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Three players from the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League, forwards Sam Oliver, Jacob Newcombe, and defenseman Alex Carr and Ontario Hockey League defenseman Nick DeAngelis have signed a Financial Aid Agreement (FAA) with the University of New Hampshire. The FAA has replaced the National Letter of Intent (NLI).
"Student-athletes will now sign an athletic grant-in-aid directly with their college, which is legally binding for one academic year. This replaces the NLI, but the key conditions remain the same – student-athletes are required to honor their commitment to the school, and in turn, the school provides financial aid."Honestgame.com, February 18, 2025
In addition once the FAA is signed coaches from other schools must cease communication with the student-athlete or anyone associated with the signed prospect (e.g., family members, scholastic coach, non-scholastic coach, advisor).
Profiles of CHL Commits to UNH
Sam Oliver
Forward, 5'11", 183 lbs. Shoots Left
Hometown: Quispamsis, New Brunswick, Canada
DOB: July 4, 2004; 20 years, 9 months Neutral Zone Rating: 4.25 out of 5 Stars
2024-25 Team: Alternate Captain, Drummondville Voltigeurs (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League)
Regular Season: 63 Games, 50 Goals, 28 Assists, 78 Points, 57 PIM, +19
Playoffs: 4 Games, 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 3 Points, 2 PIM, +2
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.
Jacob Newcombe
Left Wing/Center, 6'1", 215 lbs. Shoots Left
Hometown: Sambro, Nova Scotia, Canada
DOB: April 27, 2004; 20 years, 11 months old Neutral Zone Rating: 4.0 out of 5 Stars
2024-25 Team: Captain, Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL)
Regular Season: 63 Games, 36 Goals, 37 Assists, 73 Points, 40 PIM, +27
Playoffs: 4 Games, 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 3 Points, 2 PIM, -3 Committed to UNH in February, 2025 at Age 20 years, 10 months.
Nicholas DeAngelis
Defense, 6'2", 187 lbs. Shoots Left
Hometown: King City, Ontario, Canada
DOB: May 22, 2004; 20 years, 10 months Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars
2024-25 Team: Alternate Captain, Surrey Wolves (Ontario Hockey League)
Regular Season: 66 Games, 13 Goals, 16 Assists, 29 Points, 44 PIM, +10
Playoffs: 4 Games, 0 Goals, 1 Assist, 1 Point, 2 PIM, -4
2020 OHL Draft: Selected in 2nd Round (#36 Overall) by Windsor Spitfires
Committed to UNH on November 25, 2024 at Age 20 years, 6 months.
Alex Carr
Defense, 6'0", 194 lbs. Shoots Right
Hometown: Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada
DOB: March 30, 2004; 21 years old Neutral Zone Rating: 3.75 out of 5 Stars
2024-25 Team: Captain, Rouyn-Noranda Huskies (Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League)
Regular Season: 62 Games, 6 Goals, 39 Assists, 29 Points, 45 PIM, +29
Playoffs: 4 Games, 1 Goals, 1 Assist, 2 Points, 2 PIM, +1
2020 QMJHL Draft: Selected in 4th Round (#66 Overall) by Halifax Mooseheads
Committed to UNH on November 25, 2024 at Age 20 years, 8 months.
UNH Commits Update 3-28-2025: Spotlight on High-Scoring QMJHL Forward Jacob Newcombe
Jacob Newcombe (LW/C) 2025 UNH Commit
Player Spotlight
Jacob Newcombe
Left Wing/Center, 6'1", 215 lbs. Shoots Left
Hometown: Sambro, Nova Scotia, Canada
DOB: April 27, 2004; 20 years, 11 months old Neutral Zone Rating: 4.0 out of 5 Stars
2024-25 Team: Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL) Committed to UNH in February, 2025 at Age 20 years, 10 months.
Late last month UNH received a commitment from Jacob Newcombe, one of the top goal-scoring forwards this season in the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League. Newcombe just completed the Cape Breton Eagles' regular season with 36 goals - tied for 8th most goals in the QMJHL. As a left winger and center he added 37 assists in 63 games. His 73 points were tied for 12th in the league.
