Post-Draft Team Profiles- Youngstown Phantoms

The Youngstown Phantoms finished up their first season in the USHL unsuccessfully. The Phantoms finished up their season with a 20-36-4 record. During the season, Youngstown also went with the radical move of replacing a coach. The Phantoms front office made the move to fire then head coach Bob Mainhardt on Feburary 16th and replace him with assistant coach Curtis Carr, who was named permanent head coach later in the season. The Phantoms will be losing quite a few players to college commitments, and they also lost NHL prospect Nick Czinder in the Expansion Draft to Muskegon. So, it's safe to say that the Phantoms had quite a bit of work to do in the drafts, starting in the Futures Draft and ending with the Entry Draft...


Futures Draft
Round 1 Selection

Tim Davison (Notre Dame HS) was Youngstown's first selection of the Futures Draft. Davison is a solid offensive defenseman who stands at 5'11", 161 pounds. Davison is widely regarded as one of the best offensive defenseman of the 1994 class. Whenever Davison gets the puck, he knows how to work it around. As a defenseman, he is always thinking about offense. Davison is very active in the offensive zone and is always looking to jump in and join plays. The biggest knock against Davison is that he needs to work a lot on his defensive skills to compliment his great offensive ability to be competitive in the USHL. The other thing Davison needs to work on before coming to the USHL is his skating ability. But overall, Davison has a bright future with the Phantoms. Stats from last year: 26 GP, 11 G, 46 A, 57 PTS.
Round 2 Selection

Ryan Fitzgerald (Malden Catholic HS) was the second selection by the Phantoms and was the first forward they drafted. Fitzgerald finished up his season at Malden Catholic as a freshman, and posted great numbers for a player that young. Last season, Fitzgerald had 17 goals and 30 assists. A member of the Phantoms coaching staff said about Fitzgerald: "This is a very intelligent player with good hockey sense who makes everyone around him better". Fitzgerald earned an invite to the USNTDP tryout and didn't make it as a freshman, but it's not like he hasn't impressed a lot of people. Fitzgerald is committed to play for Boston College starting in 2013 and he now has the option of heading to the USHL this year, but will more than likely stay with Malden next season. Photo from hockeybarn.com.
Round 3 Selection

Austin Cangelosi (Northfield Mt. Hermon Prep) was the third pick by Youngstown, and their second forward drafted. Cangelosi was a little late to the party being noticed in the 1994 class but he has charged to one of the front-runners, even committing to Boston College as a freshman. Cangelosi is a great skater and has high-end speed. He is very small at 5'6", 160 but he has great puck control. He uses his speed and agility to beat the opposition to loose pucks. Just as a freshman, Cangelosi led NMH in scoring with 54 points which is very impressive. I've heard that Cangelosi may be interested in playing USHL hockey next year, but his size may hold him back. He is scheduled to start at Boston College in 2013, so I could see him in a Youngstown jersey for at least two years. Photo from marconews.com.
Round 4 Selection

Matt Grzelcyk (Belmont Hill Prep) was Youngstown's fourth selection and their second offensive defenseman drafted. Grzelcyk is the third player drafted by the Phantoms that is committed to play at a Boston school. He is scheduled to start at Boston University in 2012. Grzelyck, as a player, is a great offensive style defenseman who skates well, and plays with good speed, so as good as he is offensively, he doesn't get beat on the outside too much. Grzelyck is always looking to jump into plays and tries to get involved offensively nearly every time his team is in the offensive zone. Grzelyck plays with a great tempo and never gives up on plays. Overall, he's a good player with great skills and could be a key part of Youngstown's powerplay in a few seasons.
Round 5 Selection

Dalton Izyk (Syracuse Nationals U16) was Youngstown's only goalie selected in the Futures Draft. This is the Phantoms trying to build up goaltending for the future, even though Youngstown is pretty solid in that department with Matthew Mahalak, a '93, who promises to improve, coming off a rookie campaign of 9-17-3 with a 4.24 GAA and .868 SV%. On to Izyk, he is a goaltender with good size, and a good ability to move around the crease and make athletic saves. I've heard from my network of scouts that Izyk shows remarkable communication with his teammates and stays calm, cool, and collected when traffic is present front of the crease. Izyk plays very deep in the net, and that seems to be where he is most comfortable at. The thing he needs to work on is challenging shooters a little more. Photo.
Round 6 Selection

