2019 USHL Draft Recap
May 7, 2019 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux City Musketeers News Release
SIOUX CITY, IA | The Musketeers wrapped up the 2019 USHL Draft with the conclusion of Phase II late Tuesday afternoon. For those unfamiliar with the USHL Draft Process Phase I is intended for players born in 2003. Players drafted in Phase I will spend most of the upcoming season playing for their current clubs or high schools, and some may play a small number of games with the Musketeers throughout the year. Blake Biondi, Christian Jimenez, Jon Bell, Mason Langenbrunner, Landon Parker, and Noah Tussey were all Phase I picks in lasts year's draft and all played at least one game this season with the Musketeers. Biondi and Tussey both had an immediate impact with Tussey scoring two goals in his first game in a critical playoff-clinching win over the Tri-City Storm and Biondi racked up 6 points in 11 total games including 2 goals in 2 games during the Clark Cup Playoffs. Below are all the picks from Phase I and II along with comments from Director of Scouting and Assistant General Manager Andy Johnson as well as General Manager and Head Coach Luke Strand.
PHASE I
Drew Tsakounis Round 1 | Pick 6 (6th overall)
Position: Defense
Height/Weight: 5'10"/160 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Arlington, VA
College Commitment: Penn State University
2018-19 Stats: 26 GP/3 G/8 A/11 Pts (Avon Old Farms)
Zachary Bolduc-Round 2 | Pick 6 (21st overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'11"/158
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Becancour, QC (CAN)
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 51 GP/20 G/39 A/59 Pts (Trois Rivieres)
Griffin Ludtke-Round 3 | Pick 7 (37th overall)
Position: Defense
Height/Weight: 5'9"/151 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Elko, MN
College Commitment: University of Nebraska-Omaha
2018-19 Stats: 23 GP/4 G/9 A/13 Pts (Lakeville South High)
Ben Doran-Round 4 | Pick 6 (52nd overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5' 7"/153 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 36 GP/8 G/20 A/28 Pts (St. Louis AAA Blues U16)
Dylan James-Round 5 | Pick 6 (67th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5' 10"/151 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Calgary, AB (CAN)
College Commitment: University of North Dakota
2018-19 Stats: 34 GP/20 G/14 A/34 Pts (Calgary Buffaloes Midget AAA)
Shai Buium-Round 6 | Pick 6 (81st overall)
Position: Defense
Height/Weight: 6'0"/220 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Laguna Niguel, CA
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 51 GP/6 G/23 A/29 pts (Shattuck St. Mary's U16)
David Hymovitch-Round 7 | Pick 6 (96th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'10"/165 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 24 GP/11 G/11 A/22 Pts (Phoenix Jr.Coyotes U15)
Joe Kelly-Round 8 | Pick 6 (111th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'10"/160 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Eau Claire, WI
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 23 GP/ 15 G/17 A/32 Pts (Eau Claire Memorial High)
Anthony Cliche-Round 9 | Pick 6 (126th overall)
Position: Defense
Height/Weight: 6'2"/193 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Saint-Joseph-des-Beauce, QC (CAN)
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 51 GP/14 G/29 A/43 PTS (Bishop's College School Prep U16)
Israel Mianscum-Round 10 | Pick 6 (126th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6'2"/193 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Rouyn-Noranda, QC (CAN)
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 39 GP/23 G/15 A/38 pts (Amos Forestiers)
A year after a tremendous Phase I draft the Musketeers followed it up with another strong draft focused on the future of the Musketeers. Director of Scouting Andy Johnson was extremely pleased with the work of his staff and was very satisfied with the results "Our staff absolutely knocked it out of the park. We were able to add ten young men that we think have a lot of upside that will be impact guys."
While the Musketeers didn't necessarily target a specific need in the draft, Johnson and Head Coach/General Manager Luke Strand said good defensemen are just too hard to pass up "Anytime you can add a premium defenseman that's something that we target. It's always hard to find good D, and we found four that are high-end impact guys. "The D we added can contribute both offensively but can defend. Defensemen are hard to find in later drafts, so that's why we selected them early." It wasn't just all defense for the Musketeers they also nabbed some high-end forward like Zachary Bolduc who Jonson believes "will be a high-end NHL Draft pick in the future."
