Recruiting: UConn commits Shattuck-St. Mary’s product Artem Shlaine

Shattuck-St. Mary’s center Artem Shlaine has switched his commitment to the University of Connecticut.

Originally committed to Boston University, Shlaine will join the Huskies this fall. The ’02 has spent the past two seasons at the prestigious Faribault, Minn., prep school. In 46 games this season with Shattuck’s prep team, Shlaine had 26 goals and 52 assists for 78 points. He had 90 points in 56 games the year prior.

Shlaine was a standout at a couple of events this past season in New England, including the Cushing Academy Invitational in November and the True Hockey Prep Cup in January.

Before his stint at Shattuck, he spent a season each with South Florida Hockey Academy and the Esmark Stars. His time with South Florida Hockey Academy really opened eyes in the U.S. to how good of a hockey player he was.

A dual citizen, Shlaine was born in Moscow, Russia, but has an American passport. UConn was able to land him by offering him a spot for next fall, while Boston University preferred he play a year of junior hockey with the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks.

Shlaine, projected to be a second- or third-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft, did play six games in Muskegon this season. He had two goals and an assist. After a very good showing at last summer’s USA Hockey Select 17 Player Development Camp, Shlaine represented the U.S. at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup.

Shlaine is a 200-foot center who always is on the right side of the puck. He makes a lot of plays and has good hands and puckhandling ability in small areas. He skates a little knock-kneed, but he always gets to the spots he needs to be in to be successful. In conclusion, this I a really good get for UConn, even though Shlaine undoubtedly could have used a year of seasoning in junior hockey.