17 New York/New Jersey prospects taken in USHL Phase 2 Draft

Stephen Peck is a New York City native. (AOF photo)

Seventeen players from New York and New Jersey were taken in the 2023 USHL Phase 2 Draft on Wednesday.

In Tuesday’s Phase 1 Draft, USHL teams selected players from the 2007 birth year over 10 rounds. Wednesday’s event was open to prospects of all ages eligible to play junior hockey and who weren’t already protected by a USHL team. Teams drafted until their roster hit 45 players. The final pick came in the 24th round.

The Youngstown Phantoms held the first selection and took Charlie Cerrato of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program’s U17 squad.

Jason Gallucci (Robbinsville Twp, N.J.) was the first local prospect taken, going in the first round (ninth overall) to the Green Bay Gamblers. The Penn State commit posted four goals and 32 points in 52 games for the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express this past season.

Let’s take a look at all the locals selected in the draft.

Locals selected in the draft

• Jason Gallucci, D, Robbinsville Twp, N.J./Coquitlam (Penn State) — Green Bay (1st Rd./9th overall)
• James Goffredo, D, Mount Laurel, N.J./Austin Bruins (UMass Lowell) — Des Moines (2nd Rd./21st overall)
• Hudson Gorski, D, Scotch Plains, N.J./Salisbury (Cornell) — Chicago (4th Rd./61st overall)
• Ritter Coombs, C, Lake Placid, N.Y./Northwood School — Dubuque (5th Rd./72nd overall)
• Jack Henry, D, Skaneateles, N.Y./Cranbrook Bucks (Yale) — Madison (6th Rd./85th overall)
• Ben Wilmott, C, Long Valley, N.J./North Jersey Avalanche 16U — Chicago (6th Rd./92nd overall)
• Hudson Miller, D, Syosset, N.Y./Avon Old Farms (Yale) — Sioux Falls (9th Rd./126th overall)
• Stephen Peck, G, New York, N.Y./Avon Old Farms — Muskegon (9th Rd./127th overall)
• Joseph Mense, D, Port Jefferson Station, N.Y./Boston Junior Bruins — Sioux City (15th Rd./219th overall)
• Brady Zugec, C, Geneva, N.Y./Buffalo Jr. Sabres 16U — Green Bay (15th Rd./222nd overall)
• Chase Pirtle, RW, Far Hills, N.J./Mount Saint Charles 18U (Cornell) — Tri-City (15th Rd./223rd overall)
• Logan Heroux, D, Middletown, N.J./Shreveport Mudbugs — Muskegon (16th Rd./232nd overall)
• Tyler Procious, D, Pittsford, N.Y./Waterloo Black Hawks — Tri-City (16th Rd./238th overall)
• Matt Desiderio, D, North Caldwell, N.J./Austin Bruins (Brown) — Dubuque (18th Rd./266th overall)
• Lachlan Bommer, C, Rye, N.Y./North Jersey Avalanche 15U — Youngstown (18th Rd./270th overall)
• Lukas Peterson, D, Mahwah, N.J./North Jersey Avalanche 16U — Green Bay (21st Rd./312th overall)
• Cooper Snee, RW, Wyckoff, N.J./North Jersey Avalanche 16U — Waterloo (24th Rd./361st overall)