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94 Minnesota natives selected in 2023 USHL Phase I Draft and Phase II Drafts

By Peter Odney , 05/04/23, 5:00AM CDT

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The total of 94 players surpasses last year's two-draft total of 73.

Phase I: Three first-rounders, Rogers leads all MSHSL programs with three draftees


Mason Jenson was one of three Rogers skaters taken in the Phase I Draft.

This year’s Phase I Draft saw 38 Minnesota-born 2007s scooped up by USHL franchises, up from 31 last year. 

Of these 38 players selected, 28 of those played for MSHSL teams during the 2022-2023 season, including all three first-round picks in Ryder Betzold (Gentry Academy), Max Anderson (Cretin-Derham Hall), and Jacob Rombach (Spring Lake Park). Betzold was taken second overall by perennial USHL power Chicago, Anderson went sixth to Sioux City, and Rombach was picked by Lincoln at No. 11 overall. 

Fargo led the pack with six Minnesota natives among its selections, followed by Muskegon with five and Tri-City and Sioux Falls with four players each. 

Of the MSHSL programs represented, Rogers led the way with three picks in Mason Jenson (Tri-City), Parker Deschene (Fargo), and Nolen Geerdes (Madison). Holy Family Catholic and Benilde-St. Margaret’s each had two players selected. Holden Pajor (Sioux Falls) and Bryce Wiitala (Madison) represented the Fire, while Red Knights skaters Poul Andersen and Mason Minor were drafted by Lincoln and Cedar Rapids, respectively. 

Minnesotans selected in Phase I USHL Draft


Moorhead's Brandon Mickelson was the lone Minnesotan selected from the Bantam ranks in this year's Phase I Draft.

Round Pick USHL Team Player 2022-2023 Team
1 2 Chicago Ryder Betzold Gentry Academy
1 6 Sioux City Max Anderson Cretin-Derham Hall
1 11 Lincoln Jacob Rombach Spring Lake Park
2 16 Madison Mason Moe Eden Prairie
2 19 Muskegon Sam Spehar Sioux Falls Power 16U
2 29 Chicago Caden Campion Los Angeles Jr. Kings 15O
2 30 Fargo Malachi McKinnon Forest Lake/Long Island Gulls 16U
3 34 Muskegon Gavin Katz Shattuck-St. Mary’s 15O
3 35 Des Moines Landon Cottingham Hill-Murray
3 37 Tri-City Mason Jenson Rogers
3 40 Tri-City Owen Chartier Windy City 15O
3 41 Muskegon Kyle Heger Shattuck-St. Mary’s 15O
3 44 Chicago Blake Vanek Stillwater
4 48 Sioux Falls Mason Kraft Moorhead
4 49 Muskegon Danny Klaers Minnetonka
5 63 Sioux Falls Finn De St. Hubert Wayzata
5 71 Lincoln KJ Sauer Andover
5 73 Omaha Brady Krey Northstar Christian 16U
5 75 Fargo Mason West Edina
6 78 Sioux Falls Sam Schulte Mounds View
6 79 Tri-City Bode Laylin Northstar Christian 16U
6 83 Dubuque Brandon Mickelson Moorhead Bantam AA
6 90 Fargo Parker Deschene Rogers
7 91 Madison Nolen Geerdes Rogers
7 101 Lincoln Poul Andersen Benilde-St. Margaret’s
7 105 Fargo Lewis Majkozak Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper
8 110 Des Moines Aiden Grossklaus Woodbury
8 111 Sioux City Will Distad White Bear Lake
8 112 Cedar Rapids Mason Minor Benilde-St. Margaret’s
8 119 Sioux Falls Holden Pajor Holy Family Catholic
8 120 Fargo Gavin Kor Shattuck-St. Mary’s 15O
9 124 Muskegon Nick Koering Eden Prairie
9 127 Cedar Rapids Henry Peterson Hermantown
9 129 Green Bay Jack Kultgen Shakopee
9 130 Tri-City Josh Toll Rosemount
10 136 Madison Bryce Wiitala Holy Family Catholic
10 137 Omaha Carson Steinhoff Shakopee
10 148 Fargo Jake Faith St. Thomas Academy

Phase II: 56 players drafted up from last year's final tally


Recent Minnesota State commit Jordan Ronn was one of four Minnesotans selected in the first round of yesterday's Phase II Draft.

Phase II also provided a jump in numbers for Minnesota natives, climbing to 56 players drafted from 44 in 2022. Among those 56, Jake Schultz and Luka Radivojevic are two sons of former Minnesota Wild players. Schultz and Radivojevic were born in the state, but did not spend significant time in the Minnesota system. 

