Roughriders head coach Mark Carlson shouts out to his players during their game against the Musketeers on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, at Imon Ice Arena in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)
CEDAR RAPIDS – They were looking for a type.
Of course, the Cedar Rapids Roughriders wanted a player who could skate, who had skill, who could make plays, who could score, and everything else. All hockey clubs want these things when looking for players.
But with the recently concluded United States Hockey League Draft, head coach and general manager Mark Karlsson and his coaching and scouting staff went above and beyond.
“We did a lot of research, we did a lot of homework, we had a lot of conversations with players, coaches and parents,” Karlsson said late Tuesday afternoon at the end of the second phase of the two-day draft. “We feel like we have a lot of guys who love hockey. Who are the second and third effort guys? Mentally tough, people of character. Who love to put in the extra work. People. Getting on the ice before practice, doing extra work in the weight room, working hard in the offseason. Those are really, really important to us.”
Karlsson doesn't usually give too much praise to the group his club drafts. They have to earn it.
But this seemed different. It's completely different.
Cedar Rapids selected eight players born in 2008 in Monday's Phase I draft and 17 players in Tuesday's Phase II draft.
“There's a real hunger level in this group,” he says. “Many of the players who want to earn money are getting better. People who want to be great. Certainly we were looking for skill. But all these characteristics I just described… Most importantly, our staff has done a great job of identifying those traits, and we're going to let them show their personalities. .”
Cedar Rapids drafted No. 2 in both phases and took Gabriel Eliasson in the first round of the main Phase II portion. The 6-foot-6 defenseman from Kungsbacka, Sweden, is attending the University of Michigan and is expected to be a likely second-round pick in this summer's NHL Draft.
“He's a really good defenseman,” Carlson said. “Very well-rounded, gets around the rink well and makes simple first passes well. And he's a physical, difficult customer who really enjoys the physical side of the game. He has a great personality. We're excited to have him here. His teammates and the fan base will really love him. He'll be a favorite in the stable, no doubt about it. do not have.”
In the second round, the Riders selected forward Charles Blanchard from the Yale Junior Bulldogs AAA and Connecticut Avon Old Farms junior programs. He is from Miami, Ohio.
“He's a great two-way center,” Karlsson said. “He's a hard-working guy with a great leadership ability…He's got a lot of the Roughrider stuff.”
Winger Jack Sadowski was CR's third-round pick and commit from New Hampshire. The Roughriders made two selections in the fourth round, selecting goaltender AJ Reiertz and defenseman Max Vig.
Reiertz, a Minnesota high school product, played in six games last season in the North American Junior Hockey League. He will team with returning player Rudy Guimond in Nets next season.
Vig is a recruit from Bemidji State University.
The Roughriders acquired one player from Sweden and Finland and six players from Canada in the Phase II portion of the draft. They also tendered forward Thomas Vandenberg from Ontario and selected Quebec defenseman Cameron Chartrand in the second round of the Phase I draft.
Chartrand is expected to be a top pick in the upcoming Quebec Major Junior Hockey League in Canada, but Carlson said Chartrand has informed the club that he will be coming to Cedar Rapids.
“I just want to speak on behalf of the entire USHL,” Carlson said. “I think it's becoming very well known around the world that this is the best developmental junior league in the world. I hear people saying that all over the place right now. Only in the USHL Literally the best players in the world want to play in this league.
“So I believe that because the league as a whole is so strong and because of what we have to offer here in Cedar Rapids, we can go after the best players. I feel like every team does that. That's what I think. It’s how we do business.”
Draft picks, 20 players on CR's protected list, and invited free agents will compete at tryout camps in June.
Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com
