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Thunder Prepare for 2015 USHL Draft

May 1, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Bloomington Thunder News Release


Bloomington, IL - The 2015 United States Hockey League Draft opens this week, giving new players the chance to join the U.S. Tier I junior league. The Bloomington Thunder enter their second year of the draft after completing a successful expansion season, going 29-24-7.

Young guns Mitchell Mattson (University of North Dakota) and Vladislav Dzhioshvili (Cornell University) made a splash to finish the season after being selected in 2014's Phase I Draft, while team MVP and leading scorer Shane Bednard (Bowling Green State University) was the Thunder's first-round pick during Phase II.

These players, other picks like Jalen Smereck (Phase II, 1st Round) and Logan Lambdin (Phase II, 7th Round), and 13 other prospects on the Thunder's protected list highlighted the success in the 2014 USHL Draft. The team is looking to produce the same success as the 2015 Draft kicks off Monday, May 4th at 6:00 PM CST.

You can follow the Thunder's draft coverage including selections, interviews, and other information on Facebook , Twitter or by heading to BloomingtonThunder.com. Use the hashtag #USHLDraft to follow along with all the coverage. Keep track of the entire league's picks by heading to USHL.com and following the draft board. Also, join Thunder broadcaster Brian Tosti and Tri-City broadcaster Jared Shafran for a live broadcast of Phase I at 6:00 PM CST on USHL.com.

Phase I is exclusively used for drafting 1999 birth year players and will last 10 rounds. Bloomington will select 11 players in this phase and have four picks in the first three rounds. The Thunder have the eighth spot in each phase for selections.

Despite many Phase I players not competing on active rosters in their first season, selections in this round are considered some of the most skilled players. Ten former Phase I picks suited up with the Thunder this season, accounting for a quarter of the team's roster. Overall, only six of the 38 players for the Thunder this season were undrafted.

Phase II will continue the draft process on Tuesday, May 5th at 8 AM CST. While Phase II has an unlimited number of rounds, the Thunder have accumulated five picks in the first three rounds. Players from the '95-'99 birth years are selected in this round and excludes those already on active USHL rosters or on team's affiliate lists. The Thunder's current crop of players and the team's 18 initial protected list (IPL), or affiliate players, will be retained by the organization through the draft process.

"Tenders" are also available to use prior to the draft so teams can secure highly touted prospects. The Thunder have yet to target players with the use of tenders, but six individuals have been ruled out of the draft process. Those teams using tenders (Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Muskegon, Sioux City, and Waterloo) each lose one pick in the first two rounds of Phase I, based on the number of tenders acquired. Selection order of each round has been determined by reversing the final regular season standings. Lincoln will select first and the reigning Anderson Cup Champion Youngstown Phantoms will select last (best regular season record).

Following the draft, Bloomington will hold their team's main camp from June 17th through the 21st at the Leafs Ice Center in West Dundee, IL. Sign-ups for the camp begin on May 5th on BloomingtonThunder.com. Click on the link on the main page to enter the registration form.

Season Tickets: 2015-16 will be here before you know it and for just $50 we can reserve your season tickets for the Bloomington Thunder at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum. If you reserve before June 1st, you'll be entered to win an all-expenses paid flight to Las Vegas! Plans start at just $240 and youth season tickets are $150 for all the same benefits. Head to BloomingtonThunder.com for a full list of benefits and pricing options to go with our new seating map. Call the Thunder office at (309) 434-2980 for information and booking.



United States Hockey League Stories from May 1, 2015


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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