USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints

Draft Profile: Sean Barnhill

Published on May 24, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Dubuque Fighting Saints News Release


Dubuque, IA - Looking to add again to their defensive prospects, the Fighting Saints selected big bodied and physical defenseman Sean Barnhill from the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes U15 program.

Barnhill, whose 6'2", 176 lb frame stands out almost immediately on film, brings a strong multi-faceted player that the Fighting Saints were excited to grab in the fourth round at 53rd overall. In 12 games this year for Phoenix, Barnhill netted a goal and an assist while notching another goal in the postseason.

Fighting Saints Director of Scouting Dan Shrader shared with us his break down of Barnhill as a player. Some of Shrader's comments in this story have been edited for clarity.

"We had done some work on Sean early in the season, but his showing at the USNTDP 40 Man Camp really cemented his status for us leading up to the Draft," Shrader said of the Scottsdale, AZ native. "Dylan Finan, who is our scout out west, was a big proponent of Barnhill and the trajectory his development has taken over the course of the last 18 months."

As was mentioned, the first thing that stands out with Barnhill is his size and the way he uses that size to his benefit as seen in the video below.

"He's blessed with his length and skating ability," Shrader added. "Sean has a luxury of being a very effective player just by having to do less with his game. His combination of length, reach, and mobility make him a hard defender to get past."

Barnhill has shown an ability to be an efficient player on the ice and has proven to be capable moving the puck north up the ice. As a staff, the Fighting Saints see that as an ability that's important for their defenseman to have.

"Sean's puck management is very good and he can make a first pass or carry the puck himself," Shrader said. "As a staff, we feel it's important that we draft players who have the ability to defend well, beat the first forechecker, and then get the puck moving north. That type of player is Sean to a tee,"

The Saints targeted multiple players of that ilk during this years draft. Look no further than Phase II pick Colin Ralph who was selected in the 4th round. Shrader noted that Ralph and Barnhill have similar abilities.

"I see a lot of similarities between Ralph and Barnhill," Shrader eluded. "They have the same physical gifts and have built a really good and reliable foundation to their game where they can both play in any role. They're able to insert themselves on the offensive side of the puck without foregoing any of the defensive responsibilities in the game."

"Both of them are so economical in the way they play that we feel they can be minute eating top-4 guys that we can send over the boards every other shift without losing any steam."

Barnhill admittedly still has some room to grow, but that's not uncommon for most Phase I selections.

"Right now, Sean is a little bit of a colt," Shrader concluded. "But we think he's going to end up being a real horse for us in a few years."

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United States Hockey League Stories from May 24, 2023


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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