Noah Hanifin is a blueline stalwart for Calgary and competed for Team USA at 2019 worlds. (Getty Images)
The 1997 birth year is a good one for hockey players hailing from New England.
Three players — Noah Hanifin, Colin White and John Marino — have established themselves as regulars in the NHL. Hanifin and White, both first-round picks in 2015, make nearly $10 million between the two of them. While Marino ultimately forced a trade from Edmonton to Pittsburgh, a sixth-round pick seems like very good value.
In total, 11 New Englanders from the ’97 birth year were selected in the NHL draft. Nine were selected in their first year of eligibility while one went in his second and another had to wait for his third year.
