F Conrad Fondrk - Mount St. Charles Academy, U15 AAA (2025 Draft)

[sigx15]

He did accelerate. So that means he's a 12th grader this year, and planning to leave the NTDP after this season. It's still weird cuz he'll need to do the buyout.

Ya now it makes a lot of sense why he committed when he did. I think that will make him the 3rd youngest NCAA freshman I know of after Werenski and Celebrini. I don't know if he'll have to do the buyout though as I believe NTDP contracts are only 1 year contracts, not 2. Bonney would know better though if he sees this

 

[chi1999]

What?

Hockey players are just as stupid as any other generic athlete from any other sport.

I meant as in committing. Last year a highschool football player was committed to 3 different schools in 3 days. Making dumb choices without much thought at all. Don't see that ever happening in hockey.

He did accelerate. So that means he's a 12th grader this year, and planning to leave the NTDP after this season. It's still weird cuz he'll need to do the buyout.

I don't think he'll do only 1 year. If he lights it up, maybe after year 1.

No buyout after year 1. Year to year contract. Can't leave midseason or 50k

 

[BKarchitect]

He did accelerate. So that means he's a 12th grader this year, and planning to leave the NTDP after this season. It's still weird cuz he'll need to do the buyout.

This may be a stupid question but couldn’t he simply stay and focus on hockey with the U18’s in 24-25 and then arrive on campus in the Fall of ‘25?

I mean just because he finished H.S., how does that guarantee he will be on campus in ‘24 any more than that would apply to somebody taking the USHL route? Why not give full focus to the U18’s with school out of the way and a commit locked up and then arrive on campus as a typical 18 year-old with a more finished game? (I know none of us are Conrad - just asking if this seems plausible…) aka taking a “focus on hockey gap year”. After all, isn’t the only thing we are sure his accelerating is doing is making it able for him to commit early? Arrival on campus would still TBD.

 

[clevelandcane]

This may be a stupid question but couldn’t he simply stay and focus on hockey with the U18’s in 24-25 and then arrive on campus in the Fall of ‘25?

I mean just because he finished H.S., how does that guarantee he will be on campus in ‘24 any more than that would apply to somebody taking the USHL route? Why not give full focus to the U18’s with school out of the way and a commit locked up and then arrive on campus as a typical 18 year-old with a more finished game? (I know none of us are Conrad - just asking if this seems plausible…) aka taking a “focus on hockey gap year”. After all, isn’t the only thing we are sure his accelerating is doing is making it able for him to commit early? Arrival on campus would still TBD.

I've never heard of that happening but it sounds like a really good idea to me, fun too.

 

[sigx15]

This may be a stupid question but couldn’t he simply stay and focus on hockey with the U18’s in 24-25 and then arrive on campus in the Fall of ‘25?

I mean just because he finished H.S., how does that guarantee he will be on campus in ‘24 any more than that would apply to somebody taking the USHL route? Why not give full focus to the U18’s with school out of the way and a commit locked up and then arrive on campus as a typical 18 year-old with a more finished game? (I know none of us are Conrad - just asking if this seems plausible…) aka taking a “focus on hockey gap year”. After all, isn’t the only thing we are sure his accelerating is doing is making it able for him to commit early? Arrival on campus would still TBD.

Sure this is possible but I don't think it's likely. By all reports, this isn't just a kid to committing to a school because it was the right fit, BU is essentially his dream school and he's been wearing BU gear everyday for years now. I don't think he accelerates just to take a year off from school, maybe take a couple community college classes and only plays U18s. The expectation is he'll be a top line player on the U17s and could be a potential call up for the U18 like Hagens and Eiserman will be. My read is he wants to get to BU as soon as possible both because he thinks he'll be ready to play at that level and can't wait to play there

 

[Rogie21]

Fondrk confirms he'll be in BU's 2025 recruit class after two NTDP seasons.

Why Conrad Fondrk can be the next big name in hockey

The native of St. Paul is a top forward in the 2007 birth year. He scored over 100 points for Mount St. Charles this past season and will join the U.S. National Team Development Program in the fall.

www.therinklive.com

 

[BKarchitect]

Fondrk confirms he'll be in BU's 2025 recruit class after two NTDP seasons.

Why Conrad Fondrk can be the next big name in hockey

The native of St. Paul is a top forward in the 2007 birth year. He scored over 100 points for Mount St. Charles this past season and will join the U.S. National Team Development Program in the fall.

www.therinklive.com

Always made sense to me

 

[William H Bonney]

1g, 2a in the NTDP season opener.

 

[SK94]

Moore and Mooney had the biggest hype but Fondrk has probably been the best player on the team so far this season.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I think he's good, but yeah I'm not seeing him at the same level as Potter, like some have suggested.

