Steel Select 15 Players in Phase I of 2026 USHL Draft
Published on May 4, 2026 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - The Chicago Steel completed Phase I of the 2026 USHL Draft Monday, adding 15 players to their initial protected list from the 2010 birth year.
"We're excited to welcome these 15 young men into our group," said Steel General Manager Bobby Goepfert. "Each of these individuals was identified as priority draft selections based on their demonstrated talent, competitiveness, and overall approach to the game. We are highly confident in this class and look forward to welcoming them to Chicago."
The first selection for the Steel came in Round 1 when they selected forward MJ Campbell with the fifth overall pick. A local product from the Chicago south suburb of Frankfort, IL, Campbell registered 101 points in 51 games with the Mount St. Charles Academy 15U team last season, the third-most on the roster.
"MJ is a talented offensive player who has a blend of speed, skill and creativity. He is a play driver who creates for himself and his teammates. He is a threat whenever he has the puck and is just as dangerous when he doesn't. He is someone we have been targeting for some time." - Goepfert
Rylan Aufderheide, a defenseman from Mars, PA, was Chicago's next selection at 20th overall in Round 2. In 15U play with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite AAA last season, Aufderheide scored 49 points with 40 assists in 57 games. The right-handed blueliner has played for the Pens Elite program in each of the last three seasons and has 107 points (16G-91A) in that span.
"Rylan is an extremely intelligent, high-IQ defenseman who contributes at both ends of the ice. His decision-making and the way he orchestrates the game in all three zones is impressive for his age, and those traits translate to the higher levels." - Goepfert
Chicago used its first of three picks in Round 3 to select Tyler Kunz, a 6'4" forward from Grand Forks, ND. Kunz played in 58 games with the Shattuck St. Mary's 15U AAA team last season and scored at just over a point-per-game clip, tallying 61 points (23G-38A), the fifth-most on the squad. The dynamic forward was penalized just twice, the fewest penalty minutes for SSM. The year prior, Kunz scored 90 points (48G-42A) for the Grand Forks Bantam AA team.
"Tyler is a prototypical skilled power forward. His combination of size and athleticism is really exciting, and our staff can't wait to work with him." - Goepfert
At 41st overall in Round 3, the Steel selected their first import of the draft, forward Matyas Svrcek, from Plzen, Czech Republic. Svrcek appeared in 24 games with the Bishop Kearney Selects 15U AAA squad last season and scored 13 goals with 14 assists. In his first year of organized play in 2023-2024 with HK Dukla Trencin U16, Svrcek ranked second in team scoring with 68 points in 21 games.
"Matyas has size, speed, and power. He was injured most of the year, but when we saw him in the second half, you could see his immediate impact and exciting trajectory." - Goepfert
Three picks later, Chicago drafted defenseman Ty Moad, another Shattuck St. Mary's product. Moad was the highest-scoring defenseman for the 15U Sabres last season, recording 56 points (10G-46A) in 58 games. The year prior, Moad tallied 28 points on 26 assists with the 14U team.
"Ty is a mature two-way defenseman. He defends hard and contributes offensively with mature decision making and vision along the blue line." - Goepfert
The Steel had back-to-back picks in Round 4, starting with defenseman Michael "Mick" Miniscalco at the 50th overall pick. A native of Chicago, IL, Miniscalco potted 61 points (18G-43A) in 2024-2025 with the Chicago Mission 14U AAA.
"Mick is an intelligent and brainy defenseman with a good stick and offensive mind. He defends well with his feet and has a high ceiling." - Goepfert
With their next pick at 51st overall, the Steel selected Yanni Malafis, a forward from New York, NY. With the Mid Fairfield HC 15U team last season, Malafis potted 44 points with 24 goals in 48 games. In 2024-2025, Malifis put together a 70-point campaign with the 14U team, leading the pack with 45 goals.
"Yanni is full of speed and creativity. He works all over the ice with pace and has a flair in the offensive zone that makes him a dangerous player." - Goepfert
The Steel closed out Round 4 by selecting forward Colin Walsh at 56th overall. The Framingham, MA native dominated play with Framingham High last year, potting 54 points (35G-19A) in 21 games. Walsh led his team in goals and was second in total points. He played two seasons with the Neponset Valley River Rats, scoring 47 points (22G-25A) last season and 51 (27G-24A) in 2024-2025.
