NHL-ийн багууд драфтад ороогүй ч ирээдүйтэй залуу тоглогчдыг сорилтын баазад урьж, ур чадвараа сорих боломжийг олгодог.
Бостон Бруинс-ийн залуучуудын сургалтын баазад уригдсан найман тоглогчийн нэг болох 18 настай довтлогч Уилл Манкузо ирэх улиралд QMJHL-ийн Монктон Уайлдкэтс багт тоглохоор төлөвлөж байна. Тэрээр 2025-26 оны улиралд Сент Маркс сургуулийн төлөө 24 тоглолтод оролцохдоо 32 гоол, 27 оновчтой дамжуулалт гүйцэтгэсэн ч 2026 оны NHL-ийн драфтад багтаагүй юм. Энэ удаагийн баазад оролцож буй тоглогчид Баффало Сэйбрз багтай хийх тоглолтуудад багаа төлөөлөх бөгөөд үндсэн бүрэлдэхүүнд багтах эсэх нь тодорхойгүй байна.
Өөр нэгэн уригдсан тоглогч болох 20 настай Жаксин Вон нь өмнө нь Анахайм Дакс-ийн сорилтын баазад оролцож байсан туршлагатай. Тэрээр өнгөрсөн улиралд WHL-ийн Эверетт Силвертипс багийн төлөө 21 гоол, 17 оновчтой дамжуулалт, 75 минутын торгууль авчээ. Вон ирэх улирал дууссаны дараа мэргэжлийн түвшинд тоглох эсвэл NCAA-д элсэх сонголтуудаа нээлттэй үлдээж байна.
Бостон Бруинс-ийн дасгалжуулагч Трент Уитфилд Манкузог сайн довтлогч гэж тодотгоод, энэ удаагийн сургалтын бааз нь түүний ирээдүйн боломжийг хэмжих чухал шалгуур болно гэдгийг онцоллоо. Тоглогчдын хувьд энэ нь өөрийгөө таниулах, NHL-ийн түвшинд хэрхэн тоглохыг харуулах боломж юм. Тус баазад оролцож буй тоглогчид Баффало Сэйбрз багтай хийх тоглолтод өөрсдийгөө хэрхэн харуулахаас 2027-28 оны улирлын төлөвлөгөө нь хамаарна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
BOSTON — Will Manchuso was bummed. The 18-year-old from Concord, Mass., was ranked No. 104 among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting for the 2026 NHL Draft. But 32 teams deemed the forward’s 32 goals and 27 assists in 24 games for St. Mark’s School in 2025-26 as unworthy of draft capital.
The following month, Manchuso was skating when Matt and Ryan Keator, his family advisers, got some news from the Boston Bruins. Manchuso’s hometown club wanted him to attend 2026-27 rookie camp.
The Keators accepted the Bruins’ offer on Manchuso’s behalf. They did not give Manchuso the option to decline.
“Obviously, being from here,” Manchuso said with a laugh, “it’s a pretty easy decision.”
Manchuso is one of eight undrafted and unsigned players the Bruins invited to rookie camp. He and his fellow invitees are guaranteed nothing from the franchise beyond representing the Black and Gold in back-to-back prospect games against the Buffalo Sabres. Whether any of them advance to main camp on Wednesday remains to be seen.
“I don’t know about the gear,” Manchuso said with a smile when asked if he could leave camp with some swag. “Hopefully a few T-shirts.”
But for Manchuso, who will play for the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats this season, a strong performance in rookie camp is important. Being overlooked in his first draft year is not an experience he wants to repeat in 2027.
“Just make the biggest impact,” the left-shot forward said of his camp objective. “Obviously, there are people watching. My goal last year was to get drafted. It’s still a continuous goal next year.”
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Filling a need
Rookie camp marks the kickoff of each season. It is the first box for top prospects — the Gavin McKennas and Ivar Stenbergs of the league — but also picks later in the draft, to check off on their way to pro hockey. But to complement their big-name, high-end draft picks, teams invite undrafted players to fill out their lineups.
Manchuso arrived at Bruins camp with seven other invitees (Jack Bar, Jordan Duguay, Nolen Geerdes, Jan Larys, Niko Tournas, Jaxsin Vaughan, Thomas Zocco) to ride shotgun with James Hagens, the No. 7 pick in 2025.
