Braiden Scuderi’s case as one of the top forwards in the country for this 2009-group only grows and grows by the month. The absolute dominance with the puck and next-level dynamism he displays on each-and-every shift is something that forces you to pay attention to him, and evermore, forces defenders to be at their best when attempting to defend him. The quick changes in direction, subtle fakes, and explosive pivots against the grain to escape pressure made him so difficult to defend. On a regular basis he was able to turn a nothing play into something by jumping into the middle lane with a quick move in stride around a body, freeze defenders with the threat of shooting, only to slip off a pass to an open teammate backdoor that everyone forgot about due to all the efforts being centered on stopping Scuderi himself. He truly elevated his linemates with his dynamic play, brought the pace of play up with quick puck movements, always moving his feet, and even away from the puck brought a chippier game than you’d expect. He was involved in the forecheck by getting on his horse and hunting down pucks, landing stick checks and pushing and shoving opponents in the effort to force a turnover. Playing a rather relentless, and determined game, similar to the way John Mooney does as a smaller player when hunting down pucks. Scuderi also stood out as one of the best puck carrying threats in transition throughput the weekend, absolutely dominant in transition, seemingly making it look easy, he sliced up neutral zone coverage like it was nothing, weaving his way around bodies with his head up and with his eyes on gaining the zone and creating offence off the rush. Overall, a spectacular series of games for one of the most skilled forwards in the class.

Scuderi was another go-to player for his team and was outstanding throughout the tournament. His phenomenal skating made gaining the zone a breeze, helping his team establish offensive pressure. He excelled at faking one way and then darting the other, making it nearly impossible for opposing players to steal the puck. His hockey IQ in the offensive zone was impressive; one of my favorite plays was during a faceoff when he cleverly tapped the puck to himself, quickly following up with a great shot on net. Scuderi racked up assists by constantly making precise passes to teammates in the offensive zone and making a couple of really nice no-look passes from the circle that caught opposing players off guard. His motor was unbelievable, significantly enhancing his forechecking ability. His unremitting pressure was outstanding, and his knack for executing quick stick lifts frequently caught opposing defensemen unprepared. This relentless energy made him a constant threat, regardless of whether or not he had the puck.

The Mount St. Charles program has continued to show year-after-year why they’re one of the top development programs within the AAA hockey circuit in the USA, and the growth of a player like Braiden Scuderi is another testament to that. He’s continually climbed the rankings within the class, and with his dazzling, dual-threat, pacey play, has begun to make himself one of the most recognizable names amongst his peers. The engine never stops for Scuderi which is what drives his game the most. There are games when the puck isn’t always on his stick, but he will relentlessly hound a puck carrier, land an accurate, well-timed stick check, force the puck free, collect it and slip away from pressure as he works into open ice with the turned-over puck. It doesn’t take much time and space for Scuderi to make an impact on these counters, as he has an excellent release in stride that just explodes off his stick as well as sees the ice so well and has the quickness in his hands to change the angle on a pass in short notice and fire off a cross-ice pass to a man in a shooting lane. When he has a bit more space to work with and isn’t generating chances off the fly, he’s one of the most creative players in the class and is incredibly fun to watch. His usage of edges, turns, and quick fakes and moves makes him difficult to slow down and contain. He creates plenty of space as a result of this high level of skill, both through executing slippery moves, along with simply forcing players to respect his skill level, giving him a bit more space to work with so they don’t get burned by playing too aggressively. He’s not the biggest player on any given shift, but he is the prime example of the modern-day undersized high-skilled forward that manages to succeed regardless through sheer speed, skill, and tenacity. The potential for growth is always there for these younger players, but even at this size he holds his own quite well, and always has his foot on the gas. Through watching Scuderi over the year(s), an element to his game that makes him so special is that he can take over those big games and be a difference maker at any moment. During the 2024 USA Hockey Nationals in the spring, he was arguably the top player for his team, and in the championship tilt, he scored the game winner for his team in overtime. There are some things in scouting that aren’t always tangible or viewable to the naked eye, and one of those things is how and when players show up when it matters most, and it seems to be the case that Scuderi is always one of those big-game players at this early stage in his hockey career.

