The North American Hockey League East Division final gets underway begins Friday, but before the Maine Nordiques face off against the Maryland Black Bears, they turned their focus to next season.

For the second year in a row, the NAHL held a supplemental draft on Wednesday.

The Nordiques held two first-round picks. The first was 20th overall, acquired from the New Jersey Titans, which the Nordiques used to take defenseman Nicholas Bernardo of Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, New Hampshire. The 18-year-old Hauppauge, New York native had 10 assists in five games for Kimball Union. He also appeared in two games with the P.A.L. Islanders of the USPHL’s National Collegiate Development Conference.

Four picks later, the Nordiques selected Michael Salandra of Pleasantville, New York. The 17-year-old split the year between the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Connecticut, and the Mid-Fairfield Rangers 18U team. With the Rangers, he had five goals and six assists in 12 games.

The Nordiques’ final pick was another Kimball Union player, Liam Walsh of New Bedford, Nova Scotia, who was drafted in the third round. The 18-year-old forward had three goals and nine assists in six games.

The NAHL’s entry draft will be held July 14.

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ANOTHER TENDER

Before the draft, the Nordiques announced the tender signing of forward Brendan Gibbons. The 19-year-old from South Kingston, Rhode Island, played in the NCDC with the Jr. Bruins and P.A.L. Islanders. In 33 regular season games, he tallied six goals and 13 assists.

The Nordiques also officially announced that Maine Nordiques Academy 18U defenseman Kadsen Johnson has signed a tender with the NAHL team. He had 12 goals and 38 assists in 55 games with the 18U team. He also appeared in seven games with the NAHL Nordiques, recording two assists.

Johnson was a supplemental draft pick by the Nordiques last year.

A tender is a contract that gives a team a player’s NAHL rights, so the player cannot be drafted or signed by another NAHL team. The player, however, can sign with a team in another junior league.

THUNDER CONNECTIONS DRAFTED

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Twin City Thunder forward Colton Friesen was also selected in the NAHL Supplemental Draft by the expansion Anchorage Wolverines.

The 19-year-old Winnipeg, Manitoba native had a goal and three assists in five regular season games with the Thunder, and tallied three goals and an assist in five playoff games. He was acquired by the Thunder in a trade with the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs for Nick Rashkovsky. With the Monarchs, Friesen had six goals and 13 assists in 27 regular season games.

Also, defenseman Ryan Hintz, who has signed a tender with the Thunder for next season, was drafted by the Chippewa Steel. He played with the Chicago Mission 18U team this year.

Hintz also was selected in the United States Hockey League Entry Draft last week by the Sioux City Musketeers. Sioux City also selected Maine Nordiques defenseman Luke Antonacci.

FENTON COMMITS TO GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS

Maine Nordiques’ Kylar Fenton looks around for a teammate as Wilkes-Barre Scranton’s Sutton McDonald bears down on him during a junior hockey game at the Colisee in Lewiston during the 2019-20 season. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

Former Maine Nordiques defenseman Kylar Fenton has committed to play at Gustavus Adolphus College, an NCAA Division III school.

The 21-year-old, who was drafted by the Nordiques as well as the Twin City Thunder in 2019, played 40 games for the Nordiques in 2019-20 before he was traded to the Chippewa Steel, for whom he played this season, recording nine assists in 46 regular season games. Last year, between the Nordiques and Steel, he had two goals and 12 assists in 49 games.

Gustavus Adolphus, which is coming off an 0-5 season, is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Fenton is the son of Eric Fenton, who was a member of the 1992-93 University of Maine team that won the NCAA championship. Eric Fenton also played at North Yarmouth Academy.

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