UNH Commit Nick Ardanaz: A Quick, Agile Defenseman

Nick Ardanaz
2020 or '21 UNH Commit

"Nicolas Ardanaz (is) a smooth, balanced skater with quickness and agility." Neutral Zone

"Nick is a gifted skater with dynamic edges and ability to control the puck." Kevin Pedersen, Arizona Coyotes Scout, Head Scout and Assistant Coach, Vernon Vipers

Nicolas Ardanaz Defenseman, 5'8", 152 lbs. Shoots Left Hometown: Surrey, British Columbia DOB: 5-30-2002 Turned 16 in May Undrafted by WHL or USHL Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars Current Teams: Delta Hockey Academy Midget Prep & Vernon Vipers                        ~ Alternate Captain; Starting Left Defenseman; 1st Power Play Unit Committed to UNH: November, 2018 at Age 16 years, 6 months.

2018 BCHL Preseason Highlight Reel

The British Columbia Hockey League allows each team to have two 16-year-old players. Nick Ardanaz turned 16 last May and in August he participated in the Vernon Vipers training camp and preseason games with the goal of making the final roster. These video highlights are from the final exhibition game on August 31st against the Salmon Arm Silverbacks. Ardanaz wore #2 in the white Vipers jersey. The reel shows a number of Ardanaz's skills including carrying the puck up ice, shooting, passing, quarterbacking the power play, body checking, and handling 2-on-1 rushes into his defensive zone.

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Nick Ardanaz, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire. What are the main reasons you chose UNH?

Nick Ardanaz: The main reasons why I chose to commit to UNH were the coaches, the culture surrounding the school and the hockey program, and the beautiful campus and facilities. I really wanted a school where hockey is a big part of its identity, where I can get a great education all while playing in a great atmosphere.
Coach Stewart’s tour around the campus really exposed me to all parts of the university, and it offered everything I was looking for. As a family, it was easy for us to say that UNH has all the pieces to the puzzle for me as a player and as a future college student.

Mike Lowry: What other college programs were you considering? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

Nick Ardanaz: I had an offer from one WCHA school, but never visited. I considered a couple of Ivy League schools. UNH was my first official visit but I had unofficially visited one Big 10 school last year.

Lowry: Have you and the UNH coaches agreed on a target date for you to enroll as a freshman at UNH and join the team?

Ardanaz: Talking to Coach Souza and Coach Stewart, if we both agree that after one year of junior I’m ready to make the jump, I can potentially go in as a true freshman. Otherwise, I will spend two years in junior and come into UNH after that.

Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?

Ardanaz: My main strengths are my skating, my ability to make a good first pass and my ability to create offensive opportunities from the back end. I like to become the fourth forward off the rush, and I see myself as a good power play defenceman.
An area I need to improve is my strength which will overall help me improve my ability to defend in our own zone, as well as my stick control against bigger and faster forwards.

Lowry: In June, you committed to play for the Vernon Vipers in the British Columbia Hockey League. You attended their training camp in August, played in some exhibition games, and was one of eight defensemen to make their 23-player roster in early September. What are the biggest adjustments you will need to make as you transition from high school hockey to the Junior A level?

Ardanaz: The BCHL is a much faster and heavier league than high school hockey, so I’m going to have to adjust to making decisions with the puck a lot quicker. I’ll have to learn to take more hits more often against heavier guys and simplify my game to play against older players.

Lowry: While you wait to play in a Vipers' regular season game, you have been playing for the Delta Hockey Academy Midget Prep team and have tallied 14 assists in 19 games. When do you think you may be called up to play for Vernon?

Ardanaz: I’ll be going up to Vernon after Christmas for some time and could get a game in there, and from what I know, I’ll be joining them after my season with Delta is over. If they run into some injuries within the d-core throughout the year, I could get some games in as well. I’m not too worried about being called up to play, but when the time comes it’ll be an exciting experience for me.

Lowry: Your coach on the Delta Academy Prep team is Spencer Bennett, a former 5th-Round pick of the Calgary Flames who played in the AHL and East Coast Hockey League. What is the most important lesson you have learned from Coach Bennett?

Ardanaz: Something Coach Bennett has always preached to me is to keep my game simple. It’s easy to overcomplicate things as an offensive defenseman and he’s always made me look for the easy plays. Even as a forward during his career, he has great knowledge on defenseman and knows right from wrong on the back end. He prepares me for the next level while allowing me to play my style of game.

Lowry: When do you plan to graduate from high school? What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH?

Ardanaz: I plan to graduate next year out of South Delta Secondary School. I’m strong in English and Math so I plan on majoring in business or finance when I enroll.

