning. He uses his small stature to get low, dig underneath opponents, and slide in front. That core skill makes a threat when driving the net with the puck or battling for space without it. The opponents he can’t outwork, he outthinks.” Neutral Zone noted that he “consistently wins one on one confrontations through sheer determination before finding teammates quickly to extend zone time.”

Hadland is also a very skilled player with creativity in the offensive zone. He has the stick skill to make plays with the puck and transport it through the neutral zone. He “packs a punch with his shot. He gets every pound of his frame behind his shot like he is trying to break the netting.” Based on his pedigree, it’s no wonder that Hadland has the skill, intelligence and competitiveness combo that coaches covet. Hadland was a first round pick in the WHL draft back in 2021, and he played for the New Jersey Devils in the annual prospects challenge last fall.

Hadland will enroll at RPI this fall where he will make an immediate impact. He will likely slot somewhere in the middle 6, and he has the versatility to play either wing. I expect he is going to be an outstanding Engineer over the course of his career here with his character, leadership, competitiveness, and skill. I can’t wait to see him suit up in October! Congratulations to Caleb and his family!

RPI earned a commitment from Kamloops Blazers captain Ryan Michael back in January, as Eric Lang’s defensive overhaul continues to take shape. Michael’s commitment marks the continuum of a strategic shift into the WHL by the staff. Lang has spoken at length about wanting players with “hard skill”, and Ryan Michael fits that to a tee. He plays a highly reliable game and is well-known for his leadership qualities, with size and stick skill to go with it.

Michael joins Grayson Burzynski and James Guo as defenseman slated to come to RPI in the fall, in what figures to be a very young and promising unit. With Michael and Burzynski coming in, RPI now projects to have 7 LDs on the 2026 roster. I'd be willing to wager that this will not be the case so keep an eye out for some turnover as Michael and Burzynski have to go to college this year and can’t be delayed. Let’s take a look at Ryan’s game and what has us so excited:

Game Breakdown:

Michael’s game is all about hockey IQ and reliability. He has been on the top pair for Kamloops this season and worn the C, which is a testament to his leadership ability. Scouting reports describe him as a player that coaches can heavily trust in his own end and is relied upon on the PK. He combines his intelligence with size and skating ability which makes him a very well-rounded prospect. Michael stands 6’2 and 200 lbs and is one of the oldest eligible prospects, so he will certainly be ready to play on day 1.

Goal # 1

Goal # 2

Shot Block

I wouldn’t say Michael touts the offensive game of Thomas Klassek or Grayson Burzynski, but he is a good fit for the RPI defense which is quickly filling up with offensive types. He has good hands and can pass and move the puck the way Lang values in defenseman. I see some of former Engineer Jake Johnson in his game due to his skating, IQ, and willingness to block shots.

Team Fit

Ryan is the type of “hard skill” player that Lang’s staff covets, and I think he can be a real staple on the back end. His game is less flashy than others but puck-moving defenseman with a simple style thrive in this system. RPI is quickly developing a young core of defenseman with potential to be a top unit in the ECAC. Lang had success with this style of puck-mover at AIC in the late 2010s, and this unit figures to have the same skill with a bit more size.

Burzynski (FR) - Sobieski (JR)
Klassek (SO) - Guo (FR)
Michael (FR) - Hilditch (SO)

Extras: Ozolins (JR), VanDamme (SR), Lemieux (SO), Jovanovic (SO)

I am not suggesting that RPI’s defensive alignment will look like that next year, but merely trying to illustrate what I think a lineup centered on the higher potential, young guns looks like. I do think that a defensive alignment the following year would pretty much exactly like that though. It is a young core of defensemen with a lot of potential and the chance to be the backbone of teams to come.

Michael is listed as a 4-star by Neutral Zone and has been for years. His D partner in Kamloops is a 2nd-round pick with NHL and World Junior experience for the Penguins and Canada respectively. Michael clearly belongs and is the type of recruit that RPI wants to continue pursuing. If they can make a living recruiting older 4-stars and better, this program will be in great shape.

