The 2019 NAHL Draft has come and gone, the 2019-20 season is right around the corner, and the Maryland Black Bears have selected thirteen new players to compete for final roster spots. The savviness of the Black Bears War Room was on full display as they drafted a healthy mix of young talent with enormous potential and seasoned Junior Hockey veterans that know what it takes to play in the NAHL. The highly talented Maryland Black Bears 2019 NAHL Draft Class have both domestic and international players that will be able to contribute to the team immediately. Below is a full draft recap for the Maryland Black Bears and a few words from Head Coach/General Manager on this year’s NAHL Draft:
“We put a lot of thought and time, into this draft,” said Maryland Black Bears Head Coach Clint Mylymok. “The number of hours spent by Assistant GM Jason Deskins, the coaches, and our scouts leading up to this day was enormous. Our draft team spent countless hours watching video clips of games, talking to the players’ coaches, and interviewing the players themselves. After a very successful draft, all the hard work was well worth it. We have a good blend of overall talent and added players that have a winning pedigree. That experience and talent we gained are invaluable. We look forward to seeing these players compete at our Main Camp in July and officially launching the second season of Maryland Black Bears hockey.”
Aden Bruich, FWD, ’02
The Maryland Black Bears selected forward Aden Bruich of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 team with the fourth overall selection in the 2019 NAHL Draft. The Pennsylvania native, right shot forward just completed his first season with the Penguins and is a Clarkson University commit. Bruich is a 6’3, 220-pound seventeen-year-old that had 16 goals and 23 points in 36 games at the Tier 1 Elite level. He brings a winning pedigree with a USA Hockey Tier I U16 Championship and Tier 1 Elite Hockey League U16 Championship already under his belt
Hampus Rydqvist, DEF, ’99
In the third round (#56 overall) of the 2019 NAHL Draft, the Maryland Black Bears selected defenseman Hampus Rydqvist. The 20-year-old Swedish blueliner spent the majority of 2018-19 as captain of Frölunda HC J20 of the Swedish J20 SuperElit league. He also spent five games on loan with Hanhals IF of the Division 1 league in Sweden, which is the third tier of hockey in the country after the Allsvenskan and SHL. Rydqvist is from Göteborg in Sweden, notably the hometown of Dallas Stars star defenseman John Klingberg.
Zachary Borgiel, G, ’00
The Black Bears had a second third-round selection (#73 overall) that was acquired from the Minnesota Magicians and selected goaltender, Zachary Borgiel. The 6-foot, 207-pound netminder is from Fort Gratiot, Michigan and spent the 2018-19 season with the Leamington Flyers of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League where he posted a 2.25 goals against average and 92.2-percent save percentage. He may be familiar to some US Hockey fans as he spent time in the 2017-18 season with both the Brookings Blizzard of the NAHL and Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL.
Aidan McDowell, DEF, ’01
With the fourth pick in the fourth round (#82 overall) the Black Bears picked up defenseman Aidan McDowell out of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League and US high school hockey system. McDowell led the AYHL 18U league in defensive scoring in 2018-19 with 29 points in 24 games with the Mercer Chiefs. He also played 23 games, tallying 27 points, with New Jersey prep high school, The Hun School in Princeton.
Samuel Mojzis, FWD, ’00
In the fifth round of the 2019 NAHL Draft, the Black Bears went back to the European well and selected Slovakian forward Samuel Mojzis with the 108th overall pick. The 2018-19 season saw the 6-foot, 150-pound Mojzis complete his second season with HC Slovan Bratislava U20 of the Slovakian U20 league. During the season, the left winger scored 29 goals and tallied 53 total points in 45 games. Mojzis also has some international hockey experience with the Slovakian U18 team.
Liam Ovington, DEF, ’01
As the sixth round began, the Black Bears took defenseman Liam Ovington with the 138th overall pick. Ovington is the second Pennsylvania born player selected by the Bears in this draft after Aden Bruich was taken with the fourth overall pick. Ovington spent all of 2018-19 with the North Jersey Avalanche in both the 18U Atlantic Youth Hockey League and U18 Tier 1 Elite Hockey League. Ovington was part of the Avalanche team that were AYHL 18U Premier Champions, recording 11 points in 21 games.
Brayden Stannard, FWD, ’02
The Black Bears used their seventh-round pick (#160 overall) to select forward Brayden Stannard, a 16-year-old, 6-foot-2-inch, 181-pound left shot from Escanaba, Michigan. Stannard is a University of Nebraska-Omaha commit and spent the majority of 2018-19 with the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies U16 team in Midget, recording 34 points in 49 games. He is the second 2002 birth year selection for the Bears in this draft.
Andrew Remer, FWD, ’00
In the eighth round at #186 overall, the Black Bears selected forward Andrew Remer most recently of the Ottawa Jr. Senators in the Central Canada Hockey League. Remer was a part of the 2019 CCHL champion Jr. Senators team, recording five points as a center in the 13-playoff game run. The Lake Orion, Michigan native has also spent time with Belle Tire U18 in the Tier 1 Elite Hockey League.
Philip Ekberg, FWD, ’99
With their ninth pick of this year’s NAHL draft (#212 overall), the Black Bears picked up Swedish forward Philip Ekberg. Ekberg played last season with the Connecticut Jr. Rangers of the National Collegiate Development Conference. He was also teammates with fellow 2019 Black Bears draft pick, Hampus Rydqvist on Frölunda HC. Like Rydqvist, Ekberg is from Göteborg in Sweden and tallied 31 points in 50 games with the Jr. Rangers.
Jack Quinn, FWD, ’99
The tenth player selected by the Black Bears in this year’s NAHL Draft was forward Jack Quinn at #238 overall. Quinn spent all of 2018-19 as an alternate captain with Massachusetts prep school, Northfield Mount Hermon. Quinn’s second season of high school hockey with the Hoggers saw him score over a point per game with 41 points in 30 games.
Trevor Adams, FWD, ’99
The Black Bears were one of the few teams to take advantage of the 11th round and at the 264th overall drafted forward Trevor Adams. The Muskegon, Michigan native has spent the prior two seasons with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League, tallying 67 points in 110 games. Adams also has prior experience in the NAHL, as he played two games with the Topeka Roadrunners in 2016-17.
Kyle Peters, FWD, ’00
In the twelfth round at #290 overall, the Black Bears took forward Kyle Peters out of Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Peters just finished up his second season with Virtua Hockey U18 of the Atlantic Youth Hockey League, recording 26 points in 21 games. Peters is a former champion at two different levels, once in 2015 in the AYBHL and once in 2017 at the AYHL 16U national level.
Aaron Dickstein, G, ’99
The lucky thirteenth round at #316 overall was the Black Bears final pick of the day and resulted in netminder Aaron Dickstein. Dickstein is the first 2019 Black Bears draftee with NA3HL ties as he played last season with the Milwaukee Power, posting a 2.93 goals against average and 90.5-percent save percentage. The Dayton, Ohio native is 5-foot-8-inches tall and 165 pounds.
