The North American Hockey League conducted its Entry Draft online July 14, with 12 New England natives going in the first 100 selections and 29 players from the region getting drafted overall. Players from all six states were chosen in the 20-round draft.
The NAHL is the only Tier II junior hockey league sanctioned by USA Hockey and enters its 47th season of operation, with 29 member clubs throughout the United States and Alaska. Typically considered an older league with no limitations to 20-year-old (birth year 2001 in 2021-22) players or “overagers” in contrast to the USHL, which only allows a maximum of four on each (non-NTDP) roster, the NAHL is a proven stepping stone in junior hockey. It produces quality D-1 and D-3 players each year, and several NHLers, the most notable of which is former UMass Lowell MVP and NHL Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck, played in the NAHL first.
With three NAHL teams based in New England — the Danbury Hat Tricks, Maine Nordiques and Northeast Generals — we’ll take a look at a few names who, if they report and play in the league this season, could make an impact. Being drafted is no guarantee of playing in the league, though earlier picks in the draft tend to be vetted and committed.
All NAHL teams compete for the league championship Robertson Cup, which was won this past June by the Shreveport Mudbugs for the second time in four seasons.
First New Englander selected:
5. Shaun McEwen, D, Corpus Christi Ice Rays (South Hadley, Mass.)
01/21/04, left shot, 5-11/188
This smooth-skating, two-way D-man was the youngest player drafted inside the top-10 and represents significant upside for the ‘Rays, who were dormant in the 2020-21 NAHL season due to COVID. The UMass recruit is former Minutemen coach Don 'Toot' Cahoon’s grandson and was a standout with South Kent Selects Academy. The Tri-City Storm (USHL) prospect who was chosen in the third round of the 2020 futures draft, can move pucks, has a hard point shot and has the agility to close quickly on opposing puck carriers. He played a pair of NAHL games with the Maine Nordiques going 1-1-2, but was not on Maine’s 30-man protected list and played fewer than 10 games last season, making him eligible for the draft. Corpus Christi is banking on McEwen, who has NHL draft potential in 2022, not making the USHL this season, so this is a homerun-type swing for them. If he does end up in the Texas coastal city, he’s in for an experience- the home rink is separated from the beach and Gulf of Mexico and by just one street, the aptly named Shoreline Boulevard. In all reality, it’s tough to envision McEwen failing to make the Tri-City roster, but if he ends up in the NAHL, he’ll bring the scouts down en masse.
Local player with biggest projected impact:
24. Frank Ireland, F, Lone Star (Easton, Mass.)
02/06/01, left shot, 5-10/180
Lone Star is one of the top teams in the NAHL, competing in the rough-and-tumble South Division, but Ireland is tailor-made to be a star in that league. As a 20-year-old, his game should translate well to the league, as he can use his speed to put defenders on their heels, but he also plays with gusto, jam and goes hard to the net. Head coach Dan Wildfong, who coached the Brahmas to the 2017 Robertson Cup championship, is a detail-oriented student of the game who gets the best out of his players by forcing them to play the right way. It has been a long process to get the uncommitted former Boston Jr. Bruins captain to Fort Worth, but Lone Star was all-in, and he’s a good fit for the systems and style that Wildfong employs.
“We’ve been tracking him for three years, trying to get him to the NAHL,” Wildfong told New England Hockey Journal. “He brings hard skill, with some soft skills mixed in. He’s competitive, brings in leadership and is one of those all-around players who looks like he’s going to be a good D-1 player. We want to help him get there.”
Next in line for sudden impact:
9. Peter Kramer, LW Janesville (Bridgewater, Mass.)
08/08/02, left shot, 5-11/172
The first of the Kramer twins taken with back-to-back picks by the Wisconsin-based Jets is a grinding, hustling, energy winger who forces turnovers and plays hard from start to finish on each shift. His playing style will translate well to the NAHL, which tends to be a harder, more physical league on the average. However, don’t sell Peter’s ability to generate offense short. While he’s more of a tough-to-play-against disruptor, he has enough skill to generate offense from the opportunities his effort creates. Watch for him to earn a role in all situations this season. The twins were also drafted by the USHL's Dubuque Fighting Saints.