AJ Coleman (Pittsburgh Hornets U16) was Youngstown's last pick of the Futures Draft, and they got a pretty good player in Coleman, the leading scorer for the Hornets last year with 87 points in 70 games.  Of those 87 points, 34 were goals and 53 were assists. Coleman is in my opinion, one of the most underrated players of this '94 class. He is a great all-around player, and a guy who works hard at both ends of the ice. He isn't the flashiest player on the ice, but he gets work done. Coleman is very patient with the puck when it's on his stick and he makes plays. Coleman hasn't committed to a college yet, but he has had plenty of interest. Coleman has received an offer from hometown college Robert Morris, but also is getting interest from perennial powerhouse Michigan, and Ohio State.
Entry Draft
Round 1 Selection

John Fritsche (Alpena Icediggers) was the second overall pick in the Entry Draft, and the Phantoms went for Fritsche, a Tier II junior forward who led his team in scoring last season. Fritsche could be a solid top six forward for the Phantoms and a leader on the powerplay. Last season, Fritsche scored 23 goals and got 22 assists for a grand total of 45 points in 55 games played. Of those 45 points, 18 came on the powerplay, and 3 came while the Icediggers were shorthanded. On an Alpena team that finished last in their division, Fritsche was a +7, which is pretty impressive. Also, it really doesn't hurt to have a forward that can produce 20+ goals and have a tough side to his game. Last season, Fritsche fought four times, and that will valuable coming into the USHL, where fighting is commonplace.
Round 5 Selection

Chris Eiserman (New Hampshire Junior Monarchs) was the second selection by the Phantoms, and I believe this pick could be a replacement for goaltender Jordan Tibbetts, if he leaves. Eiserman is a great prospect, and just as a '93, he has plenty of time to play in the USHL. With the Junior Monarchs last season, Eiserman posted a 14-3-1 record in 42 appearances as a back-up to Brian Billett, a Boston College recuit. Along with the record, Eiserman put up a 3.35 GAA and .901 save percentage. At 6'3", 210, Eiserman has the size that has scouts from everywhere drooling, and Youngstown nabbed him before he fell off the board. The Phantoms could have a solid duo of 1993 born goalies if they add Eiserman, who is scheduled to start at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell in 2012.
Round 6 Selection

Jordan Young (Wenatchee Wild) was Youngstown's third pick of the Entry Draft, and the first defenseman they selected. The Phantoms went with the wise strategy of  picking up NAHL players, who have experience and can come in and be leaders, no matter if they are elected captains or not. Young produced offensively for Wenatchee, getting 2 goals and 14 assists in 51 games, but showed his worth defensively, being a +15 for the Wild last season. Young is another guy coming out of the NAHL for the Phantoms that has shown he can drop the gloves. Youngstown got a pretty good pick here, getting Young to fill some empty slots at their blue line, and try and turn around from the disappointing season they had last year. Photo from peninsulaclarion.com.
Round 7 Selection

Ricky DeRosa (Philadelphia Jr. Flyers) was the second forward selected by Youngstown in the 92nd overall slot, in the 7th round. DeRosa is a big kid, standing at 6'2", 175 coming into the USHL, and could very well be a nice replacement for Nick Czinder, who went to Muskegon in the Expansion Draft. I think DeRosa's perfect fit in Youngstown would be in a bottom six "grinder" type role, getting significant time on the penalty kill for the Phantoms next season. As far as I can tell, DeRosa hasn't picked up much of any college interest, but as a 6'2" center, you have to imagine that he'll pull in a scholarship after playing a year in the USHL, especially if he is successful statistically. Look for DeRosa to be all but a sure thing for the Phantoms roster next season. Photo from berecruited.com.
Round 8 Selection

Nilan Nagy (Traverse City Stars) was Youngstown's fifth pick of the draft, and they went with the big 6'0", 207 pound defenseman out of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania to fill in one of the gaps left by departing defenseman from their 09-10 campaign. Nagy is a defensive defenseman, up and down. He has that 207 pound frame to just rock forwards if they try and make a move to get around him. But he's not just a big, physical defenseman. Nagy put in 1 goal and 23 assists 56 regular season games, with 8 of those assists coming when Traverse City was on the power play. Nagy won't produce 20+ points in the USHL, but I think you can expect a solid mix of offensive stats and good defensive play that you can notice on the ice. Youngstown definitely made a good pick here.
Round 9 Selection

