Five NAPHL alumni named to NHL Central Scouting list

October 19, 2016

Five NAPHL alumni have been named to the 2017 NHL Central Scouting players to watch list. The list includes NAHL alumni Adam Goodsir, NAHL draftee Jeremy Swayman, along with Jacob Acton, Mick Messner and Jordan Timmons.

 

 

The lists, comprised of "A," "B" and "C" players for the upcoming season in each of the major junior hockey leagues, are sent to NHL team scouts for the purpose of tracking the top draft-eligible players entering the 2016-17 season.  All "A" skaters have been identified as potential first-round picks, while "B" players are considered second- or third-round candidates. The players on the "C" list are thought to be fourth-, fifth- or sixth-round possibilities. Central Scouting's preliminary rankings will be revealed in November. That list includes the top 25 prospects for each of the various leagues throughout North America and Europe.

 

An alumnus of both the NAPHL and NAHL, forward Adam Goodsir has proven himself through almost every level of the USA Hockey system. The now 18-year-old spent the 2013-14 season playing for the NAPHL’s Lansing Captials 16U team, collecting 23 points through 19 games, and racking up 4 points in 5 playoffs contests. In 2014, the USHL’s Tri-City Storm drafted him in the USHL Entry draft’s 19th round, at 298th overall. Goodsir would continue his offensive contributions through the NAHL, where he played for Wichita Falls in 2015-16. The Okemos, MI native racked up 45 points over a 59 game season, adding 4 points through 9 playoff games with the Wildcats. The 2015-16 season was full of accolades for Goodsir, as he earned NAHL Rookie of the Year, NAHL All-Rookie First Team, NAHL All-South Division Rookie Team, and he announced his commitment to the University of Denver. Goodsir has broken into the Tri-City Storm lineup for the 2016-17 season, playing 8 games so far with the USHL squad.

 

Goaltender Jeremy Swayman has built his hockey resume on consistency and reliability, dating back to his days in the NAPHL. The 17-year-old from Anchorage, Alaska generated a noteworthy high school hockey record for South Anchorage High, posting a .948 SV% and a 1.27 GAA through 26 games in 2014-15. Within this season, Swayman got the opportunity to participate in the USA Hockey Select 16 tournament. These numbers pushed Swayman to the next level, putting him in net for the NAPHL’s Pikes Peak Miners 18U team. The 2015-16 season showcased his abilities through 18 games, in which he posted a .940 SV% and a slim 1.79 GAA. Swayman was given an opportunity to represent the NAHL’s Wichita Falls Wildcats in 2016-17, but has since found himself on the USHL’s Sioux Falls Stampede roster (drafted 191st overall in the 12th round of the 2016 USHL Entry Draft). In October 2016, Swayman announced his commitment to the University of Maine for 2018-19.

 

Jacob Acton, the 17-year-old goaltender from Livermore, CA, generated the start to a solid hockey resume while in the NAPHL. Playing two seasons with the San Jose Jr. Sharks 16U teams from 2013-15, Acton’s efforts in net took his team to the playoffs both years, earning himself Third All-Star Team honors in 2013-14. After the NAPHL, Acton went on to play in high school for Albany Academy, and Midget for the New England Nordiques. Acton had also been selected to compete in the USA Hockey Select 16 and Select 17 Tournaments in 2014-15 and 2015-16. In 2016-17, Acton broke into the USHL, and is currently competing for the Omaha Lancers.

 

Forward Mick Messner has a true sense of hometown pride, as the Madison, Wisconsin native has made a large impact on the Madison hockey scene from the beginning. Messner has based a majority of his hockey career, including high school, NAPHL, USHL, and committing to the University of Wisconsin, all in his hometown of Madison. The 17-year-old played high school hockey at Madison West in 2013-15, totaling 63 points in 42 games through two seasons. Messner committed to the hometown University of Wisconsin in early 2015, and was drafted 5th overall in the first round of the 2015 USHL Futures Draft by the Madison Capitols. In 2015-16, Messner led the Madison Capitols 18U team of the NAPHL to an 18U Champion title. In 15 regular season games and 6 playoff games, he collected 21 total points to put the 18U Capitols on top. The USHL’s Madison Capitols would give Messner a crack at their roster in 2015-16, where he would play 27 games. He would get the invite to be a part of international junior play, representing USA U17 in 2015-16, after 3 consecutive years of USA Select tournaments. Currently, in 2016-17, the hometown hero has 4 points in 6 games played for the USHL Capitols.

Hailing from Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, 17-year-old Jordan Timmons saw his journey through hockey flourish with contributions from a season within the NAPHL. The forward played 24 total games with the NAPHL’s Esmark Stars 16U team, posting 25 points between regular season and playoffs in 2013-14. Timmons would settle into a strong offensive role while playing high school hockey for South Fayette, where he totaled 144 points in 41 games. He would soon find himself at the next level, being drafted in the first round of the 2016 USHL Entry Draft by the Muskegon Lumberjacks at 15th overall. Also in 2016, Timmons committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for the University of Connecticut in 2017-18. So far in 2016-17, Timmons has contributed 4 points in 3 games played for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL.

 

NHL Central Scouting will release its midseason rankings of 2017 draft-eligibles in January, followed by its final rankings in April.  The Chicago Blackhawks will host the 2017 NHL Draft at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Next year's Draft will be held over two days on June 23-24.