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The first round of the Season 6 LTLHL Entry Draft delivered exactly what a growing league hopes for — surprises, emotional moments, bold reaches, safe picks, organizational identity selections, and a very noticeable run on defensemen. Several franchises clearly prioritized building from the back end outward, while others chased skill and upside up front.

Let’s break down every pick from Round One.

1. Denver Bandits – D Gerhard Ryffel (Honolulu Islanders)

Denver wastes absolutely no time going for the cornerstone defender. Ryffel at #1 overall says the Bandits believe elite defense wins championships, and frankly, that’s hard to argue with after watching recent playoff runs across the league. Ryffel projects as a minute-eating, all-situations defender capable of anchoring a franchise for a decade.

Positive: Safe pick. High floor, high ceiling, leadership potential.
Negative: Passing on offensive game-breakers at #1 always carries risk. If Ryffel becomes merely “very good” instead of elite, critics will question bypassing forwards with higher offensive upside.

2. Tucson Muertos – Gavriil Nazarov (Saskatoon Berries)

Classic Tucson pick. High skill, high creativity, and potentially one of the most electrifying offensive players in the draft. Nazarov feels like the type of player who could either become a perennial superstar or frustrate coaches with inconsistency.

Positive: Possibly the highest pure offensive upside in the class.
Negative: There may be questions about defensive commitment and whether his game translates physically over a full season.

3. Saint-Lambert Maulers – Brody Eastwood

This feels like a “culture” selection as much as a hockey one. Eastwood screams dependable two-way hockey player — maybe not flashy, but the kind of player coaches trust late in games.

Positive: Safe organizational player with likely strong locker room value.
Negative: Some teams may have viewed this as slightly conservative for #3 overall.

4. Seattle Stormbreakers – C Zane Bourbonna

Seattle goes down the middle with a center that many scouts reportedly loved. Bourbonna has the type of name and style that already sounds marketable. If he develops physically, this could become one of the steals of the draft.

Positive: Franchise center potential. Smart positional value.
Negative: Some concern about whether his offensive ceiling matches the players selected around him.

5. Massachusetts Militia – LW Skip Evans (Warhawks)

The emotional centerpiece of the first round.

The Militia selecting Skip Evans in honor of the GM’s late father immediately became one of the defining moments of the draft. Beyond the emotion, though, this is not merely a sentimental selection. Evans reportedly brings grit, work ethic, and scoring touch from the wing.

This pick feels very “Militia.” Identity-driven. Emotional. Blue-collar. Personal.

Positive: Instantly creates one of the league’s most compelling player stories. Could become a fan favorite immediately.
Negative: Fair or unfair, emotional selections always invite scrutiny if higher-ranked players remain on the board. Evans will carry pressure because of the meaning attached to the pick.

Still, this may end up being remembered as the heart of the entire draft.

6. St. Louis Voodoo – C Oystein Gravdahl

Quietly one of the smartest picks of the round. Gravdahl may not generate headlines, but he projects as the type of center winning teams need in playoff hockey.

Positive: Strong hockey IQ and likely dependable in all situations.
Negative: May never become a true elite offensive force.

7. Rochester North Stars – D Ernests Vizmanis (St Johns Newfies)

Rochester clearly prioritized defensive structure. Vizmanis sounds like a modern puck-moving defender with mobility and upside.

Positive: Smart long-term organizational pick.
Negative: Could take longer to develop than some forwards still available here.

8. Edmonton Blizzard – LW Edo Rozman (Saskatoon Berries)

This feels like one of the better value picks of the top ten. Rozman reportedly has serious offensive upside and may have slipped slightly due to inconsistency concerns.

Positive: Potential top-line winger at #8 is excellent value.
Negative: Streaky offensive players can disappear at times.

9. Quebec Harfang – D Aleksandrs Berzs (Wichita Warhawks)

Fresh off a championship, Quebec makes the kind of composed, calculated pick championship teams often make. Berzs sounds less flashy and more “future top pairing shutdown defender.”

