USHL Draft set for tonight and tomorrow

By @MichaelCaples –

Today and tomorrow, a new wave of talented youth hockey players will hear their names called by United States Hockey League clubs.

The USHL Draft, which is broken into two phases, will take place tonight and tomorrow morning. Hundreds of players will be selected by 16 of the 17 USHL member clubs (the U.S. National Team Development Program does not participate) during the two-day draft process.

Today, the league will conduct Phase One of the draft, where the member clubs will pick ’99 birth-year players in the part of the draft process previously referred to as the ‘futures draft.’ These players aren’t expected to play for the USHL club that selects them immediately – many become protected players and join the USHL after another year or two of midget hockey. However, some players do join the team that selected them in the Phase One draft immediately – Muskegon’s Dante Palecco played in 32 games with the Lumberjacks this season.

You can watch tonight’s USHL Draft Show on the league’s official website here.

USHL teams have the option to tender a ’99 birth-year player before the draft, as well. If they choose to go that option, they can lock up a player without risking losing him in the draft, and they sacrifice a Phase One draft pick. Teams can tender two players each season – a first tender costs them their first-round Phase One pick, and a second tender costs them a second-round Phase One pick. The Lumberjacks have tendered Chicago Mission product Graham Lillibridge. Last year, they tendered Honeybaked defenseman Mitch Eliot.

Victory Honda’s Liam Walsh has also accepted a tender offer from the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

MORE: With draft season almost here, it’s time to get to know Michigan’s top ’99 birth-year players

Phase Two of the draft will begin at 9 a.m. on May 5. Any player ranging in birth year from ’95 to ’99 not currently property of a USHL club are eligible for the draft. There is no pre-set number of rounds for the Phase Two process – all teams take turns making selections until their 45-man protected list is full. The protected list includes affiliate players from the 2014-15 season (previously drafted players), players selected in Phase One and players signed to a tender.

The selection order for the USHL Draft is a reverse order of the 2014-15 regular season final standings, giving the Lincoln Stars the first pick in each round, followed by the Green Bay Gamblers and the Des Moines Buccaneers. Muskegon will select at No. 11 in each round after their 35-21-4 regular season gave them 77 points in the standings.

Phase One will have a live draft show on USHL.com, while Phase Two will have a constantly-updating draft board. MiHockey will be following both days and keeping our own draft board, as well.