The 2026 Boys CCM High Performance Festival starts tomorrow at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, MA. Seventy-six players will compete across three days — Friday through Sunday — and when it's over, the field will be cut to a Final 40 on May 16-17. From there, the National 16 Team roster is built.

Thirty-two Massachusetts prep players made the Festival roster. But not all 32 walk in with the same resume. Some have USA National 15 (2025) experience, USHL draft selections, and 1st Team All-Mass honors. Others are here on talent alone, looking to prove they belong. The gap between advancing and going home will come down to what happens on the ice this weekend.

Here's how we see it.

USA Hockey Pipeline — 2026
Open Tryout ✓
April 11
→
Boys Festival
May 8-10
→
Final 40
May 16-17
→
National 16 Team
TBD
Tier 1 Strong Bet — National Team + USHL Draft
These 12 players have proven it at every level — USA National 15 (2025) experience AND USHL Draft selections. They've been evaluated by the best scouts in the country and passed every test. Barring a disastrous weekend, they advance.
Forwards (8)
FWD
Carter Felt
Rivers School • River Rats
USA NAT'LUSHL → Cedar Rapids1st All-Mass
34 pts
FWD
Michael Barrett
Phillips Andover • River Rats
USA NAT'LUSHL → Madison1st All-Mass
23 pts
FWD
Robert Dekleine
Belmont Hill • Flames
USA NAT'LUSHL → Sioux City1st All-Mass
20 pts
FWD
Jamie Calla
Governors Academy • Islanders HC
USA NAT'LUSHL → Sioux Falls1st All-Mass
18 pts
FWD
Austin Wu
Dexter Southfield • Flames
USA NAT'LUSHL → Tri-City1st All-Mass
14 pts
FWD
Owen Frick
Cushing Academy • Flames
USA NAT'LUSHL → Omaha
12 pts
FWD
Ethan Machado
Cushing Academy • Flames
USA NAT'LUSHL → Dubuque
7 pts
FWD
Owen Lundin
Lawrence Academy • Flames
USA NAT'LUSHL → Omaha
6 pts
Defense (4)
DEF
Nicholas Ware
Belmont Hill • River Rats
USA NAT'LUSHL → Omaha1st All-Mass
25 pts
DEF
Logan Cotter
St. Marks • Militia HC
USA NAT'LUSHL → Green Bay (T)1st All-Mass
22 pts
DEF
Brendan Martin
St. Sebastian's • River Rats
USA NAT'LUSHL → Sioux City1st All-Mass
13 pts
DEF
Brodie Anderson
Cushing Academy • Flames
USA NAT'LUSHL → Dubuque1st All-Mass
12 pts
Tier 2 Likely — National OR USHL
These 8 players have one major credential — either USA National 15 (2025) experience or a USHL draft pick — plus strong prep production. They're expected to advance but need to confirm it with a solid showing this weekend.
Forwards (3)
FWD
Jameson Needham
St. Sebastian's • River Rats
USHL → Waterloo2nd All-Mass
20 pts
FWD
Brayden Erickson
St. George's • Flames
USA NAT'L2nd All-Mass
13 pts
FWD
TJ Petropoulos
Milton Academy • Militia HC
USHL → Cedar Rapids
9 pts
Defense (4)
DEF
Sam Fishbone
St. Sebastian's • Flames
USHL → Sioux Falls1st All-Mass
29 pts
DEF
Tyler Poti
Winchendon • Islanders HC
USHL → Cedar Rapids2nd All-Mass
17 pts
DEF
Ryan Porter
Dexter Southfield • Flames
USHL → Sioux Falls2nd All-Mass
11 pts
DEF
Alexander Guo
Belmont Hill • Flames
USA NAT'L1st All-Mass
10 pts
Goalie (1)
G
Will Torres
Rivers School
USHL → Sioux City
G

Fishbone at 29 points is the top-scoring defenseman in the class and a Sioux Falls draft pick — he's as close to Tier 1 as it gets. Guo has the National Team pedigree and a 1st Team All-Mass selection — this is his weekend to show USHL teams what they missed. Torres is the wild card — the only prep goalie in the Festival, already drafted by Sioux City.

Tier 3 In the Mix — Strong Production, No National/USHL Yet
These 6 players produced 14-27 points in the prep season and earned All-Mass recognition. They don't have a USA National or USHL credential yet — but they have the stats and the talent to earn one this weekend. A strong Festival could change everything.
Forwards (6)
FWD
Drew Gallucci
Pingree • Islanders HC
2nd All-Mass
27 pts
FWD
Drew Short
Winchendon • River Rats
2nd All-Mass
26 pts
FWD
Zach Mohamed
Nobles • Militia HC
2nd All-Mass
18 pts
FWD
Liam Carlin
Winchendon • Islanders HC
2nd All-Mass
17 pts
FWD
Bruce Ghostlaw
Roxbury Latin • South Shore Kings
2nd All-Mass
14 pts
FWD
James Hamlin
Roxbury Latin • Islanders HC
2nd All-Mass
14 pts

Gallucci and Short are the headliners here. At 27 and 26 points respectively, they outproduced many of the players in Tier 1. They don't have the National or USHL credential yet — but they have the production. This is the weekend they can add that line to their resume. Mohamed, Carlin, Ghostlaw, and Hamlin all have the stats and All-Mass recognition. They need to show it translates against the best 2010s in the region.

Tier 4 Proving Ground — This Weekend Defines Them
These 6 players earned a Boys Festival invitation on talent. The stats from last season don't tell their full story — some are elite defenders, some are late bloomers, some are rising club players whose best hockey is ahead of them. This weekend is their platform.
DEF
Jordan Marzi
Rivers • Flames
3 pts
DEF
Patrick Viano
Milton Academy • Cape Cod Whalers
2nd All-Mass
3 pts
FWD
Jake Gurriero
St. George's • River Rats
—
FWD
Jack Manley
TBD
—
FWD
Graham Furness
Governors Academy • Flames
—
FWD
Conor O'Brien
Thayer Academy • Militia HC
—

Don't sleep on this group. Marzi is a Flames player in the same system that sent 9 players to the USHL. Viano earned 2nd Team All-Mass from the Milton Academy blueline. Gurriero plays for the River Rats and is heading to St. George's. Furness has the Flames development machine behind him. O'Brien was one of only 32 prep players selected to the Festival — USA Hockey saw something. This is their weekend to show everyone else.

The math is simple. The Final 40 takes roughly half the Festival roster. If our tier analysis holds, most of Tier 1 and Tier 2 advance — that's 20 of our 32. Tier 3 is the battleground. Tier 4 is the long shot. But this is hockey. Nothing is guaranteed. The ice doesn't care about your resume — it only cares about what you do this weekend.

State of Hockey will be tracking every Massachusetts player through the Festival. Results and Final 40 selections will be posted as soon as they're available.