Who are the best boys hockey players in RI? Here are 10 we think you should watch

While the game has changed, the competitiveness remains the same.

Hockey was once one of the biggest high school sports in Rhode Island. As players have moved on to prep schools or junior hockey, it’s left the state with fewer schools supporting programs to keep their hockey traditions alive.

The sport may look different, but it’s had an unintended benefit. The game, now more than ever, has a competitive balance unlike any other season in RIIL history. For decades you knew which teams were going to play for titles. Public schools usually didn’t have a prayer of competing for a title.

Hendricken and La Salle are still substantial favorites and still competing for titles, but the gap between the haves and the have-nots has shrunk. Last year Pilgrim, which played as a Warwick co-op with Toll Gate, was a goal away from playing for a state title. Cumberland was in the thick of things.

Yes, the talent pool has thinned, but it means anyone can win on any given night. With the RIIL adapting the NCAA Frozen Four format, that means anything can happen in the semifinals and it creates a much more exciting season.

There’s still also plenty of talent skating on rinks in Rhode Island. Some are seniors looking to make history or looking to play one last time with the teammates they grew up playing with. There’s skilled underclassmen looking to make a mark, upperclassmen looking to take their game to a new level and some just chasing a dream.

Rhode Island has a lot of talent out there and we think these 10 players are ones you’ll want to watch this winter:

Andrew Bradley, La Salle

Senior, defense

Bradley was one of the key components on last winter’s Rams team that made the State Championship final, earning second-team All-State honors. His versatility is what makes him a key player for La Salle. Bradley has showed his abilities as a playmaker in two games this season with a pair of goals and two assists as the Rams begin their trek toward a title run.

Ryan Barlow, Pilgrim

Senior, forward

Barlow was one of the state’s top scorers last year — second in D-I in goals and fourth in points — and helped Warwick make a run to the state semifinals. This winter Pilgrim — no longer in a co-op with Toll Gate — will need Barlow to dominate on offense in similar fashion. Barlow hasn’t lit the lamp yet this season, but does have two assists as the Patriots try to get in rhythm to make a run in 2024.

Braxton Bragg, Pilgrim

Senior, goalie

Last winter Bragg had one of the all-time seasons to remember and nearly carried Warwick past Hendricken in the state semifinals with his spectacular play in net. If the All-Stater plays the same way this winter, Pilgrim — no longer a co-op with Toll Gate — can get itself back in a similar position. Bragg’s the state’s best goalie and while the season hasn’t started the way the Patriots wanted, expect a turnaround when the calendar turns over.

Mason Caramante, Ponaganset

Senior, forward

The Chieftains put together a heck of run last winter, pushing eventual D-II champ RMT to the limit in the semifinals before falling short. This year Caramante and Ponaganset have title hopes and with the senior’s offensive ability, it’s not hard to see why. The Chieftains have incredible offensive talent and Caramante should have absurd numbers this winter, especially after scoring four goals with an assist in three games already this season.

Griffin Crain, Hendricken

Senior, forward

The Hawks are the favorite to win another state title this winter and with a returning player like Crain, it's not hard to see why. The senior was Hendricken’s playmaker during its run to the state championship last winter. It’ll be Crain’s last season on the ice — he’s headed to Louisville for baseball next fall — so expect him to be as focused as ever this winter.

Harrison Dumas, Mount St. Charles

Sophomore, forward

The most historic hockey program is state history is playing its final RIIL season and it would be fitting it it made it a memorable one. Young stars like Dumas give the Mounties a reason to believe they can contend for the crown. The sophomore has shown off his offensive prowess early so far this season — leading the team with two goals and two assists — and you can expect more all season long.

Aidan Forcier, Prout

Junior, forward

Are the Crusaders going to be the surprise team of the 2023-24 season? Forcier and his teammates already have them leaning that way. Forcier has been a force on the offensive end and scored two goals — including the go-ahead tally — in Prout’s upset win over La Salle. The team is 3-0. Forcier has five goals and it’s clear bigger things are coming as the Division I season really gets rolling.

Tyler Garofalo, La Salle

Senior, junior

Garofalo’s play as a sophomore was instrumental in the Rams’ run to the state championship game last winter and helped him make his debut as an All-Stater. As a junior, La Salle will lean on Garofalo to anchor the defense as it tries to win its first state title since 2018. If Garofalo continues to shine, there’s no reason the Rams won’t be in the mix.

Trevor Snow, Barrington

Senior, forward

Snow has the Eagles ready to fly higher than they did last winter, a season highlighted by the program’s first win over La Salle and a trip to the postseason. Snow looks ready to step up as a leader this season, leading the team with four goals — including two in a win over Mount St. Charles — in the first two weeks of 2023-24. If Snow can continue to get it done, Barrington has a chance to be a dark-horse candidate in D-I.

Nick Stevens, Hendricken

Freshman, forward

The Hawks have lost talented players to juniors, prep schools and graduation, but players like Stevens are why the program reloads and doesn’t rebuild. The freshman has made his presence felt early this season, scoring seven goals with one assist in his first three games. Stevens couldn’t ask for a better start to his career and the Hawks hope he sticks around for a while.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: The 10 RI high school hockey players you'll want to watch in 2023-24