Minnesota Products drafted in Phase Two of the USHL Draft

Brock Boeser Photo by David Romuald

There were 23 Minnesotans taken during Phase One of the USHL Draft on Monday night. Phase One of the Draft is eight rounds of “Futures” age players only, which are U-17 players for next year’s season. (1997 birth year players only for the 2013 Draft).

Burnsville’s Brock Boeser was the first Minnesota born player to be picked, selected fourth overall by Sioux City. Boeser is a very intense player that possesses great size and skill to match. The sophomore forward was a huge part of Burnsville’s offense last season, scoring 12 goals and adding 22 assists in 19 games. The sky is the limit for Boeser, as his skating and hands have improved a great deal throughout the year.

Two years ago Waterloo selected a small, skilled forward out of Shattuck St. Mary’s first overall. That player, Taylor Cammarata, went on to score 183 points in 139 games for Waterloo. This season the Black Hawks tried to repeat history by taking another small but skilled forward out of Shattuck in the first round, Rem Pitlick. As always Waterloo was busy drafting Minnesotans, selecting four from the State of Hockey during Phase One of the draft.

St. Thomas Academy had three players selected (Tom Novak, Christiano Versich, and Peter Tufto). Novak, a native of Wisconsin was the first player selected but is listed as third overall due to Indiana and Des Moines using tenders instead of selecting one and two respectively.

Complete draft results

Photo by David Romuald

Shattuck St. Mary’s Ryan Lindgren has made a verbal commitment to play his college hockey at the University of Minnesota. The skilled defenseman is widely considered the top 1998 born prospect from Minnesota as he has demonstrated to be a great skater that possesses elite puck control and fantastic hockey awareness. During many viewings this season Lindgren proved to be the best player on the ice, showing aspirations of being a first round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft. Of course there is a great deal of time between now and then but Lindgren has the talent for first round consideration this early in his development. Lindgren had a fabulous season on Shattuck’s bantam team, scoring 24 goals and adding 64 assists in 55 games. It’s speculated that Lindgren could be in the maroon and gold as early as the fall of 2016.

Only one Minnesota goaltender is ranked by CSS as Lakeville native and Sioux Falls Stampede goalie Charlie Lindgren is slotted at 19 among North American Goalies

*Overager

44 Thomas Vannelli, Defenseman, Minnetonka

45 Connor Hurley, Center, Edina

64 Teemu Kivihalme, Defenseman, Burnsville

70 Hudson Fasching, Right Wing, US Under-18

77 Avery Peterson, Center, Grand Rapids

80 Jake Guentzel, Center, Sioux City (USHL)

81 Blake Heinrich, Defenseman, Sioux City (USHL)

*106 Grant Besse, Right Wing, Benilde-St. Margaret’s

*132 Jonny Brodzinski, Center, St. Cloud State (WCHA)

140 Parker Reno, Defenseman, Edina

141 Neal Pionk, Defenseman, Hermantown

148 Gage Ausmus, Defenseman, US-Under-18

160 Zach Glienke, Left Wing, Eagan

170 Jake Jackson, Center, Tartan

*176 Adam Johnson, Left Wing, Hibbing

178 Willie Raskob, Defenseman, Shattuck

181 Clint Lewis, Defenseman, US Under-18

193 Taylor Cammarata, Center, Waterloo (USHL)

*203 Justin Kloos, Center, Waterloo (USHL)

209 Vinni Lettieri, Center, Lincoln (USHL)

*19 Charlie Lindgren, Goalie, Sioux Fall (USHL)

CSS Final 2013 Rankins

-Finished the season undefeated and Peewee AA Champions.

-Photos by David Romuald

Joey Anderson of Hill-Murray

Alex Toscano of Duluth East

Dixon Bowen of East Grand Forks

Bo Brauer of Edina

Jason Samuelson of Rochester Lourdes

Meirs Moore of Duluth East

Parker Reno of Edina

Photo by David Romuald

St. Thomas Academy Forward Tommy Novak has made a verbal commitment to play his college hockey at the University of Minnesota. The skilled forward just completed his sophomore season at St. Thomas where he recorded 28 goals and 29 assists in 31 games. Last Saturday Novak played hero as he scored the game-winning goal in the Class A State Championship game with just 6.1 seconds on the clock.

