UNH Commits Update 1-24-2025: Spotlight on BCHL All-Star Luca Primerano

Luca Primerano (F) 2025 UNH Commit

Player Spotlight

Luca Primerano Forward, 6'2", 190 lbs. Shoots Left Hometown: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada DOB: March 17, 2005; 19 years, 9 months Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars 2024-25 Team: Cowichan Valley Capitals (BCHL) Committed to UNH on November 29, 2022 at Age 17 years, 8 months.

BCHL All-Star
In his third season in the British Columbia Hockey League, Luca Primerano has earned All-Star honors. With 20 games remaining in the regular season, he has already exceeded his goals and points from previous seasons. He currently has 12 goals and 17 assists in 34 games. Last weekend he represented the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the BCHL All-Star events. In the 3-on-3 All-Star Tournament, Primerano lead his team to the finals. He also earned a slot in the Skills Competition's hardest shot event.

Fall 2024 Highlights


Neutral Zone Scouting Report
BCHL Showcase Report, November 26, 2024

"Primerano is a good-sized skilled winger with over 100 games in this league under his belt. He plays an honest game – finishes his checks on the forecheck stops on pucks and plays with jam below the dots battling for loose pucks. He kept an active stick in his own end and broke up passes at the point and into the high slot area. He earned the confidence of his coach which was evidenced by being on the ice at the end of the game to protect the lead."

"A smart prospect who always seemed to be in the right place at the right time supporting the puck and creating space for himself. He didn’t contribute on the stat sheet but he showed some puck touch elevating passes over stick blades and got his shot off quickly in stride off the rush. He played first line left wing both even strength and on the top power play unit and was always around the puck – will only get better as he continues to develop his power game."

Junior Hockey Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
Luca Primerano (F)	2024-25	Cowichan Valley Capitals	BCHL	34	12	17	29	13
	2023-24	Prince George Spruce Kings	BCHL	54	9	13	22	8
			Playoffs	4	0	0	0	0
	2022-23	Prince George Spruce Kings	BCHL	40	8	18	26	4
	2023-24	Prince George Spruce Kings	BCHL	-	-	-	-	-
			Playoffs	2	0	0	0	0

