Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Commits Highlight USHL Phase I Draft
20 commits and dozens more future NCAA stars fill Phase I of 2016 USHL Draft.
Twenty players who have already committed to Division I schools and dozens of other future NCAA stars were selected Monday night in Phase I of the 2016 USHL Draft, held at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.
North Dakota recruit Gavin Hain of Grand Rapids High School in Minnesota was the No. 1 overall selection by the Sioux Falls Stampede. Hain was one of two North Dakota commits taken in the draft (Jonny Tychonick was the other), making UND one of four schools with multiple recruits selected. Arizona State, Brown and Minnesota also had a pair of recruits taken in Phase I, which consisted entirely of 2000 birth year players.
Phase II, for all junior-eligible prospects, began at 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday and will continue until each team fills their 45-player protected list.
Hain led a group of six NCAA commits among the 10 players taken in the first round of Phase I. Six other teams used first-round picks to sign 2000-born players to tenders. Both Minnesota commits taken in the draft (Ben Brinkman, Blake McLaughlin) went in the first round, as did Omaha commit Ryan O’Reilly, Miami commit Ryan Savage and Michigan commit Jacob Semik.
In all, 150 players were selected in Phase I of the draft. The vast majority will continue to develop outside of the USHL in 2016-17, though many will have the opportunity to see game action.