Phantoms complete draft haul with depth

May 6, 2015 at 12:08a.m.

Team adds 11 forwards, 7 defenders on Day 2

The Youngstown Phantoms organization has learned what it takes to compete at the highest level of the United States Hockey League.

They hope they’ve added the necessary ingredients to a championship contender in the two-day USHL Draft that concluded with Phase II on Tuesday.

A total of 28 players were selected by the team over the 37-round draft that began on Monday with Phase I. The Phantoms forfeited their first-round pick on Sunday when forward Jacob Tortora signed a tender to join the team for next season.

Per league rules, each tendered player must be on their respective team’s roster for the 2015-16 season and play at least 55 percent of the team’s regular-season games. That shouldn’t be an issue considering Tortora, who already has committed to Boston College, recorded 68 points last season as a member of the Don Mills Flyers Minor Midget program in Toronto.

Youngstown general manager and head coach Anthony Noreen, along with assistant general manager Jason Koehler, continued the draft process on Tuesday by adding 11 forwards, seven defensemen and a pair of goalies.

In the second round of Phase II, the Phantoms drafted center Patrick Shea of Marshfield, Mass. Shea scored 24 goals and had 27 assists in 44 games last season between the G. Boston Junior Bruins and Kimball Union Academy.

With their next pick in round three, they selected forward Laine McKay from Thunder Bay, Ontario — also the hometown of the NHL’s Staal brothers, Eric, Jordan, and Marc. Forward Cameron Morrison from Aurora, Ontario was their fourth-round selection.

The Phantoms also added two players from the Pittsburgh area: Luke Lynch of the Johnstown Tomahawks in the 15th round and Joe Dragonjac from Beaver Falls of the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite Minor Midget team in the 19th round.

DRAFT OBSERVATIONS

Forward Austin Beaulieu (8th round) and Conor O’Brien (11th round) both hail from Florida.

The Phantoms selected four players 6-foot-2 or taller.

In total, six players from Ontario are headed to Youngstown for camp.