Scouting Reports

"3.75 Star prospect Nicolas Ardanaz commits to UNH. A smooth, balanced skater with quickness and agility who sees the ice, has soft hands and precision passing ability. Skilled PP defenseman;" Neutral Zone

"The decision to commit to Nick a year out was based on his development as a player. Nick is a gifted skater with dynamic edges and ability to control the puck. He has great vision and excels in the offensive side of the game.These attributes will be pushed while playing for the Delta Hockey Academy Midget Prep team this season (2018/19). This will allow Nick to step into the Vernon Vipers lineup the year after with more confidence and with a larger role. We thank Nick and his family for the commitment to be a part of the Vipers organization and we know our fans will love watching him play in the future. Our staff are excited to helping Nick earn an NCAA scholarship in the future and we believe his ability will help achieve that goal.” Kevin Pedersen, Arizona Coyotes Scout, Head Scout and Assistant Coach, Vernon Vipers

Youth Hockey and Prep School Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
Nick Ardanaz  (D)	2018-19	Delta Hockey Academy Midget Prep	CSSHL	19	0	14	14	6
		Vernon Vipers	BCHL	-	-	-	-
	2017-18	Delta Hockey Academy Midget Prep	CSSHL	2	0	0	0	0
		Delta Hockey Academy Elite 15s	CSSHL U15	33	13	18	31	14
			Playoffs	2	0	2	2	0
	2016-17	Delta Hockey Academy Bantam Prep	CSSBHL	29	5	8	13	6
			Playoffs	5	0	2	2	0
	2015-16	Delta Hockey Academy Bantam Varsity	CSSBVL	21	1	6	7	6
			Playoffs	3	0	0	0	0

UNH Commits Update 11-16-18: Tim Stützle Dominating DNL U20

Tim Stützle
2020 UNH Commit

Player Spotlight - Tim Stützle

"Tim Stützle: The next big thing in German hockey! 02 born and already best player on the U20-team." Thomas Roost, NHL Central Scouting

"No doubt about it. Easily at least a top-15 NHL pick in my eyes. #2020NHLDraft" Janik Beichler, Regional Scout Germany, Future Considerations Hockey

At the age of 16 years, 10 months, Tim Stützle (DOB: 1/15/2002) is the leading scorer in the Under 20 German Development League (DNL). The 5'11", 172 lbs. center for the first-place Mannheim Young Eagles (Jungadler Mannheim U20) leads the league in goals (19), assists (30), and plus/minus (+32). The second through fifth-leading scorers in the league range in age from 17 years, 3 months to 19 years, 8 months.

These video highlights, from the Young Eagles' 6-3 win over the Bad Tolz U20 team on November 4th, show Stützle scoring his 18th and 19th goals of the season and dishing his 30th assist. He's wearing #8 in the Young Eagles' blue jersey.



Tim Stützle verbally committed to UNH and Coach Mike Souza late in 2017. Last week, two NHL scouts described his prospects for being drafted in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft in glowing terms (see quotes above). Needless to say, the UNH coaching staff want Stützle's journey to a professional hockey career to include a stretch in Durham in a Wildcat uniform.

In general, elite, young players from Germany have at least two alternative avenues to professional hockey which do not involve playing NCAA hockey and would compromise their NCAA eligibility. First, the Canadian Hockey League ("Major Junior") conducts an annual Import Draft in late June or early July. Stützle will be eligible for the 2019 CHL Import Draft. Second, players as young as 17 can play professional hockey with a team in the Germany Hockey League (Deutsche Eishockey Liga/DEL). The youngest player in the DEL this season is Moritz Seider, a 17-year-old player for the Mannheim Eagles. He and Stützle were teammates last season on the Mannheim Young Eagles U19 team.

In an interview on August 31st with Janik Beichler, Regional Scout for Future Considerations Hockey, Stützle said this about his commitment to UNH:

"It's not 100% certain yet (...) but I think if I go to North America, it'll probably be the college route because there I can connect school and athletics. I was over there a while ago and got to see everything. I had a lot of fun there and it was great to see everything. They really want me to come over, that was very important for me too."

