Thirty-two National Hockey League teams are preparing to take part in this weekend’s 2024 NHL Draft, and their top affiliates are ready and waiting for the next wave of young American Hockey League stars to begin their professional careers.
In 2023-24, a total of 251 former first- and second-round draft picks played in the American Hockey League, including AHL MVP Mavrik Bourque of the Texas Stars, who was selected 30th overall by Dallas in 2020. The list also includes six players from the 2024 Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears: Hendrix Lapierre (22nd overall in 2020), Ivan Miroshnichenko (20th in 2022), Vincent Iorio (55th in 2021), Lucas Johansen (28th in 2016), Aaron Ness (40th in 2008) and captain Dylan McIlrath (10th in 2010).
Two dozen first- and second-rounders from the 2022 NHL Draft alone skated in the AHL this past season, led by Utica’s Simon Nemec (2nd overall), Coachella Valley’s Shane Wright (4th), Cleveland’s David Jiricek (6th), Grand Rapids’ Marco Kasper (8th), Milwaukee’s Joakim Kemell (17th), San Diego’s Nathan Gaucher (22nd), Rochester’s Jiri Kulich (28th), Manitoba’s Brad Lambert (30th) and Milwaukee’s Reid Schaefer (32nd).
Other first-round picks in the AHL in 2023-24 included:
2021 selections Simon Edvinsson (6th overall), Brandt Clarke (8th), Dylan Guenther (9th), Matt Coronato (13th), Isak Rosen (14th), Sebastien Cossa (15th), Brennan Othmann (16th), Zachary Bolduc (17th), Chaz Lucius (18th), Fedor Svechkov (19th), Jesper Wallstedt (20th), Fabian Lysell (21st), Xavier Bourgault (22nd), Mackie Samoskevich (24th), Corson Ceulemans (25th), Carson Lambos (26th), Zach L’Heureux (27th), Oskar Olausson (28th), Chase Stillman (29th), Zach Dean (30th), Logan Mailloux (31st) and Nolan Allan (32nd);
2020 picks Yaroslav Askarov (11th), Dylan Holloway (14th), Lukas Reichel (17th), Shakir Mukhamadullin (20th), Connor Zary (24th), Justin Barron (25th), Jacob Perreault (27th), Brendan Brisson (29th) and Ozzy Wiesblatt (31st);
and 2019 choices Alex Turcotte (5th overall), Philip Broberg (8th), Vasily Podkolzin (10th), Victor Soderstrom (11th), Spencer Knight (13th), Lassi Thomson (19th), Ville Heinola (20th), Sam Poulin (21st), Tobias Bjornfot (22nd), Phil Tomasino (24th), Jakob Pelletier (26th), Nolan Foote (27th), Ryan Suzuki (28th), Brayden Tracey (29th), John Beecher (30th) and Ryan Johnson (31st);
The San Jose Sharks, parent club of the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, own the first pick in this year’s draft, which gets underway on Friday night in Las Vegas.
