1998/1997-The Draft Process of Minnesota Players Continues
Magician Tyler Rock in the Magicmen's win over the Blades in the MN District playoffs.
This post continues the coverage of Minnesota hockey players drafted by the USHL in their draft in early May and focuses on players borne in 1998 and 1997. Players in this age group have multiple opportunities in the next year and they could be expanded with NAHL draft taking place June 6th. This group of players are the ones facing decisions on their hockey futures because most have a year remaining in high school and can return to play or more likely "star" for their local varsity teams. But life gets complicated for a number of players selected who will not be eligible for the NHL Draft until 2016. For them, the question becomes should they stay or should they tryout for the USHL junior team that drafted them or should they explore other options? Each are trying to make the best decision, but clearly after reading this post, the reader should get a sense that each has to decide themselves and that each decision is clearly based on a unique set of individual circumstances.
Chase Ellingson scores on this play in the CCM NIT. Ellingson's team, the Minnesota U18, won the tourney.
In USHL’s Phase II draft, all players 20-year old or younger after January 1, 1995 were eligible to be drafted. As a result, Minnesota players born in 1995-1999 were drafted. Some players that had been drafted before, were again eligible, and were drafted a second time. But unlike the Phase I draft that is geared toward future USHL seasons, the USHL teams are using the Phase II draft to fill next season's roster. Clearly, the USHL teams want this players on their roster next fall.
Last year one player made a tough decision and it has worked out for him. After playing for Chisiago Lakes at the Xcel in the Class A StateTourney, Blake Lizotte opted to play for Minot in the NAHL last fall. From this YHH prospective, it was at best a questionable decision. Lizotte was a talented sophomore. He was one of three top scorers for the Wildcats posting 40 points/11 goals in 25 games. He would be a junior to be last fall and the Wildcats' star. Playing a 55+ game rugged Junior A schedule for in the NAHL could wait at least a year. He had a good Class A State Tourney in March of 2014, but could be a questionable player in Junior A hockey? He moved to Minot in the NAHL for the 2014-2015 season and had a great year posting 52 points/14 goals in 56 games. He also committed to play hockey for St. Cloud State in 2016-2017 last January. He was taken #4 by Fargo in this year's USHL Phase II draft, the highest pick of any 1997 born player. It turned out to be a good hockey decision. He will be first eligible for the NHL Draft in 2016 and will have maxed his opportunities to show NHL scouts what he can do.
In all, 25 Minnesota players 1998/1997 born players were picked in the draft. Five 1998 and 20 1997 players were picked the USHL Phase II draft. Most face similiar decisions this fall that Lizotte faced last fall.
It is not surprising the numbers of Minnesota players picked get smaller as the players get older. In the 2014 USHL Phase I draft, 25 Minnesota 1998 born players were picked. The players picked in Phase I of the draft represent the USHL future teams and that 8 round draft eliminates Minnesota players picked from this year's Phase II draft. This year, 32 1999 born Minnesota players were picked in Phase I and are eliminated from next year's USHL Phase II draft.
A number of players on this year's Minnesota HP-17 and HP-18 players had been drafted by USHL teams in the previous year's draft. Though 42 Minnesota players were picked in this year's Phase II draft, only three of this year's high performers (Jason Smallidge/St. Thomas Academy, Zach Risteau/Benilde-St. Margaret's, and Henry Enebak/Lakeville North) were taken. All three made Minnesota Hockey’s 2015 HP-17 National Camp Attendee List.
One interesting 1997 pick by the USHL is Ryan Murphy/Orono. Murphy has played the last two years in Pentiction BC for the Okanagan Midgets. He followed Mario Lucia to Pentiction BC in the 2011-2012 season. Murphy, a defenseman, played two seasons for the Okanagan Red located in Pentiction. Lucia posted 93 points/42 goals in 56 games playing for the Pentiction Vees in his single season with the Vees. Last season, the Pentiction Vees won the British Columbia Hockey League (Interior Division). Jack Ramsey/Chanhassen MN played for the Vees and will join the Minnesota Gophers this fall. Most of the Vees from last season's team have committed to play college hockey in the USA. For next season, the Vees have recruited four players from Minnesota, Shamus Donohue/St. Thomas Academy, Dixon Bowen/East Grand Forks, Colton Poolman/East Grand Forks, and Easton Brodzinski/Blaine.
