Eleven #TPHTrained players selected in 2019 NHL Draft
Total Package Hockey is proud to congratulate the 11 #TPHTrained players who heard their names called during the 2019 NHL Draft.
Headlined by two TPH Center of Excellence alums, players who participated with OHL Cup and World Select Invite TPH teams and/or skated in TPH training programs were featured in five of the seven rounds Friday and Saturday in Vancouver.
“We are incredibly excited to celebrate these #TPHTrained players and recognize their latest accomplishment – one that most hockey players can only dream of,” said TPH CEO Nathan Bowen. “Being drafted by an NHL franchise is a remarkable honor, and a major step in the ultimate goal of playing professional hockey. They’ve earned this, and we can’t wait to see where they go from here.”
In the first round, Johnny Beecher was selected at No. 30 overall by the Boston Bruins. Beecher, a forward with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program Under-18 Team, played for the TPH team at the OHL Cup in 2017.
The second round featured the first of two TPH Center of Excellence alums being selected, as Arthur Kaliyev was claimed by the Los Angeles Kings. Kaliyev, who attended the Center of Excellence in Detroit before joining the Hamilton Bulldogs for the 2017-18 OHL season, racked up 51 goals and 51 assists for 102 points in 67 sophomore-season games.
Shortly after the Kaliyev selection, Egor Afanasyev heard his name called by the Nashville Predators. Afanasyev, a standout forward for the Muskegon Lumberjacks, played for the same TPH team at the OHL Cup as Beecher.
Flint Firebirds defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok was claimed at No. 52 overall. TPH Detroit’s Matt Larke served as a skills coach for the Firebirds in 2018-19, thus bringing TPH training to the OHL franchise in Flint.
Nick Robertson was selected one pick later; the Peterborough Petes forward registered 55 points in 54 games this past season. Robertson played for the TPH squad at the World Selects Invite in 2015-16.
In the fourth round, Center of Excellence alum Hunter Skinner was selected by the New York Rangers. The 2018-19 campaign marked his first full season of USHL play, and Skinner racked up 22 points from the blue line during his time with the Muskegon Lumberjacks and Lincoln Stars. Along with attending the Detroit CoE, Skinner played on the OHL Cup team in 2017, and he attends the TPH 8 Week Progression Program in the offseason.
Next up was Mason Millman, who was selected by the Philadelphia Flyers. Millman skates for the Saginaw Spirit, which utilizes TPH training during practices with TPH director of player development Brandon Naurato.
Later in the fourth round, the Vancouver Canucks picked Ethan Keppen, who plays for the Flint Firebirds and trained with Larke.
In the fifth round, Logan Neaton was claimed by the Winnipeg Jets. Neaton played for Michigan Hockey Advancement during his high school hockey days in Metro Detroit. He has also participated in the 8 Week Progression Program.
Rounding out the #TPHTrained contingent were Spirit forwards Nicholas Porco (fifth round) and Cole Coskey (seventh round), Saginaw Spirit players who trained with Naurato this past season.
About Total Package Hockey: Founded in 2001, it is TPH’s vision to become the world leader in positively impacting the lives of student-athletes through the game of hockey. Through academics, mentorship and athletics, TPH prides itself on operating at a standard that exceeds expectations of student-athletes, families, coaches, advisors and all other entities of the hockey world. With platforms that include association management, elite prospects programs, tournaments and showcases, camps and clinics and its hallmark Center of Excellence academy model, Total Package Hockey has assisted in the academic, athletic and hockey development of over 600 players who have advanced to junior, collegiate and professional hockey. Since inception, 45 #TPHTrained student-athletes have been selected in the NHL Draft, while 280 have committed to the NCAA level – 189 of which are Division I. In addition, 99 players have been selected in the OHL Priority Selection and 353 have signed tenders or been drafted in the USHL and NAHL. While TPH is proud of its student-athletes who have achieved success on-the ice, it is the process of developing young men and women as people, first and foremost, that our world-class team of coaches and mentors take the most amount of pride in. While it is our responsibility to prepare each individual for success on the ice, it is our mission to prepare each and every individual for success in the ultimate game – the game of life! To learn more about TPH, visit www.totalpackagehockey.com.