While the Philadelphia area has a long history of producing top prospects on the hardwood and gridiron, the path to the NHL has been a far less charted one for hockey players.
That could soon change with Sewell’s Rocco Pelosi, a standout 16-year-old whom many hockey analysts rank among the top players in the world in his age group.
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On Sunday, Pelosi, who isn’t eligible for the NHL draft until 2027, announced on Instagram that he has committed to play at Boston College under coach Greg Brown. Pelosi is expected to play the next two seasons at the United States National Team Development Program before enrolling at BC in 2027-28.
In his Instagram post announcing his future plans, Pelosi said:
“I am grateful and proud to announce my commitment to play Division 1 hockey and further my academics at Boston College. I would like to thank God, my family, friends, [coaches], teammates, and everyone else who has helped me along the way. #goeagles”
Pelosi’s post also contained pictures of local hockey legends Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Gaudreau, and Tony Voce, all of whom attended Boston College. Johnny, who is almost unanimously considered the greatest player ever from the area, and his brother Matthew, who also played professionally, grew up in Salem County and were killed last year by an alleged drunk driver while biking in Oldman’s Township. Voce, the first Philly native to sign with the Flyers, played three seasons for the Phantoms and later coached in the area. He died suddenly last year at age 43.
Katie Gaudreau, Johnny and Matthew’s sister, wished Pelosi well by commenting on the post:
“Congratulations!!!! The Gaudreau’s are so excited for you! #13#21“
The young centerman, who grew up playing out of the Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell like his idols, will follow in their footsteps by attending Boston College, where Johnny Gaudreau and Voce both won national titles with the Eagles.
Pelosi skated the last two seasons at powerhouse boarding school Mount St. Charles Academy in Rhode Island, the alma mater of former Flyers goalies Brian Boucher and Garth Snow, and current defensive prospect Carter Amico. For Mount’s Under-15 team last year, Pelosi led the way with 65 goals and 140 points in 60 games as the program won the national championship. The year before, he put up a hard-to-fathom 87 goals and 170 points in just 64 games at the U14 level.
The pipeline from the USNTDP to Boston College to the NHL has borne significant fruit in recent years, with players like Will Smith, Cutter Gauthier, Ryan Leonard, and Gabe Perreault following that development path. James Hagens, who also spent time at Mount St. Charles and later starred for the USNTDP, was the No. 8 overall pick in this summer’s draft and figures to join this club after next season.
While the 2027 draft is still two years away, scouting experts project the 5-foot-9, 176-pound Pelosi as a top pick. Pelosi’s brother, Chris, was a third-round pick by the Boston Bruins in 2023 and will be entering his junior season at Quinnipiac. Chris Pelosi was coached and trained by Voce as a youngster.
» READ MORE: Quinnipiac’s Chris Pelosi carries his South Jersey roots and late role models wherever he goes
There could be an argument made that the younger Pelosi is the biggest hockey prospect ever from the area, as few players his age have generated this type of hype or buzz. Puck Preps regards Pelosi as the top-ranked American skater in his class.
There have been other accomplished locals, most notably Johnny Gaudreau, who defied the odds as a 5-9, 165-pound winger from South Jersey to develop into a seven-time NHL All-Star. There was also Flourtown’s Mike Richter, who backstopped the New York Rangers to the 1994 Stanley Cup and the United States to gold at the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. But beyond that, NHLers have been relatively few and far between, with Tony DeAngelo, Eric Robinson, and Mattias Samuelsson the only three locals who were full-time NHLers last season.
With the Pelosi brothers coming down the pike, and other recent local draft picks like Sam Lipkin (Utah Mammoth), Tyler Boucher (Ottawa Senators), and Owen McLaughlin (Flyers), that number could soon grow.