Ryan is a plug-and-play defenseman that projects into the top-4 in years to come. 3 years of wearing a letter in Kamloops suggests that he will be an excellent voice to have in the locker room and is a future captain here. Congratulations to Ryan and his family, we look forward to watching him this fall!

In December, RPI picked up a commitment from ‘05 center Harrison Lodewyk. Lodewyk is a WHL veteran of 5 years with a total of 266 games played. This year, he has 10 goals, 14 assists and 24 points in 37 games. After spending his first 4 seasons all with Prince Albert, he was traded to Calgary early on this season. Lodewyk is a strong, grinding type of forward and is listed at 5’11” and 207 LBs.

Lodewyk is a great skater with a lot of speed who likes to push the pace offensively. He is excellent at zone entries and carrying the puck through the neutral zone. His most noteworthy asset is his outstanding grit and compete level. He brings physicality and energy to every shift, finishing checks and wreaking havoc on the forecheck. He creates lots of turnovers, hits hard and gets pucks in deep. Lodewyk is also good in his own end and provides good two way play to go with his physicality and skating. He’s got some skill and scoring ability, but his skating and compete are his main tools.

Lodewyk will age out of junior hockey this year and arrive at RPI this fall. He will make an immediate impact in the lineup, likely as either the 3rd line or 4th line center depending on how the roster shakes out. He will play a valuable role as a checking forward with some offense to go with it, and as he develops, I wouldn’t be surprised if he can earn his way up the lineup later in his career. Lodewyk is the exact type of middle of the lineup player you need on a winning team, and I can’t wait to see him join the Engineers next season. Congratulations to Harrison and his family!

Coach Lang and the staff have been slowly piecing together an incredibly well-rounded recruiting class, primarily focused on the Western Hockey League. But all great recruiting classes have a crown jewel, and I’d bet my money that Grayson Burzynski is just that. Burzynski is having a monster year for the Brandon Wheat Kings, where he currently sits in the top 5 of defenseman scoring in the league. Burzynski is 6’4 and nearly 220 pounds with elite offensive presence. Those are just skills that most players aren’t born with, and I’m sure that the coaching staff is enthralled with his potential. He is ranked as the #4 2005 Defenseman in the WHL by Neutral Zone, surrounded by players that are drafted to the NHL and committed to high level NCAA programs. This commitment is a big deal for RPI as it looks to overhaul its defense in 2026. Let’s break down Grayson’s game:

Game Breakdown:

Burzynski is an elite offensive defenseman with 5 years of WHL experience to his name. He has broken out in the past two years producing at a point-per-game pace for Swift Current and Brandon. As you can see in the clips, Burzynski is very willing to jump into the rush and be the 4th skater in on an attack. He seems to have very good awareness about when to step on the gas and when to get back on defense. He has very long strides given his 6’4 frame and he seems to effortlessly glide around defenders. RPI hasn’t had many defenders that just look uber comfortable carrying the puck, so this type of commitment should go a long way to fixing its puck possession problem. The Engineers simply need guys that can allow them to get and keep the puck for longer, which Burzynski absolutely can.

I think his passing is excellent, but what gets me excited is how he can change the game with his shot and IQ at the blue line. While watching him, it became evident to me that he is one of those defensemen that is so patient at the blue line no matter how much the opponent is pressuring him. It feels like he always makes the right decision about when to put a puck on net and when to keep the play moving through his teammates. I think this is an underrated skill to have, and one that will change the complexity of RPI’s powerplay and offensive attack. Burzynski has a cannon shot, one that kind of reminds me of Jared Wilson towards the end of his RPI career.

He isn’t an incredible defender and lacks some change of direction speed, but the size and awareness tend to make up for this. I think early on in college this may be a flaw, but as the game slows down for him again like it has in the WHL, he is going to be just fine. He is strong on the puck but I would like to see him increase his physicality/ puck battling ability. Honestly though, I am just nitpicking and think these are the areas that will take him from good to great.

Bruins Camp

Burzynski attended Bruins camp this summer and certainly seems to be one of RPI’s top recruits in a long time. He spent 4 years in Swift Current but was traded to Brandon this offseason, where he is building his best season in his last year of WHL eligibility.

