USHL/NHL Prospects Game – Sioux Falls, SD
Sioux Falls plays host to the 2017 USHL/NHL Prospects game where the top NHL Draft prospects playing in the USHL will square off. 20 players are chosen from the West Division and 20 players chosen from the East Division. The players range from 1996’s to 1999’s but most players are in their draft year (Late ’98s and early-mid ’99s). We have compiled lists of uncommitted players, NHL Draft List players, some story lines and players we believe could really improve their draft stock with a good performance here.
Team East
Uncommitted:
Maksim Zhukov (G, Green Bay Gamblers, ’99)
Jakub Sirota (D, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Late ’98)
Nicholas Werbik (F, Youngstown Phantoms, Late ’97)
Robert Arrak (F, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, ‘99)
Josh Dunne (F, Green Bay Gamblers, Late ’98)
NHL Central Scouting Players:
Maksim Zhukov (G, Green Bay Gamblers, ’99) “A” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Ben Mirageas (D, Bloomington Thunder, ’99) “B” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Jakub Sirota (D, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, Late ’98) “B” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Alexis Binner (D, Green Bay Gamblers, Late ’98) “B” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Keith Petruzzelli (G, Muskegon Lumberjacks, ’99) “B” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Robert Arrak (D, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Marc McLaughlin (F, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Corson Green (D, Chicago Steel, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Mick Messner (F, Madison Capitols, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Kamil Sadlocha (F, Madison Capitols, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Ronald Brickley (D, Muskegon Lumberjacks, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Keeghan Howdeshell (F, Muskegon Lumberjacks, ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Jordan Timmons (F, Muskegon Lumberjacks, Late ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Brannon McManus (F, Chicago Steel, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Michael Karow (F, Youngstown Phantoms, Late ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Team West
Uncommitted:
Wyatt Bongiovanni (F, Tri City Storm, ‘99)
Isaac Johnson (F, Des Moines Buccaneers, ‘99)
NHL Central Scouting Players:
Shane Bowers (F, Waterloo Blackhawks, ’99) “A” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Clayton Phillips (D, Fargo Force, ’99) “B” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Cayden Primeau (G, Lincoln Stars, ’99) “B” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Dayton Rasmussen (G, Tri City Storm, Late ’98) “B” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Michael Anderson (D, Waterloo Blackhawks, ’99) “B” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Gregory Printz (F, Omaha Lancers, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Mario Ferraro (D, Des Moines Buccaneers, Late ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Isaac Johnson (F, Des Moines Buccaneers, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Charlie Dovorany (F, Fargo Force, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Joshua Dunne (F, Green Bay Gamblers, Late ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
John Leonard (F, Green Bay Gamblers, ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Nolan Moyle (F, Green Bay Gamblers, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Matthew Hellickson (D, Sioux City Muskateers, ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Kasper Kotkansalo (D, Sioux Falls Stampede, Late ‘98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Matt Quercia (F, Sioux Falls Stampede, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
John St. Ivany (D, Sioux Falls Stampede, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Wyatt Bongiovanni (F, Tri City Storm, ‘99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Adam Goodsir (F, Tri City Storm, Late ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Paul Washe (F, Tri City Storm, Late ’98) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Nick Swaney (F, Waterloo Blackhawks, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Notes
The players our scouts would have liked to see:
Keenan Suthers (F, Dubuque Fighting Saints, ’98)
Connor Mayer (D, Sioux City Muskateers, ’99)
Ben Copeland (F, Waterloo Blackhawks, ’99)
Injured Players who were invited but cannot play
Eeli Tolvaneen (F, Sioux City Muskateers, ’99) “A” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Santeri Virtanen (D, Dubuque Fighting Saints, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
Eero Teravainen (D, Lincoln Stars, ’99) “C” Rated NHL Central Scouting
10 “C” ranked or lower prospects who can move up the Draft Boards with strong showing
Keeghan Howdeshell
Brannon McManus
Marc McLaughlin
Corson Green
Nick Swaney
Jack Adams
Isaac Johnson
Matthew Hellickson
John St. Ivany
John Leonard
5 USHL/NHL Prospect Game Story Lines
The highest rated positional group tonight are the goaltenders, so scoring may be harder than usual at an All-Star event.
NHL Draft over-agers could be some of the best players on the ice tonight. They should be in the sense that they are a year or two older than the majority of the group, but it also shows that USHL is a great league for late bloomer NHL Draft candidates.
The USHL/NHL Prospects game will be highly attended by NHL scouts. While the USHL alone, without NTDP, rarely has high end draft prospects, it is an important league to cover by NHL Scouts for mid to late round picks. There are 2 “A” rated players tonight (Bowers, Zhukov) and 8 “B” rated players, with the other 75% being C rated or not rated on NHL Central Scouting. Most NHL scouts will admit that the “C” rated players are the most difficult to scout and rank on their draft boards; so this game is a very important one for them.
Will breakout season players or pre-season draft list snubs move up the board with a strong showing here? Will Jack Adams, Greg Printz, John Leonard or Brannon McManus be able to move up the draft board with a strong showing here.
There are only 7 uncommitted prospects out of 40. All of these players are on college radars, some already have offers and others coaches are still waiting on to see how they develop. A strong showing tonight by any of the 7 could clear up some uncertainty and lead to college commitments.
Colleges Reprsented:
Boston University: 3
Minnesota Duluth: 3
Minnesota: 2
UMass Amherst: 2
Northeastern: 2
Western Michigan: 2
Denver: 2
Providence: 2
Cornell: 1
Notre Dame: 1
Yale: 1
Ohio State: 1
New Hampshire: 1
Maine: 1
Quinnipiac: 1
Boston College: 1
Connecticut: 1
Michigan State: 1
Ferris State: 1
Minnesota State: 1
Wisconsin: 1
USHL Draft Breakdown
Phase 1
1st Rounders: 7 (3rd, 5th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 17th, 20th)
2nd Rounders: 3 (30th,35th, 38th)
3rd Rounders: 4 (43rd, 47th, 53rd, 54th)
4th Rounders: 1 (74th)
5th Rounders: 1 (84th)
6th Round + : 2 (123rd, 138th)
Phase 2
1st Rounders: 3 (1st, 14th, 15th)
2nd Rounders: 3 (25th, 35th, 40th)
3rd Rounders: 0
4th Rounders:1 (73rd)
5th Rounders: 1 (90)
6th Rounders +: 8 (107th, 110th, 117th, 218th, 242nd, 262nd, 298th, 366th)
Undrafted: 4
Nick Swaney
Corson Green
Nicolas Werbik
Robert Arrak
Tendered: 2
Mike Anderson
Brannon McManus
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/ Hickling Images
