The way the draft works in the NAHL, a team can have up to 30 protected players including those drafted. Most teams will protect around 15-20 players leaving the opportunity to draft around 10 players. That means by the eleventh round of the NAHL draft, few teams are left with draft choices. In last June’s NAHL draft, only seven of twenty four teams were drafting in the eleventh round. Four of the teams (Wenatchee, Kenai River, Minnesota Magicians, and Minnesota Wilderness) left were from the Midwest Division. By the fourteenth round, Wenatchee had the draft to themselves.
Two other Midwest Division teams, Fairbanks and Coulee Region, dropped out early. Fairbanks took 8 players in the first 6 rounds. Coulee Region took 9 rounds to draft 8 players.
Wenatchee drafted 19 players (3 goalies, 5 defense, and 11 forwards). The Wild drafted more players then Magicians or the Wilderness, the two new teams. With the Wild team from last year moving, this year’s Wild has a roster of two goalies, seven or eight defensemen, and thirteen or fourteen forwards to fill for this coming season.
The veteran Wild coach, Bliss Littler, is rebuilding after last year’s run to the Robertson Cup championship finals. Last year’s version of the Wild is this year’s Rio Grande Killer Bees. But Littler is a savvy coach and is very knowledgeable about the NAHL. The Wild were in town two weekends ago, making a last foray looking for players. He took the time to talk to YHH in the middle of evaluating skaters on the ice.