Roster Planning

We will do a lot more of this in a few months, but I am admittedly a roster planning nerd and always am trying to fit the pieces together in my mind. As of now, here is what we know for next year.

Departing (4): Dovar Tinling, Luc Wilson, Trevor Russell, Lucas Matta

Seniors (8): Tyler Wallace, Ethan Bono, Brad McNeil, Alfred Lindberg, Jack Gorton, Cole Gordon, Jimmy Goffredo, Bruno Bruveris

Juniors (7): Filip Sitar, Rainers Rullers, Jagger Tapper, Kaz Sobieski, Gustavs Ozolins, Mat Bourgault, Carson Dorfman

Sophomores (8): Matthew Buckley, Ian Scherzer, Jackson Kyrkostas, Thomas Klassek, Lucas Lemieux, Landen Hilditch, Matthew Jovanovic, Nathan Krawchuk

Freshman (5): Josh Evaschesen, Harrison Lodewyk, Grayson Burzynski, Ryan Michael, James Guo

Time will tell if there is any other turnover across the roster, and I suspect that there will be. Burzynski is going to plug right into the top-4 on the left side, likely on a pair with Kaz Sobieski or James Guo. I am really excited to get Grayson here and see what he can do. Coach Lang has spoken at length about “building from the back end”, and I think it is safe to say that RPI has landed 3 legitimate top-4 types in this recruiting class. Pair those three with a developing trio of Sobieski, Klassek, and Lemieux, and they could be an elite unit in a few years. Congrats to Grayson and family!

Back in November, RPI picked up a commitment from ‘05 RD James Guo. Guo is listed at 6’1” and 190 LBs. He has played 5 seasons in the OHL and is now a seasoned veteran for a young Saginaw Spirit team. He has spent the last 3.5 seasons in Saginaw and won the Memorial Cup with them in 2024. The past two seasons he has taken on a larger role and excelled. Last season, he had 8 goals, 26 assists, and 34 points in 62 games with a +29 rating. This season, Saginaw has struggled, but he still is putting the same type of offensive production with 3 goals, 19 assists, and 22 points in 41 games.

Guo is considered one of the best ‘05s in the OHL, which is the best junior league in the world, and RPI beat out some big schools to secure his commitment. His scouting reports paints a defenseman who should fit perfectly into Coach Lang’s scheme. When watching him, his standout trait is his excellent skating ability. He is an explosive skater with great acceleration and speed. More importantly as a defenseman, he is also extremely agile with outstanding 4 way mobility. Guo is also a great passer and breaks out the puck well. His vision allows him to find the right seams and passing lanes to move the puck out of the defensive zone. Defensively, Guo uses his feet to defend well and has a physical side to him, but I also think this is an area where he could use some further development.

Guo will age out of junior hockey following this season and enroll at RPI this fall. With his talent level, I expect he will play in the top 4 on the right side immediately as a freshman. His 5 years of junior hockey experience should have him ready for that role despite his youth. RPI will look to develop him as a big minute, two way defenseman who can play in all situations. With his size, skating, and skill, he has All-ECAC potential down the road with continued development. I can’t wait to see him don the Cherry and White this fall! Congratulations to James and his family!

We broke the news of a flurry of commitments a few weeks back, and you could certainly argue that Josh Evaschesen, the youngest of the crop, has the highest upside of them all. Evaschesen is an August ‘06 birth year and producing at a point-per-game pace in the competitive Western Hockey League as a rookie. Evaschesen played in Trail last year with Engineer defenseman Lucas Lemieux before making the jump to major junior. He brings an exciting combination of intelligence, size, and skill to the table that makes him an incredibly projectable forward for RPI. It shouldn’t be understated that RPI’s reach into western Canada for Evaschesen, Burzynski, and Lodewyk shows the adaptability and far-reaching recruiting strategy being deployed. Let’s break down Josh’s game and where he fits into the puzzle going forward.