10. Joseph Kramer, RW Janesville (Bridgewater, Mass.)
08/08/02, right shot, 5-10/165
More cerebral than his brother and an offensive play driver, the twins complement each other nicely, which is likely why Janesville invested in both. He’s perhaps not as gritty and tenacious as Peter, but moves his feet and has the ability to control the flow of play better as is a playmaking winger. He operates effectively in space, from the half-wall to create scoring chances for linemates with his vision and patience. After being standouts at BC High Thayer Academy and the Cape Cod Whalers, the Providence College-bound Kramers will bring the right mix of pugnaciousness and creativity to the league.
Don’t sleep on:
18. Tyler Young, RW, Maryland (Lancaster, Mass.)
05/08/01, right shot, 6-0/166
After splitting the season between Des Moines in the USHL and the Islanders Hockey Club of the USPHL NCDC, Young could put up his most productive junior season yet with the Odenton, Md.-based Black Bears. The Providence College recruit was originally drafted by the Omaha Lancers out of Lawrence Academy, but took a more circuitous route through junior hockey. He played the 2019-20 season in the BCHL with the Wenatchee Wild, and likely would have returned last year if not for the cancellation of the season due to COVID. He showed off good hands/shot and instincts in the USHL, but the a deep roster of forwards was an obstacle for playing time, and by mid-season he returned to his home state. Maryland offers the son of former NHLer Scott Young the chance to establish himself as a top-6 scoring forward in his final year of junior eligibility.
The youngest player from the region selected was goaltender Thomas Kiesewetter (Plymouth, Mass.) of Thayer Academy and the Boston Jr. Eagles. He was selected by the Minot Minotauros 133rd overall, and was recently one of two New England players named to the USA Five Nations tournament team to compete in Switzerland next month. He was also drafted by the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL futures draft’s seventh round. The 6-foot-6, 192-pounder’s potential is sky high.
New England players selected in 2021 NAHL Entry Draft
5. 04 Shaun McEwen, LD- Corpus Christi (South Hadley, Mass.)
9. 02 Peter Kramer, LW- Janesville (Bridgewater, Mass.)
10. 02 Joe Kramer, RW- Janesville (Bridgewater, Mass.)
18. 01 Tyler Young, RW- Maryland (Lancaster, Mass.)
24. 01 Frank Ireland, LW- Lone Star (Easton, Mass.)
29. 01 Anthony Messuri, C- Aberdeen (Arlington, Mass.)
43. 02 Nolan Hayes, LD- Maryland (Milton, Mass.)
59. 03 Lucas DiChiara, RD- Danbury (Fairfield, Conn.)
61. 03 Connor Chalmers, RD- St. Cloud (Windham, N.H.)
76. 02 Grant Porter, C- Minnesota Wildnerness (Weston, Mass.)
80. 01 William Gilson, RD- Aberdeen (Stamford, Conn.)
105. 01 Kevin O’Keefe, LD- Corpus Christi (Foxboro, Mass.)
107. 02 Coleman Nee, C- New Jersey Titans (Arlington, Mass.)
113. 02 Brendan Doyle, F- Janesville (Exeter, N.H.)
120. 02 Jack Pascucci, RD- Jamestown (North Andover, Mass.)
133. 05 Thomas Kiesewetter, G Minot (Plymouth, Mass.)
148. 03 Jake Bernadet, C Amarillo (South Burlington, Vt.)
149. 03 Jack Fleming, RD Jamestown (Wellesley, Mass.)
171. 04 Colin Winn, G St. Cloud (Westford, Mass.)
173. 03 Thomas Delfarno, RD Johnstown (Lincoln, R.I.)
179. 01 Cole Paredes, F Corpus Christi (Norwalk, Conn.)
197. 03 PJ Neal, F Wichita Falls (Greenwich, Conn.)
200. 02 Bauer Swift, RD Lone Star (West Hartford, Conn.)
219. 02 Zander Lizotte, LD Minnesota Wilderness (Scarborough, Me.)
235. 01 Aidan Flynn, C Amarillo (Braintree, Mass.)
238. 02 Hayden Riva, F Springfield (Lakeville, Conn.)
262. 04 Noah Melanson, F Danbury (Simsbury, Conn.)
296. 03 Jake Bongo, F Springfield (Ridgefield, Conn.)
353. 02 Garrison Schilling, G Jamestown (Medford, Mass.)
