Junior hockey notes: Three Maine Nordiques players selected in USHL Phase II Draft

Maine Nordiques’ Zion Green takes the puck up the ice as Northeast Generals’ Tyler DesRochers speeds up to the action from the left during a Nov. 23 game at The Colisee in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

Zion Green, Evan Orloff and Owen Benoit of the Maine Nordiques made an impression with teams in the Tier I United States Hockey League.

All three players were selected in the USHL’s Phase II draft (for 2002-2006 born players) last Tuesday.

Nordiques coach Matt Pinchevsky said the organization’s goal is for players to develop enough to have opportunities to play at the USHL and college levels.

“The USHL is a good league, and they do their homework,” Pinchevsky said in an interview last month. “Obviously, we have shown a track record every year of moving guys up the ladder to the USHL. … The bottom line, these are amateur athletes, and they get to make choices based on the information and what they know they need as a player and where they are getting (the information) from.

“The bottom line, they get to make a choice to continue their development. It’s our hope they have as many options as they possibly can at the (next) level.”

The Nordiques throughout their three-year existence have had other players advance to the USHL: Goalie Connor Androlewicz went to the USHL during the 2019-20 season, and defensemen Luke Antonacci and Easton Zueger both made USHL teams this past season after spending 2020-21 in the Nordiques organization.

Green, an 18-year-old forward and Northern Michigan University recruit, went in the fourth round to the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. He had 15 goals and 32 assists in 55 games with the Nordiques in 2021-22.

Orloff, a 19-year-old defenseman, went in the 12th round to the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He scored five goals and 13 assists in 58 games with the Nordiques.

Benoit, a 17-year-old defenseman who played for the Maine Nordiques Academy 18U team, had four goals and seven assists in 40 games. The Sioux Falls Stampede select him in the 13th round.

MAINERS SELECTED

Forwards Ronnie Hill of Saco and Brock James of Falmouth were also drafted by USHL teams this week.

Hill played for the Seacoast Performance Academy 15U team and was drafted by the RoughRiders in the fifth round of Monday’s Phase I draft (2006-born players only).

James went to the Tri-City Storm in the eighth round of Tuesday’s Phase II draft. The 17-year-old had 12 goals and 24 assists in 25 games this past season with the Northfield Mount Hermon School Hoggers (Gill, Massachusetts). He attended Maine Nordiques main camp in July 2021.

James is also a University of Maine recruit. Other future Black Bears selected in the Phase II draft are forwards Anthony Calafiore (Muskegon), Brady Arneson (Chicago Steel) and defenseman Bodie Nobles (Green Bay Gramblers).

BERNARDO NAMED ALL-ROOKIE

The North American Hockey League announced its regular season awards on Thursday, and Maine Nordiques defenseman Nicholas Bernardo was named to the NAHL All-Rookie Team.

The 18-year-old defenseman had six goals and 31 assists in 59 games. He will attend and play for Brown University starting in the 2023-24 season.

NORDIQUES TENDER GOALIES

The Maine Nordiques signed goalies Ewan McDevitt and Quentin Sigurdson to tenders for the upcoming season.

McDevitt, 19, is a product of the Maine Nordiques Academy 18U team. This year with the 18U team he compiled a 10-4-2 record with a .940 save percentage and a 1.51 goals-against average.

Sigurdson, an 18-year-old from Sartell, Minnesota, played for the Granite City Lumberjacks of the North American 3 Hockey League. He went 18-1 in the regular season and had a 1.48 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

“(Quentin) is a kid with a rare work ethic,” Granite City associate head coach DJ Vold said in a statement released by the Lumberjacks. “Every day he shows up to the rink with a mentality to get better. He got better as the season went on and made a big impact for us down the stretch.”

THUNDER TENDER TWO

The Twin City Thunder signed forward Ben Portner and defenseman Ronan Robinson to tenders for its National Collegiate Development Conference team.

Portner, an 18-year-old from Lakeville, Minnesota, had 12 goals and 18 assists in 29 games for Lakeville South High School this past winter.

Robinson, a 19-year-old from Cambridge, Massachusetts, recorded eight assists in 24 games for Williston Northampton School (Easthampton, Massachusetts).