NHL Takes 18 High School Hockey Players in Draft

by Jeff Fisher
Host, NHSCA Sports Hour

It didn't match the record-setting 1987 draft when 69 American high school hockey players were selected in the National Hockey League Entry Draft, but it still was a good one for 18 high schoolers that were drafted over this past weekend's draft.

Minnesota led the way with 11 players taken.  Connecticut was next with four NHL draft picks; Massachusetts had two players selected; and Wisconsin had one high school player drafted.

Mario Lucia of Wayzata High School was the first high schooler picked.  Lucia, a junior who finished the season with 30 goals and 24 assists, was taken with the 60th pick by the Minnesota Wild.

Since the 2000 draft, 174 high school players have been drafted by the NHL.  The 2011 Draft marked the first time in 10-years that a Minnesota native wasn't selected in the opening round.

Here's a list of the 18 high school players selected during the draft at the Xcel Energy Center:

60th - Mario Lucia, Wayzata HS, Minnesota by Minnesota Wild
72nd - Steven Fogarty, Edina HS, Minnesota by NY Rangers
91st - Kyle Rau, Eden Prarie HS, Minnesota by Florida Panthers
98th - Mike Reilly, Shattuck-St. Mary's School, Minnesota by Columbus Blue Jackets
101st - Joseph Labate, Holy Angels HS, Minnesota by Vancouver Canucks
130th - Tony Cameranesi, Wayzata HS, Minnesota by Toronto Maple Leafs
131st - Nick Seeler, Eden Prarie HS, Minnesota by Minnesota Wild
145th - Philippe Hudon, Choate-Rosemary Hall, Connecticut by Detroit Red Wings
151st - Rob Gara, Milton Academy, Massachusetts by Boston Bruins
154th - Edward Wittchow, Burnsville HS, Minnesota by Florida Panthers
161st - Stephen Michalek, Loomis-Chaffee HS, Connecticut by Minnesota Wild
174th - Josh Archibald, Brainerd-High HS, Minnesota by Pittsburgh Penguins
176th - Petr Placek, Hotchkiss School, Connecticut by Philadelphia Flyers
189th - Patrick Daly, Benilde-St. Margaret's, Minnesota by New Jersey Devils
194th - Colin Blackwell, St. John's Prep, Massachusetts by San Jose Sharks
197th - Brad Navin, Waupaca HS, Wisconsin by Buffalo Sabres
198th - Colin Sullivan, Avon Old Farms, Connecticut by Montreal Canadiens
203rd - Max Everson, Edina HS, Minnesota by Toronto Maple Leafs