Ice Wolves Make Three Selections in Supplemental Draft

The New Mexico Ice Wolves today participated in the NAHL’s Supplemental draft. The NAHL recently announced changes to it’s draft and player recruitment process in order to help teams during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a normal year, teams would host pre-draft camps and use the pre-draft combine in order to evaluate talent and make roster selections heading into the draft. Because many of those events have had to be cancelled or postponed, the league created the supplemental draft, giving each team three picks, and additional tender to become available starting tomorrow. 

Each season, NAHL teams are allowed to make 10 tender agreements with players for the upcoming season. These players will not be eligible for the entry draft, and their rights are protected by the team they signed with, at least through that team’s main camp. This season, because of the pandemic, teams will be allowed to protect 38 players throughout the summer, instead of the usual 30. These protected lists will include returning roster players, tendered players, and draft picks.

The draft order for today’s supplemental draft was based on the league standings from last season, with the lone expansion team, the Wichita Falls Warriors, receiving the first overall pick. With all 27 teams being allowed three picks over three rounds, the Ice Wolves went into today’s draft with picks numbers 4, 31 and 57 belonging to them. 

Ahead of today’s selections, Ice Wolves Head Coach Phil Fox said that he was looking for experienced players, and difference-makers.

“We’re looking [at] getting better in all areas. I think anytime you can add more depth it’s a good thing. Looking for depth at D and more scoring/playmaking up front,” said Fox when reached for comment.

Fox says he expects the Ice Wolves main camp in Albuquerque later this summer to be very competitive. “With most of the guys returning and us adding more depth with our tenders and draft picks, it will make for a very competitive main camp. Everything is earned by these guys in terms of being on our roster for next year.”

Three of those guys who are sure to be competing for a roster spot at main camp are the players selected today in the supplemental draft, Michael Ferrandino, Tim Washe, and Jack Bayless.

The first player selected by the Ice Wolves today is 20 year old defenseman Michael Ferrandino of Lisle, Illinois. A 5’10, 170 pound right handed shooter, Ferrandino brings a wealth of junior hockey experience, having spent a majority of last season with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL. In his 42 games with the Gamblers, Ferrandino recorded a single goal and twelve assists. Should he make the roster, this will be his fourth year of junior hockey, having spent the past three seasons in the USHL with Waterloo, Central Illinois, and Tri-City as well as Green Bay.

With pick number 31, the Ice Wolves selected Tim Washe from Detroit, Michigan. Washe spent last season in Canada, playing in the BCHL for the Nanaimo Clippers, where he scored ten goals and nine assists in 55 games played. At 6’3”, 210 pounds, the Western Michigan University commit will bring his size and scoring ability to main camp in hopes of making the roster.

Pick number 57, New Mexico’s final selection of the supplemental draft, found them selecting Jack Bayless of Minnetonka, Minnesota. The Umass-Lowell commit stands at 5’9”, 167 pounds and plays at C/LW. Last season, in 51 games with the BCHL’s Wenatchee Wild, Bayless scored five goals and had twelve assists.

With their three picks today, it appears that the Ice Wolves addressed each area that Fox was hoping to. They got size, experience, goal-scoring ability, and help on defense. These players aren’t guaranteed a roster spot of course, as they’ll have to prove their worth at camp, but they could bring a boost to a second-year Ice Wolves squad looking to take a leap forward in the upcoming season. 

Each NAHL team will also be getting an additional tender to use, starting tomorrow. We will update this story if and when the Ice Wolves make that tender public.

Ice Wolves Tendered Players

• Taylor Ewing
• Fabian Westling Alm
• Philip Pallin
• Beni Halasz
• Liam Guerin
• Nikolai Dulak
• Jimmy Jurcev
• Tylor Greene
• Dillan Bentley
• Micah Maldonado

Rostered Players

• Cole Hanson
• Liam Ovington
• Joe Prouty
• Henrik Laursen
• Cooper Anderson
• Logan Martinson
• Sean Henry
• Brandon Holt
• Keegan Langefels
• John Garvey
• Mitchell Becker
• Alex Gomez
• Connor Kemp
• Brandt Pedersen
• Jackson Wille
• Alex Dominique
• Tristan Rand
• Griffen Sanom
• Michael McCosh
• Spencer Rudrud

Aged Out

• Philip Ekberg
• Aaron Dickstein