9 NAHL players were drafted over the weekend at the 2018 NHL Entry Draft including Washington Capitals 4th round selection, Mitchell Gibson. Gibson, a 6’1″ goalie from Phoenixville, PA, played for the Lone Star Brahmas during the 2017-18 season in the NAHL’s Southern Division and earned a commitment from Harvard University.

The NAHL offers elite junior hockey players (ages 17-20) the opportunity to develop, learn, train, grow and succeed, while playing for free. The North American Hockey League is unique in the fact that a vast majority of players begin their careers without an NCAA scholarship, but earn one through the course of their development in the league along with exposure to professional scouts.

During the 2016-17 season, the NAHL set a new single-season record with 305 NCAA commitments, with 70% of those being NCAA Division I commitments. In addition, 2 NAHL players that played in the league this past season were selected in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. Over the course of the last five seasons, 1,200 NAHL players have made NCAA commitments and 17 have been drafted into the NHL.

The Maryland Black Bears will undergo their first season in the NAHL this September at Piney Orchard Ice Arena in Odenton, MD. The Black Bears will host their main camp July 26-29 at Rockville Ice Arena. The tryout will be open to the public.