The Tier III NA3HL L/A Nordiques went young in the 2019 NA3HL Draft Thursday night as out of the eight picks, four of them are under the age of 18.

“We are rebuilding at the Tier III level with the success we had this season,” Nordiques director of player recruitment and advancement Cam Robichaud said. “We have a lot of players moving on to college hockey or higher Tier of junior hockey. We went with a little bit of youth. Our first two picks were 2002-birth years and even some of the tenders we had, (Nick) Pomerleau is a 2003-birth year, (Jacob) Lewis and Will Fletcher are young guys coming in to develop to the (NAHL) team.”

With their first round selection, the Nordiques selected forward Luke Rhoss out of the Washington Little Caps 18U team, where he had two goals and four assists in 21 Atlantic Youth Hockey League games.

In the second round, the Nordiques selected Michael Linhares a 16-year-old forward who played for three teams this past season. With the Lehigh Valley Jr. Rebels of the Eastern Hockey League, he had three goals and assist in 20 games. With the Philadelphia Revolution in the Eastern Hockey League’s Premier League, he went pointless in 13 games while appearing in one game with Central Penn Panthers of the EHL Premier League.

Robichaud said the organization saw both Rhoss and Linhares at the NAHL combine a few weeks in Attleboro, Massachusetts and both have expressed interest in joining the organization.

The next two picks were defenders as they selected 17-year old Lativan defender Arturs Tomsons from the Seacoast Spartans 18U team. He had two goals and six assists in 16 games. With their fourth-round selection, they selected 17-year-old defender Kyle Nelson of the Springfield Jr. Pics 18U team of the USPHL. He had seven goals and nine assists in 31 games.

In the fifth round, the Nordiques added a veteran in 19-year-old forward Drew Eid out of Gorham. Last season he played with the New York Applecore of the EHL where he had six goals and six assists in 32 games. He is the son of WGME-TV sports anchor Dave Eid.

Eid will be trying to make the Maine Nordiques of the Tier II NAHL.

“He skated with us at the end of the year with the NA3HL team and he’s coming to skate at the NAHL tryout camp (for the Maine Nordiques in May),” Robichaud said. “He’s going to try to jump on that team. As 20-year-old (next season) maybe he makes that team, maybe he doesn’t because we do have to bring in guys that have two years of eligibility with the (Maine Nordiques). We don’t want too many 20-year-olds in the first year, as it’s kind of a two-year plan.”

Robichaud also said the L/A Nordiques will have their fair share of veterans on the team, but believes the bulk of those players will come from the Maine Nordiques tryouts this summer as they look for players who are top level players at the Tier III level, but can also suit up at the Tier II level if needed.

Eid was the second Drew Eid to go off the board as the North Iowa Bulls drafted a Drew Eid out of Armstong High School in Minnesota in the fourth round.

In the sixth round, the Nordiques selected 18-year-old defenseman Jackson Legro of the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs 18U team where he had 2 goals and 10 assists in 53 combined games between USPHL league play and Tier I Elite League league play.

Noah Schoenbeck became the fourth defenseman selected in the seventh round out of the Seacoast Prep 18U team. He had six goals and eight assists in 16 East Coast Elite League (ECEL) games.

The Nordiques conclude the draft selecting 16-year-old defender Andrew Woloszyn out of the New Hampshire Avalanche midget team. in the eighth round. With the 16U team, he had eight goals and 20 assists in 47 overall games while adding two goals and an assist in 13 ECEL games. He also appeared with the 18U team, where he had a goal in three ECEL games.

L/A NORDIQUES SIGN TWO MORE TENDERS

Earlier in the week, the L/A Nordiques announced they signed St. Dom’s standout William Fletcher. Fletcher, a junior, led the Saints with 29 goals and 18 assists in 21 games as the school captured its 26th Class A State Championship in March.

During the 2017-18 season, Fletcher was called up to the Nordiques for two games against the Cape Cod Islanders on November 18-19, where he recorded a goal in both games.

“He’s a big body that has some offensive ability and I am really excited to work with him and see how he does at this next level of play,” Robichaud said.

On Thursday, the Nordiques signed 17-year old defenseman Tyler Larsen to a tender. He had a goal and seven assists in 28 games for the Romeoville Huskies of the Central States Development Hockey League

Will Fletcher of St. Dominic Academy reacts after scoring the games first goal to put the Saints up 1-0 over the Bangor Rams in the Class A North semfinal game this season. (Sun Journal photo by Daryn Slover) (Sun Journal photo by Daryn Slov

Edward Little’s Ben Lane-Robichaud and St. Dominic’s William Fletcher battle for control of the puck during hockey game in Auburn this past season. (Sun Journal photo by Andree Kehn) (Sun Journal photo by Andree Keh

NA3HL DIVISION REALIGNMENT COMING?

Could the L/A Nordiques be seeing new divisional opponents in 2019-20?

On Wednesday, the NA3HL announced relocation of five franchises and a new team jumping from the Eastern Hockey League to the NA3HL.

First the Cape Cod Islanders of the Coastal Division will move to Canton, Massachusetts and will become the Canton Cubs. Three teams from the Northeast Division also relocated. The Binghamton Jr. Senators will move to Elmira, New York and become the Elmira Jr. Soaring Eagles. The Oswego Stampede will move to Raynham, Massachusetts and be renamed the New England Knights. The Niagara Falls PowerHawks will be based out of Danbury, Connecticut and the team will be called the Danbury Colonials. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights who have played out of the USA Hockey sanctioned Tier III junior league, the Eastern Hockey League will join the NA3HL next season. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights also have a Tier II team in the NAHL.

“Nothing official from the league yet, but they have been talking about joining the (Coastal and Northeast) divisions, having a ten team Coastal division,” Robichaud said. “It would be great, there would be more opponents for us to play. It helps with parity. Again at the last minute here, we had the addition of the  Wilkes-Barre Knights, so that puts the (Northeast division) back to four teams. ”

Robichaud is unsure if the NA3HL will keep the four-team Northeast Division, which would be the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights, Elmira Jr. Soaring Eagles, Skylands Kings and the Danbury Colonials.

The NA3HL also announced the Wisconsin Whalers will move to Sheridan, Wyoming as the Sheridan Hawks.

SKVAREK NAMED TO THE SLOVAKIAN U18 TEAM

Twin City Thunder NCDC tender Lukas Skvarek is suiting up for Slovakia at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Under-18 Championships that are being held in Sweden through April 28th.

The 17-year-old played for the Springfield Jr. Pics 18U team, for which he was tied for first in the USPHL 18U league in scoring with 13 goals and 31 assists in 30 games. He added seven goals and 12 assists in 12 games outside USPHL league play. He was also selected as a USPHL all-star.

Slovakia opened the tournament Thursday morning against Russia losing 6-3 where Skvarek was held pointless. They play Team USA, which is led by the projected No. 1 pick in June’s NHL draft, Jack Hughes on Friday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time on the NHL Network. Team USA opened up the tournament with a 6-1 victory over Sweden.

Former Lewiston Maineiacs Jonathan Bernier and Stefan Chaput suited up for Canada at the World Under-18 Championships in 2006. Lisbon’s Greg Moore competed in the tournament in 2002 for Team USA.