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USHL Youngstown Phantoms

Christensen, Letunov Lead Deep, Skilled Phantoms Draft Class

May 8, 2013 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Youngstown Phantoms News Release


YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - After stocking up for the future Monday night, the Youngstown Phantoms got to the business of reloading for another deep Clark Cup Playoff Tuesday run in 2013-14 during Phase 2 of the USHL Draft.

But even after months of scouting and compiling a comprehensive draft board, assistant general manager and director of player personnel Jason Koehler was caught off guard when the Phantoms went on the clock at ninth overall - not because he wasn't prepared. He simply never thought forward Blake Christensen would fall into his lap.

"You're not going to get everybody you want, but in the same breath, it's a pleasant surprise on draft day that some players you want are there," Koehler said. "We had a lot of those - guys who were surprisingly available when we were up to pick. We're ecstatic with the group that we got here at this draft."

The Phantoms made Christensen the first of 28 players selected - 20 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders - all expected to compete for a spot on the Phantoms' 2013-14 roster.

"Our entire staff is extremely excited about what we were able to get in Phase 2 of the draft," head coach and GM Anthony Noreen said. "One of things we talked about was not rebuilding, but reloading. I think we did a great job of that. We filled some holes and got some guys we believe will take this team to the next level."

Christensen, a 17-year-old from Rochester Hills, Mich., played the past two seasons with Detroit-based Little Caesars Under-18 AAA team. He led little Caesars in goals (27), points (62) and penalty minutes (82), while finishing second on the team with 35 assists in just 46 games this last season. The 5-foot-10, 155-pound Christensen also played 29 USHL games with the U.S. National Under-18 team putting up 3-2-5 and 57 penalty minutes.

"Blake Christensen, hands down, was one of the most dynamic, competitive and gritty players in Midget Major hockey this year," Koehler said. "He was certainly if not the best, one of the best players in U18 AAA hockey."

The Phantoms added one of the most skilled players available in forward Maxim Letunov with the 19th overall selection, which they acquired from Sioux City in November as a piece of the Cam Brown-JT Stenglein trade. Originally hailing from Moscow, Russia, Letunov, 17, led the Dallas Stars Elite U16 AAA team with 29-37-66 in 40 games.

Koehler said his mix of size (6-foot-2, 150 pounds) and high-end offensive abilities make Letunov a top-tier NHL prospect.

"Letunov has size and he has the skillset, hands and the scoring ability of a Sam Anas," Koehler said. "There's no doubt in my mind that NHL teams colleges are going to be salivating over Letunov on our program next year."

Five picks later they nabbed 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman Truman Reed from Shattuck St. Mary's. An Anchorage, Alaska, native, Reed recorded 38 points in 2012-13 and a combined 23-44-67 in 108 games over the past two seasons at the Minnesota prep school powerhouse.

Youngstown added another Alaskan and former Shattuck standout in the third round in forward Ryan Schwalbe, who spent the past season playing with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League.

"We've got a 'D' core to reload and Truman Reed is player who can walk in and give us a big, experienced defenseman, who despite the fact he hasn't played junior hockey, is as close to ready as possible," Koehler said. "Ryan Schwalbe's a competitor and a winner and somebody who fits the way we play."

The Phantoms tabbed forward Sebastian Vidmar of the Malmo Firebird junior team in Sweden's SuperELIT league with their fourth-round selection. Last season the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Vidmar finished second in goal scoring in SuperELIT with 26 goals, and was teammates with Youngstown center Alfred Larsson at Malmo from 2010-12.

The Phantoms dealt the rights to Phase 1 selection Sam McCormick to the Sioux City to get back into the sixth round, where they took forward Josh Melnick out of the Delbarton School. A skilled and scrappy center, Melnick becomes the third player Youngstown has selected from the perennial New Jersey high school state champion, following in the footsteps of former captain Mike Ambrosia and defenseman Tommy Davis.

"We didn't want to move a prospect like McCormick, but we also knew that we had a chance to get another elite-level player from Delbarton in Josh Melnick," Koehler said. "He was the No. 1 center on a team that won a state title and is committed to Princeton, and we've had some success with that connection."

For the second straight year, Youngstown drafted a pair of players with Ohio ties when it selected forwards Trey Bradley (ninth round), son of former NHLer and 500-point scorer Brian Bradley, and Grant Meyer (12th round) out of the Cleveland Barons U18 AAA team.

