The Twin City Thunder started building their future by selecting 20 players in Wednesday’s USPHL National Collegiate Development Conference entry draft.
This year the draft was open only to 16- and 17-year-old players. In the past, the draft has been for prospects between 16 and 20 years old.
“The idea behind the NCDC Draft is that we’re looking at younger players, many being outside of our league footprint, in order that we may better inform players about the benefits of Tier II tuition-free NCDC and its pathway to college hockey,” Commissioner Bob Turow said in USPHL press release.
Twin City 12 forwards, five defensemen and three goalies. They have reached the 70-man protected limit, which also includes players from the 2021-22 roster eligible to return in 2022-23, tendered players for 2022-23, and past draft picks.
The Thunder used their first four selections on players who spent the past season with the Springfield Pics 16U team. In total, Twin City picked five Pics players.
The Thunder’s first pick was Bahdan Radzivilka, who was selected eighth overall in the first round. Radzivilka is from Molodechno, Belarus, and scored seven goals and dished out eight assists in six USPHL 16U games for the Pics in 2021-22. Twin City’s second-round pick, Cam Raifstanger, recorded three goals and eight assists in six games.
Third-round pick Chris Calvanese had three goals and two assists in six games.
Radzivilka, Raifstanger and Calvanese are all forwards.
The Thunder selected Springfield Pics goalie Kyle Bolduc in the fourth round.
Another forward, Hutch Rose, was selected in the fifth round. The 16-year-old scored 13 goals and had 14 assists in 38 games with Boston Hockey Academy.
OTHER THUNDER PICKS
Sixth to 10th rounds: Cole Blaeser, forward, St. John’s Prep (Danvers, Massachusetts); Kyle Doll, forward, Lakeville North High School (Lakeville, Minnesota); Jake Vanna, forward, St. John’s Prep; Brenden Bedorf, defense, Selects Academy 16U (South Kent, Connecticut); Wyatt Brunello, defense, Minnesota Bruins 15U; Matus Vojtech, forward, Springfield Pics 16U.
11th to 15th rounds: Sam Hillebrandt, goalie, Florida Alliance 16U; Evan Hughes, forward, American Hockey Academy 16U (Canton, Massachusetts), Dante Passio, forward, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers 16U; Ignac Bene, forward, American Hockey Academy 16U; Marty Magaletta, defense, Mt. St. Charles 16U (Woonsocket, Rhode Island).
16th to 19th rounds: Hayden Newman, forward, Northwood School (Lake Placid, New York); Christian Rosa, forward, St. John’s Prep; Adam Moller, goalie, Linköping HC J20 (Sweden); Alexander Payie defense, Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 16U.
OTHER NOTABLES SELECTIONS
The Islanders Hockey Club selected Saco’s Ronnie Hill in the second round. He played for the Seacoast Performance Academy 15U team in 2021-22.
Last week, Hill was selected in the Tier I United States Hockey League’s Phase I draft by the Cedar RoughRiders.
Jackson Foddrill, who finished the season with the Maine Nordiques, was picked the fourth round by the expansion Mercer Chiefs. He had no points in two games with the Nordiques. Prior to joining the Nordiques, he had 33 goals and 31 assists in 54 games with the Dallas Elite Stars 16U team.
NORDIQUES TENDER ALEXY YARMULNIK
The Nordiques continue to add to its roster for the upcoming season by signing Maine Nordiques Academy 18U forward Alexy Yarmulnik on Monday.
The Old Bridge, New Jersey native had 12 goals and 14 assists in 45 games this past season.
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