Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Commits Fill USHL Draft: Phase 2

Dozens of future college players selected as USHL teams fill their 45-player protected lists.

Commits Fill USHL Draft: Phase 2
Aidan Muir, a Western Michigan commit, was the No. 1 selection in the USHL Draft: Phase 2.

Dozens of future college players, starting with No. 1 selection Aidan Muir, had their names called Tuesday night as the USHL held Phase 2 of its draft.

After Phase 1 on Monday night, which featured players born in 1997, Phase 2 focused on players born from 1993 to 1998. Muir, a Western Michigan commit who spent this year with Victory Honda, was taken first by the Indiana Ice.

USHL Draft Results: Phase 1 | Phase 2
Sortable: Commits who were selected

Following Muir in the next five picks of the first round were North Dakota commit Chris Wilkie, UMass Lowell commit Tommy Panico, Bowling Green commit Brandon Hawkins, UMass Lowell commit Nicholas Master and Providence commit Brian Pinho.

In all, 46 of the 59 programs in Division I had at least one player selected in Phase 1 or 2. UMass Lowell had six recruits selected, while New Hampshire, Western Michigan and Yale had five each.

In a touching move late in the draft, the Chicago Steel selected Jack Jablonski – who was paralyzed last season while playing in Minnesota – with their selection in the 28th round.

The USHL, which sends an average of more than 200 players to Division I each year, holds its annual draft in two stages.

Formerly referred to as the “USHL Futures Draft”, the USHL Draft: Phase 1 consisted of eight rounds as USHL teams select players from the 1997 birth year. This single-age portion of the USHL Draft allows teams to choose players who are traditionally not ready to play in the USHL the following season, but will continue to develop at lower levels of hockey in preparation for USHL play in future seasons. While not yet USHL full-timers, a number of those players will see game action in the coming season.

Previously known as the “USHL Entry Draft”, Phase 2 of the Draft consisted of players from multiple birth years as USHL teams look to fill their protected lists with players who will compete for roster spots for the 2013-14 season. Phase 2 of the USHL Draft allowed all USHL teams to reach 45 players on their Initial Protected List. That list includes affiliate players from the 2012-13 season and players selected in Phase 1 of the 2013 USHL Draft.

The U.S. National Team Development Program does not participate in the USHL Draft as they hold a separate selection process of players that is completed in cooperation with the other 15 USHL Member Clubs.