Nationals begin to build their new roster

The Glacier Nationals, the Tier3 junior hockey team which is headed to Havre this fall, started building their roster for their first season in Havre this week.

The Nationals participated in the Northern American 3 Hockey League draft Monday, and they picked up a total of 17 players in the draft while also using several tenders to sign more players to the 2014-15 roster. According to Nationals’ general manager Butch Kowalka, the roster isn’t complete until all of the players the Nationals drafted are signed to contracts, but he said in a phone interview Monday night that he was “pleased with how the draft unfolded and is excited about the roster for the upcoming season.”

The Nationals used their first pick in the draft, and No. 7 overall to select Riley DeFazio, a defensemen from Pikes Peak Miners 18U squad. In the second round, the Nationals selected Cayden Cahill, a defensemen from the Alaska Jr. Aces, and in the third round, they picked up Joshua Larson, a forward from the Jr. Aces. The Nationals picked up another Alaska Jr. Ace forward in the third round in Aiden Teilborg, and two more Alaska forwards were drafted in the fourth round in Thomas Bowe and Drake Glover, while Alaska Jr. Ace forward Chris Westover was added in the fifth round.

In the sixth round, the Nationals drafted Wyatt Fretheim, a defensemen from North Dakota, as well as Walker Hamilton, a defensemen from the Alaska Jr. Aces. In the seventh round, Jake McLaughlin, a defensemen from Team Illinois was added, while defensemen Sam Rankin from the Colorado Thunderbirds and Connor Mackey, a defensemen from Barrington High School were picked up. Defensemen Matt Meininger from U of D Jesuit High School was also drafted in the eighth round as was forward Denton Hymer from the Compete Hockey Academy.

Ivan Leuppi, a forward from SISEC was picked up in the ninth round, while Dawson Glover, a forward from the Alaska Jr. Aces was added in the 10th round. Ein Mackey, a forward from Barrington High School was drafted in the 11th round, while Brett Howard, a forward from the Dallas Ice Jets was drafted in the 12th round.

The Nationals final roster won’t be announced just yet, but stay tuned to the Havre Daily News for more coverage on the team as the summer goes on.