When the USHL Phase I Draft opened on May 4, the first three rounds came and went without a Massachusetts forward. Then Round 4 hit — and the floodgates opened. Five Massachusetts forwards went in a single round: Frick, Felt, Walsh, Needham, and Wu. No other state had that kind of run at any position in any round.
By the time the 15th and final round closed, 12 Massachusetts forwards — 1 tendered and 11 drafted — had been claimed by 9 different USHL teams. These are the players who lit up Massachusetts prep hockey this season, and now every one of them has a Tier I junior franchise behind them.
Here's the full breakdown.
Tendered
Wilichoski to Cedar Rapids was the first Massachusetts forward off the board. The RoughRiders gave up a first-round pick to lock him in before the draft even started. At Milton Academy, he put up 18 points as a 1st Team All-Mass selection. He attended the NTDP Evaluation Camp in March and was a standout for the Flames at USA Hockey Nationals in Green Bay. Cedar Rapids saw enough to guarantee him a spot.
Round 4 — The Massachusetts Explosion
Five forwards in one round. Felt was the highest-scoring forward drafted (34 pts) and joins Wilichoski in Cedar Rapids — giving the RoughRiders two Massachusetts forwards. Frick heads to Omaha. Walsh goes to the Steel. Needham to Waterloo. Wu to Tri-City. Five different USHL cities, five Massachusetts families checking flight prices to the Midwest.
Rounds 7-15
Dekleine in Round 7 was a steal — a 1st Team All-Mass forward with 20 points and a USA National 15 selection going in the 7th round. Sioux City got a bargain. Barrett in Round 10 was another value pick — 23 points from Phillips Andover and a National Team player. Calla closing it out in Round 15 was fitting — the Islanders' top forward capping a historic night for Massachusetts.
The Flames connection is staggering. Seven of the 12 forwards — Wilichoski, Frick, Wu, Dekleine, Lundin, Machado, and Calla's Islanders aside — played for the #1 ranked club team in Massachusetts. The Minutemen Flames are producing USHL-caliber forwards at a rate that rivals any program in the country.
Cedar Rapids leads with 3 Massachusetts forwards: Wilichoski (tendered), Felt, and Petropoulos. Omaha grabbed Frick and Lundin. The rest are spread across 7 other franchises — proof that the demand for Massachusetts forward talent is league-wide.
Add Jack Queally and Sam Lee (NTDP), and 14 Massachusetts 2010-born forwards are now committed to Tier I programs. That's an extraordinary number from one state, one birth year, one class.