The 2023 NAHL Draft was far from short on players from New England. Two of the top three selections were from the region.
Drew Haxton (Wakefield, R.I.) went second overall to Rochester. Haxton came up with the Neponset Valley River Rats before heading to Nobles. He played with Cowichan Valley in the BCHL last season where the right wing posted eight goals and 17 points in 45 games.
Shane Baker (Grafton, Mass.) was picked next by New Hampshire. The center scored 18 goals and 39 points in 50 games for the NCDC's Boston Jr. Bruins this winter.
Haxton and Baker were two of 20 different New England natives to be snagged in the NAHL Draft. Many others who aren't natives of the region but have ties to New England prep schools were taken such as Jacob Ingstrup and Jack Roberts of Kent, Keanan Dewberry and Jason Zaccari of Tabor, Jean-Sebastien Pack of Lawrence Academy and Mason Sturm of Governor's Academy.
There were lots of non-New Englanders taken on the academy side, too.
South Kent saw Jakub Krizan taken in the fifth round, while Mount St. Charles had Blake Montgomery go in the eighth. Gryphon Watson-Bucci and Nayan Pai, both of Boston Hockey Academy, were selected. Elite Hockey Academy's Jake Lindstrom was taken in the seventh round. Spencer Sasenbury of North Shore Hockey Academy was selected. Dominic Vansaghi of the Boston Advantage was snagged in the twelfth round.
USHL DRAFT: 13 New Englanders taken in Phase 1 | 19 New Englanders taken in Phase 2
Here is the full list of New England natives selected in the NAHL Draft. Each entry is organized as follows:
- Name, position, date of birth, hometown/last year's team — NAHL team that drafted them
New England natives
- Drew Haxton, RW, 1/12/2003, Wakefield, R.I./Cowichan Valley Capitals — Rochester (1st Rd./2nd overall)
- Shane Baker, C, 4/21/2004, Grafton, Mass./Boston Junior Bruins — New Hampshire (1st Rd./3rd overall)
- Conor Sullivan, G, 10/1/2003, Westborough, Mass./Meritt Centennials — Kenai River (1st Rd./18th overall)
- Riley Fitzgerald, FWD, 6/2/2003, Wilmington, Mass./Cedar Rapids RoughRiders — Shreveport (1st Rd./28th overall)
- Joey Mallozzi, FWD, 2/21/2005, New Canaan, Conn./Westchester Express 18U — Danbury (2nd Rd./38th overall)
- Olivier Chessler, LD, 7/9/2004, Weston, Mass./Green Bay Gamblers — Oklahoma (2nd Rd./57th overall)
- Tyler Chenevert, RD, 2/13/2003, Shrewsbury, Mass./Johnstown Tomahawks — New Hampshire (3rd Rd./67th overall)
- Coleman Jenkins, C, 5/11/2003, Mansfield, Mass./Boston Jr. Bruins — Johnstown (3rd Rd./76th overall)
- William Sancibrian, LW, 1/1/2004, Montpelier, Vt./Islanders HC 18U — Shreveport (3rd Rd./92nd overall)
- Kyle Murray-Smith, LW, 1/18/2005, Hanover, N.H./Kimball Union — Colorado (4th Rd./97th overall)
- Christian Day, RW, 5/26/2004, Barre, Vt./New Hampton — New Hampshire (4th Rd./99th overall)
- Maddox Lizotte, FWD, 12/14/2003, Georgetown, Mass./St. Mark's — Springfield (4th Rd./104th overall)
- Lucas DiChiara, RD, 2/18/2004, Fairfield, Conn./Navan Grads — Maine (6th Rd./172nd overall)
- Matthew DellaRusso, G, 10/28/2006, Darien, Conn./St. George's — Danbury (7th Rd./196th overall)
- Damon Myers, FWD, 3/28/2005, Worcester, Mass./St. Mark's — Lone Star (7th Rd./222nd overall)
- JJ Monteiro, LW, 1/12/2006, Hudson, Mass./Mount St. Charles 16U — Northeast (8th Rd./242nd overall)
- Tom McDonough, LD, 2/26/2004, Madbury, N.H./The Hill School — New Hampshire (9th Rd./259th overall)
- Will Murphy, RD, 5/13/2003, Franklin, Mass./New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs — New Hampshire (10th Rd./291st overall)
- Danny Markham, FWD, 5/13/2004, Winchester, Mass./Belmont Hill — New Hampshire (11th Rd./323rd overall)
- Beau Lane, G, 6/16/2004, Pembroke, Mass./Thayer — Lone Star (11th Rd./350th overall)
