The Utah Hockey Membership‘s inaugural marketing campaign will get underway with just a few former NCAA gamers on the roster, together with Clayton Keller (Boston College), Nick Schmaltz (College of North Dakota), Nick Bjugstad and Logan Cooley (College of Minnesota), Josh Doan (Arizona State College), Alexander Kerfoot (Harvard College), and Jack McBain (Boston Faculty). On the backend, defensemen John Marino (Harvard College) and Ian Cole (College of Notre Dame) wrap up the 9 gamers with collegiate hockey expertise.
Utah additionally holds rights to seven faculty gamers who usually are not beneath contract. Right here’s a deeper have a look at Utah’s NCAA prospects, ahead Tanner Ludkte, goalie Michael Hrabal, and defenseman Will Skahan.
Tanner Ludkte
Arizona’s third-round choose within the 2023 NHL Entry Draft performed his freshman 12 months on the College of Nebraska-Omaha. The Mavericks posted a 23-13-4 (13-8-3 within the Nationwide Collegiate Hockey Convention (NCHC)) file. The 19-year-old led Omaha in scoring with 28 factors, one level forward of his brother Griffin Ludkte.
His solely game-winning objective got here throughout probably the most thrilling video games within the NCHC final season. Omaha took on the No. 15/14 ranked St. Cloud State College Huskies in a back-and-forth, 13-goal recreation. Ludkte ended it in additional time with a one-timer from the highest of the best face-off circle on the facility play. After all, his brother acquired the first help on the game-winning objective, giving the Mavericks a 7-6 victory.
Earlier than becoming a member of Ohama for the 2023-24 season, he performed with the Lincoln Stars of the USA Hockey League (USHL). After scoring one objective in 24 video games throughout his 2022-23 marketing campaign, Ludkte flipped the script. The left-handed shot potted 32 objectives and 34 assists in 57 video games in the course of the 2023-24 season for the Stars.
The 6-foot, 185-pounder seems to be to construct off his spectacular team-leading freshman marketing campaign heading into his sophomore season. Ludkte’s grandparents lived in Solar Metropolis West, Arizona, when he was drafted, and he attended Arizona Coyotes video games as a child when he visited from his Elko, Minnesota roots.
Ludkte commented on the significance of being drafted by the Coyotes. “It’s a dream come true,” Ludtke mentioned. “Truthfully, the previous couple of days have been slightly tense, however simply being right here with my household is tremendous cool. It’s a brilliant enjoyable expertise, and getting drafted by the Coyotes was a dream. I hoped for these guys, and it got here true. So, that’s fairly cool.”
Michael Hrabal
The Coyotes’ 2023 second-round choice within the 2023 NHL Entry Draft was the second goalie taken off the board of his draft class. On paper, Hrabal has the proper construct for a netminder at 6-foot-6 and 209 kilos. His peak benefit helps him see over screens in entrance, and his size permits him to eat up loads of house in web.
The Czechia-born netminder performed his freshman 12 months on the College of Massachusetts, taking part in 30 of the Minutemen’s 40 video games final season, ending with a file of 16-12-1. He had two 35-save-plus shutouts towards the College of Connecticut and Minnesota State College. Furthermore, he completed with a 2.59 goals-against common (GAA) and a .912 save proportion (SV%).
Nonetheless, Hrabal’s most eye-catching recreation of his freshman season got here towards the College of Denver Pioneers (the eventual 2024 Nationwide Champions). Within the first nationwide championship spherical, the Minutemen took the Pioneers to double additional time earlier than falling 2-1. He stopped 41/43 pictures in a recreation that lasted over 92 minutes.
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Regardless of being a second-round choose, Hrabal understands the laborious work required to make it to the NHL degree. “It’s positively an ideal feeling, however I at all times say that it really means nothing for the long run,” Hrabal mentioned. “The toughest work remains to be forward of me, simply excited that I’m on the place the place I’m proper now. There’s nonetheless lots forward of me.”
With goalies Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka solidifying their place as Utah’s goaltender tandem, Hrabal must await his time to shine and perhaps develop on the American Hockey League (AHL) degree first.
Will Skahan
Utah’s 2024 second-round choice will play his freshman 12 months at Boston Faculty this season. Skahan seems to be to develop into the primary participant from Orange, California, to make the NHL degree. He has spent the final a number of seasons taking part in for numerous U.S. Nationwide Improvement and Junior groups. Final season, he notched 14 factors in 60 video games, with a plus-34 ranking, taking part in for the U.S. Nationwide 18u Staff.
The 6-foot-4, 216-pounder brings a bodily recreation and shutdown capabilities. It ought to come as no shock that the 18-year-old has such a developed construct as a result of his father, Sean Skahan, was the Anaheim Geese’ energy and conditioning coach for 13 seasons.
Whereas the left-handed shot remains to be a uncooked expertise and is growing his craft, Skahan was excited to be drafted by the NHL’s latest franchise. “I’m fired up,” Skahan mentioned. “New crew, contemporary begin. I’m trying ahead to sometime being part of these things. I’m actually aggressive. I’ll do something to win. I deliver laborious protection and transfer the puck properly. The primary factor is my physicality and my protection.”
Utah has a deep prospect pool with loads of gamers to keep watch over this season and for years to return.
