The USHL Phase 2 Draft was completed on Tuesday. It was a busy day for New Englanders, as a whopping 31 locals were picked, along with a slew of players with ties to the region.
While the Phase 1 Draft was only for 2009-born players, Phase 2 was for anyone born from 2005-08. Prospects selected in Phase 2 are typically breakout prospects from the past year in prep, U16 and U18 hockey, and different junior levels.
The Green Bay Gamblers traded for the first pick and selected U.S. National Team Development Program forward Landon Hafele. The Chicago Steel picked defenseman Garrett Lindberg, a teammate of Hafele with the NTDP, with the second pick.
Niko Tournas (Redding, Conn.), an '06, was the first local off the board, getting taken in the first round by the Sioux Falls Stampede. Tournas notched 39 goals and 74 points in 56 games for the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks in the NAHL this season. He's committed to New Hampshire.
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Various New England prep players went after, including Rivers forward Justin Graf (Lincoln, Mass.), Kent defenseman Ryan Poirier (Salem, N.H.), Dexter Southfield defenseman Myles Brosnan (Winchester, Mass.) and Belmont Hill defenseman Brady Sloper (North Andover, Mass.).
Let's dive into the local picks from Tuesday.
New Englanders selected in Phase 2
- Niko Tournas, F, Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks — Sioux Falls (1st round, 12th overall)
- Justin Graf, F, Rivers — Cedar Rapids (3rd round, 35th overall)
- Ryan Poirier, D, Kent — Sioux City (4th round, 51st overall)
- Myles Brosnan, D, Dexter Southfield — Sioux City (4th round, 55th overall)
- Brady Sloper, D, Belmont Hill — Lincoln (4th round, 62nd overall)
- Sam Caulfield, G, New Hampshire Mountain Kings — Chicago (5th round, 67th overall)
- Nathan DiChiara, D, Kent — Omaha (5th round, 74th overall)
- Matthew Dabrowski, F, Johnston Tomahawks — Muskegon (5th round, 75th overall)
- Garrit Turcotte, F, Seacoast Performance Academy — Sioux City (6th round, 108th overall)
- Kirby Perler, D, Johnstown Tomahawks — Sioux City (7th round, 116th overall)
- George Lovell, F, Lovell Academy — Sioux City (7th round, 125th overall)
- James Odyniec, D, Avon Old Farms — Cedar Rapids (8th round, 132nd overall)
- Ethan Travis, F, Tabor — Sioux Falls (8th round, 139th overall)
- Grayson Cohen, D, Belmont Hill — Fargo (9th round, 147th overall)
- Indiana Grossbard, F, Avon Old Farms — Muskegon (10th round, 167th overall)
- Jonathan Lanza, D, Charlottetown Islanders — Chicago (11th round, 174th overall)
- Will Manchuso, F, St. Mark's — Sioux City (11th round, 180th overall)
- Jack O'Brien, D, Sarnia Sting — Dubuque (11th round, 185th overall)
- Vladimir Dravecky, D, Rogle BK Jr. — Youngstown (11th round, 186th overall)
- Kyle O'Leary, F, Nobles — Youngstown (12th round, 188th overall)
- Jeremy Poirier, D, Holderness — Fargo (12th round, 196th overall)
- Freddy Meyer, D, Rivers — Sioux City (13th round, 210th overall)
- Evan Jones, D, Belmont Hill — Omaha (14th round, 218th overall)
- Max Dineen, F, Cushing — Madison (14th round, 228th overall)
- Ty Hymovitz, F, Thayer — Dubuque (14th round, 230th overall)
- Jason Millett, D, South Kent — Chicago (15th round, 234th overall)
- Chase Watts, F, Tabor — Fargo (15th round, 239th overall)
- Billy MacAusland, F, Nobles — Muskegon (15th round, 242nd overall)
- Ronnie Hill, F, Wisconsin Windigo — Omaha (16th round, 248th overall)
- Luke Gurkan, F, Phillips Exeter — Muskegon (16th round, 257th overall)
- Matthew Lacombe, F, Berkshire — Sioux Falls (17th round, 274th overall)
- Blake Cash, F, Seacoast Performance Academy — Youngstown (18th round, 291st overall)
USHL PHASE 1 DRAFT: 21 New England '09s taken in Phase 1Â
New England connections selected in Phase 2
- Tom Molson, F, Victoria Grizzlies — Muskegon (5th round, 73rd overall)
- Eli Zucker, G, Milton Academy — Waterloo (6th round, 97th overall)
- Duke Gentzler, F, Anchorage Wolverines — Cedar Rapids (7th round, 117th overall)
- Nic Whitehead, F, Ottawa 67's — Youngstown (9th round, 156th overall)
- Colin Feeley, D, Salisbury — Muskegon (11th round, 182nd overall)
- Elliot Lennon, G, Deerfield — Madison (11th round, 183rd overall)
- Kristopher Richards, D, Cushing — Dubuque (12th round, 200th overall)
- Brady Smith, D, Taft — Madison (13th round, 213th overall)
- Kyle Greene, F, Milton Academy — Chicago (14th round, 219th overall)
- Ryan Hecker, D, Avon Old Farms — Waterloo (17th round, 271st overall)
- Aiden Grinshpun, F, Kent — Muskegon (18th round, 287th overall)