Positive: Organizationally mature selection.
Negative: Fans hoping for offensive fireworks may find the pick underwhelming.

10. Calgary Lumberjacks – RW Ken Arn (Saskatoon Berries)

One of the more intriguing picks in the round. Calgary swings for skill and scoring on the wing.

Positive: Offensive upside and international flair.
Negative: There may be concerns regarding physical play or consistency.

Could become a steal if his scoring translates quickly.

11. Laval RedBull – D Elias Widlund (Boulder Grizzlies)

Another defenseman. By this point, the draft’s identity was obvious: teams covet blueliners.

Widlund feels like a modern transitional defenseman capable of moving the puck efficiently.

Positive: Smart puck-moving defender for the modern game.
Negative: Perhaps not as physically imposing as other defenders selected earlier.

12. Atlanta Royals – G Armon Berra (Buffalo Chill)

Finally, the first goalie comes off the board.

Atlanta clearly believes Berra has franchise-goaltender potential, because taking a goalie in Round One always carries risk.

Positive: If Berra hits, this becomes one of the smartest picks in the draft.
Negative: Goalies are notoriously unpredictable development-wise.

Massive boom-or-bust selection.

13. Maine Mighty Moose – D Shamus Daubert (Warhawks)

Maine doubles down on physicality and defensive reliability. Daubert sounds exactly like a Moose player already.

Positive: Identity match. Tough, dependable, playoff-style defender.
Negative: Offensive upside may be limited.

14. Las Vegas Voltage – LW Aro Joki (St Johns Newfies)

Vegas trades into the pick and immediately grabs offense. That suggests they feared Joki wouldn’t survive much longer.

Positive: Aggressive move shows conviction.
Negative: Trading assets for a winger increases pressure for immediate results.

15. Minnesota Dockheads – Boris Potokov (Warhawks)

One of the most fascinating names in the round. Potokov sounds like the type of hard-nosed player fans adore.

Positive: Potential power-forward energy.
Negative: Depends heavily on skating development.

16. Toronto RedTails – G Gerold Giesen

Toronto makes history with its inaugural draft selection and immediately plants its flag with a goaltender.

That’s a bold franchise-defining decision.

Positive: Sends message that defense and stability matter first.
Negative: Passing on skaters in an expansion-type situation is risky.

17. Blues – Stanislav Budaj (Warhawks)

The Warhawks pipeline is officially dominating this draft.

Budaj sounds like a high-character, steady player who may outperform his draft slot.

Positive: Potential sleeper value.
Negative: May lack elite dynamic upside.

18. Orcas – Vojtech Pavlovec

A very “mystery box” selection. Some scouts likely love this pick, while others may feel it’s a reach.

Positive: Potential hidden gem upside.
Negative: One of the least predictable picks of the round.

19. Rochester North Stars – LW Mitchell Megna (Islanders)

Rochester balances their earlier defensive selection with a winger that could contribute faster than many expected.

Positive: Nice balance between immediate help and long-term upside.
Negative: Some may question whether there were higher-ceiling players available.

20. Port City – D Roderick Tomkins (Buffalo Chill)

Another defenseman. At this point, defensemen were flying off the board almost every other pick.

Positive: Reliable defensive foundation piece.
Negative: Might project more as a second-pair defender than a true star.

21. Massachusetts Militia – Brandt McAlister

The Militia follow their emotional first selection with a more businesslike pick.

McAlister feels like a classic “complementary hockey player” selection — perhaps not flashy, but likely useful.

Positive: Helps balance the earlier emotional pick with practicality.
Negative: May not excite fans immediately.

Still, pairing Evans with McAlister gives Massachusetts an interesting blend of heart and structure.

22. Edmonton Blizzard – D Grayson Wiley (Saskatoon Berries)

Edmonton continues mining Saskatoon heavily.

Clearly they see something in that system.