Newcombe's success is noteworthy given the challenges he's overcome. In July, 2023 Jacob was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and missed the first half of the 2023-24 season with the Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL). Following treatment and recovery he scored at a point-a-game pace for the remaining 26 regular season and 14 playoff games. Newcombe was named Cape Breton's captain at the beginning of this season and has played in 63 of the 64 regular season games. The Eagles begin the QMJHL Playoffs today.
March 2025 Highlight Reel
In March Newcombe scored 4 goals and 9 assists in 9 games. As this highlight reel shows, he goes strong to the net to score goals.
"Newcombe is a strong, physical forward who excels in puck battles, particularly along the walls. His ability to win these battles allows him to maintain possession and create opportunities for his team. With the puck on his stick, he has the skillset to make plays and distribute effectively. Offensively, Newcombe consistently drives the net and is not afraid to create chaos in front of the opposing goaltender, whether with or without the puck."
News & Notes
~Sam Oliver earned the Mario-Lemieux Trophy as the leading goal-scorer for the 2024-25 QMJHL regular season. He scored 50 goals in 63 games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Eighteen of the goals came on the power play, the most in the QMJHL. Seven of the 50 were game-winning goals, 4th most in the league.
Here are all of them:
~ CHL: The 6 UNH Commits playing major junior hockey in the Canadian Hockey League begin their playoff run on Friday, March 28th. They are: QMJHL
Alex Carr (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies)
Jacob Newcombe (Cape Breton Eagles)
Sam Oliver (Drummondville Voltigeurs)
Jesse Allecia (Drummondville Voltigeurs) Ontario Hockey League
Nicholas DeAngelis (Sudbury Wolves)
Western Hockey League
Ryan Grout (Tri-City Americans)
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 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.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ If a NCAA Financial 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.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
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.
Decommitted in late February, 2025. *Luca Primerano's goal is to play NCAA Division I hockey.
BCHL All-Star
In his third season in the British Columbia Hockey League, Luca Primerano has earned All-Star honors. With 9 games remaining in the regular season, he has already doubled his goals from the previous two BCHL seasons. He currently has 19 goals and 23 assists in 45 games. In mid-January 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.
"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."
In his second season of junior hockey Niko Tournas is having a breakout year. In 44 games with the Danbury Hat Tricks he's scored 32 goals and 22 assists for 61 points. He's tied for 4th in the NAHL for total scoring and points per game (1.39 Pt/Gm). He's tied for 2nd in most NAHL goals and tied for 3rd in power play goals (10 PPG).
NAHL Top Prospects Tournament
Niko Tournas had an outstanding performance in the 2025 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament held at the USA Hockey Arena on February 17 and 18. He played on a team of potential NHL Draft picks chosen by the NHL Central Scouting Department with additional players based on recommendations from Neutral Zone.
In his first game with the Selects Gold team Tournas scored the first goal shown in these video highlights and earned Player of the Game honors. The following day he notched a hat trick including the second goal in the video. Overall, Tournas was leading scorer in the tournament with 4 goals.
"Tournas makes a lot of simple, heads-up plays that create offense for his team. One of his assists came on a quick transition off a turnover, where he found a streaking linemate deep in the neutral zone for a breakaway goal. Tournas is a flashy, skilled player who can dazzle around defensemen with his hands, yet at the same time, he isn’t afraid to play in the dirty areas of the ice."
"Tournas is a right-handed forward with solid size, standing at 6’2″ and weighing 188 pounds. He possesses a strong stride that generates good speed through the neutral zone. When he comes low and executes well-timed routes on the regroup, he becomes difficult for defenders to read and match. Throughout the game, he frequently drove wide and utilized effective curls, with his feet moving well to create space during those turns. The UNH commit also demonstrated impressive ability to maneuver through traffic, even when not at top speed. Tournas played in all situations and even created a shorthanded scoring opportunity. He was a consistent offensive threat, contributing with 2 assists and 6 shots on goal."
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.
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.
"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."
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.
"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."
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