The USHL is the only tier I junior league in the United States, and its drafts are great indicators of where talent is coming from, as well as highlighting some of the top young talent from the United States and abroad. Our staff has broken down the various aspects of both drafts to provide both families and coaches a compressive summary of where players are being developed, what organizations are producing the most talent, as well as some of the top headlines.
William Whitelaw Selected First Overall
William Whitelaw of Shattuck St Mary’s was selected first overall by the Youngstown Phantoms after finishing the year with 33 points in 37 points for the SSM Prep team. Whitelaw was impressive at the U17 USNTDP camp, showcasing his speed and playmaking abilities.
By the Numbers
Common in the Phase I Draft, forwards were selected the most of the 3 positions, accounting for 64% of all picks with 96. 47 defenseman were selected (31%), and 7 goaltenders (5%). The US produced the majority of the draft with 122 total players selected (81%), with Canada producing 23 players (15%) and Europe/Russia producing the remaining 5 (3%).
Minnesota Remains The State of Hockey
The state of Minnesota has always been known for its production of top talent, and this year was no different. A total of 24 Minnesota born players were selected in the Phase I draft, 16% of the total draft and the most of any state. Michigan produced 17 players, with the majority playing within the state for local powerhouse programs Detroit HoneyBaked (7), Detroit Compare (4), and Oakland Jr Grizzlies (3).
Minnesota - 24 Players
Michigan - 17 Players
Illinois - 11 Players
New York - 11 Players
California - 9 Players
Shattuck Continues to Produce
The Minnesota private school produced 9 total players in the Phase I Draft, including 2 players in the top 5, and 5 in the first 5 rounds. William Whitelaw, who was the youngest player on the Prep team, was selected first overall by Youngstown. Cooper Pierson from the U15 team was selected 3 picks later at 4th overall by Lincoln, along with 5 of his teammates throughout the remainder of the draft. Forwards Tyler Peddle and Ty Henricks were both selected from the U16 team.
AYHL Selections
The Atlantic Youth Hockey League produced a total of 8 players in the Phase I draft, with 4 North Jersey Avalanche players being selected in the first 2 rounds. Fargo used their first round pick to tender standout defenseman Matthew Mania, with teammate Ben Yurchuk being selected by 2021 Champions Chicago Steel with the 9th overall selection. Nicholas Fascia, Chase Pirtle, Griffen Erdman and Anthony Capello were also selected out of the New Jersey powerhouse organization. Along with the Avalanche, Philadelphia Jr Flyers and Washington Little Capitals both had players selected in the 7th and 8th rounds respectively. Forward Jake Lewis was selected by Fargo, and goaltender Aiden Hopewell was selected by Waterloo.
Honeybaked National Championship Team
The U15 National Champions were one of the most dominant teams at the USA Nationals this year, and for good reason as 7 players were selected in the Phase I Draft. Chicago selected Forward Nathan Murray in the 3rd round, and teammate Brandon Hilton was selected 5 picks later at 44 by Madison. Omaha snatched up two Honeybaked defenseman by selecting Jack Willson in the 4th round, and Luke Baker in the 8th round.
By The Numbers
Similar to the Phase I Draft, forwards were the most selected position with 155 of 272 total selections (57%), while defenseman were selected at almost an identical rate as the Phase 1 draft, accounting for 83 total selections (31%). The United States led all countries with 188 selections (69%), with Canada producing 46 selections (17%) and Europe/Russia producing 38 selections (14%)
USNTDP, Minnesota High School Produces First Overall Selection
Justin Janicke, the #128 ranked North American Skater for the upcoming 2021 NHL Draft, was selected first overall by the Dubuque Fighting Saints. The Notre Dame commit played for Maple Grove High School in Minnesota before playing the past 2 seasons with the US U17’s and U18’s. In 2020-2021, Janicke finished the year with 39 points in 62 games, as well as making 5 appearances in the U18 World Championships this spring in Texas.
Goalie Take Over
5 of the top 10 picks in the first round were goaltenders, with 2 in the top 5. Isak Posch was selected out of Sweden by Sioux Falls with the 2nd overall selection, followed by Arsenii Sergeev at 4th overall by Tri-City. Sergeev, ranked #8 amongst North American Goaltenders for the upcoming 2021 NHL Draft, played last year for the Shreveport Mudbugs of the NAHL, going 14-4-0-2 , and posting a 2.17 GAA and .936 Save % in 20 games. A total of 34 goaltenders were selected in the Phase II Draft, accounting for 13% of all picks.
Isak Posch - Round 1 Pick 2 - Sioux Falls
Arsenii Sergeev - Round 1 Pick 4 - Tri-City
Kaidan Mbereko - Round 1 Pick 6 - Lincoln
Hugo Haas - Round 1 Pick 7 - Fargo
Axel Mango - Round 1 Pick 8 - Sioux City
Top High School Producers
It is no secret high school hockey at the prep level, as well as Minnesota High School hockey, produces a large amount of talent for both tier I and tier II junior hockey. In the phase II draft alone, 65 players were selected, with 35 from prep hockey and 27 coming out of the Minnesota high school system. Below are some of the top producing schools
Mount St Charles (USHS Prep) - 6
St Sebastian’s School (USHS Prep) - 4
Roseau HS (USHS MN) - 3
Salisbury School (USHS Prep) - 3
Gentry Academy (USHS Prep) - 3
New Jersey Selections
The state of New Jersey produced 10 players who played their 2020-2021 season with clubs within the state, 6 of them from tier II junior programs in the NAHL or the USPHL NCDC. Jersey Hitmen teammates Josh Barnes and goaltender Chase Clark were both selected in the third round by Des Moines and Tri-City respectively. From the New Jersey Titans, 3 members of the 2020-2021 NAHL team were selected, with Anthony Calafiore being selected by Waterloo, followed by Jake Larusso’s selection by Madison and David Posma going to Cedar Rapids. LaRusso finished second on the Titans this past season in scoring, with 16 goals and 28 assists in 52 games. 2 members of the Noel Rubin’s New Jersey Rockets U16 players were selected as well, with dynamic forward Stepan Kuznetsov going to Green Bay and Slovakian native Marian Mosko selected by Lincoln. Rockets NCDC goaltender Matthew O’Donnell was also selected in 10th round by Youngstown.
USA Hockey Development Model
The USA Hockey development model is proving to be a great production tool, as 55 players were selected out of the NAHL, the Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, including 14 in the first 3 rounds. The NAHL accounted for 20% of the total picks in the Phase II. From the USNTDP, a total of 7 players were selected, 4 coming in the first round including the first overall selection Justin Janicke by Dubuque. The Notre Dame commit finished with 39 points in 62 games in 2020-2021.
NAHL - 55 Selections (20%)
USHS Prep - 35 Selections (13%)
USHS MN - 27 Selections (10%)
U16 - 26 Selections (10%)
U18 - 22 Selections (8%)