Positive: Organizational familiarity and likely chemistry traits.
Negative: Heavy drafting from one source team can become risky if evaluations are overly influenced.

23. Dynasty – D Svit Auber

Quietly one of the better-value defense selections late in the round.

Positive: Could outperform draft slot significantly.
Negative: Lacks the hype of earlier defenders.

24. Seattle Stormbreakers – D Radko Majer

Seattle leaves Round One with a center and a defenseman — arguably one of the strongest positional combinations of any team.

Positive: Excellent roster-building strategy.
Negative: May still lack pure elite scoring punch.

25. Miami Trident – D Pasi-Pekka Hoikkala

Fresh off a Finals appearance, Miami goes for defense and structure rather than flashy offense.

Positive: Smart “win-now and future” hybrid selection.
Negative: Fans may have hoped for more offensive excitement late in Round One.

26. Tucson Muertos – D Lenny Varley

Tucson closes the round by balancing their earlier high-skill forward selection with defensive depth.

Positive: Strong overall draft balance for Tucson.
Negative: Varley may have been available later.

Overall Round One Themes

1. Defensemen ruled the draft

Blueliners absolutely dominated the first round, showing where league GMs believe championships are won.

2. The Warhawks pipeline was everywhere

Wichita players were heavily targeted throughout the round, suggesting scouts valued that organization immensely.

3. Emotional drafting moment belongs to Massachusetts

Skip Evans instantly became one of the biggest stories of Season 6 before even playing a game.

4. Teams prioritized identity over hype

Very few “wild” swings happened in Round One. Most teams drafted players fitting organizational philosophy rather than simply chasing pure talent.

5. Goalies remain fascinating risks

Atlanta and Toronto both made bold bets in net. One of those picks could become legendary — or heavily second-guessed in a few seasons.

*** I asked Chat to do a mock draft based on the existing team roster. I did not give further instructions. *** 

The Season 6 draft class opens with a clear identity: premium centers at the top, a strong group of 18-year-old defensemen through the middle of the first round, and a goalie tier that probably begins in Round 2 rather than the top 26. Using the R1–R2 Need Mock board, this mock leans on best-player-available early, then gradually shifts toward organizational fit once teams with multiple picks begin shaping their pipelines.

Denver starts the night with the cleanest decision on the board. Seattle, Edmonton, Minnesota, Las Vegas, Tucson, Rochester, Maine, and Massachusetts all hold multiple meaningful picks, which creates the real story of the first two rounds: teams are not just drafting players, they are building positional waves.

Round 1

1. Denver Bandits — Oystein Gravdahl, C, Storm

Denver takes the best player on the board. Gravdahl brings the strongest model score in the class, a premium center profile, and major production with 32 goals and 74 points in 82 games. For a Bandits team sitting in the middle of the roster-strength picture, this is the obvious franchise-building pick: scoring, age value, and positional importance.

2. Massachusetts Militia — Boris Potokov, C, Warhawks

The Militia use the Halifax pick on another elite center. Potokov is nearly tied with Gravdahl by model score and actually outproduced him with 76 points. Massachusetts needs high-end pieces more than narrow positional patching, so taking a premium center here is the safest and most valuable play.

3. Saint-Lambert Maulers — Zane Bourbonnais, C, Warhawks

Bourbonnais gives Saint-Lambert the most productive offensive player among the very top tier, finishing with 87 points. He profiles as a playmaking center and gives the Maulers a player who can drive offense rather than simply complement it.

4. Seattle Stormbreakers — Gavriil Nazarov, C, Berries

Seattle has the lowest roster overall in the mock’s team-need lens, so the Stormbreakers cannot afford to get cute. Nazarov is a 77 OVR, 18-year-old two-way center with 75 points, making him both safe and projectable. He gives Seattle a foundational piece to build around.