2024-25 Statistics for All 22 UNH Commits

Player	NZ Stars**	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM	+/-
2025 Commits
Sebastian Bradshaw 5/26/05 (F)	3.75	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	19	3	2	5	6	-
		Coquitlam Express	BCHL	14	1	2	3	6	-
Alex Carr 3/30/04 (D)	3.75	Rouyn-Noranda Huskies	QMJHL	39	4	23	27	29	+12
Reid Conn* 2/2/04 (D)	3.75	Chicago Steel	USHL	32	4	8	12	52	+2
Nicholas DeAngelis 5/22/04 (D)	4	Sudbury Wolves	OHL	42	5	23	28	32	-1
Conner de Haro* 10/17/05 (D)	3.75	Youngstown Phantoms	USHL	29	4	8	12	6	-2
Connor DeTurris 10/8/04 (F)	3.75	Nanaimo Clipper	BCHL	32	10	13	23	8	-
Sam Oliver 7/4/04 (F)	4.25	Drummondville Voltigeurs	QMJHL	44	36	15	51	44	+9
Ryan Philbrick* 6/20/04 (D)	3.5	Salmon Arms Silverbacks	BCHL	10	2	3	5	2	-
Luca Primerano* 3/17/05 (F)	3.75	Cowichan Valley Capitals	BCHL	34	12	17	29	13	-
Eliot Séguin-Lescarbeau* 9/14/05 (G)	3.75	Des Moines Buccaneers	USHL	20	7	12	1	3.64	.885
2025 or '26 Commits
Price Grimes* 1/28/06 (D)	3.5	Chilliwack Chiefs	BCHL	31	3	2	5	35	-
2026 Commits
Jesse Allecia 10/12/05 (F)	3.5	Drummondville Voltigeurs	QMJHL	18	2	6	8	2	-5
		Alberni Valley Bulldogs	BCHL	20	4	6	10	4	-
		Yale Junior Bulldogs 18U	USA 18U Nationals	6	1	1	2	2	-
Geno Carcone 11/14/06 (F)	3.75	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	37	3	27	30	50	-5
Ryan Grout* 8/15/07 (G)	4	Tri-City Americans	WHL	2	1	1	0	5.08	.868
		Salmon Arms Silverbacks	BCHL	13	8	4	0	2.37	.912
Kole Hyles 1/16/06 (F)	3.75	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	33	5	6	11	10	-2
Nikita Konevych 6/3/06 (D)	NR	Corpus Christi IceRays	NAHL	23	2	8	10	39	+5
		Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	2	0	0	0	2	+1
Jack Sadowski* 7/29/06 (F)	3.75	West Kelowna Warriors	BCHL	2	0	2	2	0	-
		Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	20	0	1	1	10	-8
Niko Tournas 2/17/06 (F)	4	Danbury Hat Tricks	NAHL	34	24	25	49	24	+24
2026 or '27 Commits
George McCaffrey 1/2/07 (F)	3.5	Bismarck Bobcats	NAHL	2	0	1	1	0	-2
		Long Island Gulls 18U	Beast 18U	8	1	3	4	2	-
		MidFairfield Rangers 16U	USA 16U Nationals	4	1	1	2	2	-
		New England District	USA Selects 17	6	1	5	6	2	-
Jayden Connors 2/26/07 (D)	3.75	St. Michael's Buzzers	OJHL	13	7	8	15	12	-
		Prince George Spruce Kings	BCHL	20	0	4	4	8	-
Pavel Martinu 12/20/07 (F)	3.0	Seacoast Performance Academy 18U	18U AAA	37	16	25	41	24	-
2027 Commits
Blake Cash 5/9/08 (F)	3.25	Seacoast Performance Academy 16U	16U AAA	43	25	41	66	-	-
		Seacoast Spartans	USA 15 Only Nationals	4	0	1	1	1.5	-
* = Signed NCAA Athletic Aid Agreement
** = Neutral Zone 5-Star Rating

NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the above table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, I project the "2025 Commits" will begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2025. My projections projections are based on the following factors:
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.
~ Number of incoming transfer players and the position they play.
~ If a NCAA Athletic Aid Agreement 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 and remaining years of junior eligibility.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.

2025 UNH Commit Sam Oliver: A Top-Scoring Forward From the QMJHL

Sam Oliver (F) 2025 UNH Commit

"Oliver made plays at top speed and knew how to get to space and use that space to attack the net. His release was rapid, and his shot heavy." Neutral Zone Report, December, 2024

Sam Oliver Center, 5'11", 183 lbs. Shoots Left Hometown: Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada DOB: July 4, 2004; 20 years, 6 months Neutral Zone Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Stars 2024-25 Team: Drummondville Voltigeurs (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League) 2020 QMJHL Draft: Selected in 2nd Round (#27 Overall) by Charlottetown Islanders Committed to UNH on November 25, 2024 at Age 20 years, 4 months.

2024-25 Highlight Reel

Sam Oliver currently leads the QMJHL in goal scoring with 34 goals in 40 games. As this highlight reel shows Oliver has a deadly accurate shot:

Interview

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

Mike Lowry: Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire. You started playing in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League at age 16 and are in your 5th full season. Since 1980 players from the QMJHL, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League have been denied eligibility to play NCAA Division I hockey. In November when the NCAA lifted the ban you and fellow UNH Commits Alex Carr and Nicholas DeAngelis were among the very first Canadian Major Junior players to commit to a NCAA hockey program. How has the QMJHL uniquely prepared you to play college hockey in the United States?

