The Utica Comets NCDC squad added some new fresh faces to the team during last weeks USPHL Entry Draft. The Comets selected 15 players, some of which are likely to suit up in the blue and green this season.
Wyatt Allen (D) – Capistrano Beach, CA
Allen is a 19 year old who spent last season with the Camrose Kodiaks of the AJHL and Brantford 99ers of the OJHL. He finished the season with a total of 14 points in 43 games. Prior to Juniors, Allen played in the Anaheim Jr. Ducks and Los Angeles Jr. Kings programs. He was drafted by the Great Falls Americans in the first round of the 2018 NA3HL draft as well.
Casey Colantonio (F) – Chicago, IL
The 5’7″ Chicago native has spent his entire career up to this point playing in Chicago. Casey played for Team Illinois last year after spending three seasons with the Chicago Fury Bantam and 16U team. He finished the season with 21 points in 18 games.
Ian Edgar (D) – Cranberry, PA
Ian Edgar already has two years of USPHL experience under his belt having played for the Pittsburgh Vengeance in the Premier division along with one game for the Connecticut Jr. Rangers in the NCDC. He was held pointless in his one NCDC contest, but wrapped up his Premier campaign with 52 points in 86 games. Edgar was a member of the 2016-17 NJPHL 16U Champion Pittsburgh Vengeance team. He recorded 14 points in 20 games that season.
Jackson Ferry (F) – Orange, CA
The fourth selection Utica made was another forward. Jackson Ferry is a 5’11”, 181 pound forward from California. He has played 185 games in the last two seasons with Lutheran High School and the Anaheim Jr. Ducks. He dominated the high school circuit scoring 42 points in 16 games. He added to that with 43 points in 67 Jr. Ducks midget games. Ferry finishes his high school career with 50 points in 37 games.
Hunter Hanson (F) – Blaine, MN
After only scoring 7 points in his junior season, 18 year old Hunter Hansen wrapped up his high school career with a 33 point season. That included a point per game through 3 playoff games. Hanson is a 5’11” right handed shot entering his first season of junior hockey.
Logan Heroux (D) – Middletown, NJ
Heroux spent last season playing the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U16 team where he had 4 goals, 3 assists, and 23 penalty minutes in 14 games. Prior to that he split time between Christian Brothers Academy (USHS-Prep) and New Jersey Devils Youth 16U. Heroux was previously drafted in the 15th round, 300 overall of the OHL Priority Selection. He was also named a AA All Star at the 2015-16 International Silverstick PeeWee tournament.
David Levkus (F) – Denver, CO
Left handed Levkus is a 5’10” forward from Denver, CO. He has spent his entire career thus far with the Colorado Rampage. He played at the U18 level last season where he finished with 9 goals and 10 assists in 23 games.
Tyler Kennedy (D) – Pittburgh, PA
Coming in at 6’0″, Kennedy is one of the tallest members of the Comets 2020 draft class. The left-handed defenseman played for the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite for the last three seasons. He recorded 13 points in 53 games with the U18 squad one season ago. 2018-19 was a memorable season for Kennedy and the Penguins Elite U16 team. They won the T1EHL Championship and later went on to win a USA Hockey Tier I U16 Nationals Championship as well.
Chris Paige (F) – Massena, NY
After finishing his 78 point high school career where he averaged 1.81 points per game, Paige played last season for CP Dynamo of the USPHL 18U division. In 21 games he scored 18 points and racked up 33 penalty minutes.
Alex Rivet (F) – Lewiston, ME
The 2000 birth year Rivet is a solid built forward standing at 5’10” and 190 pounds. He spent most of last season with the Maine Nordiques of the NAHL picking up 8 points in 27 games. He finished the year playing 12 games for the Waywayseecappo Wolverines in the MJHL. Rivet had a great high school career scoring 56 points in 53 games with Lewiston High (USHS-ME) and 58 points in 47 games at the Middlesex School (USHS-Prep).
Trenton Skaggs (D) – Oconomowoc, WI
Skaggs is a 6’0″ right-handed defenseman looking to get his first junior hockey experience. He was also drafted #53 overall by the Milwaukee Power in the 2020 NA3HL Draft. He played last season for Arrowhead High, scoring 57 points in 24 games. He added another 6 points in 3 playoff games.
Walker Smith (F) – Castle Rock, CO
Smith has been in the USPHL pipeline for the past two seasons. After playing for the Colorado Rampage Bantom Minor AAA and Iowa Wild AAA 15U teams he moved to the USPHL for the 2018-19 season. He began the year with the Florida Jr. Blades 16U team where he picked up 9 points in 13 games. He went on to score 2 points in 11 games with the Jr. Blades Elite program. Last year he was second on the Premier’s Decatur Blaze with 61 points in 38 games.
Shane Stoitsiadas (F) – Commerce, MI
Stoitsiadas is a towering 6’3″ right-hand shooter who racked up 215 penalty minutes in 63 games with Victory Honda U18 last season. He also recorded 18 goals and 20 assists, good for 38 points. He was a member of the 2016-17 Oakland Grizzlies Bantam AAA T1EBHL Championship team.
Christian Tsao (D) – Los Altos, CA
The physical 6’0″ 209 pound Tsao split time between two MJAHL teams last year. He started the season with the Edmundston Blizzard recording 2 assists and 56 penalty minutes in 19 games. He finished the season with the Pictou Country Crushers adding another 73 penalty minutes and 1 assist. In 2018-19 he “won” the most penalized player award in the MPHL. He ammassed 74 penalty minutes in 17 games.
Cameron Whitehead (G) – Orleans, ON, CAN
The 17 year old Whitehead is a 6’1″ Canadian goalie coming off a stellar season with the Rockland Nationals U18 AAA team. He finished the regular season with a 1.87 goals-against average to go along with a .936 save percentage. He was previously drafted by the Navan Grads in the CCHL Bantam Protected Draft. Whitehead played 24 games for the Grads recording a 4.02 GAA and .876 SV%.
Despite being drafted by the Comets organization, it is not a 100% guarantee all 15 of these players will end up in Utica. Some of them will most definitely play here at some point, but others may decide to play in different leagues, or pursue other opportunities.
Out of the 12 players drafted in 2019, 4 suited up for the Comets in 2019-20. Of course, some could join the team for the upcoming season.