5. Tucson Muertos — Brody Eastwood, C, Storm

Tucson takes the fifth center in the top five. Eastwood brings a goal-scoring edge with 37 goals, and while he ranked sixth by model score, the fit is easy to justify. Tucson has multiple firsts, so starting with a high-upside Canadian center gives them flexibility later.

6. St. Louis Voodoo — Gerhard Ryffel, D, Islanders

The first defenseman off the board is Ryffel, a 76 OVR two-way defender with major offensive production: 76 points from the blue line. St. Louis gets a premium-position prospect who can become more than just a defensive specialist.

7. Rochester North Stars — Nigel Erni, C, Chill

Rochester gets excellent value with Erni still available. He ranked fifth on the board but falls to seventh after the Voodoo prioritize defense. With 82 points and a two-way profile, Erni gives the North Stars another strong center option in a system that can now build around forward depth.

8. Port City Privateers — Edo Rozman, LW, Berries

Rozman is the first winger selected, and the appeal is clear: 40 goals, 81 points, 75 OVR, and a two-way tag. Port City needs more finishing talent, and Rozman gives them a winger with both production and ratings support.

9. Toronto Redtails — Tikamir Zila, C, Islanders

Toronto goes for center succession. Zila’s 70 OVR is lower than several players still available, but the model likes his production, and his 68 points in 75 games make him an interesting development bet. The Redtails’ aging high-end pieces make a younger center a logical target.

10. Calgary Lumberjacks — Stanislav Budaj, RW, Warhawks

Calgary is strong enough to draft for upside rather than need. Budaj gives them a pure scoring winger with 34 goals and a 75 OVR profile. This is a luxury pick for a better roster: add a dangerous right wing and keep the pipeline balanced.

11. Laval Red Bull — Aleksandrs Berzs, D, Warhawks

Laval goes blue line with Berzs, a 76 OVR shutdown defenseman. His offensive production is modest, but the defensive profile gives Laval a high-floor prospect at a premium position. For an organization with older premium pieces, this is a succession pick.

12. Atlanta Royals — Bryn Maybury, LW, Chill

Atlanta uses the New York City pick on Maybury, a strong value winger with 33 goals and 75 points. Rather than reaching for positional need, the Royals take one of the better remaining forwards on the board.

13. Maine Mighty Moose — Grayson Wiley, D, Berries

Maine starts its draft with a defensive anchor. Wiley is a 75 OVR shutdown D, and while the offensive numbers are not flashy, the role fit is strong. The Mighty Moose need to build a defensive foundation, and Wiley gives them that.

14. Los Angeles Dynasty — Skip Evans, LW, Warhawks

The Dynasty take one of the better goal-scoring wingers in the class. Evans scored 39 goals, giving Los Angeles a pure offensive winger to support a veteran-heavy roster. This is a straightforward scoring-upside pick.

15. Minnesota Dockheads — Roderick Tomkins, D, Chill

Minnesota begins what becomes a very deliberate succession draft. Tomkins is a 76 OVR two-way defenseman, and the Dockheads use their first pick to address the blue line before later turning to goalie depth.

16. Quebec City Harfang — Brandt McAlister, D, Islanders

The defending-caliber Harfang pipeline gets heavier with McAlister. He is a shutdown defenseman, 18 years old, and fits the kind of playoff-style profile that makes sense for a competitive roster drafting with acquired capital.

17. Memphis Blues — Aloys Johansson, RW, Berries

Memphis adds skill on the wing with Johansson, a playmaking RW who posted 73 points. The Blues could have looked at center or goalie depth, but Johansson is too good a forward value to pass up at 17.

18. San Francisco Orcas — Andreas Karlgren, LW, Berries

Karlgren gives San Francisco a skilled left wing with a playmaking profile. His production, 62 points, is not as loud as some earlier forwards, but the model and fit keep him firmly in the first-round conversation.

19. Rochester North Stars — Mitchell Megna, LW, Islanders

With their second first-rounder, Rochester doubles down on forward talent. Megna had 50 points in only 59 games, making him a strong production-per-game value. After taking Erni at center, adding a winger like Megna gives the North Stars a more complete forward wave.