Bolduc was one of several Canadian players chosen by the Musketeers in Phase I and Johnson credits the work of his staff for helping to bring them into the program "A big difference between this year and last year is that we drafted a lot more Canadian players this year and that's a credit two of our scouts. Daniel Deschenes who covers Eastern Canada and Keegan Bell who covers Western Canada both guys knocked it out of the park this year. They both earned promotions to Assitant Directors of Scouting this year, and we trusted their views, and that's why we drafted four players based out of Canada."
PHASE II
Ethan Haider-Round 1 | Pick 3 (3rd overall)
Position: Goaltender
Height/Weight: 6'2"/207 lbs
Catches: Left
Hometown: Maple Grove, MN
College Commitment: Clarkson University
2018-19 Stats: 37 GP/ 2.35 GAA/.926 SV% (Minnesota Magicians)
Gabriel Blanchard-Round 2 | Pick 6 (21st overall)
Position: Defense
Height/Weight: 5'10"/180 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: East Aurora, NY
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 22 GP/4 G/7 A/11 Pts (Trinity-Pawling PS Pride)
Ethan Harrison-Round 3 | Pick 1 (21st overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'11"/170 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Dallas, TX
College Commitment: Bentley
2018-19 Stats: 69 GP/19 G/19 A/38 Pts (Shreveport Mudbugs)
Hunter Newhouse-Round 5 | Pick 16 (75th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'8"/146 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Minnetonka, MN
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 27 GP/13 G/13 A/26 Pts (Minnetonka High School)
Sam Antenucci-Round 6 | Pick 1 (77th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'11"/174 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Beverly Hills, MI
College Commitment: Colorado College
2018-19 Stats: 58 GP/9 G/13 A/22 Pts (Brookings Blizzard)
Ray Christy-Round 8 | Pick 5 (114th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'9"/175 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
College Commitment: Colorado College
2018-19 Stats: 52 GP/16 G/55 A/71 Pts (Brooks Bandits)
Robert Christy-Round 9 | Pick 3 (126th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'11"/177 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: St. Paul, MN
College Commitment: Colorado College
2018-19 Stats: 30 GP/20 G/20 A/40 Pts (St. Thomas Academy)
Jack Ring-Round 9 | Pick 14 (137th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6'3"/175 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Hingham, MA
College Commitment: University of New Hampshire
2018-19 Stats: 46 GP/18 G/22 A/40 Pts (Boston Advantage U18)
Ryan O'Neill-Round 10| Pick 7 (145th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'9"/145 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Roseville, MN
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 25 GP/15 G/28 A/43 Pts (St. Thomas Academy)
Cody Monds-Round 11 | Pick 6 (160th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'9"/155 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Elizabethtown, ON (CAN)
College Commitment: St. Lawrence University
2018-19 Stats: 66 GP/36 G/59 A/95 Pts (Northwood School Huskies Jr.)
Eero Niemi-Round 12 | Pick 6 (175th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'11"/180 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Pori, FIN
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 24 GP/3 G/3 A/6 Pts (Assat)
Robert Kincaid-Round 13 | Pick 6 (190th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6'1"/160 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Barrhead, AB
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 28 GP/3 G/8 A/11 Pts (Camrose Kodiaks)
Kirklan Irey-Round 14 | Pick 6 (205th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'10"/165 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Bismarck, ND
College Commitment: Bemidji State University
2018-19 Stats: 52 GP/6 G/12 A/18 Pts (Bismarck Bobcats)
Ryan Taylor-Round 15 | Pick 6 (220nd overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6'3"/190 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 61 GP/12 G/20 A/32 Pts (Bismarck Bobcats)
Brandon Cimino-Round 16 | Pick 6 (235th overall)
Position: Defense
Height/Weight: 5'9"/194 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: New Rochelle, NY
College Commitment: Bentley University
2018-19 Stats: 45 GP/9 G/22 A/31 Pts (North Jersey Avalanche 18U)
Dalton Duhart-Round 17 | Pick 6 (250th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'11"/180 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Grand Blanc, MI
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 64 GP/11 G/12 A/23 Pts (London Knights/Barrie Colts)
Josh Nixon-Round 18 | Pick 6 (265th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'8"/150 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Mississauga, ON (CAN)