Playmaker and Scorer

Josh brings a strong, all-around offensive game to the table and has the ability to bury scoring chances and also create for his teammates. He has played in the top-6 and on the top PP unit all season long for Kamloops, who have been one of the better teams in the WHL this year. He has consistently been touted for his vision and playmaking ability, which have been on full display this season. The IQ is something you’ll come to realize is a calling card for Evaschesen’s game.

He has a very quick release and doesn’t need much space to get his shot off in the tape I have seen of him. He’s on pace for almost 30 goals in the WHL this year and over a point per game pace, which is quite the uptick from what he produced in the BCHL last year. He is getting the chance to play for a Kamloops team with elite talent, including future 1st round pick JP Hurlbert. He doesn’t turn 20 until August, clearly indicating there is more scoring potential in there to be unlocked.

Goal

Breakaway Snipe

Dependable Two-Way Game

Evaschesen has flexibility between left wing and center and is described as a very responsible player in his own end. Josh constantly pursues loose pucks and wins battles along the boards to help his team gain possession of the puck. He is responsible and physical, with above average size and a willingness to play a 200-foot game. Our first instincts when looking at a prospect are to check the stat sheets and highlight reels, but seeing a player with a high IQ and all-around game is much more important. I think Evaschesen is just that, and projects as a very well-rounded, high-level scorer at RPI. Reports say the only real dimension missing from his game is high-end speed, but he makes up for this with size and IQ.

Big Hit

Big Picture

So where does this commitment fit into the roster puzzle and what does it mean for the big picture of the program?

First things first, I would note that Josh is a younger commit but probably still arrives at RPI this fall. For recruits like this, they typically possess higher upside but can have an adjustment period. Josh is getting better rapidly, as you can see his numbers in the WHL are way better than in the BCHL, which is an easier league. This is indicative of his quick ascension and gets me excited that he can hit the ground running at RPI.

Second, it’s a big deal to see Lang & Schneider scoring these recruiting wins in Western Canada. Early on in these rebuilds, momentum is king and a big part of that is recruiting. Once a couple kids make the jump and commit, it often comes in waves. Stick taps to those guys for their hard work on the last few commitments, nabbing some guys we are very excited to see suit up for the Engineers.

I see Josh enrolling at RPI this fall (although they could delay a year) and fighting for middle 6 minutes at left wing to start. He should have the upside to be a top 6 staple as soon as his sophomore year, and like Tyler Wallace I expect you’ll see him go between LW and C. This is a big commitment for RPI and I can’t wait to see Josh join the program. Let’s go red!

It’s been a busy week of recruiting news for RPI fans (more to come on those later), so we wanted to get caught up on some of the recruiting pieces that have been piling up! Back in October, RPI received a commitment from ‘08 defenseman Ryan Hecker from Evaston, Illinois. Hecker is young and likely multiple years away from RPI, but I’d argue that this commitment is significant for a couple reasons.

First, Avon Old Farms is an absolute powerhouse that has produced the likes of Brian Leetch, Jonathan Quick, and Trevor Zegras. Lang has ties to Connecticut, and I believe deep relationships with Avon Old Farms, which makes this commitment feel like a bit of a flag plant in the hotbed that is Northeast prep hockey. RPI hasn’t recruited a ton out of these schools recently, but it makes a ton of sense to get their hands on this region as the coaching staff tries to build out some pipelines. Hecker is a 17th round pick of Waterloo in the USHL, so I expect the staff’s hope is for him to finish the year out at AOF and go to the Black Hawks next fall.

Hecker is an Excellent Skater That Needs to Add Size

There is almost no tape available to us on Hecker’s game because he is so young, but I was able to piece together some information on his game from scouting reports. He is an outstanding skater with slick footwork and high-end recovery speed. This is the jumping off point for the best parts of his game, as he is known as a mobile defenseman that can gain entry into the zone and help his team drive possession. These are the type of defenseman that Coach Lang likes to recruit, and Hecker is a player with a lot of projectability.

Hecker has decent height at 5’11 seeing as he is just 17 and probably projects to something north of 6 feet tall. He needs to fill out his frame, but if he puts on another few inches and weight to go with it, he will have an exciting size and speed combination.

