Five Americans Selected In Opening Round of 2014 NHL Entry Draft
(photo: Matt Slocum/The Associated Press)
The 2014 NHL Entry Draft, held at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA., saw five Americans selected in the first round.
Right in the middle of round one, at pick #15, Dylan Larkin was chosen by the Detroit Red Wings. American-born players would be drafted back-to-back as Sonny Milano was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets at pick #16. The 18th, 19th, and 20th consecutive picks saw another run on Americans as Alex Tuch, Anthony DeAngelo, and Nick Schmaltz went to the Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Chicago Blackhawks, respectively.
Watch: Anthony DeAngelo Mic’d up for the Draft
All five players participated in the 2013 CCM/USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game. Larkin, Milano and Tuch were teammates on the gold medal winning U.S. Men’s National Under-18 Team that competed at the 2014 International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s Under-18 World Championship in Finland. All three are products of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program.
The question on most USA Hockey fans’ minds is who will join these five young men in the 2014 draft class of American-born players. Goaltender Thatcher Demko will almost certainly go early tomorrow, and many more Americans are eligible for this year’s draft.
NAME |
ROUND (PICK) |
NHL CLUB |
2013-14 TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Larkin | 1 (15) | Detroit Red Wings | U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL) |
| Sonny Milano | 1 (16) | Columbus Blue Jackets | U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL) |
| Alex Tuch | 1 (18) | Minnesota Wild | U.S. National Under-18 Team (USHL) |
| Anthony DeAngelo | 1 (19) | Tampa Bay Lightning | Sarnia Sting (OHL) |
| Nick Schmaltz | 1 (20) | Chicago Blackhawks | Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) |
