NEW MEXICO ICE WOLVES NET 14 PLAYERS IN TEAM’S FIRST EVER NAHL ENTRY DRAFT
(Albuquerque, New Mexico) Wednesday, June 5, 2019 – The New Mexico Ice Wolves™ first ever NAHL Entry Draft was a success netting the team 14 players including star goalie Josh Graziano with the second overall pick in the draft. The NM Ice Wolves now have 31 total players comprising draft picks and 17 tendered players as the team marks another milestone in preparations for its inaugural season competing in the league’s South Division beginning in the 2019-2020 season and will play out of Outpost Ice Arenas in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“We are very pleased with our first ever NAHL draft and how our team is taking shape,” said New Mexico Ice Wolves Head Coach and General Manager Phil Fox. “Goaltending was top of mind and we made our second overall pick count with Josh Graziano while also achieving our goals of adding experience, size, speed and guys who we believe will be stand out members of the community as well as great players.”
Below is a list of NM Ice Wolves 2019 NAHL Entry Draft selections listed by round:
1st round – Josh Gaziano- Goalie
2nd round – Gustav Muller- Forward
3rd round – Keenan Johnson and Andrei Golikov- Defensemen acquired via trade
4th round – Jackson Wille- Forward acquired via trade
5th round – Drew Lorinchak- Forward
6th round – Riley Cooley- Forward
7th round – Logan Beller- Forward
8th round – Mitchell Becker- Defenseman
9th round – Luke Beerman- Forward
10th round – Logan Martinson- Defenseman
11th round – Josh Langford- Goalie
12th round – Banks Burkart- Forward
13th round – Lucas Newman- Forward
Below is a list of currently tendered NM Ice Wolves players:
Joe Paradise- Forward
Tom Paradise- Forward
Spencer Rudrud- Forward
Keegan Langefels- Defenseman
Connor Kemp- Forward
John Garvey- Defenseman
Cam Lantz- Defenseman
Zack Frisk- Forward
Michael McCosh- Forward
Jacob Halvorson- Forward
Alex Dominique- Forward
Griffen Sanom- Forward
Henrik Laursen- Goalie
Brandon Holt- Defenseman
Max Tobin- Defenseman
Creighton McMahan- Forward
Tristan Rand- Forward
The NM Ice Wolves draft picks and tendered players now look forward to the main camp on Wednesday, July 24-27 after which the roster will be firmly shaped up. The July main camp will be held at Outpost Ice Arenas in Albuquerque, NM and is open to the public making for an exciting opportunity to see future NM Ice Wolves battle it out on the ice for a spot on the team.
The NM Ice Wolves are led by Head Coach and GM Phil Fox who is joined by Assistant General Manager and Associate Head Coach Keenan Kelly as well as Assistant Coach Kyle Follmer. Last April the NM Ice Wolves unveiled its new logo which is designed to reflect the team’s home in the Land of Enchantment. The logo incorporates several New Mexico elements including the official state colors which are the red and yellow of Old Spain as well as the icy turquoise eyes that share the color with the state stone. The Zia symbol is quietly reflected in the eyes and highlighted along the snout. The iconic Sandia Mountains are given a nod in the transition from red to yellow across the Ice Wolf’s face as well as on the lower jaw where glistening stars and the moon show off New Mexico’s big, endless and almost always clear skies. Finally, the nose itself pays homage to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta which in modern New Mexico has become our state’s calling card to much of the world. The logo can be downloaded here.
This past February the New Mexico Ice Wolves were granted an expansion franchise in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) as a new team competing in the league’s South Division beginning in the 2019-2020 season and will play out of Outpost Ice Arenas in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The Outpost Ice Arenas is currently undergoing major renovations prior to the start of the season including bleachers that will be upgraded to provide premium VIP stadium seating, new NHL style plexiglass for seamless viewing, an updated restaurant and snack bar menu, party rooms that will be upgraded for fans and sponsors and a very unique set of connecting ice tunnels that allow fans to watch from the ice while also skating in the auxiliary rink. The Outpost Ice Arenas is open to the public and all renovations are slated for completion before the NAHL season debuts in October. People interested in season ticket information as soon as it is ready can sign up online at www.NMIceWolves.com to get updates on tickets and other special events.
The New Mexico Ice Wolves NAHL team will announce additional staff and tryout dates in the upcoming weeks, as well as season ticket and sponsorship information. You can learn more about the New Mexico Ice Wolves on their NAHL Team Page or on social media on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
For team media inquiries, please contact Aaron Martinez at 505-212-8762 or amartinez@reelz.com