He's leading the team in points. I like his skating a lot. Not necessarily the speed. He has good speed, but the edges is where he's incredible. It literally looks like he's floating out there. It's the same quality as Hagens skating. His offensive instincts are elite. He doesn't drive play as much as you'd like with entries, exits, and holding onto the puck for long spurts, but he knows how to put the puck in the net or set up players to do so. I wish he was a little more physical and maybe a little faster. He's good defensively because of his hockey sense. One of the regular PK'ers right now.

He's playing mostly as a winger. I think he fits winger better, but maybe that'll change. I don't see a challenger for top 5, but maybe top 10, top 20 is possible. Good chance to be a first rounder in 2025.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

He's moving down a little in my estimation. I love how he skates. Floats on the ice, even if he has closer to good speed than elite speed for 5'11. He's smart and has good offensive tools. I think he works very well with some of the other smarter offensive minds on that team like Potter, Murtagh, and Mooney.

What I don't like is that he's not noticeable every shift. He shows up for a few moments every game offensively. I get not every player plays with a lot of intensity, and I don't think he's like weak defensively or low compete, but he's kind of a opportunist type of player. And I don't see him being a center. For a 5'11 player his whole profile of what you are looking at in a center is acceptable, yet not standout.

And the offensive tools are good, but probably not absolutely elite. I think he's moved down a little to an early second rounder for 2025. I have Potter, Murtagh, and McKinney as the top 3 NTDP forwards in some order, Moore next in his own little tier of a very frustrating player with a lot of potential, and then I would have Fondrk and Mooney in the same tier with a slight edge to Fondrk because he doesn't have the size issue that Mooney has.

 

[AMScouting]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1809311277019435054

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811939193104269613

 

[BKarchitect]

This looks like a low intensity summer scrimmage game...the comment of "pretty lackadaisical as you can see" seems a bit pointed if you ask me. Although the general idea that he's not the highest motor player seems to jive with what PB's observations were earlier in the year.

Seems crazy to me that the USNT would "cut" him.

 

[Hammer Slammer]

The replies seem to suggest they're "scouting" a charity game so yeah I'd take all the info with a grain of salt. I'd be going half speed too

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The replies seem to suggest they're "scouting" a charity game so yeah I'd take all the info with a grain of salt. I'd be going half speed too

I agree, but there’s a poster on this board who has been hinting at changes at the NTDP all summer.

Not clear how much that guy actually knows, but it’d be odd to completely make something up, so all of this seems to slightly line up.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

This looks like a low intensity summer scrimmage game...the comment of "pretty lackadaisical as you can see" seems a bit pointed if you ask me. Although the general idea that he's not the highest motor player seems to jive with what PB's observations were earlier in the year.

Seems crazy to me that the USNT would "cut" him.

Has someone every played for the NTDP U17 and then gone back to MN HS or HS-Prep? It's been fairly common for guys to leave for the CHL after a year, I feel like a couple have left for a normal USHL team after a year, but can't think of anyone who has gone back to HS/HS-Prep.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811939193104269613

After a thorough search on Twitter, that user may be a parody account, so until confirmed, would assume Fondrk is staying with the NTDP.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Has someone every played for the NTDP U17 and then gone back to MN HS or HS-Prep? It's been fairly common for guys to leave for the CHL after a year, I feel like a couple have left for a normal USHL team after a year, but can't think of anyone who has gone back to HS/HS-Prep.

I think though if you’re a Minnesotan and you’re hypothetically kicked off the NTDP like some of the rumors suggest, your considerations might be different than a guy from California considering going back to play in the SoCal High School league.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

You sure that isn't just Minnesota hockey guy shitting on the star player who left the state to play HS hockey elsewhere?
(And worse committed to BU)
If so congrats to Minnesota hockey guy for being as weird, obsessed and nutty as Canadian hockey guys!

 

[jtechkid]

After a thorough search on Twitter, that user may be a parody account, so until confirmed, would assume Fondrk is staying with the NTDP.

another pretty respected hockey columnist reported online that their will be changes on that roster for the coming year - so it’s been out there - going have to wait post roster in a month

 

[bigdog16]

If its true that Fodrk is leaving it raises some questions about that u17 group all seeing eye to eye. Potter already gone and now potentially Fondrk. Thats their 2 leading scorers leaving

 

[William H Bonney]

He was in off ice training with the program right before the start of summer, so if he is leaving, it's a newer development.

 

[jtechkid]

He was in off ice training with the program right before the start of summer, so if he is leaving, it's a newer development.

the post was i think 3-4 kids were leaving ntdp - potter is one of them but nothing has been confirmed either way if its true or who

 

[William H Bonney]

Good reminder to not believe everything you hear on the Internet from unsubstantiated randoms.

NTDP just released the U18 roster for the season and Fondrk, along with everyone else from the U17 team sans Potter, are back.