Despite averaging a point per game throughout this event, I truly thought Scuderi was snake bitten and could’ve had plenty of more production to show for his efforts. The dynamic speed and puck-carrying ability make him a true playdriver in transition as he’s consistently able to gain separation from forecheckers trailing him, use his hands to beat whoever is in front of him and consistently gain the offensive blueline. Once he gained the zone he demonstrated the ability to either toy with opposing defenders one on one using a series of ankle-breaking maneuvers or toe drags at top speed to get around them or draw the pressure towards him along the perimeter before slipping a pass towards the middle of the ice to a streaking teammate. He was able to get himself out of problematic situations in the offensive zone when he found himself pressured in congested areas along the perimeter by leveraging his puck skills to pull pucks around defenders and get himself to the middle of the ice. Although I thought his playmaking execution was a bit off throughout the event, the ideas behind them were most definitely there, which makes me much more optimistic for his development.

Braiden Scuderi came to play when it mattered most for the Jr. Mounties in this championship matchup, tallying 2 assists in the victory. A small note – Scuderi was wearing #12 in this one, not his usual #2 jersey, throwing some for a bit of a loop. Anyhow, he was his usual shifty self, zigging-and-zagging into high danger areas of the ice, forcing opponents to collapse and put all their efforts on him, he was able to sift passes through feet and sticks from these high danger areas to set up some great chances. Him and Rocco Pelosi worked extremely well off one another throughout the game to create chances in tight spaces, establishing give-and-go plays both off the rush and when rolling out of the corners and off the half-wall. Scuderi worked really hard along the boards and in the corners, showing off advanced strength and balance for a smaller player, not allowing himself to get shoved off the puck or knocked over. His edges are extremely strong and with that he can execute explosive turns, so despite some defenders being larger, they lacked the leverage and positioning to contain and knock over Scuderi. He continued to make excellent cross-ice passes around the offensive zone as he worked his way around the perimeter, with elite vision he saw plays forming before they happened and knew where to send the puck seemingly at all times. Scuderi showed up big in last years’ USA Hockey Nationals final game in the 14U division, and he showed up big once again in this years’ 15O division to claim another national title.

The play-driving skills of Scuderi were once again on display throughout this game. He spearheaded plays in transition with excellent pace and control, using his speed to set up possession inside the offensive zone where I thought he was even more impressive as a puck carrier. He quickly maneuvered around defenders, as if the puck were on a string, and consistently set up dangerous chances for teammates from below the goal line including his team’s third goal of the game where he was able to sift a pass through a couple of opponents sticks and right onto the tape of Pelosi in the slot.

The always dynamic Scuderi was once again a consistent standout for this Mount St. Charles squad, creating opportunities for both himself and his teammates through savvy playmaking and quick processing. He opened the scoring in this one with a quick catch and release play while driving the middle lane in between two defenders, showing off a quick and accurate release in limited space but it was his vision that made all the difference on the offensive end for his team. He then set up the next two tallies for his team with a stretch pass to the opposite blue line from his own end to send Pelosi in on a breakaway and a few minutes later, freezing the defence with a head fake while slipping a pass across the offensive zone to a trailing Costello who blasted a one-timer past the Jr. Eagle goaltender. I thought he was excellent at maneuvering his way out of tight spaces to create time and space as a puck handler, using precise stick handling to slip pucks through opponents sticks, slice his way in between defenders before bursting into open space all while maintaining control of the puck. He was able to use his explosiveness to be just as effective off the puck, joining transition plays with a lot of pace and forcing opposing puck carriers into quick decisions as a forechecker.

Despite going scoreless in this one, Braiden Scuderi was his usual self, with elite skill, pace, and creativity, he was the leading offensive catalyst for his team and attempted some high-end plays that nearly connected. Early on he was attempting some strong centering efforts from deep in the offensive zone. A notable attempt was when he came out from behind the net with great speed, and with a strong glide found himself working nearby the goalmouth as he attempted to send a puck to the slot. On the powerplay he was able to set up teammates for a few good shooting opportunities in prime scoring areas, only for the shots to be blocked or deflected. In moments where the game was tighter checked Scuderi relied on some of his 1-on-1 skill to create some chances. Nearly beating a defender on a 1-on-1 rush with some slippery moves through and around the defenders’ feet, he was incredibly close to breaking free all alone in tight on the goaltender. The Long Island Gulls did a great job at taking away space and overall frustrating the Jr. Mounties, but Scuderi was consistent throughout the game, carried the puck and drove play better than any forward and still showed off some of his elite talent when appropriate.