Schultz has come of age in Philadelphia area hockey, and Radivojevic has only played internationally, according to Elite Prospects. Both are sons of former Minnesota Wild players. Jake’s father is longtime Wild defenseman, Nick, while Luka’s father is Branko, who spent the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 seasons with the Wild.

The Phase II Draft featured four first-round Minnesotans, led by third overall selection Beckett Hendrickson to Sioux Falls. Jordan Ronn went sixth, Hagen Burrows 10th, and Jacob Toll 12th. Ronn and Burrows were picked by Sioux City, while Toll was another Sioux Falls draftee. 

The defending USHL champion Musketeers and the Stampede tied for the lead in drafting Minnesota natives with seven players each. Fargo was just behind the two with six, giving the Force a combined 13 players from Phase I and Phase II. 

37 of the 56 players taken in the Phase II Draft skated for high school programs last season. 


Fairmont native Carsen Musser was the No. 17 overall pick in the Phase II Draft.

Minnesotans selected in Phase II USHL Draft


Bemidji State commit Eddie Revenig was selected 125th overall by Fargo on Wednesday.

Round Pick USHL Team Player 2022-2023 Team
1 3 Sioux Falls Beckett Hendrickson NTDP U18
1 6 Sioux City Jordan Ronn Champlin Park
1 10 Sioux City Hagen Burrows Minnetonka
1 12 Sioux Falls Jacob Toll Rosemount
2 17 Madison Carsen Musser NTDP U18
2 18 Tri-City Carson Pilgrim Warroad
2 20 Des Moines Ethan Dahlmeir St. Cloud Norsemen
2 22 Sioux City Tyler Hennen Kittson County Central
2 23 Madison Austin Burnevik NTDP U18
3 32 Waterloo Carson Reed Niverville Nighthawks
3 44 Muskegon Jimmy Dodig Cretin-Derham Hall
3 45 Chicago Aaron Reierson Moorhead
3 46 Chicago Peyton Blair Centennial
4 49 Omaha Bobby Cowan Edina
4 53 Sioux City Gavin Garry Minnetonka
4 59 Dubuque Colin Ralph Shattuck-St. Mary’s Prep
5 71 Sioux Falls Jackson Rudh Park of Cottage Grove
6 79 Madison Sam Rice Prior Lake
6 83 Youngstown Noah Urness Roseau
7 96 Sioux Falls Beau Janzig Minnesota Wilderness
7 101 Dubuque Isaiah Norlin Wenatchee Wild
7 105 Omaha Gavin Reed Benilde-St. Margaret’s
7 106 Waterloo Tate Pritchard Lakeville South
7 108 Fargo Garrett Drotts Kenai River
8 113 Cedar Rapids Aiden Welch White Bear Lake
8 119 Lincoln Reese Shaw Gentry Academy
8 121 Waterloo Cashen Naeve Wisconsin Windigo
9 125 Fargo Eddie Revenig Edina
9 128 Des Moines Jack Kernan Maple Grove
10 142 Sioux City Axel Begley Wisconsin Windigo
10 148 Tri-City Rhys Wallin Wayzata
10 150 Omaha Will Ingemann Wayzata
10 153 Fargo Cade Kozak Windy City 16U
10 154 Madison Jake Schultz Philadelphia Flyers Elite 15’s
10 155 Omaha Jayden Veney Rochester John Marshall
11 157 Muskegon Graham Greeder Hill-Murray
12 171 Sioux Falls Joe Belisle White Bear Lake
12 173 Des Moines Johnny Conlin Mounds View
12 174 Sioux City Joseph Stauber Northstar Christian 18U
12 182 Chicago Joey DelGreco Oklahoma Warriors
13 193 Tri-City Blake Steenerson Maple Grove
13 194 Lincoln Ben Curtis Chanhassen
14 201 Sioux Falls Luken Huff Wayzata
14 205 Cedar Rapids Gavin Middendorf Forest Lake
15 221 Dubuque Nick Baer Bismarck
15 228 Fargo Weston Knox Minot
16 233 Des Moines Cooper Anderson Elk River
16 241 Waterloo Tommy Cronin St. Thomas Academy
17 255 Youngstown Brayden Olsen Northfield
17 256 Waterloo Brock Schultz East Grand Forks
18 264 Sioux City Brayden Berg Northstar Christian 18U
18 265 Cedar Rapids Caden Lee Chanhassen
19 276 Sioux Falls Cole Christian Duluth East
19 283 Tri-City Luka Radivojevic Orebro HK J18E
19 288 Fargo Tommy Kertz St. Thomas Academy
20 303 Fargo Kamden Keiser Northfield

Sioux Falls pick Cole Christian totaled 30 goals and 69 points last season for Duluth East.

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