Sixteen players from New York and New Jersey were selected in the USHL Phase I draft that took place earlier this month.
The annual Phase I portion of the USHL selection process was for players born in 2006 this year. The league’s 15 teams make picks in 10 rounds with the exception of organizations who choose to tender a player instead. If a USHL team tenders a player, it is in place of their first-round pick. If the same team tenders another player, the second-round pick is forfeited.
Mount Saint Charles 15 Only left wing Callum Hughes (Basking Ridge, N.J.) was the first local to be plucked off the board. He went in the second round, 21st overall, to the Waterloo Black Hawks.
A few local players went later in the draft than expected, giving a few USHL teams high value picks. Youngstown selected center Drew DellaSalla (Rye, N.Y.) of Mid Fairfield and Brunswick in the third round. DellaSalla scored seven goals and added 25 assists in 30 prep school games for Mike Kennedy’s Bruins. There were several games with Mid Fairfield where he was absolutely dominant. Offensively, he’s one of the more gifted players in this year’s USHL Phase I draft class.