20. Edmonton Blizzard — Edgars Cuksts, D, Storm

Edmonton begins the most obvious draft theme of the night: defense, defense, defense. Cuksts is the first of several Blizzard blue-line picks, and his 35 points give him enough offensive utility to fit a modern defensive pipeline.

21. Massachusetts Militia — Jannis Bruvers, C, Terror

The Militia take another center swing. Bruvers has a lower OVR at 70, but his production is excellent: 32 goals, 45 assists, 77 points. Massachusetts is prioritizing premium offensive value over perfect roster fit, and that is the right move for a team that needs more high-end talent.

22. Edmonton Blizzard — Radko Majer, D, Fog

Edmonton uses the Saint Paul pick on another defenseman. Majer gives them a second 18-year-old D in three picks, reinforcing the idea that the Blizzard are using draft volume to rebuild or refresh their blue line.

23. Las Vegas Voltage — Hunter Tozzi, LW, Chill

Las Vegas takes a safer forward before turning to goalies later. Tozzi is a 75 OVR LW with enough production to justify the pick, and for a strong roster, he adds useful scoring depth without forcing a reach.

24. Seattle Stormbreakers — Pasi-Pekka Hoikkala, D, Berries

After taking Nazarov at 4, Seattle uses the Cape Cod pick to add defense. Hoikkala is a 76 OVR defenseman, giving the Stormbreakers a clean first-round pairing: franchise forward at the top, high-rating defenseman later.

25. Miami Trident — Aleksandr Podgaisky, RW, Storm

Miami, a contender-type roster in this mock lens, adds a right winger with upside. Podgaisky’s 62 points and 72 OVR make him a reasonable late-first selection for a team that does not need to force an immediate roster fix.

26. Tucson Muertos — Niko-Veikka Lindsten, LW, Storm

Tucson closes the first round with Lindsten, a Finnish playmaking winger who posted 61 points. After taking Eastwood at center, the Muertos add a complementary winger and leave Round 1 with two forwards who can grow together.

Round 2

27. Denver Bandits — Ken Arn, RW, Berries

Denver pairs Gravdahl with a winger. Arn has 69 points and a 75 OVR, making him one of the better available fits for a team that already landed the top center.

28. Saint-Lambert Maulers — Svit Auber, D, Storm

After taking Bourbonnais in Round 1, Saint-Lambert balances the draft with Auber, a defenseman with useful production and a clean second-round profile.

29. Maine Mighty Moose — Carmine Sommervill, LW, Newfies

Maine follows its defensive first-round pick with a scoring winger. Sommervill scored 31 goals, giving the Moose a needed offensive injection.

30. Seattle Stormbreakers — Armon Berra, G, Chill

The first goalie comes off the board. Berra is only ranked 60th in the model, so this is a reach by pure board value, but Seattle can justify it because of rebuild status and extra capital. A .909 save percentage and 74 OVR give him legitimate goalie-prospect appeal.

31. Edmonton Blizzard — Elias Widlund, D, Grizzlies

Edmonton continues its blue-line push, and this may be the best offensive defenseman value of the run. Widlund had 74 points, including 59 assists, making him a major upside pick.

32. St. Louis Voodoo — Jesse-Petteri Ivari, RW, Chill

After Ryffel in Round 1, St. Louis turns to right wing. Ivari brings a 74 OVR and scoring profile, giving the Voodoo balance between defense and forward finishing.

33. Rochester North Stars — Erik Mortensen, RW, Gators

Mortensen is older at 19 and lower rated at 68 OVR, but the production is very strong: 75 points. Rochester continues to stockpile forward skill.

34. Port City Privateers — Ernests Vizmanis, D, Newfies

Port City gets its defenseman after taking Rozman in Round 1. Vizmanis is a 76 OVR D, which is strong value in this slot even if the points are modest.