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 49 GP/22 G/26 A/28 Pts (Oakville Blades)
Huston Karpman-Round 19 | Pick 6 (280th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'10"/185 lbs
Shoots: Left
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, CA
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 52 GP/18 G/32 A/50 Pts
Cole Caufield-Round 20 | Pick 6 (295th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'6"/150 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Stevens Point, WI
College Commitment: The University of Wisconsin
2018-19 Stats: 28 GP/ 29 G/12 A/41 Pts (US-NTDP)
Ryan Wilson-Round 21 | Pick 6 (310th overall)
Position: Goaltender
Height/Weight: 6'2"/172 lbs
Catches: Left
Hometown: Shelton, CT
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 10 GP/.95 GAA/.961 SV % (Northwood School Huskies Junior)
Justin Ross-Round 22 | Pick 6 (325th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 5'8"/125 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: Calgary, AB (CAN)
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 32 GP/15 G/27 A/42 Pts (Calgary Buffaloes)
Matthew McGowan-Round 23 | Pick 6 (340th overall)
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6'0"/175 lbs
Shoots: Right
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
College Commitment: None
2018-19 Stats: 36 GP/14 G/16 A/30 Pts (St. Louis AAA Blues)
The Phase II Draft came to an end late Tuesday afternoon, and once again the Musketeers walked away very satisfied with the results "We took a giant step forward compared to where were last year at this time. I think we are much further ahead and that's a pretty exciting proposition for our staff." said Johson.
The Musketeers also made an effort to bring in older more experienced players and both Johnson and Strand believe they accomplished just that "Our overall depth is strong. We have significant depth at forward, defense and goaltending and I think that will make for some really interesting position battles in camp" said Johnson. Strand added "The forwards we selected provide junior hockey experience with hard skill, competitiveness and scoring ability. Andy Johnson and his scouting staff did an exceptional job of covering the globe to find these players we desired."
Johnson sees those experienced players playing a few different roles on the Musketeers next season as they supplement some of the younger high-end talent arriving in Sioux City. "Getting some junior experienced players was really something that we focused on this year. We wanted to come in with guys who are experienced guys that have played a lot of hockey that will be ready to go from the get-go. I think a lot of the guys with experience have the ability to play up and down the lineup so our forward group is going to be really flexible going forward."
One of those depth moves the Musketeers made was to move up to the 3rd overall pick to select experienced goaltender Ethan Haider "Some people joke that the game of hockey should be called goalie meaning the goaltender is the most important position on your roster. For us, having Ben Kraws go to Miami we targeted that position to add some depth there and we were able to add Ethan Haider who is going to be an NHL Draft pick this year. A kid who is experienced has played a full year of junior hockey already and is going to come in and work his tail off. He's just a high-end goaltender who is going to make an immediate impact for us."
The Musketeers would like to thank the entire scouting staff for their tremendous work all season long. Musketeer fans have a very bright future on the ice to look forward to thanks to their efforts!
The first chance to watch the newest Musketeers in action will be this summer at 40-man orientation camp. Stay tuned to Musketeer social media for all camp dates.
United States Hockey League Stories from May 7, 2019
- 2019 USHL Draft Recap - Sioux City Musketeers
- Capitols Draft 19 Players in Phase II Draft - Madison Capitols
- Chicago Drafts 20 Players in 2019 Phase II Draft - Chicago Steel
- 2019 USHL Draft - Phase II Selections - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
- Tri-City Completes Phase II of 2019 USHL Draft - Tri-City Storm
- Draft Day- Phase II - Green Bay Gamblers
- Muskegon Completes 45-Man Roster with 21 Phase II Draft Selections - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Phase Two of the Plan - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Fargo Force Selections in 2019 USHL Phase II Draft - Fargo Force
- Saints Finish Phase II Draft with 19 Picks - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Capitols Select 10 in USHL Futures Draft - Madison Capitols
- Gamblers Select 10 Players in Phase I - Green Bay Gamblers
- Chicago Steel to Present "Our Gift to Hockey" During Clark Cup Final - Chicago Steel
- Steel Select Nine Players in 2019 USHL Phase I Draft - Chicago Steel
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