NAHL to attend 2018 NHL Draft in one week

June 15, 2018

The American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, which is located just a half an hour South of the NAHL headquarters, will host the 2018 NHL Draft on June 22-23.

The 2018 NHL Draft takes place in one week on June 22-23 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, and will be hosted by the NHL’s Dallas Stars. The 2018 event will mark the first time the Stars and the city of Dallas will host the NHL Draft. The American Airlines Center is located just a half an hour South of the NAHL headquarters in Frisco, Texas.

The 1st round of the draft will take place on Friday, June 22 (6:30pm central, NBC Sports Network). Rounds 2-7 will be conducted on Saturday, June 23 (10am central, NHL Network). NHL club executives, scouts and coaches will be present on the NHL Draft floor while thousands of fans and hundreds of print, television and radio media are expected to attend.

The North American Hockey League (NAHL) will be on site both days of the draft with full coverage on nahl.com, as well as, the NAHL’s social media channels.

Hockey players, which include those from the NAHL, that were born between January 1, 1998, and September 15, 2000, are eligible for selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Additionally, undrafted, non-North American players born in 1997 are eligible for the draft; and those players who were drafted in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, but not signed by an NHL team and who were born after June 30, 1998, are also eligible to re-enter the draft.

Back in April, the NHL Central Scouting final rankings were released for the 2018 NHL Draft and several NAHL players, both past and present, were on the list as players who could potentially be drafted in next weekend’s draft.

Over 120 NHL scouts, including those from NHL Central Scouting, were on hand at the NAHL Showcase back in September, the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in February, and the NAHL Robertson Cup Championship in May.

Current NAHL Players on the list

Mitchell Gibson, G, Lone Star Brahmas

Daniel Lebedeff, G, Janesville Jets

Jakov Novak, F, Janesville Jets

Juraj Ovecka, G, Springfield Jr. Blues

Former NAHL Players on the list, who have previously played in the NAHL:

Paul Cotter, F, Brookings Blizzard (Lincoln Stars, USHL)

Mikael Hakkarainen, F, Brookings Blizzard (Muskegon Lumberjacks, USHL)

Chase Hartje, D, Bismarck Bobcats (Brandon Wheat Kings, WHL)

Jake Kucharski, G, Austin Bruins (Des Moines Bucs, USHL)

Ivan Prosvetov, G, Minnesota Magicians (Youngstown Phantoms, USHL)

Vinnie Purpura, G, Johnstown Tomahawks (Omaha Lancers, USHL)