2018-19 Statistics

NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the following table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2019 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2019. I have based these projections on a number of factors including:
~ If a National Letter of Intent has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH.
~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2019 Commits
Lucas Bahn 9/11/99 (D)	West Kelowna Warriors	BCHL	25	1	9	10	2
Nolan McElhaney 4/22/99 (D)	Omaha Lancers	USHL	5	0	0	0	2
Chase Stevenson 1/13/99 (F)	Surrey Eagles	BCHL	25	10	12	22	37
2019 or '20 Commits
Will Margel 3/16/01 (F)	Selects Academy 18U	Overall	31	20	15	35	12
		USPHL 18U	-	-	-	-	-
		BEAST Series	10	9	5	14	8
		NE Regionals	5	3	3	6	-
Connor Sweeney 5/5/00 (F)	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
	Islanders Hockey Club	NCDC	1	2	0	2	0
	Little Bruins 18U	Mass Regionals	2	1	0	1	-
Marek Wazny 2/21/00 (F)	Maryland Black Bears	NAHL	20	1	8	9	10
2020 Commits
Aidan Curran 1/22/01 (F)	NH Jr Monarchs	NCDC	22	3	25	28	16
Zack Jones 3/31/01 (F)	Boston Bandits	NCDC	21	4	13	17	4
Tim Stützle 1/15/02 (F)	Mannheim Young Eagles	DNL U20	18	19	30	49	32
	Team Germany U17	Intnl	-	-	-	-	-
2021 Commits
Liam Devlin 1/7/01 (F)	St. Sebastian's	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
	Boston Jr. Eagles	EHF Selects	11	3	5	8	8
		Mass Regionals	3	3	0	3	-
2021 or '22 Commits
David Sacco 1/3/02 (F)	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
* = Signed National Letter of Intent

News & Notes

State/Regional 18U Championships:

~ 2021 UNH commit Liam Devlin and the Boston Junior Eagles won the Massachusetts Hockey 18U Tier I State Championships last weekend. Devlin scored 3 goals in 3 games, including two in the 4-2 win in the championship game. The team earned a berth in the USA Hockey 18U Tier I Nationals next April. Devlin begins the regular season with the St. Sebastian's School on November 28th.

~ 2019 or '20 commit Connor Sweeney and the Little Bruins also competed in the Massachusetts Hockey 18U Tier I State Championships. Sweeney tallied one goal in 2 games and the Little Bruins lost in the quarterfinals. Sweeney begins his senior season with Lawrence Academy on November 30th.

~ 2019 or '20 commit Will Margel and the Selects Academy/Central Connecticut 18U team competed in the New England District 18U Tier I Tournament last weekend. The Selects Academy lost to Yale 18U in the Championship Game. Margel scored 3 goals and added 3 assists in the 5 games.

UNH Commit Liam Devlin: A Smooth-Handed, Cerebral Playmaker

Liam Devlin
2021 UNH Commit

"Liam Devlin is a crafty distributor who both sees the ice well and is able to kick start the St. Sebastian offense with possession. Strong on the puck but great at closing down space on the forecheck. Should pair well with the other strikers coming onboard for UNH." Mark Bilotta, Neutral Zone

Liam Devlin Forward, 5'11", 180 lbs. Shoots Left Hometown: Needham, Massachusetts DOB: 1-7-2001 Turned 17 in January 2017 National Collegiate Development Conference Draft: South Shore Kings Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars Current Teams: St. Sebastian's School & Boston Jr. Eagles U18                        ~ Winger Commits to UNH: September, 2018 at Age 17 years, 8 months.

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Liam Devlin, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire. What are the main reasons you chose UNH?

Liam Devlin: The reasons that I chose UNH are because of the coaching staff, the great hockey tradition, the beautiful campus and the interest the coaches showed in me as a hockey player. When I visited UNH, I was more than impressed with Coach Souza and Coach Giuliano’s tour.
Along with falling in love with all that the campus and hockey program had to offer, as a family, we felt that the coaches really believed in me as a player and as a person. I knew they were going to help me get to the next level in hockey, and I wanted to be part of their team so that I could make an impact. Also, the rink and all of the facilities exceeded our expectations.

Mike Lowry: What other college programs were you considering? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

Liam Devlin: During my recruiting process, in addition to UNH, I visited an Ivy, two AHA conference schools and another Hockey East college, all which extended offers to me.

Lowry: Have you and the UNH coaches agreed on a target date for you to enroll as a freshman at UNH and join the team?

Devlin: When I visited UNH’s campus, Coach Souza said that I should go ahead and graduate from St. Sebastian’s, and then following my senior year, I would play one year of juniors before coming in to UNH as a freshman.

Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?

Devlin: I’d say that the main strengths of my game are my ability to move the puck, creating offense, being able to shoot and pose a scoring threat at all times in the offensive zone, and making the players around me better.
I think that the main areas of my game that need improvement are making plays on the wall in the defensive zone, along with defensive zone coverage. Also, even though I have been putting in work in the weight room, there is always room to get bigger and stronger.

Lowry: Over the last three summers, you participated in the USA Hockey Selects Player Development Camps. How do you think your skills compare with the other top US forwards born in 2001? In which skill area have you shown the most improvement?