He is a Very Good Passer and Plays a Responsible 2-Way Game

Hecker is reportedly an above-average passer that uses his speed and hands to effectively move the puck through the neutral zone. Last year at Avon Old Farms, he produced 5 goals and 9 assists in 27 games, which led the team’s defenseman in goals. Avon’s season is just getting underway now, but Hecker projects to be one of the top defensemen in prep in his senior season. He has a reliable defensive game and relies on his skating and IQ to position himself well and move pucks out of the zone. He isn’t incredibly physical at this point, but he is hardly at the final form of his game at just under 17.5 years old.

Development Plan?

As I said before, Hecker is going into his senior season at Avon Old Farms where he will look to establish himself as one of the top defenders in Northeast prep. He was picked in the late rounds of the USHL Phase II draft, and he played a few games in Waterloo camp through the preseason this fall. He is ranked at 3.5 stars by Neutral Zone and 4 stars at Puck Preps, but I’ll defer to Lang on this one due to his deep ties to Connecticut junior hockey.

It’s not a guarantee that he makes the team in Waterloo out of camp next fall, but assuming he does, the staff likely wants him to play 2 years in the USHL before coming to RPI in 2028. Congratulations to Ryan and his family, and we look forward to tracking his development on the way to Troy. Let’s go red!

Last January, RPI picked up a commitment from Ryan Dwyer, an ‘07 birth year listed at 5’11” and 175 LBs. We were unsure which younger recruits would stay committed through the coaching change, which is why he hasn’t gotten a write-up yet. Dwyer is currently playing for Baie Comeau in the QMJHL, where he has 2 assists in 13 games. It’s not surprising to struggle in the first year of junior hockey, and it’s also worth noting that Baie Comeau is the worst team in the league. They’ve barely scored as a team (slightly more than 2 goals per game), so most players are going to struggle offensively on a team like that. Last year, Dwyer had 28 goals, 25 assists, and 53 points in 42 games at Stanstead College, a Canadian prep school.

The scouting reports paint Dwyer as a smart and responsible two way center. He “is a smart honest player. His effort and work habits are exceptional.” He supports his defensemen with good reads on the ice to neutralize scoring threats. He’s super competitive as well. In one game, it was noted that he “was all over the ice, he is a great energy guy, and his feet are always moving.” His compete level always jumps off the page as he is constantly skating hard and going to the net and open areas for his teammates. His skating is also described as a strength of his with “quick crosses and great straight line acceleration.”

Given his age and progression, we expect Dwyer will enroll in 2027 after 2 years of junior hockey like his former teammate at Stanstead, Kamyl Chemrouk. With his competitive and energetic skill set, he projects to be an effective, bottom 6 center who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Congratulations to Ryan and his family on his commitment!

Just a few short months after his 16th birthday, the Engineers received a commitment from RPI legacy, Léo-Gabriel Gosselin. Léo’s father, Jean-Francois, was an Engineer in the late-90s under Coach Dan Fridgen. Coach Lang said to us on our season preview pod that they wanted to focus their recruiting efforts on 20-year-olds ready for college, but he dipped into the Canadian prep ranks to get the young Gosselin. This is clearly a testament to how the staff feels about him and the projectability of his game. With Gosselin’s commitment, the Lang administration has planted a flag in Eastern Canada as the pipeline they want to rely on for recruiting. Let’s break down Gosselin’s game and see when we can expect him to don the Cherry and White!

Projectable Size and Speed

Gosselin is just 16 years old but already stands in at 6’2, 170 lbs, well ahead of the typical growth curve for prospects. One would think by the time he arrives at RPI you could be looking at a player that is 6’4 and 200 lbs or more, providing a power forward presence RPI hasn’t had much of lately.

Neutral Zone scouting reports cite Gosselin as having well above-average speed, allowing him to possess the puck and be the first one in on the forecheck. He has powerful strides that help him enter the zone effectively and drive possession for his team. He is excellent at using this combination of size and speed on the size, which is a big reason for the offensive prowess he possesses.