It is sometimes good to look back on players and then look ahead. Last year, Brock Boeser/Burnsville (already commited to play college hockey at North Dakota) and Tommy Novak/St. Thomas Academy (already committed to play hockey at Minnesota) skipped their senior year to play junior hockey at Waterloo and ended up leading the Blackhawks in scoring. In a few weeks, this corner of YHH will post its annual picks of Minnesota players likely to be taken in the 2015 NHL draft. Both Boeser and Novak will be on that list and are good candidates to be taken early in the draft. Their move to Waterloo will have paid off if that happens. But if it does payoff, that is still more of a paper payoff based on potential. Once a high school player is drafted and decides to pursue hockey to the next level, the hard work begins and the real payoff will come down the road a few years from now.
As a side note, YHH readers have read about Boeser and Novak as they have developed as players as part of our coverage on youth sports, high school, spring leagues, summer leagues, fall leagues, and Minnesota Hockey's HP program over the past three years. That coverage continues this June with stories on Minnesota Boys and Girls HP Camps being held in St. Cloud over the next three weeks as players continue to develop and began to become known in the state of hockey.
Blake Lizotte (#26) backs and takes the New Prague player out of action in this quarterfinal Class A game at the Xcel in March 2014.
Peter Tufto scores against Duluth East in this quarterfinal Class AA game last March at the Xcel.
Four of the five 1998 born Minnesota players picked in Phase II of the USHL draft are eligible for the 2016 draft. One, Mason Palmer, will be draft eligible in 2017. The general thinking at this point for players who's potential has been recognized by being drafted by the USHL, is where should they play next year? For the four drafted below, they have a decision this fall to effect their status before the 2016 draft; for Mason Palmer he has two falls to make such a decision.
| # | Draft # | Name | School/USHL Team | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #40 | Myles Cunningham | Blake/Bloomington | Cunningham has played three solid years at Blake at defense. He will be a senior this fall and in 2016-2017 will be playing for Brown University in the ECAC. Eligible for the 2016 NHL Draft, Cunningham has a tough decision to make-stay at Blake or play in the USHL. |
| 2 | #90 | Nick Leivermann | Eden Prairie/Bloomington | Leivermann started at defense for Eden Prairie's varsity in the Class AA State Tourney last March. He is one of 5 players on Eden Prairie's state tourney team who played on the Eden Prairie Association's 2012 Peewee A State Tourney team and 2014 Bantam AA State Tourney team. Leivermann is the third player from those association's teams to be drafted by the USHL. He joins Casey Mittelstadt and Dayton Rasmussen, both drafted last year. |
| 3 | #99 | Mason Palmer | Shattuck/Waterloo | Palmer has skated on bantam, midget AA, and U16 teams the past three seasons for Shattuck. He was on Shattuck's U16 team that won USA Hockey's National Title last March. A junior next fall, Palmer is a big defenseman that is not NHL draft eligible until 2017. |
| 4 | #142 | Jason Smallidge | St. Thomas Academy/Omaha | Smallidge will be a senior this fall and started at defense for STA in last March's Class AA state tourney, his first full season playing for the Cadets. He has yet to commit to college hockey and will be eligible for the NHL's 2016 Draft. Smallidge could be in Omaha next season. |
| 5 | #228 | Henry Enebak | Lakeville North/Lincoln | Enebak's Lakeville North team won the Class AA tourney going unbeaten for the season. Alas, the "no mas" Panther's are no more with eight seniors players graduating and potentially four others leaving including Enebak to play in the USHL. Enebak and linemate Max Johnson made the HP-17 National Camp Attendee list this year and will be trying out at Amherst NY June 26-July 2. |
Henry Bowlby tips this shot wide of Wayzata goalie Vaughn Ahrens in a 2013-2014 game won by Edina. Ahrens played for the Minnesota Magicians last season.
