AUSTIN, MN – The NAHL held its annual draft on Tuesday and the Austin Bruins made six selections as they work to build their 2018-19 roster. The Bruins chose, in order: forward Hugh Larkin, defenseman Noah Kim, defenseman Dylan Davies, forward Carson Riddle, forward Paul Maust, and forward Rayce Jacobs.
With the 18th overall pick, the Bruins chose forward Hugh Larkin – a ’99 birthyear from Livonia, Michigan, who played with the Cowichan Valley Capitals in the BCHL last season. Larkin is 6’2, 190 pounds and also played in the Compuware and Little Caesars programs. This past season in the BCHL, he scored eight goals and added six assists in 48 games.
In the 2nd round, chosen #42 overall, the Bruins selected defenseman Noah Kim – a native of Fullerton, California. Kim is a 2000 birthyear, also coming out of the BCHL. With the Wenatchee Wild, Kim scored one goal and added 12 assists in 36 games. Prior to the Wenatchee, Kim played for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings, Boston Jr. Bruins, Neponset Valley River Rats, and the Cushing Academy.
Austin’s next pick was in the 4th round, 90th overall and they went with Dylan Davies, a defenseman from Traverse City, Michigan. Davies is an ’01 who has spent three seasons in the Chicago Mission program. Davies is 6’1, 185 pounds and has a bit of an offensive upside to his game, once scoring five goals in 20 games for the Team Illinois Bantam Minors in 2014-15
Carson Riddle was the next selection in round five, 113th overall. Riddle is a forward from Holly, Michigan, with USHL experience. He suited up in two games with the Sioux City Musketeers last season and is already committed to NCAA DI Western Michigan. At just 5’8, 152 pounds, Riddle is a speedy forward, who put up big numbers (15 goals, 14 assists in 32 games) for Belle Tire in 2016-17. He’s also played in the Honeybaked organization.
With their fifth pick, coming in round six at 138th overall, the Bruins went with veteran forward Paul Maust – who previously played in the NAHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. Maust will be entering his final year of Junior hockey eligibility and is committed to NCAA DI Mercyhurst University. He suited up in 46 games with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers in 2017-18, scoring four goals and adding seven assists. H e has 113 NAHL games under his belt with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and participated in the 2017 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. Maust is from Butler, Pennsylvania.
The Bruins’ final pick of the draft was in the seventh round, 162nd overall and was used to select Rayce Jacobs – a 6’5, 207-pound forward from Haslett, Michigan and the Cleveland Barons U18 program. A former member of Meijer hockey and the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies organizations, the sizeable forward was born in 2000. With the Barons, he scored ten goals and added eight assists this past season.
The NAHL draft allows each NAHL team to compile their protected list to 30 players – consisting of tenders, returning veteran players, and draft picks.