Devlin: Throughout the USA Hockey camps, I have always believed that my skills are comparable to other top end 2001 players. We have all either played together or against each other over the years, and I always have been a strong competitor. As the years have gone by and I keep developing, any gap that separated me from the top named players has become much smaller.
The area of my game that has improved the most has been my strength on the puck. Earlier in the USA Hockey camps, I may not have been as strong, and it was easier to be knocked off the puck. But with more work in the gym and attention to my diet, I have been able to add strength to my game, and it is harder for defenders to take the puck away from me.

Lowry: Perhaps the biggest highlight of your youth hockey career came in a semifinal game at the 2016 USA Hockey U14 Tier I National Championship. The Boston Junior Eagles advanced to the Championship game thanks to your overtime goal against the Little Caesars team. Would you describe what that goal and the entire tournament experience was like? (Video Credit: Adam Harrington)



Devlin: I’ve been asked the question about what is the most memorable hockey experience before. Every time, I refer back to scoring the OT winner vs Little Caesars in the 2016 USA Hockey Nationals semifinal game in Anchorage, Alaska. That was the most exciting tournament that I have ever been a part of because I was on a team with a bunch of my best friends, who I still consider my best friends to this day.
During that tournament, we were considered the underdogs, and almost every critic didn’t even have us advancing out of our bracket. It felt great to prove the doubters wrong and make it all the way to the championship, even though we didn’t win the whole thing. The experience I had in Anchorage will always remain with me and last for a lifetime.

Lowry: You're currently playing for the Boston Jr. Eagles U18 Elite team for the fall season as you prepare for your junior season with the St. Sebastian's School in the New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association. You were drafted by the South Shore Kings of the National Collegiate Development Conference in January, 2017. Did you consider playing junior hockey this season? What factors lead to your decision to return to play for St. Seb's?

Devlin: I have always said that unless hockey determines that I should leave St. Sebastian's, I will graduate from there. I believe that we will be one of, if not the best teams in prep hockey, and I’m really looking forward to the upcoming season.
With almost all of our main guys returning besides the seniors we graduated, the two who left to play juniors and our starting goalie who went to the National Team Development Program, I am confident that we have what it takes to win the majority of our games and make it to the end of the season tournament.

Lowry: Do you plan to play in either the United States Hockey League, British Columbia Hockey League, or North American Hockey League before you come to UNH?

Devlin: As of right now, I am not sure which league I would play in following my senior year. Coach Souza said whether it’s somewhere in Canada or the USHL, whatever is the best fit, he will help me make that decision.

Lowry: When do you plan to graduate from high school? What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH?

Devlin: I plan to graduate from high school in 2020. My academic strengths are math and science. Right now, I am leaning toward majoring in business or finance.

Neutral Zone Scouting Reports

From 2017 Beantown Classic
"Liam has slick hands and excellent edges. He can control the puck and change directions quickly and that made him tough to defend. When he finds space, watch out. He was direct and creative in transition where he got to full speed quickly. He scored a goal on a 2v1 where he caught a pass from Colangelo, held and dragged it to his backhand and scored. He has soft, slick or fast hands depending on the situation and can use them at top speed. He made spin moves on the rush, used his backhand to distribute, possessed the puck and was around a lot of positive plays. Play without the puck and in his end was just above average but that will be more important once prep hockey starts. Here, he showed off his skills and skating and we liked what we saw."

From the 2018 USA Hockey Select 17 National Development Camp
"Devlin is a much improved and more complete player this year than his past two national camps as a 15 and 16-year-old. He’s a gifted puck carrier and likes to play with poise and possession; but he’s stronger on his skates, he’s hard to separate from the puck and he’s got a more potent shot. He’s a heads up shooter who looks where he wants to score and has real power behind his wrist shot and snap shot. He passes the puck firmly and on tape and was able to trick defenders in the corners and in tight areas with quick juke moves and clever stick skill. His lone goal on the week happened from driving the net hard which was missing from his game a year ago. A smooth handed cerebral playmaker with added strength and confidence. He’ll return to St. Sebastian’s next season and be one of the top uncommitted forwards in prep hockey."

Youth Hockey & Prep School Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
Liam Devlin  (F)	2018-19	St. Sebastian's School	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
		Boston Jr. Eagles	EHF Selects	11	3	5	8	8
			18U Regionals	3	3	0	3	-
	2017-18	St. Sebastian's School	NE Prep	28	9	17	26	-
			Playoffs	2	1	0	1	-
		Boston Little Bruins	MA Selects U18	7	2	1	3	-
			USA Selects 17	5	1	2	3	2
	2016-17	St. Sebastian's School	NE Prep	27	4	11	15	-
			Playoffs	2	0	1	1	-
			USA Selects 16	5	1	1	2	-
	2015-16	Boston Jr. Eagles	14U Nationals	5	1	2	3	4
		All-American	World Selects U15 Inv	5	2	4	6	0
			USA Selects 15	3	0	1	1	0