Springfield, Illinois – The 2019 North American Hockey League (NAHL) Draft is now in the rearview mirror and the Jr. Blues will shift their focus to July and Main Camp where drafted players and tendered players will battle with invited players to make the training camp roster. With over a dozen players from last year’s roster not returning for next season, the Jr. Blues had a busy draft day. Here is our recap for all of yesterday’s action.
By The Numbers:
30 – The amount of draft picks a team uses varies from team to team based on the returning amount of veterans and the number of players they have already signed to tenders. The total after adding up the draft picks, veterans returning, and tenders should equal 30.
15 – The Jr. Blues set a new team record with 15 draft picks this year, four more than the previous record set in 2016.
12 – The Jr. Blues 2019 Draft class is comprised of 12 Americans, two Canadians, and one Swedish player.
10 – The Jr. Blues drafted 10 forwards in this year’s draft, more than double the number of defenseman that were taken (4). Only one goaltender (Wilson) was selected.
8 – Over half of the players selected yesterday have previous junior hockey experience (Salt, DeNuccio, Burns, Gabriele, Erwin, Holmkvist, Rearic, and Keil). Two players have previous NAHL experience (Gabriele & Erwin), while four players have played more than one year of junior hockey (Salt, Gabriele, Holmkvist, and Keil).
2 – Two sets of teammates were drafted during yesterday’s draft. Ryan Wilson and Barrett Ott both played for Northwood School this past season, while Jeremy Gabriele and Andrew Erwin both played for the Syracuse Jr. Stars.
1 – Only one player who was drafted by the Jr. Blues this year has a commitment to an NCAA Division 1 program, Dalton Wright (Union College).
Summary:
The 2019 NAHL Draft was one for the record books for the Jr. Blues. With 15 selections the Jr. Blues added a wide variety of experience and abilities to help round out a depleted core from this past season. In addition to these 15 players who were drafted, the Jr. Blues also have eight players signed to tender agreements for next season.
Round 1, Pick #18 – Jackson Salt; Dewinton, AB, CAN; Calgary Mustangs (AJHL); 2000
Round 2, Pick #44 – Ryan Wilson; Darien, CT, USA; Northwood School (USPHL); 2000
Round 3, Pick #64 – Trent DeNuccio; Leesburg, VA, USA; New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (NCDC); 1999
Round 3, Pick #66 – Barrett Ott; Ketchum, ID, USA; Northwood School (USPHL); 2000
Round 3, Pick #70 – Bobby Burns; Toledo, OH, USA; Navan Grads (CCHL); 2000
Round 4, Pick #96 – Jeremy Gabriele; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Syracuse Jr. Stars (NCDC); 1999
Round 5, Pick #122 – Carson Jones; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Eden Prairie High (USHS); 2001
Round 7, Pick #174 – Anders Grongstad; Centennial, CO, USA; Victory Honda U18 (T1EHL); 2001
Round 8, Pick #200 – Andrew Erwin; Eden Prairie, MN, USA; Syracuse Jr. Stars (NCDC); 1999
Round 9, Pick #226 – Dalton Wright; Hamburg, NY, USA; Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16U (T1EHL); 2002
Round 10, Pick #252 – Dayne Hoyord; Stevens Point, WI, USA; Stevens Point Area High (USHS); 2002
Round 11, Pick #278 – Daniel Holmkvist; Norrköping, Sweden; HC Vita Hasten J20 (J20 Elit); 2001
Round 12, Pick #304 – Jace Rearic; Kittanning, PA, USA; Boston Jr. Bandits (NCDC); 2001
Round 13, Pick #330 – Victor Ouellet-Massicotte; Quebec, QC, CAN; Anaheim Jr. Ducks 18U (T1EHL); 2001
Round 14, Pick #356 – Austin Keil; Bloomington, IL, USA; Peoria Mustangs (NA3HL); 2001
Moving Forward:
The 15 selections in the 2019 NAHL Draft will report to our Main Camp in July to vie for a position on the 2019-20 Jr. Blues roster. A draft pick is not guaranteed a spot on the roster, but rather are given an opportunity to showcase their talents in front of the coaches. In the last five seasons, over half of the players we have drafted have spent time playing for the Jr. Blues including two from last year’s draft class (Panisa & Stark).