Offensive Ability

Gosselin is an excellent passer and has some goal-scoring to his game as well. The goal-scoring comes a bit more from IQ and positioning than it does from his shot, which I’d argue is a good thing. I’d rather see the IQ and feel for the game be ahead at this stage than a shot, which can be developed and practiced. Neutral Zone notes him as having an excellent feel for passing and the ability to find open men with saucers and highly skilled passes.

He has good but not elite hands at this stage but does possess the aforementioned size and speed to drive possession. Gosselin does have good deking ability and uses this well-rounded offensive game to create opportunities in the opposing end.

Two-Way Game

Coach Lang wants this rebuild to be characterized by players who have excellent “hard skill” as he called it. He believes that you can’t win big without highly skilled players, but they also need to compete at a high level, hence the moniker hard skill. He also wants to be deep up-the-middle of the lineup with a wealth of centers, and I think you can already see this philosophy playing out with centers Filip Sitar, Rainers Rullers, and Ian Scherzer being cornerstone pieces of the future. Gosselin feels like the next “hard skill” center recruited by Lang.

He plays a 200-foot game with strong net-front presence and the ability to retreat on an opponent’s rush with a strong back check. He is strong on his stick which helps along the boards and with the interception of passes. The defensive awareness has some room to develop, but he seems to possess the hard skills to excel in all 3 zones of the ice.

Status

Gosselin was a 2nd-round pick of Chicoutimi in the QMJHL this summer and had a great camp with the team. Unfortunately, he did not break camp with the team and went back to school, where he has already surpassed his point total from last year in half as many games. He has been one of the best players in Quebec AAA this year and had a couple points in the one game he was called up to Chicoutimi for. It is worth noting that Chicoutimi is one of the best teams in the whole CHL this year, so it is not the end of the world Gosselin didn’t break camp with the team. Hopefully once the school season ends, he will head to the Q for the end of their season and the playoffs.

I think it is most likely that we see Gosselin in Troy in 2028. My hopes for his development are that he gets his feet wet in the QMJHL this year, produces between 30-40 points there next year, 60-80 the following year and comes in 2029. A scout told me over the summer that he has all the tools necessary, and they think his best hockey is in front of him. Obviously, Gosselin is young so there is a lot of unknown, but I think combining this size/speed/skill with the right development has a ton of potential. I can’t wait to track Léo’s development and hope to see him in Troy very soon! Congrats to Léo and family!

Back in February, shortly after the CHL had been given the green light to cross the border and play in the NCAA, RPI received commitments from multiple Canadian prep players slated to play in the CHL. One of those was Kamyl Chemrouk, a January ‘07 birth year who played for Stanstead College Varsity at the time.

Chemrouk was a 10th-round pick of the Victoriaville Tigres in the QMJHL but surprisingly did not make the team out of camp this summer. He landed in the BCHL with the Brooks Bandits and has lit it up thus far with 14 points in 12 games. Chemrouk has a promising offensive package and figures to be one of the top players in the BCHL this season. Let’s break down more about his game and see where he fits into RPI’s roster puzzle:

Game Breakdown:

Kamyl is a talented offensive player with a potent shot and playmaking ability to go with it. His 89 points in Canadian prep hockey last year was one of the best tallies in the whole league, and he is already off to a terrific start this year. Most of his offensive output comes from his skating and IQ, and an ability to get to the right places on the ice consistently.

He mostly played center in prep but has found himself on the wing early in the season for the Bandits. I think his long-term position is on the wing, but it is clear Coach Lang values players that have flexibility at center.

Chemrouk has spent some time with the Algerian national team, including a very successful stint in the 2024 Dream Nations Cup where he put up 9 points in 5 games. We don’t have much information on the defensive side of his game as he is pretty early in his development, but it is worth noting that he has good size at this young age.

Kamyl will need some more time in junior hockey before coming to RPI, as he is still in his first full season at this level. Brooks is traditionally one of the best programs in Canadian junior for sending kids to the NCAA, but obviously this was before the CHL was allowed as a development path for college hockey. It is disappointing he didn’t make the Q this year, as he had an outstanding camp for Victoriaville yet was still cut. His most likely development path to RPI is a point-per-game year in Brooks, followed by a strong year in the Q next year before coming to RPI in 2027.

