By Joshua Boyd / NCDCHockey.com
The National Collegiate Development Conference and United States Premier Hockey League are excited to announce that nine players who have played in the Tier II NCDC and two more who played in the Tier III USPHL Premier Conference have been selected in the United States Hockey League Draft.
Five of the players selected on Tuesday, May 7, played in the NCDC during the 2023-24 season, while four more are NCDC alumni. Two players selected have played in the USPHL Premier, including one this past season.
Waylon Esche, G, Utica Jr. Comets NCDC (2022-24)
Round 8, 122nd Overall, Fargo Force
The ‘05 Utica-born goaltender has not only been one of the busiest NCDC goalies of the last two seasons, but he’s also sixth all-time in NCDC games played at 67 in the regular season. He also ranks in the top 10 all-time in wins and saves. Esche has been a two-time NCDC All-Stars event selection, playing in the 2023 Young Guns Game and in the main 2024 All-Star Game. The son of former NHL goalie Robert Esche, Waylon has grown up in the Jr. Comets organization and played for their USPHL 16U and USPHL Premier teams before joining the NCDC in 2022.
Anthony Allain-Samake, D, Rockets Hockey Club NCDC (2023-24)
Round 10, 147th Overall, Sioux City Musketeers
Allain-Samake, a 2007-born recruit of the University of Connecticut (NCAA Division I / Hockey East) played in 47 regular season games and posted seven assists. Allain-Samake was also a selection for the 2024 NCDC All-Star Game along with Esche. He also registered 121 takeaways on the season.
Vlad Bryzgalov, G, Ogden Mustangs NCDC (2023-24)
Round 13, 192nd Overall, Sioux City Musketeers
The 2006-born native of Haddonfield, N.J., is – along with Esche – also the son of a former NHL goalie, Ilya Bryzgalov. Vlad made his NCDC debut this year with the Ogden Mustangs, who were themselves in their first NCDC season, and put up 14-5-0-0 record with a .933 save percentage, remaining with the Mustangs from their September debut through February.
Dallas Potter, F, Rockets Hockey Club NCDC (2023-24)
Round 15, 222nd Overall, Sioux City Musketeers
Potter, a 2007-born native of Madison, Conn., was originally selected by the Rockets in the 2023 NCDC Entry Draft. He played the majority of this season with the South Kent School 16U AAA team, but was brought up to the Rockets for four NCDC games in March, scoring in his March 8 debut against the Connecticut Jr. Rangers and also adding an assist with RHC.
Luke Gallo, F, P.A.L. Jr. Islanders NCDC (2023-24)
Round 19, 275th Overall, Des Moines Buccaneers
A 2006-born native of Melville, N.Y., Gallo started the season with the Jr. Islanders and played in eight games. In his time with P.A.L., he registered 14 defensive takeaways and fired seven shots on goal.
Jack Hamilton, D, Columbus Mavericks Premier (2023-24)
Round 13, 189th Overall, Tri-City Storm
Hamilton, a 2006-born defenseman from Powell, Ohio, started this past season with the Mavericks and played in eight games, scoring six goals and adding one assist for seven points. He was the only player from the 2023-24 USPHL Premier season to be selected.
Alumni
Tyler Dysart, F, Rockets Hockey Club (2021-22)
Round 8, 117th Overall, Sioux City Musketeers
Dysart, an ‘04 from Sunnyvale, Calif., played the entire 2021-22 season with the Rockets, putting up a 9-19-28 line in 49 games, and he also had two goals in five playoff games that year.
Luke Santilli, D, New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs NCDC (2021-22)
Round 9, 133rd Overall, Youngstown Phantoms
Santilli (‘04/Reading, Mass.) played in the Islanders Hockey Club and former New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs Midget programs between 2018 and 2021 before joining the Monarchs NCDC team in 2021-22. The defenseman played in 44 games and registered one assist.
Kyle Rohrer, F, Rockets Hockey Club NCDC (2022-23)
Round 14, 203rd Overall, Sioux Falls Stampede
Rohrer came out of Team Wisconsin when he joined the Rockets in 2022-23, having been drafted in the first round, 10th overall, by the Rockets in the 2022 NCDC Entry Draft. He joined in November 2022 and played right through March 2023, getting additional call-ups to six USHL games with the Sioux City Musketeers during his time with RHC. With the Rockets, he scored 27 points in 28 NCDC games in the regular season, plus two points in two playoff games. He is bound for NCAA Division I Lindenwood University in 2025-26.
Zackary Ferris, G, Rockets Hockey Club (2022-23)
Round 15, 214th Overall, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Ferris (‘05/Venetia, Pa.) went 10-7-2-2 with the 2022-23 Rockets, coming out of the prestigious Long Island Gulls AAA program.
Landon Wright, F, Idaho Falls Spud Kings USPHL Premier (2022-23)
Round 16, 235th Overall, Waterloo Black Hawks
Wright, a University of Maine recruit, joined the Spud Kings – formerly of the USPHL Premier Conference – in November 2022 and spent the remainder of that 2022-23 season with Idaho Falls, scoring 24 points in 30 regular season games, and he also played in all four of the Spud Kings’ playoff games.
