NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A total of 18 current or future National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) players heard their names called on Day 2 of the 2023 NHL Draft, held at Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators. Of the 18 draft picks, one is a rising junior, eight are incoming freshmen for the 2023-24 season and nine are committed to NCHC teams. All eight NCHC teams had at least one current or future player selected.

The 18 draft picks are the second-most among college hockey conferences, trailing only Hockey East’s 22. Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota each had four incoming or future players drafted, with two from each team set to be freshmen in the fall. The four draft picks from each team tie for the third-most from one college team in the 2023 NHL Draft. Colorado College saw three future players taken, including one incoming freshman. Omaha had two players drafted, including the only current NCHC player in rising junior Ty Mueller, while Western Michigan had two future players taken off the board. Denver and St. Cloud State each had one incoming freshman chosen, while Miami had a future player selected.

Of the 18 draft picks with NCHC connections, 13 are forwards, three are defensemen and two are goaltenders. Of the nine who will play in the NCHC in 2023-24, seven are forwards and two are defensemen. The 18 selections hail from four countries, including 10 from the United States, six from Canada and one each from Slovakia and Sweden.

The Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lightning and Vancouver Canucks each selected two current or future NCHC players, with both of the Hurricanes selections incoming North Dakota freshmen. The complete list of 2023 NHL Draft picks connected to NCHC teams:

Rd.	Pick	Name	Pos.	NHL Team	NCHC Team	22-23 Team	Hometown
2	35	Adam Gajan	G	Chicago	UMD ('24)	Chippewa (NAHL)	Poprad, Slovakia
3	81	Tanner Ludtke	F	Arizona	Omaha	Lincoln (USHL)	Elko, Minn.
3	82	Zach Nehring	F	Winnipeg	WMU ('24)	Shattuck St. Mary’s (Prep)	Minot, N.D.
3	94	Jayden Perron	F	Carolina	UND	Chicago (USHL)	Winnipeg, Man.
4	98	Andrew Strathmann	D	Columbus	UND ('24)	Youngstown (USHL)	Beach Park, Ill.
4	105	Ty Mueller	F	Vancouver	Omaha	Omaha (NCHC)	Cochrane, Alta.
4	115	Jayson Shaugabay	F	Tampa Bay	UMD ('24)	Warroad (MN HS)	Warroad, Minn.
4	119	Matthew Perkins	F	Vancouver	UMD	Youngstown (USHL)	Balgonie, Sask.
5	133	Sam Harris	F	Montreal	Denver	Sioux Falls (USHL)	San Diego, Calif.
5	149	Aaron Pionk	D	Minnesota	UMD	Waterloo (USHL)	Hermantown, Minn.
6	166	Carsen Musser	G	Arizona	CC ('24)	U.S. NTDP	Sherburn, Minn.
6	179	Warren Clark	D	Tampa Bay	SCSU	Steinbach (MJHL)	Riverside, Ont.
6	183	Ty Henricks	F	New York Rangers	WMU ('24)	Muskegon (USHL)	Mission Viejo, Calif.
6	190	Michael Emerson	F	Carolina	UND	Chicago (USHL)	Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
6	196	David Klee	F	San Jose	UND ('24)	Waterloo (USHL)	Castle Rock, Colo.
7	204	Owen Beckner	F	Ottawa	CC ('24)	Salmon Arm (BCHL)	Victoria, B.C.
7	212	Zaccharya Wisdom	F	Seattle	CC	Cedar Rapids (USHL)	Toronto, Ont.
7	214	Casper Nassen	F	Boston	Miami ('24)	Västerås IK J20	Norrtälje, Sweden

Among players who will play in the NCHC in the upcoming 2023-24 season, Omaha incoming freshman Tanner Ludtke (Elko, Minn.) was the first off the board at pick 81 in the third round by the Arizona Coyotes. The Lincoln Stars forward tallied 32 goals and 66 points in 57 games this past season, ranking eighth in the USHL in points. Ludtke, who is the younger brother of current Omaha defenseman Griffin Ludtke, was selected to take part in the World Junior Summer Showcase in late July as part of evaluations for the 2024 U.S. National Junior Team.
 