35. Toronto Redtails — Josiah Sunday, C, Spirit

Toronto doubles down at center. Sunday is 21, so he does not have the same age-adjusted upside as the 18-year-olds, but 60 points in 69 games gives the Redtails a more mature prospect who could be useful sooner.

36. Calgary Lumberjacks — Lenny Varley, D, Berries

Calgary balances Budaj with a defenseman. Varley’s production is light, but the 75 OVR rating makes him a sensible second-round defensive depth pick.

37. Laval Red Bull — Camden Gordienko, D, Newfies

Laval goes defense again. Gordienko joins Berzs as part of a blue-line succession plan, giving the Red Bull two young defenders in the first 37 picks.

38. Las Vegas Voltage — Vojtech Pavlovec, G, Chill

Vegas makes the first of two goalie swings. Pavlovec’s sample is small, but the numbers are excellent: .931 save percentage and 1.74 GAA. This is a bet on efficiency and upside rather than model rank.

39. Maine Mighty Moose — Leo Stenberg, D, Reds

Maine returns to defense with Stenberg, an 18-year-old Swedish D who produced 34 points. The Moose leave the top 40 with two defensemen and a scoring winger, a very balanced start.

40. Minnesota Dockheads — Sten-Erik Rusanen, G, Terror

Minnesota addresses future goaltending with Rusanen. His .918 save percentage over 70 games gives him a stronger workload argument than some other goalie options.

41. Minnesota Dockheads — Benjamin Haab, D, Newfies

The Dockheads immediately follow the goalie pick with another defenseman. Haab is a 74 OVR D, reinforcing Minnesota’s draft identity: future stability in net and on the blue line.

42. Denver Bandits — Roy Perzchajlo, C, Force

Denver takes an older center with major production: 76 points in 78 games. After Gravdahl and Arn, this gives the Bandits another center option and a potentially quicker-development forward.

43. Edmonton Blizzard — Walter Waspe, D, Steelers

Another Edmonton defenseman. Waspe is 19 and ranked lower than the pick slot, but 62 points from defense makes him one of the more interesting offensive blue-line gambles in the second round.

44. San Francisco Orcas — Peter Vall, RW, Grizzlies

The Orcas add a finisher. Vall scored 36 goals, making him a strong second-round winger bet after San Francisco took Karlgren in the first.

45. Quebec City Harfang — Shamus Daubert, D, Warhawks

Quebec City takes another shutdown D. After McAlister at 16, Daubert gives the Harfang a clear draft theme: defensive floor, playoff-style depth, and future blue-line insulation.

46. Edmonton Blizzard — Eli Judd, RW, Newfies

Edmonton finally pivots back to forward. Judd is 20, but 66 points gives the Blizzard good value after heavily investing in defense.

47. Las Vegas Voltage — Remi Kvam, RW, Reign

Vegas adds scoring depth with Kvam, a 19-year-old right winger who produced 72 points. After taking a goalie at 38, this is a useful offensive correction.

48. Halifax Chaos — Enrico Katze, RW, Reds

Halifax starts its draft with a value winger. Katze is not a first-round-caliber prospect, but at 48 he gives the Chaos a useful forward pipeline piece.

49. Las Vegas Voltage — Gerold Giesen, G, Force

Vegas takes its second goalie of the round. Giesen has a .914 save percentage, 72 OVR, and a full 70-game workload. The Voltage are clearly using second-round capital to build goalie depth.

50. Cape Cod Stingrays — Ionut Sotir, C, Menace

Cape Cod gets center depth with Sotir. He is 20, but 63 points in 82 games gives him a reasonable second-round profile at a valuable position.

51. Halifax Chaos — Juraj Carny, LW, Invaders

Halifax adds another forward, this time on the left side. Carny posted 58 points, giving the Chaos a second useful winger in a draft where they had to wait until Round 2 to enter.