Now Chemrouk was recruited by Dave Smith’s staff, albeit there is some holdover with Matthias Lange still on board. He has produced much more than the litany of Smith recruits who were seemingly cut already, but he obviously was not originally recruited here by Coach Lang. We saw Smith retain some Seth Appert recruits like Cory Babichuk and Linden Marshall, so it’ll be interesting to see how this one plays out. We think that if any of them are to make it to RPI, Chemrouk is the most likely.

Hopefully Kamyl keeps up this hot start in the BCHL and finds his way to RPI very soon. Congratulations to Kamyl and his family and let’s go red!

The Engineers received a commitment over the summer from former BU Terrier Jack Gorton, who hails from Westchester, NY. Jack notched just three games over his first two seasons at Boston University and found himself stuck behind some of the best talent in college hockey. He comes to RPI in hopes of more ice time and an opportunity to come through on the talent that once earned him a commitment to one of the best programs in the country. Let’s take a look at Jack’s game and see where he fits into the puzzle this year:

A BCHL Standout

Gorton committed to Boston University in December 2021 after two years with Victoria in the BCHL. In his final year of juniors, he produced at nearly a point-per-game and doubled his goal total. Scouting reports from his BCHL days identified him as a physical player with a frame built for the college game at 6’3 200. Gorton is a physical, power forward with a plus shot, which he often uses to create chances off the rush. His strong and disruptive physical play is something that should project well into RPI’s bottom 6 this year.

Coach Lang spoke quite a bit about recruiting players from winning programs as he looks to establish culture within this reshaped roster. Gorton was clearly hindered by the talent that was ahead of him at BU the last two years, as that program has been knocking on the door of a National Championship lately. One understated reason Jack may find opportunity here is that the forwards are incredibly skewed towards lefties right now. The only right-shot forwards that are locks to play significantly are Filip Sitar and Jagger Tapper, and I’d expect Buckley & Kyrkostas to get time as well. Gorton is a bit of an unknown commodity, but I see a path for him in the bottom 6 given his physicality, right-handed shot, and size.

Gorton will return to his old school when RPI kicks off the season with a scrimmage at BU on October 5th. The season is coming up soon and we can’t wait to see this team hit the ice!

The season is right around the corner, but there were a couple of defensemen Lang picked up out of the portal earlier this summer who we hadn’t touched on yet here. Both have played a good chunk of games at the college level, and they’ll bring two different skillsets to the team. Let’s get into them:

Gunnar VanDamme

It’s a bit of a homecoming for Gunnar VanDamme, who is returning to play in his home state after spending two seasons across the country at University of Alaska Anchorage. There, VanDamme was an important piece for the Seawolves, consistently getting top four minutes over the course of 68 games.

In terms of how he is as a player, VanDamme clearly has great skating ability and uses it well in transition. He loves to get in on the rush and be aggressive after opposition turnovers. While watching his shifts, I clocked multiple times where he ended up being the furthest forward player during a rush sequence.

On the other side of the puck, VanDamme isn’t necessarily a shutdown force, but he can handle his own in the defensive zone. He uses his stick well and after recovering the puck, does well to generate breakouts. He draws penalties at a high rate and doesn’t take many himself.

VanDamme is at his best when he is moving with the puck, but once play is settled in the offensive/defensive zone, he becomes a little less effective. Until he can improve there, he’ll likely be just below the likes of Lemieux, Klassek, (and maybe Jovanovic) on that left-defense depth chart.

Trevor Russell

Trevor Russell missed his senior season at Michigan Tech due to injury and transferred to RPI for his final season of eligibility. He’s a right-handed defenseman who had played 72 college games up to that point including several in regional rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Obviously, there are some questions around how long it will take him to get back into form given that his last competitive college hockey game was in March of last year. But he’s got some real good upside, especially for a team with such a young blueline. Russell brings a steady presence when he is on the ice – just an all-around solid defensive defenseman.

