Black Hawks Announce Preseason Roster
September 3, 2024 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release
Waterloo, Iowa- Thirty-three players hope to make an impression during the Waterloo Black Hawks' five-game exhibition schedule beginning this Friday.
On Tuesday, the Hawks revealed their preseason roster, including eight players who appeared in at least 24 Waterloo games during 2023/24. Forward Grady Deering is the team's top returning scorer after producing 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) during his first year in the USHL. Defenseman Michael Phelan ranked sixth in plus/minus (+9) for the Hawks a season ago and has the highest mark of any veteran. Goaltender Calvin Vachon will build on an impressive initial campaign, which included 22 wins and a pair of shutouts.
"The build-up to this week has been a long time coming," said Black Hawks General Manager Bryn Chyzyk. "This is an exciting moment for our players, our fans, and our entire organization. I would like to take a moment to recognize the scouting staff which put in hundreds of hours to bring this great group together."
In addition to the eight Hawks who were fulltime members of the team last winter, seven others were in the lineup for at least one game. That group includes Matthew Lansing, Chase Jette, and Jesse Orlowsky, who each bring momentum into the USHL preseason after playing for Team USA internationally during the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Canada last month.
Waterloo also adds USHL experience with former National Team Development Program skater Brendan McMorrow, who played in 65 regular season league games during the past two years. Swiss goaltender Phileas Lachat is also among the players with notable junior experience and earned a place in the NHL Central Scouting final rankings ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Black Hawks open the preseason schedule at Young Arena versus the Madison Capitols Friday at 6 p.m. Waterloo will also play a home game on Tuesday, September 10th versus the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Tickets for both exhibitions and all 2024/25 regular season games are available from the Domino's Black Hawks Box Office at (319) 291-7680 or online via tickets.waterlooblackhawks.com.
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