52. Memphis Blues — Erik Dina, C, Hellcats

Memphis closes Round 2 with center depth. Dina’s 54 points and plus-skating note make him a reasonable follow-up to Johansson, giving the Blues one winger and one center through two rounds.

Before we start Season 6 we have made a few changes to the rulebook.  It will be updated on the website soon under the Tools tab.  Please review it so you are familiar, while I am always happy to help you can probably find your answer there more quickly. 

Here's the biggest changes - 

1.  Salary Cap, no longer includes the Pro Head Coach salary.  So we remain at $59,000,000 for Season 6 but you gain some space by no longer counting the coach

2.  Divisions have been adjusted due to expansion and we no longer play a perfectly balanced schedule where each of you face the same opponents the same number of times each year.   A part fo growth, can't be avoided. 

3. We now have 16 playoff teams each year , which means 10 teams are in the lottery now not 12. 

4. Farm Coaches now have a minimum salary demand at $600,000 per season,  Pro Head Coaches are now at $1,200,000.   So a modest increase but remember they no longer are involved in the cap so it's just a finance issue.   If you fire a coach you payout the remaining contract in full.

5.  Coaches will now retire at age 70 so keep this in mind as you renew contracts (yes I will handle that soon).   

Longterm Issues we are still working on or exploring. 

1. How to let teams spend money in a meaningful way.  After 5 Seasons most of you have a nice bankroll built and no clear way to use it.  Some ideas include, no more free position switches, signing bonuses, a scouting system,  training camps for prospects, and probably some others I'm missing.  Nothing is locked in or ready for rollout so nothing else will change before Season 7 at the earliest but be warned we are looking into making you use some of that money.  

2. I am still looking into building an Agent for the coaches so that their salary isnt' just as simple as you bidding against your fellow GMs,  This may also impact when Coaches retire.  As you know Coaches rerate each offseason and with the amount of Coaches in the database between Pro, Farm and Juniors we will ultimately end up with too many unsigned coaches who are just sitting out there.  So we will find a way to clean that up rather than me just randomly removing them.

3. Obviously we have started expanding.  If the league remains strong and stable in a perfect world we would some day like to reach 30 teams and have 6 divisions of 5.  It brings back that balance to the schedule.  We are not in a rush and certainly we don't want to grow so fast that we upset the stability of the league.  Just know that future growth is out there as a possibility.   Of course to grow we need to have a nice group of GMs out there wanting to be a part of this league and the same solid level of participation from all of you.  

As always if you have ideas you can reach out to me and we can discuss them.  I know that all of you have a lot of experience in these leagues and have played in others that may have had pieces you liked or didn't.  Nothing wrong with sharing those with me and the admin team.  

When it comes to netminders in this draft class it's hard to argue that anyone is a brighter prospect than Armon Berra.  Berra is currently helping the US World Junior Team.  In two seasons in the Nissen Berra has 147 appearances with 69 regular season wins including 4 shutouts.  A save percentage of .909 and a goals against of 2.69 over two years.  Berra joined the expansion Buffalo Chill as a 16 year old kid and immediately grabbed the starters role.  Since then he's done nothing but improve.  Whatever team selects Berra will have a high level prospect who can immediately take charge of their farm team as he finishes his development.  No doubt he will soon be a regular in the pros.  

With the post season wrapping up the Season 6 player draft is just around the corner.  This year's draft class is unique with the Season 4 Junior league expansion adding a large group of eligible prospects to this draft class.  In fact, of the 10 skaters ranked highest in this draft class all 10 of them come from the expansion teams.  The consensus player to be the top selection is Saskatoon Berries Center Gavriil Nazarov.  The 6'3" Russian already has the size and strength to step right into a pro lineup.  Nazarov has recorded 143 points in 168 games in the Nissen.  With 51 goals and 92 assists he has everything a GM could want in a future first line Center.   The big question now is who will win the lottery and have the opportunity to make that first overall selection.