Additionally, the Phantoms were one of just six USHL teams to select a player from the 1998 birth year when they tabbed Jakob Chychrun out the Little Caesars U16 team in the 10th round. A 6-foot-2, 180-pound defenseman, Chychrun, who recently turned 15 and whose father Jeff played more than 250 NHL games, registered 11-7-18 in 25 games last season.

"Chychrun was a standout as a young man playing up at the U16 level," Koehler said. "He's young, but you'd never know it watching on the ice. He's physically advanced, he's a competitor and his skillset is elite. He's a special player."

The 28 players drafted Tuesday will join the Phantoms' seven Phase 1 selections, as well as 10 affiliate players on Youngstown's 45-player Initial Protected List. Koehler said that with such a deep, extensive IPL and a strong core of returning Phantoms veterans will make for an extremely competitive Selection Camp, which gets underway June 6 in Youngstown.

"We have some good players back in the program with a year under their belts with the Phantoms, and the players we selected here in the two days of the draft are obviously players we feel have the ability to play in Youngstown - our type of players," he said. "We're very excited. It should be a great camp. We've got a lot of tough decisions to make."

Youngstown Phantoms USHL Draft: Phase 2 Selections

Round 1 (ninth overall): Forward Blake Christensen - Detroit Little Caesars AAA (U18)

Round 2 (19th overall): Forward Maxim Letunov - Dallas Stars Elite AAA (U16)

Round 2 (24th overall): Defenseman Truman Reed - Shattuck St. Mary's (Minn. Prep)

Round 3 (39th overall): Forward Ryan Schwalbe - Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)

Round 4 (54th overall): Forward Sebastian Vidmar - Malmo Firebirds (Sweden SuperELIT)

Round 6 (90th overall): Forward Josh Melnick - The Delbarton School (N.J. High School)

Round 8 (114th overall): Forward Conor Lemirande - Janesville Jets (NAHL)

Round 9 (129th overall): Forward Trey Bradley - Cleveland Barons AAA (U18)

Round 10 (144th overall): Defenseman Jakob Chychrun - Detroit Little Caesars AAA (U16)

Round 11 (159th overall): Forward Ryan Conlin - Team Comcast AAA (U18)

Round 12 (174th overall): Forward Grant Meyer - Cleveland Barons AAA (U18)

Round 13 (189th overall): Defenseman Carson Vance - Kenai River Brown Bears (NAHL)

Round 14 (204th overall): Forward Tyler Spezia - Port Huron Fighting Falcons (NAHL)

Round 15 (219th overall): Forward Craig Pefley - University of Detroit Jesuit (Mich. High School)

Round 16 (234th overall): Forward Mitchell Vanderlaan - Rothesay Netherwood School (Canada)

Round 17 (249th overall): Forward Joseph Drabin - Buffalo Jr. Sabres AAA (U18)

Round 18 (264th overall): Goaltender Tyger Howat - Detroit Victory Honda AAA (U18)

Round 19 (279th overall): Defenseman Colin MacGillivray - New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (EJHL)

Round 20 (294th overall): Forward Gunnar Lindblad - Chicago Young Americans AAA (U16)

Round 21 (309th overall): Goaltender Sam Tucker - Choate (Conn. Prep)

Round 22 (324th overall): Forward Tiernan Seningen - Philadelphia Jr. Flyers AAA (U16)

Round 23 (339th overall): Forward Derian Plouffe - Kanata Stallions (CJHL)

Round 24 (354th overall): Forward Eric Carreras - Philadelphia Jr. Flyers AAA (U18)

Round 25 (369th overall): Defenseman Riley Bruce - Ottawa Valley Titans AAA (U16)

Round 26 (384th overall): Forward Charley Borek - Choate (Conn. Prep)

Round 27 (399th overall): Forward Garrett Jenkins - Detroit Compuware AAA (U16)

Round 28 (414th overall): Defenseman Andrew Holcombe - TPH Thunder AAA (U16)

Round 29 (429th overall): Forward Michael Merulla - Team Comcast AAA (U18)

Season tickets for the 2013-14 season are on sale now starting at the low price of just $8 a game. Benefits include invitations to exclusive season ticket holder events, discounts at the Phantoms Team Shop and much more. Call 330.747.PUCK (7825) for more information or to reserve seats today. For all the latest news, visit www.YoungstownPhantoms.com, follow the Phantoms on Twitter (@YtownPhantoms) and 'like' them on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/YoungstownPhantoms).

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