The Maine Jr. Nordiques stayed local for their first selection in the North American 3 Hockey League Draft.
The franchise, which was announced last week, selected Lewiston native Connor Morissette with the second overall pick Wednesday.
The 15-year-old spent this past season with North Yarmouth Academy, where he had one assist in 35 games.
The defenseman also played on the Maine Gladiators 16U team that went undefeated in the regular season and competed in the USA Hockey’s Tier II 2A 16U national tournament, where the Gladiators lost in the quarterfinals.
With their second-round pick, the Nordiques selected Cale Harrington of Richmond. The 17-year-old forward had 12 goals and 14 assists in 56 games with the Seacoast Performance Academy 16U National team based in Exeter, New Hampshire. Harrington played for the Cony co-op team in the 2021-22 season.
Owen Gates got selected in the third round by the Nordiques. The 16-year-old had nine goals and six assists in 44 games with the Maine Nordiques Academy 16U team.
With its fourth and final selection, Maine selected Lewiston High School standout Cam Plourde. The freshman was third on the team in points with 21 (11 goals and 10 assists) in 20 games. He helped the Blue Devils to the Class A state championship and was an honorable mention on the Sun Journal All-Region Team.
Lewiston’s Cam Plourde controls of the puck during a Jan. 27 game in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
THUNDER BRING BACK TIER III TEAM
After a season of dormancy, the Twin City Thunder will again have a team in the United States Premier Hockey League’s Premier League.
The Thunder broke into the USPHL’s Premier League in 2018-19 and competed in the league through the 2022-23 season.
Twin City will be in the New England Division with the Junior Bruins, Islanders Hockey Club, Springfield Pics, Utica Jr. Comets, South Shore Kings and the Northern Cyclones.
“We are thrilled to welcome these new owners to our Premier and Elite Division(s),” Murry N. Gunty, USPHL’s interim commissioner, said in a new release earlier this week. “These new ownership groups and relocations will serve to strengthen our footprint and create strong travel partners for our existing clubs. These announcements mark the end of the expansion phase of the USPHL. Other than rare, targeted growth, we are turning our attention inward to enhance our operations and to focus primarily on player development.”
The announcement won’t affect the Thunder’s current NCDC Tier II franchise, which just completed its fifth season.
BENDER COMMITS TO SALEM STATE
Twin City Thunder forward Aiden Bender recently announced his commitment to Salem State University.
The 21-year-old had five goals and five assists in 49 games this past season.
Salem State, a Division III school in Salem, Massachusetts, plays in the Massachusetts State Athletic Conference and went 6-18-1 in 2023-24.
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