"Colin is a big kid with a high motor who loves the physicality and plays the game with power. He is just scratching the surface of what he can be." - Goepfert
With the 65th overall pick in Round 5, the Steel stayed close to home by drafting forward Landon Heinrich, a Chicago, IL native. Heinrich spent each of the last three seasons playing for the Chicago Mission AAA program and tallied 29 points (15G-14A) this past season in 15U action. He averaged 1.06 points-per-game year in 2023-2024 in 13U competition.
"Landon has a smoothness to his game and plays with his smarts and crafty stick. He has good offensive instincts with great finishing ability." - Goepfert
Jaxon Cook, a forward from Woodbury, MN, was the next Steel pick at 67th overall in Round 5. Cook tallied 60 points (33G-27A) in 30 games for the Gentry Academy last year. In the 2024-2025 campaign, he scored at a nearly two points-per-game clip, scoring 14 goals and 14 assists in 26 games.
"Jaxon is a competitive, skilled player who has an excellent offensive skill set. He isn't afraid to do the hard things or be physical against bigger and older guys in high school while also being a big-time point producer." - Goepfert
At pick #71 in Round 5, the Steel selected Shayne Keefe, a forward from Park Ridge, IL. Keefe had a strong season with the BioSteel Sports Academy last season, scoring 85 points (37G-48A) in 63 games at the U16 AAA level. In 14U play in 2024-2025, Keefe exploded for 131 points with 78 goals and 53 assists in 69 games, leading the team with 61 more points than the roster's next-highest scorer.
"Shayne is a smart decision maker who has a relentless motor. He plays the game with skill, work ethic, and detail, which is really impressive for this age." - Goepfert
The Steel drafted their only goaltender of Phase I in Round 6 with the selection of Chase Pastor at 80th overall. From Burlington Township, NJ, Pastor impressed with the Woodbridge Wolfpack 15U team this past season with a 1.03 goals against average including three shutouts and an 8-1-0 record. Before last season, the 6'2" netminder boasted a strong 2.75 GAA in 32 games at the 14U level while amassing 20 wins. Pastor is just the fourth goalie to be selected by the Steel during the Phase I Draft since 2018.
"Chase is a goalie who is full of athleticism. He played in some high-pressured situations and was the backbone of his team. His combination of size, athleticism, and compete is impressive." - Goepfert
Chicago drafted defenseman Matyas Michalek with their next pick at 101st overall in Round 7. Michalek appeared in 30 games with HC Sparta Praha U17 in Czechia last season and recorded 39 points (13G-26A) while posting the team's best plus-minus (+40). He also played up at the U20 level for 18 games and found the scoresheet eight times with a goal and seven helpers.
"Matyas is as high-end as they come. We saw him at the U18 World Championships last week as a double underager. He has such a bright future in this game, and we look forward to helping him get there." - Goepfert
The Steel selected forward Peter Phelan with the 110th pick in Round 8. The New York, NY product played for the Woodridge Wolfpack 15U club last season and potted nine points in 14 games. In 2024-2025, Phelan lit up 14U AAA with the Long Island Gulls, scoring 92 points (36G-56A) in 70 games.
"Pete is a skilled two-way forward who is full of character and intangibles. His hunger to win is infectious, and he leads both on and off the ice. He contributes all over the ice, but it is the little things in his game that separate him from his peers." - Goepfert
With their final pick in the Phase I Draft, the Steel selected Jacob McKinnon in Round 9 with the 125th pick. A forward from Quebec, QC, McKinnon played with the Séminaire St-François Blizzard team last season and appeared in 42 games for the club. He scored 51 points on 25 goals and 26 assists and had a +32 rating. McKinnon led his team in scoring in the playoffs with 11 points (5G-6A) in 12 postseason games.
"Jacob is a dynamic offensive player with elite offensive ability and creativity. His skating is high-end, and the way he thinks the game is next level." - Goepfert
The draft will continue with Phase II on Tuesday, beginning at 11:00 a.m. CT. Phase II is open to players in the 17-year-old age category to 20-year old age category (2006-2009 birth years) and are not currently on one of the protected USHL rosters. The Phase II Draft continues until all member clubs have filled their Initial Protected List to a total of 50 players, including those who were previously protected from the team's affiliate list.
The 2026-2027 Steel schedule is expected to be released in June.
Season ticket memberships for the Chicago Steel's inaugural 2026-2027 season at USG Arena inside Blackhawks Ice Center presented by Fifth Third Bank are on sale now. More information regarding premium seating areas, special ticket packages, and more will be released soon.
For more information, call 855-51-STEEL or visit ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.
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