These are not well-known names outside amateur scouting departments. Yet they are critical to fielding full rosters for what are often highly competitive games. Fights, while reduced from yesteryear’s prospect games, still occur.
“Absolutely,” said Vaughan of fighting if needed. “That’s part of my role. I’m willing to accept that at whatever level that I play in. If that opportunity presents itself, definitely I can see myself doing that.”
Vaughan is a 20-year-old right-shot forward. The Anaheim Ducks invited him to rookie camp in 2024-25. Last season, the 6-foot-2, 218-pounder scored 21 goals and 17 assists with 75 penalty minutes for the Everett Silvertips of the WHL. The Bruins invited Vaughan to their summer development camp. Upon that camp’s conclusion, they told Vaughan they wanted him back in September.
“My objective is to soak in as much as I can,” said the Kamloops, B.C. native. “Talk to the guys around me. They’ve been through this kind of thing. If they’re not, I’ll try to help them out as best as I can. Just make the best of it, do what I can, do what I’m good at and we’ll go from there.”
On Thursday, Vaughan flew from Seattle to Boston. He is likely to fly back to resume his 2026-27 season with the Silvertips, although the date of his journey has yet to be determined.
“That would be pretty cool,” Vaughan said with a smile of making the Bruins. “But I’m expecting to be back in Everett.”
After that is unknown. This will be his last WHL season. Vaughan does not know what will happen next year. He could turn pro, perhaps even with the Bruins if they are interested, or he could receive an NCAA offer as a 21-year-old freshman. Ditto for twin brother Corbin Vaughan, who last played defense for the WHL’s Prince George Cougars.
“I wouldn’t say it’s 50-50, but school and pro are definitely on the table,” said Jaxsin Vaughan. “We’ll see how this year goes for me and for my brother as well. If I’m going to go to school, I’d love to do that with my twin brother. Pretty uncertain right now. We’ll see how this year goes and go from there.”
A good showing against the Sabres could be one of the boxes Vaughan checks to determine where he plays in 2027-28. That is not the case for Manchuso, who will be a freshman at Dartmouth in 2027-28. In that way, he does not have as much on the line at this camp.
Exciting homecoming
Manchuso played for ex-Bruin Carl Corazzini at St. Mark’s for the last two seasons. This would have been his senior year. From one perspective, he would have been fine with that.
“Best time of my life,” said Manchuso. “It was so much fun getting to be with your teammates. You have a practice, get off the ice, go to dinner and hang out with them right until you go to bed. You got to know those guys so well. They’re some of my best friends for life. The hockey part, Corazzini’s the best coach I’ve had in my life so far.”
St. Mark’s treated Manchuso well. He enjoyed being a boarding student at the Southborough school and committed to Dartmouth following his sophomore season. But there has been a movement among Massachusetts prep hockey players to leave for the QMJHL. In fact, St. Marks’ three leading scorers last year (Caiden Pellegrino, Manchuso and Evan Nee) are playing in the Q this season. Manchuso wanted to push himself against better and older players.
Manchuso, a junior last year, finalized his Moncton decision after the St. Mark’s season ended in March. He then transferred to Concord-Carlisle High School, crammed his schoolwork and graduated in June so he could focus on hockey with the Wildcats in 2026-27. On Aug. 17, he reported to Moncton for training camp. He missed the preseason finale and several practices while with the Bruins.
Rookie camp participation, however, was an easy call for Manchuso. After nearly a month away from home, he was happy to see family members who attended practice on Friday at Warrior Ice Arena. On the ice, it didn’t take Manchuso long to catch the eye of Providence coach Trent Whitfield, who is overseeing rookie camp games and practices.
“The Manchuso kid’s a really good shooter. He can score,” Whitfield said after the first practice. “Is he going to be able to get to the hard areas at the net at the next level? This camp, this week, will be a good measuring stick for him. He’s obviously got a ton of potential.”
Manchuso scored two goals in three preseason games for Moncton before leaving for the Bruins. He projects to be an offensive catalyst for the Wildcats. Making the Bruins as a rookie camp invitee is not something he considers within reason.
“Imagine that!” Manchuso said with a smile. “That would be awesome. Maybe in a couple years from now.”
