Andrew Martin had a standout weekend for the River Rats. (Brian Kelly/NEHJ)
FOXBORO, Mass. — Nothing rings in the fall hockey slate quite like the River Rats Jamboree.
From Sunday to Tuesday, players from the 13U, 14U, 15O, 16U and 18U levels took to the ice to do battle to ring in the 2025-26 season. Foxboro Sports Center was the main destination, while Walpole’s Cadillac rinks held many games, as did Lovell Arena, New England Sports Village, Canton Ice House, Thayer and Boston Sports Village.
I caught numerous teams over Monday and Tuesday, as I focused on the 18U and 16U levels. Those are players I have seen quite a bit, so getting to see how much they improved over the summer is always a top storyline for me.
Props to Scott McDougall, Jeff Cox and the rest of the Neponset Valley River Rats for running a well-oiled jamboree to kick things off.
The 18U teams I saw were…
Yale Jr. Bulldogs
Hartford Wolfpack
Brookline Whalers
Northern CT Nor’Easters
Islanders Hockey Club East
Woodbridge Wolfpack
East Coast Militia
Neponset Valley River Rats
Mid Fairfield
Holy Name
Yes, I saw a lot of hockey in two days. This story will focus on 18U uncommitted forwards, while a separate one will be done on 18U uncommitted defensemen and goalies.
For the first time this fall, let’s dive in.