Mike Zalewski (Syracuse Stars) was the Phantoms' sixth pick and they went with another big forward to try and fill out their bottom six with two way players, such as Zalewski. The 6'2", 195 pound forward out of New Hartford, Connecticut is a big guy, but he showed some great offensive skills in the 09-10 season that made him a target of a couple of teams in the Entry Draft, but Youngstown got him first. Zalewski scored 16 goals and had 32 assists for a total of 48 points in 43 games played for the Stars last season. Zakewski has had some college interest already, but hasn't comitted yet. As Zalewski plays for Youngstown, he will probably generate more interest and it will open up his options so he is probably waiting until he's in the USHL to make a decision. Photo from myhometownsports.net.
Round 10 Selection

Quinn Smith (Avon Old Farms) was the seventh pick by Youngstown, and with this pick, the Phantoms went with Smith, a 5'9", 170 pound forward out of Fairfield, Connecticut. Info on Smith is not readily available, as per the usual with prep schools, so I really can't fill you in on statistical information on him, but he must have had some pretty good stats to get him noticed. Smith will only play one year in the USHL before heading off to play for Boston College starting in the 2011 season, so I would expect Smith to make the Phantoms, play in Youngstown for a year, and then ship off to Boston College. Photo from ushr.com.


Round 11 Selection

Michael Ambrosia (Delbarton HS) was the eighth pick by Youngstown, and they went with a potential top six forward in Ambrosia. He played at Delbarton High in New Jersey last season, but also played 14 games with the New Jersey Colonials of the AYHL, netting 11 goals and picking up 16 assists. Ambrosia stands at 5'10", 180 pounds which gives him the size to be ready to jump into the USHL as early as this coming season. Ambrosia should be on the Phantoms for two years, assuming he makes the team for Youngstown, as he is scheduled to start playing at the collegiate level for Princeton University during the 2012 season, so Ambrosia will be a mainstay in Youngstown for a few years. Photo from highschoolsportsnj.com.

Round 12 Selection

JT Stenglein (Maksymum Junior Hockey) was Youngstown's ninth selection of the Entry Draft, and their sixth forward drafted. Stenglein is a 6'0", 195 pound winger who knows how to put the puck in the back of the net. Stenglein also could be with the Phantoms for more than a few seasons, as just a 1993 birthdate. Last season with Maksymum of the Empire Junior Hockey League, Stenglein finished second in scoring. In 41 regular season games, Stenglein scored 29 goals and 25 assists for a total of 54 points.  Stenglein also racked up a remarkable 131 PIM in those 41 games. Come playoff time, Stenglein produced 14 points in 9 games for Maksymum, adding 31 penalty minutes in those 9 games. Stenglein has gotten quite a bit of college interest but hasn't committed to a college yet.
Round 13 Selection

Darcy Greenaway (Lake Forest Academy) was the tenth selection by the Phantoms and was their first foreign born player selected. This is a risky pick, as Greenaway is from Ontario, and he was selected by the London Knights, so it is still unclear if he will go play in Canada in the OHL, or stay in America, where he played last season and go the college route. As I mentioned, Greenaway played in America last season, for Lake Forest Academy, which is located in Chicago. In 13 regular season games for Lake Forest Academy, Greenaway scored 19 goals and picked up 8 assists for a total of 27 points. 5 of those goals came on the powerplay, and 2 came while his team was shorthanded. The classic CHL vs. juniors/college battle applies to Greenaway, and only time will tell where he will play.
Round 14 Selection

Alex Temby (Colorado Thunderbirds U18) was Youngstown's eleventh selection of the Entry Draft, and only their third defenseman picked. Temby was a captain for the Thunderbirds last season, and in this video, he explains why he likes to be captain and what his future plans are. In the video, his coach explains that Temby is a good, solid defenseman that skates well and sees the ice well. It's a very rare occasion when Temby gets beat one on one according to his coach. Temby also can produce offensively, as he led his team's defenseman in scoring with 22 points, 5 of them goals and 17 assists, in 46 games played last season. Temby also racked up 52 penalty minutes in those 46 games. Temby apparently has quite a few colleges looking at him, and as he gets more exposure in the USHL, I would expect him to commit.
Round 15 Selection

Brian Harris (Boston Advantage U18) was the twelfth selection by the Phantoms, and with this pick, they got an offensive defenseman in Harris, who stands at 5'9", 186 pounds. Last season with the Boston Advantage, Harris picked up 36 points, 10 of them being goals and 26 assists in 46 games played. Harris also racked up 116 penalty minutes, which were mostly physical plays, and him standing up for his teammates. His coaches say even though he is a smaller guy, Harris plays bigger than 5'9", and he plays a physical game to compliment his offensive skills. If he plays on the Phantoms next season, he will only be there for that season, as the 17 year old is scheduled to enroll at Maine for the 2011 season. Harris could improve Youngstown's powerplay significantly if he is on the roster next season.
Round 16 Selection

