Maverik Showtime: 2027 and 2028 All-Star Game Standouts

In what was my first stop post-honeymoon — not to mention my favorite few days of the summer, having been 15-plus years in a row — I made my way up to Maverik Showtime for all five sessions last week and a pair of All-Star Games. Before we go deeper and highlight the wide swath of talent from the event, have a look at three '27s and three '28s that caught my eye in the ASG setting.    Schwarz quickly endeared himself to college recruiters with his aggressive, slick dodging style and capped off a huge showing at Showtime by tallying four goals and two assists in the All-Star Game, earning Offensive MVP honors. The 5'11, 185-pound lefty notched multiple points in four of five games, including a hat trick in Game 2, and consistently found ways to impact the offense. Tough as nails with a bouncy first step, Schwarz has a terrific knack for getting to his spots and creating separation. His first two goals of the event were textbook: one through contact, the other a sharp behind-the-back finish. His first assist was even more telling—he initiated a dodge up top, wisely pulled it out, and hit a teammate in stride for his third point of the first half. With a deceptive release that keeps goalies guessing, he's just as dangerous off-ball, showing great timing with opportunistic cuts. Over those three days, it was easy to see why so many came away high on Schwarz.     Quite frankly, any of the four goalies could have been given the Defensive MVP nod on Wednesday, and I wouldn't have batted an eye — that's just how good they were on the big stage, not to mention all week. Sobel, a habitual goal-stealer who is firmly in the mix for the No. 1 overall spot, corralled an unofficial tally of six saves with five goals allowed. Overall, I was just impressed with his ability out of the cage as I was with his prowess inside the crease, and we're talking about a kid who posted 10 saves with six allowed right off the bat in Monday's opening session. He has a towering frame, and though he flops to his knees a considerable amount, he's excellent at catching shots cleanly and is quick to get an outlet pass up and out. Exuding confidence and poise in and out of the net, Sobel plays angles impeccably well and makes stellar saves look nonchalant. He's a joy to watch and was phenomenal all week for Team 1 alongside fellow All-Star netminder Teddy Oh, who was just as good at Showtime.     Woods set the tone early on Monday night, scoring goals on each of his first two touches and then finishing off a fantastic campaign at Showtime by posting a hat trick in the All-Star Game on Wednesday. My favorite '27 that I saw this spring, the Ontario native racked up at least 10 goals and an assist over five games, and that's with all six of every team's attackmen splitting time. He's remarkably efficient - the ball is in and out of his stick with no time wasted. Blessed with insanely silky mitts, he zips the ball as a shooter who is seldom saved and is a talented passer, even if the stat sheet may say otherwise. In the All-Star Game, he netted an around-the-world through traffic, finished a catch-and-shoot opportunity on the next goal, then got in on some spin-o-rama action on his final tally. There's a ton to like about Woods, who will have no shortage of high-end options come September.    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2028's</h2>    An extraordinarily gifted shooter (though he's got a whole lot more to his game than just burying shots with time and room), Hanford took home Offensive MVP honors with a pair of downright pretty goals. Scoring from nearly identical spots on the left-handed wing and drawing a reaction from the sideline on both tallies, he put the first one up high above the ducking goalie's head, then finished nearside on the next one. Hanford, a coach's son, was part of a highly impressive youth movement for Brunswick this spring and is arguably the headliner of the Bruins' talented 2028 class. Beyond being dangerous from range once he gets his hands free, he's got a full bag of tricks as a dodger and has proven to be tough to keep quiet. A lot of eyes will continue to be on Hanford this summer since he's been playing with the Eclipse 2027's, which only helps matters.     Between Harvey and '27 attackman James Holbrough, another contender for the No. 1 spot, Berkshire's got quite a bit of star power for the next few years. Harvey, whom we highlighted heading into the season and proceeded to pop on tape all summer, is a high-motor and athletic longpole who never fails to make his presence felt. He's consistently physical and makes life difficult for clearing middies between the lines, routinely catching them slipping. He had multiple caused turnovers in the All-Star Game, jarring the ball loose as a sliding defender and quickly moving the ball upfield himself. A Darien (Conn.) native, Harvey also put forth quite the highlight play earlier in the week when he executed a clean rusty gate against a clearing defender.     To me, Niejadlik was the most proficient and productive dodger that I saw in the 2027 and 2028 All-Star Games. He kicked things off with a nice individual effort dodging a shorty then went low, following that up with another unassisted tally while fighting through traffic. Utilizing his high-level change-of-direction and body control, his third tally of the half was by far his most impressive, as he begun his dodge with the stick in his left hand, switched back to his right, and netted an impressive backhander. Tossing a helper shortly after, he kept that connection going on a buzzer-beater just before the game ended to finish with four goals and an assist. I loved what I saw out of Niejadlik in terms of his fearlessness, quicks, and decision-making when creating offense, and though I only evaluated him in a small sample size, I can't help but think he's bound to eventually become one of the more sought-after 2028's next fall.

In what was my first stop post-honeymoon — not to mention my favorite few days of the summer, having been 15-plus years in a row — I made my way up to Maverik Showtime for all five sessions last week and a pair of All-Star Games. Before we go deeper and highlight the wide swath of talent from the event, have a look at three '27s and three '28s that caught my eye in the ASG setting.