Richfield, MN- The North American Hockey League is certainly the league of opportunity. Just a few weeks after playing in front of over 350 professional, collegiate and juniors scouts, 15 NAHL players have been listed as players to watch by the NHL. The NHL Central Scouting list consists of players eligible for the 2019 draft, including two current Magicians players, and one former player.
Isaiah Saville spent 41 games between the pipes for the Magicians during the 2017-2018 season. He recorded a 2.41 goals against average, and had a .927 save percentage. Saville currently plays Tier 1 hockey for the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey league. He is also committed to play NCHC D1 hockey for the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Two current Magician players, goaltender Ethan Haider, and forward Jackson Jutting, were also among the players to watch. Ethan Haider (Maple Grove, MN) has been a staple in the Magicians line up, starting in five of the six games the Magicians have played this season. Haider has recorded three wins so far for the Magicians, and has a current save percentage of
.951. The 6’2, 205lbs seventeen year old has already committed to play ECAC D1 hockey for Clarkson College.
Jackson Jutting (Savage, MN) is competing for the Magicians before and after his high school season. Jutting plays for Prior Lake High School, where he tallied 36 points in 24 games last season. He played on the USA U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Canada this past summer, and is committed to play NCHC D1 hockey at Colorado College.
The North American Hockey League has seen an increase in players receiving commitments and being drafted in recent years. Last season, the NAHL reported a record-breaking 331 NCAA commitments, along with 9 players being drafted. The Magicians had 21 players receive commitments during the 2017-2018 season, with goalie Ivan Prosvetov (2016-2017) being picked by the Arizona Coyotes at the 2018 draft.
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Writer,
Anne King