North Dakota incoming freshman Jayden Perron (Winnipeg, Man.) was taken 13 picks later at number 94 by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Chicago Steel forward potted 24 goals and dished out 48 assists for 72 points in 61 USHL games this past season. In his first year with the Steel, Perron posted a line of 17-28-45 in 60 regular-season games to earn USHL All-Rookie Second Team honors.
 
Omaha rising junior Ty Mueller (Cochrane, Alta.) was drafted in the fourth round with pick 105 by the Vancouver Canucks. The lone current NCHC player selected in the 2023 Draft, Mueller tallied 12 goals and 25 points in 34 games for the Mavericks last season. As a freshman at UNO, he scored eight goals and notched 13 points in 24 games, earning NCHC Rookie of the Month for February 2022.
 
Minnesota Duluth incoming freshman Matthew Perkins (Balgonie, Sask.) also was selected by the Canucks in round four with pick 119. The Youngstown Phantoms forward tallied 15 goals and 44 points in 60 regular-season USHL games in 2022-23, while helping the Phantoms win the Clark Cup with two points in nine playoff games. In 2021-22, Perkins played for the Humboldt Broncos in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) and racked up 59 points (23g/36a) in 57 regular-season games.
 
Denver incoming freshman Sam Harris (San Diego, Calif.) was the first NCHC player drafted in the fifth round, going to the Montreal Canadiens with pick 133 overall. The Sioux Falls Stampede forward averaged a point-per-game this past season in the USHL, scoring 30 goals and totaling 56 points in 56 games to lead the Stampede in both scoring categories. As a rookie in the USHL, Harris had 16 goals and 35 points in 60 games with Sioux Falls.
 
UMD incoming freshman Aaron Pionk (Hermantown, Minn.) heard his name called by his home-state Minnesota Wild with the 149th overall pick in round five. After a full season in the NAHL with the Minnesota Wilderness (9-19-28 in 51 GP) in 2021-22, Pionk patrolled the Waterloo Black Hawks blue line this past season in the USHL. The defenseman scored 12 goals and tallied 36 points in 60 regular-season games from the back end en route to Second-Team All-USHL honors. Aaron is the younger brother of former UMD defenseman and current Winnipeg Jet Neal Pionk.
 
St. Cloud State incoming freshman Warren Clark (Riverside, Ont.) was drafted in round six, going to the Tampa Bay Lightning with pick 179. A defenseman for the Steinbach Pistons in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) this past season, Clark compiled 38 points, including 32 assists, from the blue line in 55 regular-season games. He added eight points in 18 MJHL Playoff games to help the Pistons win the MJHL championship. Clark earned MJHL All-Rookie Team honors this year, as well.
 
UND incoming freshman Michael Emerson (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) was also selected by the Hurricanes, along with Perron, in round six with the 190th overall pick in the draft. Perron’s teammate with the Chicago Steel, Emerson potted 30 goals and totaled 64 points in 60 regular-season USHL games this past season. The forward also tallied three goals in six playoff games in 2023 for the Steel.
 
Colorado College incoming freshman Zaccharya Wisdom (Toronto, Ont.) was the final incoming NCHC player drafted in 2023, coming off the board in round seven to the Seattle Kraken with pick 212. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders forward scored 28 goals and had 48 points in 59 regular-season games in the USHL in 2022-23, while scoring one playoff goal in five games. His 28 goals tied for 14th in the USHL. A year earlier, Wisdom notched 10 goals and 23 points in 53 games with Cedar Rapids.
 
A total of 68 current or future college hockey players were selected in the 2023 NHL Draft. A complete list can be seen here.