Sioux City acquires two players from the Flying Aces
April 22, 2019 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux City Musketeers News Release
SIOUX CITY, IA | On Monday the USHL completed the dispersal draft of players that were a part of the Central Illinois roster after the 2018-19 season. The Flying Aces were granted approval from the USHL Board of Directors for a temporary withdrawal from on-ice competition to focus on the future of the organization.
The draft order was determined via a weighted lottery system. USHL Clubs receive the amount of ping pong balls that correspond with their position in the final regular season standings. The only team not to participate in the draft is Team USA.
Below are the two players that are now a part of the Musketeer organization.
Cal Kiefiuk-LW
02/28/00
5'10" 187lbs
2018-19 season:
50 GP/15 G/26 A/41 pts/-24
Kiefiuk enjoyed a strong season with the Flying Aces in 2018-19. His 41 points put him second on the Flying Aces in points, trailing Trevor Janicke by 7. The University of Michigan commit is expected to head to college next year but still retains two years of junior eligibility. If things were to fall in favor of Sioux City, it would be a major pick up for the Musketeers. Head Coach Luke strand anticipates Cal's departure for college but is excited at the chance of adding Kiefiuk to the roster "Cal is an extremely competitive player with offensive instincts. if things would happen to fall through in college, he'd be a big-time addition to our group." Assistant GM and Director of scouting Andy Johnson echoed Strand's sentiments saying "Cal is a player with over 150 games of USHL experience and a proven track record of offensive production in this league. His upside was too much to pass up."
Jackson Nieuwendyk-Forward
09/04/02
5'7" 134lbs
2018-19 season:
4 GP/0 G/0 A/0 pts/-1
Nieuwendyk didn't get a real chance at the USHL level this year, so there is still much to be learned about the young forward. He spent the majority of the season playing for the Dallas Stars U16 team where he had nine goals and six assists for 15 points in 30 games. Johnson highlighted Nieuwendyk's high hockey IQ as a big reason for his selection "We're thrilled to land a player of caliber in this draft. He is a high hockey IQ player that plays downhill towards the net. He is still very young but it's exciting for us that he has continued to elevate his game every year and as he continues to grow bigger and stronger we expect him to be an impact player for the Musketeers."
It will be a long wait to see when and if these players will be on the roster at the start of the 2019-20 season, but it is never too early look ahead early. Stay tuned to Musketeer social media for the latest updates on the upcoming USHL draft, the NHL Entry Draft, and Musketeer summer camps.
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