Sam Oliver: Thank you! Having the opportunity to play in the QMJHL from when I was only 16 years old allowed me to grow both as a player and as a person. Competing against guys who were much older than me at the time, shaped me into the player I am now. My experience over the past 5 years of having a busy travel schedule, while managing both hockey and school, should better my transition from the CHL into the NCAA.

Mike Lowry: How did you first become interested in UNH?

Sam Oliver: UNH was always a school that I really liked. I had the chance to go for a visit and meet the coaches before I had chosen to play in the CHL. With the most recent rule change, catching up with the coaches has been great and I couldn't be more excited to join UNH next year.

Lowry: What are the main reasons you chose to commit to UNH?

Oliver: I had some great meetings with the coaching staff and also had the chance to speak to some former UNH players, who shared nothing but positive things about the school and the team. The competitive environment of both UNH and Hockey East as a whole was also very appealing to me.

Lowry: What other college programs did you consider during the recruiting process?

Oliver: I had some good conversations with some other schools. It's never an easy decision but I couldn't be more excited to play at UNH.

Lowry: Last season you tied for 7th in QMJHL goal scoring and tied for 15th in overall scoring during the regular season (68 games, 35 goals, 36 assists) and helped the Drummondville Voltigeurs win the QMJHL Championship. So far this season, you lead the league in goal scoring and are the 7th leading scorer (40 games, 34 goals, 15 assists). What strengths make you a prolific scorer? Overall, what areas are you trying to improve?

Oliver: A few of my strengths would be my hockey sense as well as my scoring instincts. I'm a student of the game, someone who pays attention to all the little details. I'm working on improving my game away from the puck moving forward.

Lowry: Have you had an opportunity to watch the 2024-25 UNH team play? If so, how do you think you can help the team when you join it next season?

Oliver: I've been keeping up with all the scores and watching some of the highlights. I’ve also been staying in touch with the coaches, it's always great to stay updated on how the team is doing. I think I can bring a higher level of offence to the team through my hockey IQ and scoring abilities, while staying responsible defensively.

Lowry: What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH?

Oliver: Most of my strengths academically are in Math related courses. Throughout my time in the Q I’ve been taking a few university classes during the season. I’m undecided on what specific major I want to pursue, but I’m thinking about something in Business.

Neutral Zone Scouting Report

Neutral Zone Report, December, 2024

"Oliver wears the ‘A’ for Drummondville and has 23 goals and 10 assists in 29 games. He centered the second line in this game. Sam showed quality acceleration and moved on his edges. He made plays at top speed and knew how to get to space and use that space to attack the net. His release was rapid, and his shot heavy. He protected possession and made a clever play in the neutral zone as he was jammed moving forward, curled back to his forehand along the wall and snapped a pass to a streaking winger. He showed the poise and presence one would expect from an overager. Oliver looked off opponents and snapped puck on the net. He swiveled and snapped passes and shots. Sam had some bite, a nose for the net. The recent UNH commit used a strong stride and decent speed to carry through stick contact. He backchecked and bumped puck carriers off the puck. He played a prepared, poised game with consistency and excellent play on the man-up."

Junior Hockey Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM	+/-
Sam Oliver (F)	2024-25	Drummonville Voltigeurs	QMJHL	40	34	15	49	44	+10
	2023-24	Drummonville Voltigeurs	QMJHL	68	35	36	71	58	+36
			Playoffs	19	9	8	17	12	+12
	2022-23	Drummonville Voltigeurs	QMJHL	63	20	19	39	31	-12
			Playoffs	9	1	3	4	8	+1
	2021-22	Drummonville Voltigeurs	QMJHL	38	15	12	27	22	+7
			Playoffs	4	1	0	1	2	-1
		Charlottetown Islanders	QMJHL	31	8	6	14	6	-1
	2020-21	Charlottetown Islanders	QMJHL	38	9	13	22	10	+17
			Playoffs	7	1	1	2	2	0