Alec Broetzman watches this puck hit the right pipe and bounce off to the left pipe and out in STA's loss to Duluth East in 2015 state tourney.
| # | Draft # | Name | School/USHL Team | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | #4 | Blake Lizotte | Chisago Lakes/Fargo | Lizotte has risen fast in the past year to be taken #4 in the draft. Fargo needs to replace forwards losing most of their top skaters to college hockey next fall. Lizotte will be integral in the Force offense, but who will he skate with? Blaine's Riley Tufte? |
| 2 | #13 | Will Garin | Holy Family Catholic/Cedar Rapids | Will Garin has gotten bigger, stronger, and smarter. He and Max Zimmer along with Chase Ellingson tore up the CCM NIT just completed leading the Minnesota HP-18 team to the title. With Holy Catholic Family ending their season on a strong note, the question is will Garin who is eligible for the NHL 2016 Entry draft and gotten stronger as a player return to the Fire or opt for Cedar Rapids? |
| 3 | #48 | Jackson Cates | Stillwater/Madison | Cates led Stillwater in scoring last season. He and Simon Sagissor were on the ice two years ago at the Xcel when Edina oblilerated their championship hopes with four weird first period goals. Most of the Edina players from that team will be gone this fall and Cates and Sagissor could be back with three other USHL draftees from Phase 1 (Luke Manning, Noah Cates, and Jesse Bjugstad). If that happens the story in Minnesota hockey for the 2015-2016 season will move from Lakeville North to Stillwater. |
| 4 | #71 | Peter Tufto | St. Thomas Academy/Waterloo | Tufto, STA's leading scorer last season, graduate this June and should be trying out for Waterloo this summer. Tufto centered the Cadets top line at the Xcel last March with wings Alec Broetzman and Danny Weihrauch. |
| 5 | #76 | Peter Thome | Chicago Fury (Minneapolis)/Omaha | The 2012-2013 season at Benilde-St. Margaret's was in turmoil at times. The defending Class AA champs were struggling. Alec Baer left to play in the WHL. Peter Thome was a 6'1" jv goalie that season for the Knights playing behind another jv goalie. He opted to leave BSM after that season and played the next two years for the Chicago Fury U16 and U18 teams. This past season he posted some good stats, a 1.9 goals against while stopping 93% of the shots on net. He will be eligible for this June's NHL draft and has yet to commit to college hockey. |
| 6 | #77 | Nolan Schaeffer | Minnesota Magicians (Marshall)/Fargo | Schaeffer, a 6'3" defense man played for Marshall MN varsity in 2011-2012, moved to Team Illinois for two years and last season played for the Magicians. He is eligible for this year's NHL draft, but should be at Fargo this fall. |
| 7 | #82 | Zach Risteau | Benilde-St. Margaret's/Chicago Steel | Risteau made Minnesota's HP-17 National Camp Attendee list this summer. He will either be the top player on Benilde-St. Margaret's varsity next season or following in the footsteps of Eden Prairie's Mason Bergh by playing for the Steel. Bergh played two years for the Steel and will be at Colorado College next fall. |
| 8 | #101 | Parker Revering | Alexandria/Green Bay | Revering has skated three solid years at defense for the Cardinals varsity and will graduate this June. He played for the Minnesota Seniors in the CCM NIT last April and is for the first time eligible for this June's NHL draft. He has not committed to college hockey and will likely play next fall at Green Bay. |
| 9 | #109 | Henry Bowlby | Edina/Lincoln | Bowlby skated two years for the Edina varsity playing a smart wing that could score, but also knew how to play without the puck. He is graduating this year and has committed to St. Lawrence University for the 2016-2017 season. He is NHL draft eligible this June and likely skating for the Stars this fall. |
| 10 | #118 | Justin Howell | St. Paul Johnson/Des Moines | Howell skated for the Minnesota Senior team in the CCM NIT this past April. Howell has led the Governors varsity in scoring the last three seasons taking over for Jay Dickman (former Austin Bruin, now Bemidji State player). Howell will be trying out for Des Moines. |
| 11 | #136 | Alex Broetzman | St. Thomas Academy/Madison | Broetzman was STA's #3 scorer last season scoring 29 goals in 25 regular season games skating with Peter Tufto. A good size wing, Broetzman will be graduating this year should be trying out for Madison this summer. |