I’d say it was another positive performance from Scuderi in this one, even if the same issues continue to plague him at this event. His shift-by-shift consistency hasn’t been at its best throughout, although when he’s on you can see he has all the tools at his disposal to be the best player on the ice. His skating and stickhandling ability make him such a strong puck carrier through the neutral zone and allows him to drive play for his line when he’s at his best. When he’s struggling, he can be found skating the puck into congested areas, holding onto the puck for too long and trying to force plays that aren’t there. He had a couple of great shifts in the second half of the game when he was able to execute highly skilled dekes through defenders from the perimeter to get to the middle of ice or draw a penalty in the process. He made a great break up in the neutral zone in the final minute of play which lead to him scoring the game-clinching goal into the empty net.

Scuderi ended off his tournament with one of his better performances, posting a goal and an assist in what was a losing effort for his team. He was everywhere in this game, showing his patented tenacity and playmaking ability to gain possession of loose pucks and execute highly difficult plays while playing at top speed. He made a series of passes off the rush through sticks and bodies on both his forehand and backhand, leading to some high-quality chances from the middle of the ice. His speed helped him pressure opposing defenders behind the net, close on them quickly, force turnovers and make quick passes to the front of the net for even more dangerous chances. His goal came off a fortunate bounce, after he was able to attack the offensive zone with speed he cut laterally into space and made a hard centering pass that bounced off an opposing defender and slid past the goaltender. His assist was one of the highlights of the game, when after operating around the perimeter with the puck he dropped below the goal line and executed a slick between the legs pass out to the net front to a teammate who buried it.

Easily the most impactful player on the ice in this contest, Scuderi singlehandedly drove offensive sequences for his team using his speed and dynamic puck carrying abilities to spearhead plays in transition including an incredible solo end-to-end effort in the first period. His exceptionally quick footwork and stick handling allowed him to so fluidly maneuver and continue to possess the puck through high traffic areas which in turn helped him create a lot for him teammates by pulling in defenders and slipping pucks to open teammates. Although he only managed to pick up one assist in this game, I thought he set himself up for a lot of open looks from dangerous spots on the ice with one chance in particular where Sung fed him with an east-west pass across the slot with his shot pinging off the post with the ensuing shot.

Although the production wasn’t there today, the tools that make Scuderi one of the top Americans in his age group definitely were. His skating mechanics were a step above almost every other player in this game, which allowed him to create space for himself on his own by gaining separation in the neutral zone as a puck carrier and getting away from defenders in tight quarters in the offensive zone. His stickhandling ability was another factor that made him extremely difficult to contain in tight spaces, as he demonstrated the ability to make deft dekes through defenders, sometimes even multiple at a time, and get into the middle of the ice. While I thought the execution on his playmaking was a bit off, I did think the ideas were there and it’s something that should improve as the camp continues.

Scuderi was the first forward from Mount St. Charles to catch my eye in this one with his relentless motor on the ice. He attacked with speed when carrying the puck in the offensive zone and it was clear how hard it was for the Sioux Falls defenseman to keep up with him when picked up speed and accelerated through the neutral zone. He showed some impressive playmaking abilities in the offensive zone when he sent a puck behind a Power defenseman for a streaking teammate that resulted in his team’s seventh goal and in the first period when he was tied up with a defender in front of the net but managed to reach back with his stick to deflect a point shot to an open teammate on the wing that upped their lead to 4-0. Scuderi also managed to stickhandle around opponents and drive into open space where he created a few prime scoring chances throughout the game but couldn’t capitalize until late in third period when he roofed a puck over the goaltender’s shoulder in tight after stealing the puck. He was always moving his legs and was very involved in retrieving loose pucks, hustling back to steal pucks from his opponents and along the boards where it helped him draw a couple penalties.