Chris Bradley (Buffalo Regals U18) was the thirteenth selection by the Phantoms in the 227th overall slot. Bradley is the polar opposite of Harris, as Bradley is a big, physical, defensive defenseman. Bradley stands at 6'2", 185 pounds and produced very little offensively for the Regals last season. Bradley only collected 7 points in 48 games played, 1 of them being goals and 6 were assists. That 1 goal came on the powerplay. The surprising thing on his stat sheet is that Bradley only racked up 8 penalty minutes in those 48 games, which shows that he is very disciplined, which is very valuable to potential teams, and Youngstown grabbed him off the board late in the draft, which is a good pick. Bradley isn't guaranteed a spot on the Phantoms roster, but a defensive guy like this is always a good fit. Photo.
Round 17 Selection

Ryan Belonger (St. Louis Bandits) was the Phantoms last player selected out of the NAHL, and they went with the 5'10", 178 pound forward out of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Belonger's play in the NAHL last season attracted plenty of college attention, and although he hasn't recieved an offer, Belonger will more than likely end up playing college hockey. Youngstown could get Belonger for next season, or the power forward type player could stay in St. Louis and keep playing in the NAHL. Either way, Belonger is a talented center who picked up 28 points in 50 games played for the Bandits last year. Of those 28 points, 10 of them were goals and 18 were assists. He was also a +7 on the season, and picked up 36 penalty minutes in those 50 games. Photo from nahl.com.
Round 18 Selection

Teemu Tiitinen (Dallas Stars U18) was the Phantom's fifteenth selection, and their ninth forward picked in the Entry Draft. Tiitinen just started playing for the Stars AAA team this season, after playing with the Georgia based Thunder AAA team, where he is from. Tiitinen posted some pretty good stats for the Stars last season, netting 22 goals and getting 16 helpers in 48 games played. 4 of those goals came on the powerplay and 4 came on while Tiitinen's Stars were short-handed. Tiitinen played for Team Finland in the Ivan Hlinka Cup in 2009. Tiitinen, as far as I can tell, hasn't attracted any college hockey attention, and that could be because he has aspirations to go play in another country, or he just hasn't gotten the exposure to attract attention yet. Photo from ThunderAAAHockey.com.
Round 19 Selection

Peter MacIntyre (South Shore Kings) was the Phantom's sixteenth selection and is arguably one of the most NHL ready prospects that Youngstown drafted. MacIntyre is a 6'5", 190 pound winger that, if it works out, could be the perfect replacement for the departure of winger Nick Czinder to Muskegon. MacIntyre started off the season playing for the Boston Advantage, but then decided, with influence from NHL and college scouts, to move to the EJHL and play for the South Shore Kings. With the Advantage, MacIntyre played 25 games, netting 8 goals and 13 assists for a total of 21 points. With South Shore, MacIntyre had 6 points in 21 games played. MacIntyre is definitely an interesting prospect and could be a great USHL player for the Phantoms.
Round 20 Selection

Cam Spiro (Tabor Prep) was the seventieth pick of the Phantoms and as per the usual with prep schools, I can't find any info on Spiro. If you have any information to share, please comment.







Round 21 Selection

J.T. Miller (USNTDP) was the Phantoms' last selection, and this pick was just a flier pick. The Phantoms coaching staff made this move to "cover their bases" in case Miller didn't go straight to college after his time with the Team USA program. Miller is a very talented forward who produced 12 points, 5 of them goals and 7 assists, in 29 total games played for Team USA's U17 squad. The 6'1", 190 pound forward doesn't have a college commitment yet, which prompted Youngstown to take Miller just in case Miller doesn't go into college right away after finishing his career for the USNTDP. Youngstown will have a great player for a year if the situation works out in their favor, and overall, this wasn't the worst pick they could have made in the last round of the Entry Draft. Photo from Penguins.nhl.com.
Probable Returning Players
Scott Mayfield (D)
Jiri Sekac (F)
Ty Loney (F)
Luke Eibler (D)
Andrew Lamont (F)
Ben Paulides (D)
Matthew Mahalak (G)/Possibly going to Plymouth of the OHL.
J.D. Carrabino (D)
Daniel Senkbeil (D)
Richard Young (F)
Dylan Margonari (F)
Probable Overagers
Ryan Jasinsky (F)
Jordan Tibbett (G)
Adam Berkle (F)
Cody Strang (F)