CANTLON’S CORNER: NORTH AMERICAN JUNIOR DRAFTS 

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings 

HARTFORD, CT – Its spring. Besides the flowers and bushes that all bloom, so do many of young hockey player’s futures as they hope to get drafted by various junior leagues in North America.

For some Connecticut kids, their hockey futures took a step forward as many were selected this past Monday and Tuesday at the United States Hockey League (USHL) two-phase draft. Among the selected were the sons of some former NHL players from the various teams that have called Connecticut home.

During Monday’s “Phase One,” Sutter Muzzatti, the son of former Hartford Wolf Pack and Hartford Whaler goalie, Jason Muzzati. He was drafted by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the third round (45th overall). Last month, in the OHL Priority Draft, the Windsor Spitfires selected Muzzatti in the 13th round (248th overall) from Meijer (NAPHL U-16).

In “Phase Two” several Connecticut names were selected early.

Cooper Moore (Cos Cob/Brunswick School) is an early commit to the University of North Dakota (NCHC) for next year. He was taken in the first round (4th overall) by the Lincoln Stars.

William Margel of the Selects Academy program at South Kent Prep (USPHL U-18) followed. Margel was selected by the Madison Capitols in the first round (7th overall). He is a commit for the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (HE) in 2020-21. He was also taken in the 2017 USHL Draft by Sioux Falls in the ninth round (131st overall).

Mike Posma, from the New England Prep School’s Large Division champion, Kent School, was taken in the second round (24th overall) by the Cedar Rapids Roughriders. This is the third straight year he has been drafted by a team in the league. In 2017, the Chicago Steel took him in the 16th round (27th overall) and last season, the Sioux City Stampede selected him in the seventh round (103rd overall).

Matt McGroarty (Westport/Brunswick School) was taken in the third round (32nd overall) by the Madison Capitols. He is a Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) commit for 2020-21.

Henry Wilder of Hotchkiss Prep (Lakeville, CT) followed. He was selected by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the fourth round (43rd overall). Wilder was selected in the 2017 QMJHL Draft by the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the tenth round (170th overall).

Robert Cronin, from the Gunnery Prep school (Washington, CT), was taken in the fifth round (68th overall) by the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He will join Margel as a commit at the University of New Hampshire (HE) for 2020-21.

Matt Cresa from the Selects Academy U-18 program at South Kent Prep went in the sixth round (87th overall) by the Sioux Falls Stampede. He was selected in 2017 in the OHL Draft by the Windsor Spitfires in the 13th round (256th overall).

Coltan Wilkie, the son ex-Pack, David Wilkie, and who currently plays for the Corpus Christi Ice Rays (NAHL), was selected in the seventh round (105th overall) by the Madison Capitols.

Kennedy O’Connor, of Loomis Chaffe (Windsor), went in the tenth round (147th overall) by Des Moines Buccaneers and is a UMASS-Amherst (HE) commit for 2021-22.

Dylan St. Cyr is the son of former New Haven Senator, Gerry St. Cyr, and also is the nephew of former Wolf Pack, Pascal Rheaume. He has played sparingly at Notre Dame (Big 10) and is still junior eligible. He was drafted by Muskegon in the tenth round (153rd overall). He was also a 2016 Windsor Spitfires (OHL) Draftee.

Cooper Swift, (West Hartford/Choate Prep) was taken in the eleventh round (161st overall) by the Fargo Force.

The Malik boys, the sons of former Whaler, Beast of New Haven and Ranger defenseman, Marek Malik, were both selected by Muskegon. Defenseman Nick played this year with London and North Bay in the OHL and went in the eleventh round (168th overall).

Goalie Zach went in the twelveth round (183rd overall). He played at home in the Czech Republic this year primarily with HC Frydek-Mistek (Czech Republic Division-2) where his father is the assistant coach of the team. He played some games with HC Ocelari Trinec (Czech Republic-CEL) and for the Czech National U-17 Team in international matches and tournaments.

John Fusco, the son of former Whaler Mark Fusco, followed and went in the fifteenth round (219th overall) to the Dubuque Fighting Saints. He played for Dexter Academy (MAPREP) this year. He was selected in the 2017 QMJHL Draft by the Quebec Remparts in the thirteenth round (225th overall). He has not declared a commit for college yet.

Dalton Duhart, the son of former Danbury Trasher, Jim Duhart, split this season between London and Barrie (OHL). He was taken in the 17th round (250th overall) by Sioux City.

Matt Cassidy, who played at Quinnipiac University (ECAHL) last year, was selected in the 17th round (254th overall) by the Youngstown Phantoms.

James Rayhill, selected in the 16th round (271st overall) out of Gunnery Prep, was taken by the Sioux City Musketeers. He is a Cornell University (ECACHL) 2020-21 commit.

Ryan Wilson, (Shelton-born but in Darien), was taken in the 21st round (311th overall) by Sioux City plays at Northwood Prep (NYPREP).

In the OHL Priority draft, a slew of Connecticut connected players were taken.

Tyler Bouchard, from Avon Old Farms, was selected in the seventh round (143rd overall) by the Ottawa 67’s, while another Avon Old Farms Winged Beaver, Drew Tsakounis, was taken in the thirteenth round (248th overall) by the Sarnia Sting.

Chase Stillman, the grandson of ex-Nighthawk, Bud Stefanski, was taken in the second round (25th overall) by the Sudbury Wolves. Their head coach is his father of ex-NHL’er Corey Stillman and his grandfather is the assistant coach. He is a Providence College (HE) commit for 2022-23 and his older brother Riley Stillman plays for Springfield.

Goalie, Gibson Homer, the son of ex-New Haven Knights defenseman Kenzie Homer, was taken in the fourth round (76th overall) by the Owen Sound Attack. He will play next year for the US National U-17 Team and is a Miami (OH) (NCHC) commit for 2022-23.

Adam O’Marra, the cousin of ex-Sound Tiger, Ryan O’Marra, was taken in the sixth round, (114th overall) by the Mississauga Steelheads.

Caden Brown, the son of former Whaler, Jeff Brown, was taken by the Kitchener Rangers in the eighth round (151st overall). He will play for the US National U-17 Team in the fall, plus he’s a University of Wisconsin (Big 10) commit in 2022-23. He is the younger brother of Logan Brown, who played with Ottawa (NHL) and Belleville (AHL) this year.

Dixon Grimes, the son of ex-New Haven Senator, Jake Grimes, was selected in the tenth round (196th overall) by Guelph (OHL) where his father is the assistant coach.

Tyler Savard, the son of ex-Pack and Ranger, Marc Savard, was taken in the eleventh round (226th overall) by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

In the WHL Bantam Draft, ex-Wolf Pack and Ranger Jeff Finley’s youngest son Mason was taken in the 5th round 101st overall by the Calgary Hitmen.

Former Wolf Pack, Rangers and Sound Tigers defenseman, David Karpa, has his twin sons playing hockey. Zakary Karpa has made a college commit to Princeton Tigers (ECACHL) in 2020 -’21 split and this year he’s with the USNDPT-US National Development Team (USHL) team, the US National U-17 team and spent some time with the Honeybaked program U-16 and midget squads. His twin brother Jacob Karpa played with the Honeybaked program in the HPHL and midget teams.

There are two league drafts left, the US Tier II Level NAHL which will hold it’s draft on Tuesday, June 4th while the last Canadian major junior league will be the QMJHL on Saturday, June 8th in Quebec City at the Videotron Centre.

The CHL Import Draft will be held the week after the NHL Draft which is for Europeans players only and mostly those just taken in the NHL Draft.