| 12 | #144 | Chase Ellingson | Breck/Cedar Rapids | Ellingson played the last three seasons for Breck and had a good CCM NIT leading the Minnesota U18's to the championship. He joined Breck a year after freshman sensation Keegan Iverson left to play for the Portland Winterhawks. Keegan was NHL draft eligible in 2014 and was picked #85 by the New York Rangers. Ellingson is eligible for this June's draft but only by a few days and has yet to commit to a college. Look for him to be in Cedar Rapids this fall. |
| 13 | #151 | Tyler Rock | Holy Family Catholic/Omaha | Rock is one of three Fire players drafted in this year's USHL draft. He has been a two year starter for Holy Family and played in the HP-16/17 Festival at Wakota. Rock was on the Magicians' U16 team that upset the Minnesota Blades in district playoffs at the end of March and then lost to Shattuck (eventual national champs) in the championship game. Rock played in the Red/Black league last fall. |
| 14 | #152 | Simon Sagissor | Stillwater/Madison | Sagissor has been a top scorer for Stillwater the past two season and will be eligible for this June's NHL draft. He and Jackson Cates played for the Ponies in the 2014 Class AA State Tourney at the Xcel and along with Cates could lead Stillwater back to the Xcel for the 2016 State Tourney especially with their main rival Hill-Murray losing their top players. |
| 15 | #157 | Colin Gallagher | Sibley/Waterloo | Gallagher is a three year 6'4" defense man from Sibley who has been twice drafted by the USHL, the first time in the 2013 draft. A senior this past year, Gallagher will be trying out for Waterloo in the fall. |
| 16 | #158 | Grant Loven | East Grand Forks/Sioux Falls | For Grant Loven, the question is #3? Loven along with three returning players Trevor Selk, Tanner Tweten and Davis Beauchamp are key players to lead EGF's Class A champions varsity team to a third straight championship title. But will the for be enough to "three-peat" at the Xcel next March? It should be enough to get to the Xcel, but can they beat Hermantown a third straight time? |
| 17 | #167 | Alex Mehnert | Moorhead/Fargo | Mehnert, as a defenseman, led the Spuds in scoring in his third varsity season. He will be eligible for the first time in the this June's NHL draft. A defender who can score, Mehnert will be making the trip across the Red River to play for Fargo next fall. |
| 18 | #272 | Ryan Murphy | Orono/Cedar Rapids | Ryan Murphy played forward for the last two seasons on the Okanagan Hockey Academy Red Prep team that finished fourth in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League or CSSHL. Murphy posted 42 points/20 goals in 28 games with the Red last season. Both the Pentiction Vees and the Okanagan Hockey Academy are located in Pentiction BC. |
| 19 | #332 | Luke Notermann | Blaine/Sioux Falls | Notermann was teamed with Ellingson on the winning Minnesota U18 team at the CCM NIT at the end of April. A senior next fall, Notermann with linemate Riley Tufte led Blaine to the Class AA State Tourney last March, but Tufte will likely play for Fargo next fall and then head to UMD. Notermann is eligible for this June's NHL draft and has a tough decision to make. |
| 20 | #335 | Tyler Thompson | Minnesota Revolution/Dubuque | A bigger brother of Baron Thompson, Tyler also started out at Apple Valley and then joined his brother at Achiever Academy playing high school hockey in Minnesota for two years. He should be trying out for Dubuque this fall. |
Fifteen of the 20 Minnesota players born in 1997 taken in the draft played high school hockey last season. Two played in the NAHL (Lizotte and Schaeffer), one (Murphy) played Canadian high school, one (Thompson) played for the Minnesota Revolution U18 AAA, and one (Thome) played in the T1EHL Midget Major league. Four of the 1997's (Mehnert, Revering, Broetzman, and Howell) skated for the Minnesota Senior team in the CCM NIT tourney in late April. Four 1997 players from the Minnesota U18 team that won the tourney (Ellingson, Garin, Notermann, and Loven) were also drafted in Phase II.
Jackson Cates swings left in this rush and has just flipped a little pass to a breaking Pony forward in the slot in this January 2014 game against Cretin/Derham Hall.