Novak has an abundance of offensive abilities that will be an asset to the Gophers as he possesses great hands and excellent hockey awareness. Novak can create scoring opportunities with limited space and time. Novak has terrific three-step quickness, giving him the ability to beat opposing players one-on-one. Novak should be in a Gophers sweater in the fall of 2015.

^ Ben Walker was born in Fargo, North Dakota, played for Edina

* Jesse Gabrielle was born in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, played for Eagan

Nick Heid, Defenseman, Spring Lake Park

Heid Is a blue collar player that shows great toughness and skill on the blueline. Heid is defensively reliable as he demonstrated a high level of intelligence in his own zone while being an asset offensively. Heid is a prospect with an abundance of tools at his disposal giving him a very high projection ceiling. Heid scored 26 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 27 games this season for Spring Lake Park.

Ben Newhouse, Defenseman, Benilde St. Margaret’s

Newhouse is a fabulous skater that possesses soft hands and great offensive instincts. Is a smaller defenseman but is not afraid to battle in the corners or in front of the net.  Newhouse scored 22 points (2 goals, 20 assists) in 28 games played for Benilde this season.

Tye Ausmus, Defeseman, East Grand Forks

Like Newhouse, Ausmus is an undersized defenseman with good puck skills. Ausmus possesses great agility, enabling him to apply constant pressure on the puck carrier. His brother Gage is 2013 NHL Draft prospect and current US Under-18 defenseman.  Ausmus scored 14 points (6 goals, 8 assists) in 30 games  for East Grand Forks this season.

Colin Gallagher, Defenseman, Henry Sibley

Has a similar skill set to US Under-17 defenseman Ryan Collins. Demonstrated a nice combination of defensive positioning and puck-moving skills this season. Gallagher is loaded with potential and at 6’3 he has the size that coaches covet on the blueline. Gallagher scored 8 points (2 goals, 6 assists) in 26 games for Henry Sibley this season.

Tanner Tweten, Forward, East Grand Forks

Tweten has good puck management skills and Projects to be a power forward as he possesses the willingness and dedication to succeed along the boards and in front of the net. Added foot speed will be the key to future success. Tweten scored 35 points (17 goals, 18 assists) in 31 games this season.

Jordan Greenway, Forward, Shattuck St. Mary’s Under 16 (from Potsdam, New York)

The 6’5, 205-pound Greenway Is widely considered one of the top 97 born prospects in the country as he is blessed with great skill and hockey sense . Greenway has proven to very difficult to play against as he can beat you with his physical or finesse play. Greenway has scored 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 43 games for Shattuck this season.

Tommy Novak, Forward, St. Thomas Academy (From River Falls Wisconsin)

The dynamic forward possesses some of the best hands in Minnesota High School hockey. Novak is a very creative playmaker that has the ability to create separation with superior quickness and tremendous puck control. Will need to add strength for continued success. Novak scored 57 points (28 goals, 29 assists) in 31 games this season.

Colin Gallagher of Henry Sibley (Photo by David Romuald)

-Five Minnesota prospects have been invited to attend an evaluation camp for an opportunity to play for the USDP U-17 next season.

Ben Newhouse, Defenseman, Benilde St. Margaret’s

Nick Heid, Defenseman, Spring Lake Park

Colin Gallagher, Defenseman, Henry Sibley

Tye Ausmus, Defenseman, East Grand Forks

Tanner Tweten, Forward, East Grand Forks

2013 National Team
Development Program Evaluation Camp Roster

-Tommy Novak (St. Thomas) of River Falls, Wisconsin and Jordan Greenway (Shattuck St. Mary’s) of Potsdam, New York are also invited to the camp.