Charlie Kelleher Commits to UNH

UPDATE - August 29, 2012
The Boston Junior Bruins have announced that Charlie Kelleher will play for the U18 team this season. The U18 Midget Major AAA team (formerly the Junior Bruins of the Empire League) will play in the new United States Elite Hockey League and will be the primary feeder team to the Junior Bruins of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL). The Junior Bruins U18 just began their training camp and will host the Labor Day Classic Tournament beginning this Friday at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, MA.



The most talented pair of brothers since James and Trevor van Riemsdyk are now committed to play for UNH. 1997-born Charlie Kelleher (DOB:2-4-1997), younger brother of 2013 UNH Recruit Tyler Kelleher, has verbally accepted a hockey scholarship offer from UNH. Kelleher's target date to enroll at UNH is the Fall of 2015. As a freshman at Longmeadow (Massachusetts) High School last season, Charlie Kelleher - a 5'8", 145-pound center - lead the team in scoring with 24 goals and 32 assists in 23 games. The powerhouse Longmeadow Lancers won its third Western Massachusetts Division III Title in the last four years. In the semifinals of the State Championship, Kelleher scored Longmeadow's only goal in a loss to Hudson. Kelleher earned the Gene Grazia Award for the top high school forward in Western Mass. He was also named to The Springfield Republican's All-Scholastic high school hockey team. The newspaper described Charlie as "a strong skating two-way player; arguably the best defensive forward in region; was outstanding on the penalty kill; quick hands and outstanding playmaker."

Overall, Charlie's accomplishments as a freshman rivaled those of his older brother Tyler Kelleher. As a freshman in the 2009-10 season, Tyler also played center for Longmeadow HS though he was a couple inches shorter and 10 pounds lighter than Charlie. Tyler finished the regular season with 38 goals and 27 assists and lead Longmeadow to the Western Mass and State Championships. In 2011, Tyler starred for Deerfield Academy then joined the US National Team Development Program last season. Tyler finished last season as the Under-17 NTDP's leading scorer in United States Hockey League competition with 19 goals and 13 assists in 38 games.

Charlie Kelleher was selected by USA Hockey to participate in their Player Development Camps over the last two summers. In July 2011, Charlie tied for 6th in scoring at the Selects 14 Player Development Camp in Rochester, NY. He scored 3 goals and 4 assists in 5 games. Last month, Kelleher scored 2 goals and an assist in 5 games at the Selects 15 Camp. In their extensive coverage of the Player Development Camps, the U.S. Hockey Report ranked Charlie Kelleher 16th among the 97-born forwards.

USHR has reported that Charlie will play for the Boston Junior Bruins U16 team next season. They will play over 50 games in the newly-formed Eastern Junior Hockey League U-16 League. If all goes according to plan, Charlie Kelleher would have the opportunity to play with his brother Tyler in UNH's 2015-16 season when Charlie would be a freshman and Tyler a junior.