He strikes me as the type of defenseman who you don’t notice as much because he has positioned himself well or subtly cut off a passing lane with a stick so that he doesn’t need to make that flashy, last-ditch dive to block a shot.

Russell likely won’t be a offensive powerhouse, but he’ll be a go to shutdown guy for Lang, and hopefully help cover for the newer defensemen when they make the inevitable rookie mistakes. Excited to see him get into action in just a couple weeks now.

After a couple of late decommits, RPI had an open spot on its roster for another player. Recently on our interview, Coach Lang revealed that spot will be used on defenseman Matt Jovanovic. Hailing from Toronto, Jovanovic is a left shot defenseman listed at 6’2” and 200 LBs, and he has quite the story. (Go to the 38:00 mark of the interview to hear the details from Coach Lang).

As a teenager, Jovanovic was a top prospect in Toronto. At 16 years old, he played in the Youth Olympic Games for Team Canada alongside all the other top prospects in his age group, which included numerous top NHL draft picks. He would have been a surefire first round pick in the OHL draft. Despite considering going the college route, the Saginaw Spirit still selected him in the 2nd round of the OHL draft. Jovanovic committed to Notre Dame and chose to play for the Des Moines Buccaneers in the USHL as a 16 year old.

Unfortunately, he ended up suffering a major hip injury that required surgery. After undergoing surgery, more complications surfaced with atrophy. This setback kept Jovanovic off the ice for over 2 years. When that all cleared up, he was able to resume skating about 9 months ago, and he has been hard at work rehabbing his hip and getting ready to play. He is skating with a group of NHLers in Toronto with former Norris trophy winning defenseman Mark Giordano, and Giordano mentioned to Coach Lang that you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between Jovanovic and the NHLers.

Old scouting reports paint Jovanovic as an active, two way defenseman. His main strength is his outstanding skating ability with an “almost perfect stride” that allows him to get around the ice quickly and easily. He defends really well by using his skating to close gaps and take away time and space from opposing players. He’s excellent in transition with great passing ability to move the puck quickly. The upside is there to be an all-situations defenseman that can play a lot of minutes.

RPI decided to take the chance on Jovanovic and his upside. There will need to be a lot of patience as he works his way back into playing hockey. There’s a massive difference between offseason training skates and playing real games with full contact. He probably won’t be playing right away in October, and when he does, there will be some growing pains as it will be his first hockey game in almost 5 years. Based on his hard work to rehab from all these injury troubles, I do expect he will complete his recovery and suit up for the Engineers some time this year.

When he does make his debut, I hope that he is in the starting lineup, and they get his family into Troy to see it. He should get a special moment to celebrate fighting all the way back to play after 4+ years. Congratulations to Matt and his family on his commitment, and I can’t wait to see his well-earned debut back on the ice!

This summer, RPI picked up a commitment from Madison Capitols forward Ian Scherzer, flipping him from his prior commitment to Miami Ohio. Hailing from Austria, Scherzer is a veteran of their national team, making numerous appearances at both the U18 and U20 levels. This season, he suited up for their U20 team at the D1A level where he wore the “A” for them and had 4 points in 5 games. For the Capitols, he had 8 goals, 12 assists and 20 points in 39 games.

Scherzer is a two-way center with a lot of speed. His skating ability is the strength of his game, and he uses it to bring energy and physicality on the forecheck. He’s a really smart player who is responsible defensively. He also uses his intelligence well to find passing lanes and make plays for his teammates. Scherzer has some sneaky skill and can score when he gets the opportunity. He also has excellent underlying metrics with his ability to drive play in the right direction and generate chances.

It’s a little tough to predict where everyone will fall in the lineup given all the new faces, but I believe Scherzer will have an immediate impact in the bottom 6 to start. His diverse skill set allows him to play anywhere in the lineup in a variety of roles. He could easily earn his way higher into the lineup this year, and I expect down the road that he will develop into a top 6 or middle 6 center as an upperclassman. I’m excited to see him suit up for the Engineers. Congratulations to Ian and his family!