Springfield, Illinois – The Springfield Jr. Blues, proud members of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), are pleased to announce the players that we selected in yesterday’s 2021 NAHL Entry Draft!
If you were following along on HockeyTV, nahl.com, or on our social media pages, these names won’t be a surprise for you. However, we wanted to make sure we took the time to give these young men the introduction and welcome that they deserve.
“Yesterday was an important day for our team as we continue the process of building for the upcoming season,” said Head Coach Tyler Rennette. “We are happy with our picks in this year’s draft and we’re excited to see everyone at camp later this month!”
Here is the 2021 Jr. Blues Draft Class!
Rd. 1 Pick #6 – Zach Bade
Zach is a right handed shooting forward from Rosemount, MN who played this past season for Rosemount High School. In 21 games for the Irish he scored 10 goals and added 20 assists and overall in his three seasons at Rosemount he has 18 goals and 22 assists in 60 games.
Rd. 2 Pick #35 – Tristan Shewchuk
Tristan is a left handed shooting forward entering his final season of junior hockey. The Saskatoon, SK, CAN native played this past season for the Humboldt Broncos, tallying 5 goals and 5 assists in 6 games. In 113 SJHL games over four seasons he has accumulated 45 goals and 42 assists.
Rd. 3 Pick #81 – Michael Valdez
Michael is a left handed shooting forward from Westminster, CO who was a part of the Colorado Thunderbirds 16U AAA program this past season. In 13 games he scored 4 goals and 3 assists to add to the 18 goals and 31 assists he recorded in 2019-20. Michael is committed to Colorado College.
Rd. 4 Pick #93 – Alex Rossides
Alex is a left handed blue liner from Cumberland, ON, CAN who was scheduled to play for the Renfrew Wolves this past season. In 2019-20 with the Nepean Raiders he tallied 4 goals and 13 assists in 62 games.
Rd. 5 Pick #122 – Joseph Dosan
Joey is a left handed power forward from Bloomington, MN who has played for the Steinbach Pistons the past two seasons. In 33 games for the Pistons he scored 1 goal and added 6 assists. Before Steinbach, Joey played for Northstar Christian Academy in 2018-19 where he tallied 74 points in 56 games.
Rd. 6 Pick #151 – Carter Bradley
Carter is a blue liner from St. Louis who played this past season for Oakville High and the AAA Blues 18U AAA teams. In 34 combined games, Bradley tallied 2 goals and 13 assists with 76 PIM.
Rd. 7 Pick #180 – Zakari Brice
Zakari is a goaltender from Fairbanks, AK who played this past season for both the Lincoln Stars and Aberdeen Wings. Brice, who has also played for Kimball Academy and Little Caesars, is committed to Arizona State.
Rd. 8 Pick #209 – Andrew Schultz
Andrew is a lefty defenseman from Michigan who has played for Little Caesars, Belle Tire, and Victory Honda in the previous couple of seasons. This past year for Belle Tire he appeared in 3 games.
Rd. 9 Pick #238 – Hayden Riva
Hayden is a left handed shooting forward from Lakeville, CT who played this past season for the Valley Jr. Warriors. He additionally played for Berkshire School where he scored 13 points in 28 games in 2019-20. Hayden is committed to Union College.
Rd. 10 Pick #267 – Milan Cermak
Milan is a power forward who shoots right from Trafford, PA and played this past season for the Johnstown Tomahawks, where he recorded 1 assist in 12 games. Cermak played in the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite program and also appeared in 10 games for the Tri-City Storm in 2019-20.
Rd. 11 Pick #296 – Jake Bongo
Jake is a right handed forward from Ridgefield, CT who played this past season for the Mid Fairfield Rangers 18U AAA and New Jersey Rockets. In 34 combined games Jake scored 12 goals and 18 assists. Prior to joining the Rockets he had played for the Selects Academy for two seasons, recording 56 goals, 97 assists, and 2 PIM in 121 games.
Rd. 12 Pick #325 – Jason Siedem
Jason is a right handed forward from Madison, NJ and played the past two seasons for Avon Farms Old School. Prior to attending Avon he had played for Madison High, NV River Rats 16U AAA, and New Jersey Rockets 16U AAA. In 2018-19 between Avon, Madison, NV, and the Rockets, Jason recorded 33 goals and added 40 assists.
Rd. 13 Pick #354 – Nathan DeGraves
Nathan is a defenseman from Sherwood Park, AB, CAN who played the past two seasons for the St. Paul Canadiens. In 31 games between 19-20 and 20-21, he scored 9 goals and added 25 assists with 88 PIM.
Rd. 14 Pick #383 – Ethan Robertson
Ethan is a left handed catching netminder from Courtice, ON, CAN who played previously for the Cobourg Cougars. He appeared in 28 games during the 2019-20 season and posted an 11-11-1 record with a 2.83 GAA and .914 SV%.
Rd. 15 Pick #412 – Ethan Chesney
Ethan is a right handed forward from Elgin, IL who played this past season for the Peoria Mustangs. In 40 games for the Mustangs in 2020-21 he scored 17 goals and 18 assists to lead his team in scoring in his first season of junior hockey.
Our draft picks (from both the Supplemental & Entry drafts) will join our tender signings and trade acquisitions at our Main Tryout Camp at the end of July. We want to congratulate each of our 15 selections in yesterday’s draft for the hard work they have put in to this point and we are looking forward to seeing everyone at camp later this month!
